JJ Virgin explains why belly fat sticks around even when you're doing everything right. Insulin resistance and high cortisol from chronic stress both trigger abdominal fat storage. Get your fasting insulin and cortisol tested, then fix your sleep and stress levels.
How do I get rid of this belly fat that will not budge? All right, so if you're doing all the things, you've got your diet dialed in, you're eating protein for it first, you're getting lots of fiber in, you're doing a little cycling caloric restriction, you've upped your non-exercise activity thermogenesis, you're thinking, yes, JJ, check, check, check. Next thing is to look at two issues, because if you've got more belly fat, look to two things. Number one, are you having issues with insulin resistance? Is your blood sugar all over the place? And number 2, are you stressed out? Which, by the way, elevated cortisol can do the elevated blood sugar and insulin resistance. You can just take a— you can check a fasting insulin, you can check a morning cortisol, or better yet, an adrenal salivary index to give you those answers. Because if you're under high stress, not sleeping well, higher fasting insulin, it causes you to store more fat around your waist and hold on to it. So you got to solve for that.
