Cortisol:
You probably heard about this – “stress makes you fat”. If you are under tremendous stress then you are very likely to gain weight!
Cortisol is a stress hormone and when levels of insulin in the body are high then more cortisol is secreted. One of the things that higher levels of cortisol can do is lower the levels of the DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone), which is the hormone that helps you build more muscle mass.
To lose weight more effectively muscle mass is needed. This is because it helps to burn fat and keeps insulin levels lower. Too much stress stimulates the fat cells to take in more fat to store. This is where you will find the cortisol levels higher. So because of this stress makes your body store up more of the fat.