The Master Hormone Controlling Your Cravings, Weight & Nervous System

What if your weight struggles, cravings, emotional eating, and stubborn belly fat were never about discipline — but about stress?In this episode, I’m breaking down the one hormone that quietly controls your metabolism, hunger signals, fat storage, emotional regulation, and eating behaviors — your stress hormone.This conversation goes far beyond food rules and diet culture and into the real driver of self-sabotage: your nervous system state.In This Episode, I’ll Teach You:Why Cortisol Is the Master HormoneCortisol isn’t the enemy — it’s your body’s survival hormone. But when it stays elevated, your body shifts into protection mode, prioritizing survival over fat release, digestion, and emotional regulation.When cortisol is high:Metabolism slowsCravings increaseHunger hormones riseSatiety signals shut downFat storage is favoredYour body isn’t broken — it’s responding exactly the way it was designed to.How Chronic Stress Drives Emotional EatingI explain how constant stress — emotional, psychological, physical, or environmental — creates a cycle of:Blood sugar spikes and crashesIntense cravings“Out of control” eating momentsShame and self-blameAnd why trying to diet from this state only makes the cycle worse.The Hidden Reason Willpower FailsWhen cortisol is elevated, the prefrontal cortex goes offline — the part of your brain responsible for logic, decision-making, and restraint.That’s why you can know exactly what to do… and still feel unable to stop.This isn’t a character flaw — it’s biology.How Cortisol Impacts Other HormonesYou’ll hear how chronic stress disrupts:Thyroid hormones → slowed metabolismInsulin → blood sugar chaos and fat storageEstrogen → PMS, PCOS symptoms, water retentionMuscle tissue → metabolic slowdownWhen one hormone becomes dysregulated, it creates a cascade throughout the entire body.Why Weight Gain Often Shows Up in Your 40sIt’s not “just menopause.”This phase of life often comes with:Increased emotional responsibilityCaregiving stressLoss, grief, or major life transitionsThe nervous system adapts to chronic survival mode — and the body responds accordingly.How to Begin Regulating CortisolHealing doesn’t start with harder workouts or stricter diets.It starts with:Nervous system safetyThought awarenessReducing perfectionismNourishment (not restriction)Rest and recoveryAddressing unresolved emotional stressHealth truly begins from the shoulders up.Key TakeawaysCortisol isn’t bad — chronic stress isFat loss begins with stress regulation, not restrictionEmotional eating is a symptom, not a failureHealing the stress response changes everythingClosing ReminderYour body is not working against you.It’s responding to stress the only way it knows how.When you create safety — everything changes.Listen to more episodes at makepeacewithfood.com/podcast or subscribe on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and YouTube.Listen to more episodes at www.makepeacewithfood.com/podcast or subscribe to me on Spotify, Podcast, and YouTube so you never miss an episode!Join my Facebook Community: www.myfoodfreedomlifestyle.com Work with me: www.sherryshaban.com/transform Go deeper: www.makepeacewithfood.com Share your biggest takeaway and tag me on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, LinkedIn