Stress and poor sleep make fat loss harder after 40

One thing many people underestimate is how much daily stress affects body composition.
Work stress.
Poor sleep.
Lack of recovery.
Constant stimulation and pressure.
All of those push cortisol higher.
And cortisol has a very specific habit of encouraging fat storage around the midsection.
That doesn't mean stress alone causes belly fat.
But when high stress is combined with poor sleep and training that constantly pushes you into exhaustion, the environment becomes very good at storing fat and very bad at losing it.
For men over 40, managing recovery becomes just as important as pushing harder in the gym.

Stay strong,
Geoff Neupert.