IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage? - PaleoHacks.com

IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T00:40:22Z

Very interesting thing that has happened in the last couple weeks..

I've been tweaking things week by week...went Very low Carb..under 15g for a about a week, and was eating frequently..fat and protein every couple hours...i started to lean out a bit. (i'm trying desperately to lose the last 10lbs of fat before spring/summer) Felt GREAT for that week.

Then...started eating a bit more green veg the week after, because i was low in energy...so around 30g carbs and I started IF'in this past week, so i'd pretty much create an eating window... eating between 12noon-9pm..wake up ..fasted workout (low intensity walk, with sprint intervals) and then fat and protein in the 12-9 window..

Noticed a huge change already and not for the better...starting storing fat again, visibly put on some fat..rolly stomach (that was tight and flat during the VLC week) and legs are very fatty again almost immediately in the thighs and hips (where I store)..

Here's my theory...did re-introducing IF cause cortisol stress and put my body in fat store mode rather than fat release mode?

Is this all in my head? ( i won't be offended, i do think i have a distorted hyper awareness when it comes to the feeling of my body)

Thoughts...?

Answer by Eric for IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T00:57:32Z

IF does not always equal weight loss.

Answer by none for IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T01:15:50Z

Are you female? IMHO IFing is not great for the ladies. We tend to have worse glucose control when IFing. It also raises cortisol like a mo fo.

Also, how old are you?

I can do a lot of things, but IFing like that young buck Martin B. does NOT work for me (big belly, out of control hunger AFTER I start to eat). I think it's because I am a girl and I DO NOT like to eat big when I do eat - that's pretty crucial. Eating big.

Answer by grace for IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T01:19:40Z

My observations are that one needs bulletproof adrenals to do IF'ing and VLC (I don't)... and most (conventionally-trained, non-integrative) docs know CR*P about adrenal gland function (as they are ignorant of the HPA-thyroid-gut-gonad axis as well). For fat loss, it's necessary to have appropriately timed and synced adrenaline, cortisol and insulin and the tissues with high sensitivity to adrenaline, cortisol and insulin... This is why topical alpha-blockers, lifestyle changes, sleep, xenoestrogen/pesticide avoidance, herbals that promote insulin sensitivity (and directly reduce insulin resistance) are SUPER effective for fat loss (vitamin D, testosterone, ECGC, omega-3, adaptogens, etc).

Answer by miked for IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T01:34:14Z

Short answer, yet. Cortosol triggers insulin release which triggers fat storage.

My general advice for IF is only do it if it's "Easy" and don't plan it (that's called "planned" or "scheduled fasting"). My only IF comes if I get too busy for lunch or dinner. I just skip a meal "intermittently" if it's not easy to get a meal that day. And those days are just fine, I don't actually miss not having the meal.

If your IF causes you any stress, it's probably doing more harm than good.

Answer by Tracy for IF'ing & Ketosis stressing Adrenals & Cortisol = fat storage?

2012-02-26T13:50:37Z

I have been IFing for two weeks following the plan you described. I usually only get in two big meals during my feeding window. Strict Paleo. I've seen the best results following this plan. I CrossFit fasted 5 days a week at 5:30 a.m., then feeding window opens at 11:30. I know I leaned out because I went from 3 huge meals a day to two. Maybe its what you are eating during your feeding window also??