the hormonal edge? page

[Amber]

so i carry most of my weight in my belly and back. from reading around, i see that this is probably because i have high testosterone levels...and lots of stress. which are both true.

so what can i eat, and do to make sure that i am addressing these issues? i am doing alot of bodyweight exercising tabata style, but i want to make sure i am doing whatever i can do address this.

thanks in advance!

[Drumroll]

Do you mean LOW testosterone levels? As I understand it, testosterone decreases fat storage and raises metabolism slightly, and estrogen has the opposite effect. It's why women tend to have higher body-fat ratios than men (on average).

If that's what you mean, then lots of saturated fats in the diet will help as well as cholesterol, as these are what the body uses to produce testosterone from. Therefore, being deficient in them leaves you with little for the body to turn into testosterone.

Lifting heavy things is also great for testosterone boosting but you're already doing that.

Also, for great fat burning, go for LONG walks regularly.

[Amber]

nope i mean high testosterone.

[Drumroll]

nope i mean high testosterone.

Please explain then. I usually associate fat, lazy folks with people who have never lifted a damn thing a day in their life, eat a crappy high carb/low fat diet and generally have low testosterone levels.

I have read for MYSELF that estrogen tends to be the fat storage hormone, NOT testosterone.

[Amber]

women who have high cortisol and testosterone tend to carry their weight in their stomachs. i have abnormally high testosterone levels.

[Amber]

and youre a little stereotypical there. there are MANY obese people in the population who are not infact lazy, they have other things going on. whether it be diet or medical. i am where i am right now because i have several chronic health conditions that require treatment with steroids. not to say i would be skinny if i hadnt taken them, but i dont consider myself lazy, i have definitely lifted heavy things more than once in my life. theres alot of other factors (as i would assume you would know considering your post count) that would contribute to someones size.

assuming that they are "fat, lazy people who never lifted anything in their life" is rude...or perhaps i misinterpreted what you said.

[Jena]

women who have high cortisol and testosterone tend to carry their weight in their stomachs. i have abnormally high testosterone levels.

I have also heard this is a common body shape for women with higher than average testoterone levels. I am the opposite (all boobs and butt)...

[Amber]

I have also heard this is a common body shape for women with higher than average testoterone levels. I am the opposite (all boobs and butt)...

lol well lucky you! haha

[Aloe]

and youre a little stereotypical there. there are MANY obese people in the population who are not infact lazy, they have other things going on. whether it be diet or medical. i am where i am right now because i have several chronic health conditions that require treatment with steroids. not to say i would be skinny if i hadnt taken them, but i dont consider myself lazy, i have definitely lifted heavy things more than once in my life. theres alot of other factors (as i would assume you would know considering your post count) that would contribute to someones size.

assuming that they are "fat, lazy people who never lifted anything in their life" is rude...or perhaps i misinterpreted what you said.

ITA^
Sorry I can't answer your question

Please explain then. I usually associate fat, lazy folks with people who have never lifted a damn thing a day in their life, eat a crappy high carb/low fat diet and generally have low testosterone levels.

I have read for MYSELF that estrogen tends to be the fat storage hormone, NOT testosterone.

What you said is true, but testosterone in the OP's case might only determine the pattern in which the fat has accumulated (male pattern vs female pattern).

[Drumroll]

I never said EVERY obese person was lazy. I said that those who are tend to have low testosterone levels. I realize there are exceptions to every statement and never intended for it to be a rule. In fact, I am well aware that the world record holder for women's weightlifting is without a doubt, overweight and obese but I CERTAINLY wouldn't call her lazy.

By the by though, cortisol displaces and breaks down testosterone from what I've read, thus displacing it. If testosterone is what causes the fat storage, then by that logic, you would want to INCREASE cortisol levels. Then you'd WANT to overtrain, drink gallons of coffee, and generally stress out a lot. You'd certainly lower your testosterone by a good amount!

Cortisol and testosterone RARELY rise along side each other. It's typically one, or the other. Hence people with high cortisol also having issues with libido, muscle building, and other issues typically associated with a healthy hormonal system.