Does Cortisol Stop Fat Loss? 📉 (The Truth)
4 Feb 2026 · 1 min
1:18
High cortisol causes water retention and sugar cravings, but won't stop fat loss if you maintain a calorie deficit. The scale may move slower, but you're still losing fat.
High cortisol causes water retention and sugar cravings, but won't stop fat loss if you maintain a calorie deficit. The scale may move slower, but you're still losing fat.
Since nobody ever explains things in their videos, here's why high cortisol stops you from losing weight. Cortisol does 2 bad things for weight loss. Number one, it makes you retain water weight. This water sits under your skin on top of your muscles, which gives you that puffy, bloated look. And second, it makes you crave sugar, high-calorie foods, Which makes it harder to stick to your diet. But here's what no one is telling you: there's a difference between gaining water weight versus gaining body fat. It doesn't matter if your cortisol is sky high or nonexistent. If you're eating in a CFD, a calorie fucking deficit, you are losing fat. It just might take longer to show up on the scale. It's like sitting in traffic going to work. It might take longer. It's more annoying. You feel like you're stuck in the same spot forever. But at the Eventually you will arrive at work. So don't listen to people who say you can't lose weight if your cortisol is high. Stick to your calorie deficit no matter what, and you will lose fat. And if you need to know what your calorie deficit number is, click this link in my bio.
