Burning muscle!! Cortisol supplements now?
 

Hi- went for my first weigh in after 5 days OP- 5 lbs down but bmi shows I'm burning lean muscle and need more protein.coach says its due to my height and stress level( I have 6 young kids and work with disabled people for my profession) she's putting me on a supplement that will help with cortisol levels. Anyone have any experience with this??

My doctor has me on a super low dose of cortisone for my adrenal fatigue. It has to be formulated since it is so low. I guess that lots of kids just do that to a person. :)

What supplement is it? Has your doctor actually tested your cortisol levels? I'd be hesitant of a non-medical coach diagnosing a cortisol issue without lab work or medical guidance.

Did you have your cortisol levels measured? Generally I would associate high cortisol levels with weight gain not loss of muscle mass. If you need to stabilize your hormone levels, I would recommend botanicals. I have used (still use) Ashwagandha root extract (for thyroids) and Rhodiola rosea extract (to balance adrenal hormones). Relora is said to have a calming effect and counteract stress and high cortisol. I have not yet used it. In essence, if you loose muscle mass (are their instruments really that accurate to tell you that?), I would simply eat a bit more.

Your coach does not have the capability to measure your fat vs muscle lost.

I'm sure your coach means well but this has to be one of the stupidest things about the IP diet. You can not accurately measure body fat with a bioimpedance device.

It is EXTRAORDINARILY unlikely that after 5 days on the IP diet you would have lost a single ounce of muscle regardless of how stressful your life is.

What a complete and utter joke.

If you want to read about how difficult it is to accurately measure body fat with bioimpedance you can read this article.

I'm not sure how much you paid for the cortisol supplement but most cortisol supplements work by lowering anxiety but they don't work that well compared to prescription drugs like xanax.
.

I'm so glad you posted, John.
8isenough - on my 4th WI the measurement gizmo said that in one week I lost 4 pounds of fat and gained 5 pounds of lean mass. Usually the gizmo takes a full minute to make a measure, but this time it took less than 5 seconds. Coach went on and on about how accurate it was and weird reasons for the huge change. I stopped putting any stock in any of the readings after that. I would not recommend taking any supplements based on that gizmo alone.

The scale doing the assessment gives estimates.

And the lean body mass does not just determine muscle. This is a misnomer. Lean body mass includes connective tissues, organs, skin, bone, blood and blood vessels, just about everything that isn't fat.

As we lose weight, our lean mass will also go down b/c we don't need as much supportive tissue. Even having inflammation reduction could have changed that number.

This certainly doesnt mean that you're not stressed and couldn't use the supplement but after only 5 days and no medical testing, it seems to be a knee-jerk reaction from an uninformed person or a sales tactic

Keep coming back here. There are some people with a lot of knowledge to help

All of us are going to lose lean mass regardless of what we do. I agree with John the gadget is part of the program and no way that my fingers and the little region of my thumb can tell them anything much. My place measures once a month and this month I told them not to bother. To me its like saying a ouji board or a fortune cookie is fact.

Wow! I love you guys! I thought it was weird but she's a nurse and I thought, well maybe she knows. I have been a competitive athlete my entire life and am really very visibly strong. The trouble I have is losing the fat but, I gotta tell ya, day 6 and I'm a new woman- stomach down, arm flab less, really a noticeable difference!!! Also, not hungry and sweet cravings gone??? how can this be? I love it here- so glad I found this, my coach has nothing on you all!
Cheers :)

Fingers and thumb? What is this gadget?
My coach uses a Tanita scale that prints out weight, body fat, lean mass, BMI, hydration... I think that's all. Anyway, what is the gadget you are referring to?

My 'at home' Omron has a T bar that is connected to the body of the scale (the part you stand on) through some sort of cable connection. When I want to do a full body scan I remove T bar and hold onto each end of it firmly, one hand on each end, holding it out at arm's length away from my body about chest high. I wait until the machine supposedly has time to 'scan' my body and produce the body composition results. Then my weight reappears on the little print out screen. I assume this 'hand on bar' situation which includes fingers and thumbs is what is being referred to. I certainly don't give my Omron any magical properties, but I do like to be able to see the trend of the readings it produces through the months.

Ditto

I haven't seen pictures but I would guess that 150 might be low for a goal weight based on what you're saying here. I'd advise you don't get fixated on a given number on the scale but instead to use pictures and measurements to determine progress.

I was going to say the same thing - you're two inches taller than me, and if you've got a muscular/medium build that might not be a maintainable weight for you. It's great to be able to get way down to a low weight, but if you can't sustain it in maintenance, it's kind of the carrot in front of the donkey :)

I am a nurse but I would not be qualified to give you information about your cortisol and what to take since that is not my area of expertise. She can be a nurse but is she fully trained in nutrition and dietary management.....

If I were you, describing what you've said about yourself, I would talk to my Doctor. I wouldn't mess around with supplements until I've had the proper lab work. I would also discuss with your DR. if this program is right for you.