Abdominal fat

Posted by frieadroy @frieadroy, 4 days ago

In peri-/postmenopausal women, does aerobic exercise raise cortisol in a way that promotes abdominal fat? Or is this misconception due to conflating chronic stress–induced cortisol with the normal acute rise from exercise?

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gloaming | @gloaming | 4 days ago

Fat is deposited by the storage hormone, insulin. You can't outrun/outwalk/outswim/outcycle a diet that isn't working for you. I'm a life-long runner, walker, cyclist, and I have gained weight since my heart problems, and with my heart problems came a prescription for a statin. Statin's are proven to raise serum glucose levels, and this is a problem for pre-diabetic and diabetic patients. Or just for those who are not in metabolic distress but who should not gain any more weight.
I just said a lot. Carbohydrates in one's diet raise insulin levels. So do proteins, but not nearly as much. If you are ingesting more than about 200 gm of carbs a day, you're (probably, worth sleuthing) getting too much. I am assuming you're walking or running, or otherwise burning about 400-800 calories daily over and above your metabolic needs? If so, then it's the carbs, or else you have a hormonal problem somewhere. I would consult both a dietician and an endocrinologist about this.