Are Low-Carb Diets Spiking Your Cortisol and Tanking Your Metabolism? | Ep 311

Wits & Weights | Fat Loss, Nutrition, & Strength Training for Lifters

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Download your free Nutrition 101 for Body Composition guide at witsandweights.com/free to learn exactly how to set up your macros (including CARBS!), calories, and meal timing to support your metabolism.

Your "healthy" low-carb diet might be secretly working against you by elevating your stress hormones and slowing your metabolism.

Beyond the immediate effects of energy crashes and stalled weight loss, emerging research reveals a deeper, more concerning connection between carb restriction, stress hormones, and metabolic health.

If you've been experiencing (or want to avoid) energy crashes, stalled fat loss, or feeling unusually stressed, there could be a physiological connection between your carbohydrate intake and cortisol levels that's sabotaging your results.

This episode reveals the research-backed connection between low-carb diets and elevated cortisol, and how this hormonal response can trigger a cascade of metabolic effects that make fat loss harder, not easier.

Discover the optimal carb approach that supports your metabolism, thyroid function, and training performance while keeping stress hormones in check.

Main Takeaways:

Low-carb diets trigger a stress response that elevates cortisol, even without a calorie deficit
Chronically elevated cortisol can suppress hormones and slow your metabolic rate
Carb timing can help manage cortisol levels
Carbs should be reintroduced gradually if you've been on a very low-carb diet

Episode Resources:

Download the Nutrition 101 for Body Composition guide
Try MacroFactor for free with code WITSANDWEIGHTS

Timestamps:

0:00 - Why low-carb diets might be working against you
2:25 - The hidden connection between carbs, stress, and metabolism
4:13 - How carb restriction increases cortisol levels
7:04 - Impact on thyroid function and metabolic rate
9:39 - What happens to workouts and performance
12:49 - Finding your optimal carb intake
17:23 - Tips to reintroduce (or increase) carbs in your diet
22:58 - The bidirectional relationship between cortisol and metabolism

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Chapters

1. How Low-Carb Affects Your Body (00:00:00)

2. The Cortisol-Carb Connection (00:03:39)

3. Impact on Your Metabolic Rate (00:07:04)

4. The Scientific Evidence (00:10:32)

5. Strategies for Optimal Carb Intake (00:17:30)

6. Finding Your Personal Carb Sweet Spot (00:23:01)

463 episodes

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