High stress and poor sleep raise cortisol, making your body hold onto fat even when you exercise. Weight loss needs more than calories burned: you need lower inflammation, stable blood sugar, and real sleep to get out of survival mode.
I'm working out, but I'm still not losing weight. I'm answering that question. Now, it might not be the workout. It might be your hormones. If your stress is high and sleep is low, your cortisol will stay up. And when your cortisol's up, your body holds on to fat, especially around the belly. It's not just about burning calories. It's about lowering the inflammation and also balancing your blood sugar and of course getting deep rest. Otherwise, your body will think it's in survival mode and not fat burning mode.
