Chill Out to Slim Down: Why Stress Is Sabotaging Your Fat Loss After 40

By Dr. Jae Hitson | Fat Loss Over 40 Series – Part 4

Let’s talk about something that doesn’t get nearly enough credit when it comes to fat loss after 40:

👉 Stress.

And no, I’m not going to hit you with another cliché about how stress is “bad for your waistline.”
I’m here to give you the science—and a few rebellious truths—about why your nervous system may be the real reason your body is hanging onto fat like it’s prepping for the apocalypse.

Still Not Losing Weight After Doing “Everything Right”?

You’re tracking your food.
You’re hitting your protein goals.
You’re lifting weights like it’s your part-time job.

And yet… the scale. won’t. budge.

If that’s you, this is your missing puzzle piece.

Meet the Real Culprit: Your Autonomic Nervous System

You’ve got two primary operating modes when it comes to your nervous system:

• Sympathetic (aka Fight or Flight)

• Parasympathetic (aka Rest and Digest)
  
  

When you’re in fight or flight, your body thinks it’s running from a tiger. So it does what it’s designed to do:
store fat as a fuel reserve.

The problem? Most of us aren’t running from tigers anymore—we’re sitting at our desks, arguing on Zoom, or getting triggered by a stranger’s driving.

And guess what?
You’re still in fight or flight. For hours. Sometimes days. For some of us… decades.

That kind of chronic stress shuts down your body’s ability to burn fat, digest nutrients, and heal.

Key Signs You’re Stuck in Fight-or-Flight Mode:

• Constant fatigue, even with rest

• Digestive issues despite clean eating

• Emotional eating or no appetite at all

• Weight plateaus, even with proper macros

• Feeling “wired and tired” or burnt out
  
  

What Stress Really Does to Your Body

Here’s the science:

When stress hits, your body releases cortisol—a hormone that’s helpful short-term, but toxic when it overstays its welcome.

Most people associate cortisol with high levels (that’s early-stage stress), but after years of chronic stress?
Your cortisol often tanks. And now you’re dealing with adrenal burnout—and your fat loss just hit a wall.

Pro Tip: Check Your Cortisol

If you’re a patient of mine, cortisol is on your lab panel.
And if it’s low? That tells us your system is exhausted—not lazy.

You don’t need more discipline.
You need more recovery.

How Stress Sabotages Weight Loss

Here’s what most people don’t realize:

1. Stress blocks absorption
   → You eat a healthy meal but absorb none of the nutrients. Cue cravings.
   
   

2. Stress drives hunger
   → Your body still feels malnourished and pushes you to eat more.
   
   

3. Stress encourages fat storage
   → Especially visceral fat (the kind around your belly).
   
   

4. Stress hijacks your habits
   → You fall back into old patterns you thought you’d outgrown.
   
   

If you’re not addressing this piece of the puzzle, your body will resist fat loss—no matter how “perfect” your diet is.

Flip the Switch: How to Shift Into Fat-Burning Mode

Enter: Box Breathing

Want to flip your nervous system from fight-or-flight to rest-and-digest in 30 seconds?
Box breathing is your biohacking BFF.

How to do it:

• Inhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds

• Exhale for 4 seconds

• Hold for 4 seconds
  → Repeat 3–4 rounds
  
  

This little ritual signals your body that it’s safe to relax—and yes, even start releasing fat.

Make Rest a Ritual

I know—your life is busy.
But you have micro-moments every day. Use them.

Try this quick exercise:

Write down what you can do in:

• 1 Minute (sip herbal tea, breathe, light a candle)

• 15 Minutes (go for a walk, listen to music, stretch)

• 1 Hour (sauna, workout, massage)
  
  

Make a “De-Stress Menu” on your phone so you can choose calm over chaos.

When You’ve Tried Everything and Still Feel Stuck…

That’s where Bio-Recode comes in.
It’s my advanced nervous system reset program for people who know their habits, cravings, or burnout are keeping them stuck.

You don’t need more willpower.
You need a new internal operating system.
And yes, we have one for you.

🎯 Learn more about Bio-Recode → Click here

Your Next Step

If this blog hit a nerve (or a cortisol receptor), here’s what I want you to do:

✅ Download the Fat Loss Over 40 Guide

✅ Watch the full series on YouTube

✅ Test your cortisol levels-  visit  GoodDoctors.Health
Stress isn’t just a feeling—it’s chemistry. Test it. Treat it.

✅ Rest. On purpose.
Even 60 seconds a day makes a difference.

Final Thoughts

If you want to lose fat after 40, your body has to feel safe enough to let go.

That means fueling it well, building muscle, and giving it permission to relax.
No guilt. No hustle. No pushing through.

Just a nervous system that finally says…
"Ahh, we’re okay now."

With calm, clarity, and your cortisol in check,
Dr. Jae Hitson