Archive · 29 Oct 2025
Vidya Malavade on Cortisol and Weight Loss, Expert Verifies Causes and Solutions
Imagine your body has a 'stress alarm' called cortisol.
When this alarm is always on because you're anxious or always looking at your phone, it makes it hard for your body to lose weight, especially around your belly.
This is because the alarm tells your body to store fat and can make it resistant to good foods.
Vidya Malavade, an actress, shared that she calms this alarm by humming, putting her phone on silent, and doing special breathing exercises.
A doctor agrees that these simple things, along with taking breaks, sleeping well, and setting limits on phone use, help turn off the stress alarm.
When the alarm is off, your body can finally relax and your healthy eating and exercise can start working to help you lose weight.
Actress Vidya Malavade stated that high cortisol levels, often linked to anxiety and phone use, can prevent weight loss, particularly belly fat.
Elevated cortisol can cause inflammation, insulin resistance, and encourage fat storage, keeping the body in a constant 'fight-or-flight' mode.
Malavade shared personal methods to lower cortisol, including humming, keeping her phone on silent, and practicing Bhramari.
An expert, Dr. Richa Bharadwaj, verified that chronic stress and constant notifications increase cortisol, impacting sleep, appetite, and metabolism.
Recommended solutions include setting digital boundaries, taking short breathing breaks, prioritizing sleep, and integrating rest to allow workouts and healthy eating to be effective.
- Who
- Vidya Malavade (actor) and Dr. Richa Bharadwaj (expert)
- What
- Discussing the impact of cortisol on weight loss and suggesting lifestyle changes to manage it.
- When
- Recently
- Where
- Information shared on Instagram and verified by an expert.
- Why
- To educate on how stress hormones like cortisol can prevent weight loss and to offer practical solutions.
- Cortisol and Weight Loss
- High cortisol levels can hinder weight loss, particularly belly fat, due to inflammation and insulin resistance.
- Causes of Elevated Cortisol
- Anxiety, constant phone notifications, and a state of 'fight-or-flight' can increase cortisol.
- Impact on Women
- Chronic stress can disrupt menstrual cycles, mimic PCOS symptoms, increase cravings, and encourage visceral fat.
- Proposed Solutions
- Humming, keeping phones on silent, practicing Bhramari, tuning into nature, meditation, and breathwork.
- Expert Recommended Strategies
- Digital boundaries, micro breathing breaks, and prioritized sleep.