Low cortisol levels (adrenal exhaustion) vs. low calories and starvation mode

[Another Great Day]

Hello,

This morning I read a post from 1-24-18 "Belly fat Won't Go Away" Madman commented, "Put my money on it that your calories are too low so your basically in starvation mode"

How would I determine if I am in starvation mode vs. low cortisol levels, adrenal exhaustion? I am 59 years of age have been lifting for 25 years. Lifting 4-5 days per week and get get about 10,000 - 20,000 walking steps per day (FitBit). Each day I have a daily caloric deficit but do not lose weight. I track everything I eat. The other components of possible adrenal exhaustion, I am type A++ personality and OCD. My entire life I have struggled with my weight and have "dieted" for the past 30 years. I have experimented with Atkins, Vegan, and Keto. With each of these meal plan my calories or food intake has been limited with no weight loss. My current caloric intake is 1,540 daily, 175 protein, 55 grams of carbs. I have had my resting metabolism rate tested which indicated I have a fast metabolism. My body composition on 3-11-19 was body fat 28%, Total mass, 241 lb, Fat tissue, 70 lb, Lean tissue, 163, MBC, 8,9%, visceral fat 4.58 lbs.

My fear of increasing calories is that I will gain weight and not be able to lose it.
I am a Defy patient. On 1-2-19 my RT3 was 20. Began liothyronine and titrated up to 50mcg. My RT3 it now 5.6. No change in weight. Also an HRT patient my testosterone serum average 550 ng/dl. Could my inability to lose weight be due to low cortisol levels? These results below are from 1-2-19. Last week I completed another cortisol test and should have the results in a week.

If I should be eating more calories, what do you suggest. If you feel it is low cortisol, would you please suggest a provider to treat this condition. I have done an many internet searches for providers with no success.

8-23-19 Vitamin D levels 21.5 ng/ml, and began supplementing with vitamin d3, 10,000 iu daily.
12-20-19 Vitamin D levels 25.2 ng/ml and increased vitamin d3 to 30,000 iu daily.

@Nelson Vergel

1-2-19

8:00 am 0.237 Range 0.025-0.600
Noon 0.132 Range 0.010-.0330
4:00 pm 0.140 Range 0.010-0.200
9:00 pm 0.045 Range 0.010-0.090

 

[Vtail]

If you are with Defy, I believe they can send you a script for a 4x saliva cortisol test.

 

[BuzzSaw]

I know that if your body isn't getting enough calories (as well as other factors, ie stress, illness, etc), the body produces reverse t3 (rT3), which is detrimental and slows the body down (ie it buggers up your thyroid!).

 

[slicktop]

If you've dieted for 30 years, I'd say eat more calories for a month and see what happens. No blood testing required. 1540 is at least a 20% deficit for a sedentary person of your size- that's a looooow amount of calories for someone lifting 5 days a week, so I whole heartedly agree that you're in "starvation" mode. If you're really worried about gaining weight, get a fabric tape measure and measure your waist line every other day. If that goes up, you have a problem. Stay away from the scale for a while- a brief change of 2-5 lbs in a days time is nothing- I swing that much all the time.

 

[Deleted member 12831]

Hello,

This morning I read a post from 1-24-18 "Belly fat Won't Go Away" Madman commented, "Put my money on it that your calories are too low so your basically in starvation mode"

How would I determine if I am in starvation mode vs. low cortisol levels, adrenal exhaustion? I am 59 years of age have been lifting for 25 years. Lifting 4-5 days per week and get get about 10,000 - 20,000 walking steps per day (FitBit). Each day I have a daily caloric deficit but do not lose weight. I track everything I eat. The other components of possible adrenal exhaustion, I am type A++ personality and OCD. My entire life I have struggled with my weight and have "dieted" for the past 30 years. I have experimented with Atkins, Vegan, and Keto. With each of these meal plan my calories or food intake has been limited with no weight loss. My current caloric intake is 1,540 daily, 175 protein, 55 grams of carbs. I have had my resting metabolism rate tested which indicated I have a fast metabolism. My body composition on 3-11-19 was body fat 28%, Total mass, 241 lb, Fat tissue, 70 lb, Lean tissue, 163, MBC, 8,9%, visceral fat 4.58 lbs.

My fear of increasing calories is that I will gain weight and not be able to lose it.
I am a Defy patient. On 1-2-19 my RT3 was 20. Began liothyronine and titrated up to 50mcg. My RT3 it now 5.6. No change in weight. Also an HRT patient my testosterone serum average 550 ng/dl. Could my inability to lose weight be due to low cortisol levels? These results below are from 1-2-19. Last week I completed another cortisol test and should have the results in a week.

If I should be eating more calories, what do you suggest. If you feel it is low cortisol, would you please suggest a provider to treat this condition. I have done an many internet searches for providers with no success.

8-23-19 Vitamin D levels 21.5 ng/ml, and began supplementing with vitamin d3, 10,000 iu daily.
12-20-19 Vitamin D levels 25.2 ng/ml and increased vitamin d3 to 30,000 iu daily.

@Nelson Vergel

1-2-19

8:00 am 0.237 Range 0.025-0.600
Noon 0.132 Range 0.010-.0330
4:00 pm 0.140 Range 0.010-0.200
9:00 pm 0.045 Range 0.010-0.090

Are you Secondary Hypogonadism? The thing is,you need to test acth serum and am cortisol and get further evaluation. I hate that term adrenal fatigue as usually often times, people do not have adrenal fatigue, they have adrenal failure and it is either addisons or secondary adrenal insufficiency. You need to test your igf-1 as well. I actually lost weight with hc when treated for SAI. I was secondary hypogonadism and hypothyroid. It turns out as many in here have no idea, I had Pan Hypo Pituitarism

 

[Stpfan]

My Endocrinologist refuses to check my Reverse t3 and cortisol. I've asked several times. He is a very old school doctor. I believe he's 81 years old. So, there's no way of me ever figuring out my scores.

My only advice to stubborn belly fat may sound cliche... but it's the only thing that worked for me. We all know how to diet correct? It's low calories.... and keeping your rate over 140 20-30 minutes doing cardio. 3-4 times a week. That's what worked for me.

The hardest part was dieting from 194 lbs to around 185 lbs. It took forever. I think we all have a certain area in which we never seem to see the results we want. We want them overnight. But eventually... if you stick with it... you will achieve your goal.

 

[Another Great Day]

[

Are you Secondary Hypogonadism? The thing is,you need to test acth serum and am cortisol and get further evaluation. I hate that term adrenal fatigue as usually often times, people do not have adrenal fatigue, they have adrenal failure and it is either addisons or secondary adrenal insufficiency. You need to test your igf-1 as well. I actually lost weight with hc when treated for SAI. I was secondary hypogonadism and hypothyroid. It turns out as many in here have no idea, I had Pan Hypo Pituitarism

Thanks for the information. A few points of clarification I have heard about people being in "starvation mode" for the past 30 years. Spoke with a phd nutritionalist. Starvation mode is not exist, not at all. Decided to consult with a few endocrinologists, 2 in Illinois and one in Ohio, to determine what is going on. Something pituitary but not sure what.

 

[Vvs1]

What’s your shbg?

Low cortisol can play a role. Cortisol is required for t3 to enter cells. High t3 increases shbg and reduces freeT.

Maybe cut back on protein intake and reduce salt intake. Any kind of dessert snacking interferes with results. Once you look at ingredients, and it’s mostly sugar and corn starch, it should hit the trash. Better off with a probiotic yogurt!

 

[CROM]

What's your body temperature morning noon and night?

Anyway. I know an endocrinologist who specializes in weight loss. He starts his clients eating low carb and low calorie. Then he lowers calories more after 6 weeks because the metabolism slows. Eventually the metabolism slows so much that he moves them to intermitting fasting until they reach their weight goal. Intermittent fasting seems to make the most sense for weight loss. They got drugs like Phentermine that work really well to suppress your appetite during fasting periods. Once you reach your weight goal he recommends adding a small amount of calories to your diet each week for 6 months until you reach a maintenance goal. Personally I’ve never tried intermitting fasting cuz I workout too and I am afraid of losing muscle. But combining intermittent fasting with 3 or 4 twenty minute high-intensity cardio sessions might do the trick. I know a lot of really cut guys who do intermittent fasting and do lots of cardio before breakfast…they’re ripped but they ain’t got that much muscle either. I’d be kinda afraid of intermittent fasting and muscle loss. But they also don't do testosterone.

Let me add one more thing. I know this guy who had the same problem. He had this unusually big belly. He took up basketball. Started playing it obsessively. He loves doing it. Plays it for hours. He also started eating healthy and works out—no steroids. Now he’s got the best abs in the gym. Sometimes we think we’re working hard to lose weight but w’re really not.