Last week, a client sat across from me (virtually) and said something I hear often: “Sarah, I’m doing everything right. I’m eating well, I’m exercising, I’m trying so hard. But the weight just won’t budge, and I’m exhausted.”
We talked through her week. She was up at 5am for HIIT classes, surviving on black coffee until lunch, pushing through afternoon energy crashes, and collapsing into bed at midnight with her mind racing. Her body was screaming for help, and cortisol was at the centre of it all.
This isn’t a story about willpower or discipline. It’s about understanding what’s actually happening inside your body when stress becomes chronic. And more importantly, it’s about practical, sustainable ways to support your system so it can function the way it’s meant to.
Weight loss is complex. Cortisol is one piece of a much bigger puzzle, but it’s a piece that’s often overlooked. This guide won’t promise you quick fixes or dramatic transformations. What it will offer is a realistic, evidence-informed approach to managing cortisol and supporting your body’s natural ability to find balance.
What Cortisol Actually Does (The Basics Without the Hype)
Let’s start with what cortisol is supposed to do. It’s your body’s primary stress hormone, released by your adrenal glands in response to perceived threats. In the right amounts and at the right times, cortisol is essential. It helps regulate blood sugar, manage inflammation, control your sleep-wake cycle, and give you energy when you need it.
The problem isn’t cortisol itself. The problem is when it stays elevated for too long.
Your body is designed to handle acute stress: a predator chasing you, a near-miss car accident, a sudden deadline. Cortisol spikes, you respond, the threat passes, and cortisol drops back down. But when stress becomes chronic (work pressure, relationship strain, poor sleep, under-eating, over-exercising), your cortisol rhythm gets disrupted.
Common signs your cortisol might be running high:
- Waking up tired despite sleeping 7-8 hours
- Energy crashes in the afternoon
- Trouble falling or staying asleep
- Intense cravings for sugar or salt
- Weight gain around your middle, regardless of what you eat
- Feeling “wired but tired”
- Brain fog or poor concentration
- Getting sick more often
Here’s what I want to be clear about: cortisol isn’t inherently bad. You need it. But you need it in the right pattern. A healthy cortisol rhythm rises in the morning to help you wake up, gradually declines through the day, and reaches its lowest point at night so you can sleep.
When that pattern gets disrupted, everything else starts to struggle.
The Cortisol-Weight Connection (What the Research Actually Shows)
So why does elevated cortisol make weight loss harder? Let me break down what’s actually happening.
Blood Sugar and Insulin Sensitivity
Cortisol raises blood sugar. That’s one of its jobs in an acute stress response, it gives you quick energy. But when cortisol is chronically elevated, your blood sugar stays higher than it should. Your body responds by pumping out more insulin. Over time, your cells become less responsive to insulin (insulin resistance), and your body starts storing more fat, particularly around your abdomen.
Fat Storage Patterns
This is why stress weight tends to accumulate around your middle. Visceral fat (the fat around your organs) has more cortisol receptors than subcutaneous fat (the fat under your skin). High cortisol essentially tells your body to preferentially store fat in your midsection.
Appetite Hormones
Cortisol interferes with leptin (your satiety hormone) and ghrelin (your hunger hormone). When cortisol is elevated, you’re more likely to feel hungry even when you’ve eaten enough, and you’re more likely to crave calorie-dense, highly palatable foods. It’s not a lack of willpower. It’s your hormones doing exactly what they’re designed to do in a perceived state of threat.
Muscle Breakdown and Metabolism
Chronic cortisol elevation can break down muscle tissue to convert it into glucose. Less muscle means a slower metabolic rate, which makes weight loss harder and weight regain easier.
Key Point:
Not everyone with high cortisol gains weight. Individual variation matters. Some people lose their appetite under stress. Some maintain their weight but struggle with other symptoms. This isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation.
If you’re dealing with chronic stress and its physical symptoms, you might find the information on my stress and mental health offerings helpful.
The Foundation: Sleep (Non-Negotiable Starting Point)
I’m going to be direct here: if your sleep is a mess, nothing else you try will work as well as it could. Sleep disruption is both a cause and a consequence of elevated cortisol. Poor sleep raises cortisol. High cortisol disrupts sleep. It’s a vicious cycle.
When I work with clients on cortisol management, we always start with sleep. Not supplements. Not fancy testing. Sleep.
Practical Sleep Hygiene That Actually Works
Consistent timing: I know weekends are tempting, but try to keep your wake time within an hour of your weekday schedule. Your body’s internal clock (which regulates cortisol) thrives on consistency.
Light exposure patterns: Get bright light (ideally sunlight) within 30 minutes of waking. This signals to your body that it’s daytime and helps set your cortisol rhythm. In the evening, dim the lights. Use blue light filters or avoid screens if you can. If you can’t, at least reduce brightness.
Temperature and environment: Keep your bedroom cool (around 18-20°C). Make it as dark as possible. White noise or earplugs if you need them. Your bedroom should be for sleep (and intimacy), not scrolling through your phone or watching TV.
When your mind won’t shut off: This is where I see people struggle most. Try a “worry dump” before bed. Spend 10 minutes writing down everything on your mind, including tasks for tomorrow. Get it out of your head and onto paper. Then close the notebook and leave it in another room.
If you’re still lying awake after 20 minutes, get up. Do something boring in dim light until you feel sleepy again. Lying in bed frustrated just reinforces the association between your bed and wakefulness.
When to Consider Testing
If you’ve addressed the basics and sleep is still terrible, salivary cortisol testing (measuring your cortisol at four points throughout the day) can show us what your rhythm looks like. Sometimes cortisol is high at night when it should be low. Sometimes it’s flat all day. Knowing the pattern helps us target support more effectively.
You can learn more about sleep support here.
Movement That Helps (Not Hinders)
Here’s something that surprises people: more exercise isn’t always better, especially when you’re already stressed and your cortisol is elevated.
High-intensity exercise is a stressor. For some people, at the right dose, it’s beneficial stress. But if you’re already running on empty, smashing yourself with daily HIIT sessions or long runs can push your cortisol higher, not lower.
I’ve worked with so many clients who were doing everything “right” on paper but were actually over-training relative to their capacity to recover. They’d come to me exhausted, not losing weight despite training six days a week, and completely burnt out.
What I Typically Recommend
Walking: I’m serious. Walking is genuinely underrated for cortisol management. It’s gentle, it gets you outside (bonus points for sunlight and nature), and it doesn’t demand much from your already taxed system. Aim for 30-45 minutes most days if you can. It doesn’t need to be power walking. Just moving.
Strength training done right: Resistance training is excellent for body composition, metabolic health, and cortisol management, if you’re recovering adequately. Two to three sessions per week, focusing on compound movements, with at least one rest day between sessions. Push yourself, but don’t destroy yourself.
Gentle movement options: Yoga (particularly restorative or yin styles), stretching, swimming, tai chi, whatever you’ll actually do consistently. The best exercise is the one you’ll stick with.
Signs You’re Overdoing It
- You’re more tired after exercise than before
- Your sleep gets worse after training
- You’re getting sick frequently
- Your mood crashes after workouts
- You’re losing strength or performance despite training hard
- Your menstrual cycle becomes irregular or stops (for those who menstruate)
If you’re already exhausted, adding more high-intensity training isn’t the answer. Rest is just as important as movement.
Food and Blood Sugar Balance
Let me paint a picture I see often: someone skips breakfast or has just black coffee, maybe grabs a salad for lunch (because they’re “being good”), hits a massive energy crash at 3pm, battles cravings all afternoon, then overeats at dinner because they’re ravenous.
Their cortisol has been spiking all day to keep their blood sugar stable because they haven’t eaten enough. By evening, they’re starving, their willpower is gone, and their body is desperate for energy.
This isn’t a character flaw. This is physiology.
Practical Eating Patterns
Protein at breakfast: This is non-negotiable in my practice. Protein at breakfast helps stabilise blood sugar for the entire day and reduces cortisol spikes. I’m talking eggs, Greek yogurt, protein smoothies, leftover meat, smoked salmon, whatever works for you. Aim for at least 20-30g of protein.
Regular meal timing: Skipping meals or going too long between eating forces your body to rely on cortisol to maintain blood sugar. Eat every 3-5 hours. If you’re someone who does well with three meals, great. If you need a snack, that’s fine too.
Balancing macros without obsessing: You don’t need to weigh and measure everything, but each meal should have protein, healthy fats, and some form of carbohydrate. This combination keeps your blood sugar stable and your energy consistent.
Foods That Support Cortisol Regulation
Magnesium-rich options: Dark leafy greens, nuts and seeds, whole grains, dark chocolate, avocados. Magnesium helps with stress response and sleep quality.
Vitamin C sources: Citrus fruits, berries, capsicum, broccoli, kiwi. Your adrenal glands use a lot of vitamin C, especially under stress.
Omega-3s: Fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds. Omega-3s help modulate inflammation and support healthy cortisol levels.
Quality carbs (yes, really): Sweet potato, oats, quinoa, rice, fruit. Carbohydrates support serotonin production and can help lower cortisol, particularly in the evening. The idea that you need to cut carbs to lose weight is overly simplistic and often counterproductive when cortisol is already high.
What I’m not saying: eliminate entire food groups, follow rigid meal plans, or obsess over every bite. Stress about food raises cortisol too.
If you’d like personalised nutrition support, you can explore my nutrition and dietetic services here.
Stress Management That Isn’t Just “Relax More”
I want to acknowledge something important: you can’t always change your stressors. You might have a demanding job you can’t quit. You might be caring for aging parents or young children. You might be dealing with chronic illness or financial strain.
Telling you to “just relax” is patronising and unhelpful.
What we can work on is how your body responds to stress and building in small moments of regulation throughout your day.
Techniques I’ve Seen Actually Stick
Breath work (simple versions): Not 20-minute routines. Just 2-3 minutes of slower breathing. Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts. Do this while you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or sitting at a red light. It activates your parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode) and can lower cortisol in real time.
Time boundaries and micro-breaks: If you work at a desk, set a timer to get up and move every hour. Even 60 seconds of stretching or walking helps. If you’re caregiving, even a 5-minute break to sit outside can make a difference. Protect your lunch break. Don’t eat at your desk while answering emails.
Saying no: This is harder than it sounds, and it’s deeply personal. But every time you say yes when you want to say no, you’re adding to your stress load. Start small. Practice saying “Let me check my calendar and get back to you” instead of automatically agreeing.
Body-based practices: Progressive muscle relaxation (tensing and releasing muscle groups), grounding exercises (noticing five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two you can smell, one you can taste), or simply placing your hand on your heart and taking a few deep breaths.
When Emotional or Mental Health Support Is Needed
Sometimes the stress you’re managing goes beyond what lifestyle changes can address. If you’re dealing with anxiety, depression, trauma, or overwhelming life circumstances, please reach out for mental health support. There’s no shame in that. It’s actually the smartest, strongest thing you can do.
I work alongside psychologists and counsellors regularly because mental and physical health are inseparable. My lifestyle coaching services can complement mental health support, but they’re not a replacement for it.
Key Point:
Stress management isn’t about eliminating stress (impossible) or achieving perfect zen (also impossible). It’s about building small, consistent practices that help your nervous system regulate and recover.
Herbal and Nutritional Support
Once the foundations are in place (sleep, movement, food, stress tools), herbs and supplements can provide meaningful support. But they’re support tools, not magic bullets.
Adaptogens I Commonly Use
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera): One of the most researched adaptogens for cortisol management. Studies show it can reduce cortisol levels and improve stress resilience. I typically use it for people who feel “wired and tired” or struggle with anxiety. Not appropriate during pregnancy or for everyone, dosing and formulation matter.
Rhodiola rosea: Excellent for mental and physical fatigue, particularly when stress is affecting concentration and energy. I often use this for people who are burnt out or struggling with work demands.
Holy basil (Tulsi): Gentle adaptogen that supports both stress resilience and blood sugar regulation. Good option for people who find ashwagandha too sedating.
Key Nutrients
Magnesium: Involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in your body, including stress response and sleep regulation. Most people don’t get enough from food alone. Forms matter, magnesium glycinate or threonate are generally well-tolerated and effective.
B vitamins: Essential for energy production and nervous system function. B5 (pantothenic acid) in particular supports adrenal function. I usually recommend a good quality B complex rather than individual B vitamins.
Vitamin C: Your adrenal glands have the highest concentration of vitamin C in your body and use it rapidly under stress. Supplementation can support healthy cortisol patterns.
Omega-3s: As mentioned earlier, these help modulate inflammation and support healthy stress response. If you’re not eating fatty fish 2-3 times per week, supplementation is worth considering.
Why Working With a Practitioner Matters
Supplements aren’t regulated the same way medications are. Quality varies wildly. Dosing is individual. Some herbs interact with medications or aren’t appropriate for certain conditions.
This is why I don’t just hand out generic supplement protocols. In consultations, we look at your full picture: your symptoms, your health history, any medications you’re taking, your budget, and what you’ll actually be consistent with. Then we build a plan that makes sense for you.
Learn more about herbal medicine support here.
What About Testing?
I get asked about cortisol testing regularly. Here’s my take: testing can be helpful, but it’s not always necessary, and it’s definitely not the first step.
When Cortisol Testing Makes Sense
- You’ve addressed the foundations (sleep, stress, food, movement) for at least 6-8 weeks and aren’t seeing improvement
- Your symptoms are severe or significantly impacting your quality of life
- We need to rule out or confirm a medical condition (Cushing’s syndrome, Addison’s disease)
- You want to track progress objectively after implementing changes
Types of Testing
Salivary cortisol rhythm: This is what I use most often. You collect saliva samples at four points throughout the day (morning, midday, afternoon, evening). It shows us your cortisol pattern, not just a single point in time. Are you high in the morning when you should be? Low at night when you should be? Flat all day?
DUTCH test (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormones): Provides more detailed information about cortisol metabolism and patterns, plus other hormone markers. More expensive and more comprehensive. I use this when we need a deeper dive.
Blood tests: Standard blood cortisol tests (usually done in the morning) have limited usefulness for chronic stress assessment. Cortisol fluctuates throughout the day, so a single blood draw doesn’t tell us much about your overall pattern. Blood tests are more useful for ruling out serious adrenal dysfunction.
What Testing Tells Us (And What It Doesn’t)
Testing shows us patterns. It gives us objective data to inform our approach. But it doesn’t give us all the answers. A “normal” cortisol result doesn’t mean you’re not stressed or struggling. An “abnormal” result doesn’t automatically mean we need aggressive intervention.
Testing is one piece of information that we interpret in the context of your symptoms, your life, and your goals.
You can explore functional testing options here.
Realistic Expectations and Timeframes
I need to be honest with you: cortisol management takes time. Your body didn’t get into this state overnight, and it won’t resolve overnight.
Most people start noticing changes within 3-6 months of consistent effort. Some people respond more quickly. Others need longer, especially if stress has been chronic for years.
What Progress Actually Looks Like
Energy improvements often come first: You might notice you’re waking up less exhausted, or your afternoon crashes aren’t as severe. These shifts can happen within a few weeks.
Sleep quality changes: Falling asleep more easily, staying asleep through the night, or waking up feeling more refreshed. This can take 4-8 weeks.
Stress resilience shifts: Things that used to completely derail you don’t hit as hard. You recover from stressful events more quickly. This is subtle but significant.
Weight changes tend to be gradual: If weight loss happens (and it might not be the most noticeable change), it’s usually slow and steady. 0.5-1kg per month is realistic and sustainable. Rapid weight loss usually isn’t fat loss, it’s water or muscle, and it doesn’t tend to stay off.
Individual Variation
Some people respond quickly. Others need more time. Some people lose weight easily once cortisol is managed. Others find their energy and sleep improve dramatically but their weight stays relatively stable.
This isn’t failure. Bodies are complex. Weight is influenced by genetics, medication, sleep disorders, other hormonal issues, gut health, trauma history, and factors we don’t fully understand yet.
The goal isn’t perfection. The goal is feeling better, functioning better, and supporting your body as best you can.
When to Get Support
There are times when professional input isn’t optional, it’s essential.
Red Flags That Warrant Professional Input
- Suspected Cushing’s syndrome or Addison’s disease: If you’re experiencing rapid weight gain (particularly in the face and trunk), severe muscle weakness, purple stretch marks, easy bruising, or darkening of the skin, you need medical evaluation urgently.
- Severe anxiety or depression: If your mood is significantly impacting your daily life, relationships, or safety, please reach out to a GP or mental health professional. This is beyond the scope of lifestyle changes alone.
- Persistent insomnia despite everything: If you’ve tried all the sleep hygiene strategies and you’re still lying awake night after night, or waking constantly, there might be an underlying sleep disorder that needs investigation.
- No improvement after 3 months of consistent effort: If you’ve genuinely addressed the foundations, sleep, food, movement, stress management, and you’re not seeing any improvement in symptoms, it’s time to dig deeper with professional support.
What to Expect in a Naturopathic Consultation
When you work with me, we start with a comprehensive initial consultation (usually 60-90 minutes). We talk through your health history, your current symptoms, your lifestyle, your goals, and what you’ve already tried.
I’m not here to hand you a generic protocol or sell you a bunch of supplements. I’m here to help you understand what’s happening in your body and build a practical, personalised plan that fits your life.
Follow-up appointments (usually every 2-6 weeks initially, then less frequently as things improve) help us track progress, adjust the plan as needed, and address any challenges or questions that come up.
You can learn more about how I work here, or if you’re ready to get started, you can book a consultation.
Bringing It Together
Managing cortisol isn’t about perfection. It’s not about meditating for an hour every day, eating organic kale at every meal, or never experiencing stress again.
It’s about understanding the patterns in your body and making small, sustainable changes that support your system rather than fighting against it.
The foundations matter more than supplements. Sleep, movement that matches your capacity, regular eating with enough protein and nutrients, and small practices that help your nervous system regulate. These are the non-negotiables.
Weight loss might be a goal, and it’s a valid one. But in my experience, the more valuable outcomes are often the ones people don’t expect: waking up with energy, feeling more resilient to stress, sleeping through the night, having stable moods, feeling like yourself again.
Small, sustainable changes compound over time. You don’t need to overhaul your entire life tomorrow. You just need to start somewhere, keep going, and adjust as you learn what works for your body.
And if you’re stuck or overwhelmed, reaching out for support isn’t weakness. It’s smart strategy. You don’t have to figure this out alone.
