Do you experience fluctuation with your weight? Do you struggle with weight loss? Have you experienced weight gain just before or after your period? If yes, you should consider getting your hormones checked out. Women are more vulnerable to hormone imbalance than men. This imbalance can give us slow metabolism, uncontrollable food cravings and lethargy in different periods of our lives. This can be related to pregnancy, menopause, stress, chemical imbalances and premenstrual syndrome. Research has shown that weight loss, metabolism, female hormones and appetite are closely related to one another. Learning about your hormone mechanism can help you control your weight. You can learn about the ideal exercise routine and diet plan for you.
Our hormones an affect women of all ages. This will greatly affect our daily life and biological cycle, but what exact hormones affect our weight gain? Let’s discuss each one thoroughly below.
Thyroid Hormone
If you’re aware of the thyroid problems, hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, you know how much it can affect weight gain. Hyperthyroidism is the overproduction of hormones in the body that can cause weight loss, insomnia, jitters, LBM and a fast metabolism. This is the opposite case when it comes to hypothyroidism, this is the thyroid deficiency that can cause weight gain. The common experience with people with this disorder is fatigue, dry skin, constipation, cold intolerance and weight gain. The weight gain is often due to the decrease in metabolic rate caused by the decrease of thyroid hormones. A noticeable symptom of hypothyroidism is a noticeable growth on the thyroid area or neck.
Estrogen
Estrogen the female counterpart of testosterone also known as the female sex hormone. Estrogen levels tend to drop during menopause causing the weight gain, especially in the abdominal and sides. Another source of estrogen is fat cells. These fat cells convert the calories we consume into fat that if left untreated can lead to obesity. During the periods of estrogen drop, it’s important to keep active and eat a balanced diet.
Progesterone
Like estrogen the progesterone levels in our body drop during menopause. This decrease in progesterone hormone level will cause weight gain. The sudden drop can cause bloating and water retention in the body. This will make you feel heavy, tired and fuller. It’s best to avoid consuming food that is high sodium. Remember to keep your sweat on too, this can help lower the heavy and bloated feeling.
Testosterone
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a hormonal disorder that affects women. This disorder occurs due to the high levels or increase production of the hormone testosterone that can lead to facial hair, acne, menstrual disorders, infertility and weight gain. Testosterone is mostly present in men, but this is also present in woman. Though not in high dosage, this is the hormone responsible for muscle mass.
Insulin
Insulin is the hormone produced by the pancreas beta cells. You’d usually hear this hormone when dealing with diabetes. This hormone is responsible for controlling the carbohydrates and fat in the body. This also allows the body to use glucose, which diabetic people need. Lack of insulin can also affect infertility. High levels of insulin in the blood can cause weight gain.
Stress Hormone/Cortisol
The stress hormone is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to weight gain. High cortisol levels can lead to weight gain and an increase in appetite. Cortisol can also affect our sleeping pattern. Lack of sleep will affect our metabolic rate and digestion. One of the extreme cases of increase amounts of cortisol in the body is Cushing’s syndrome. You can prevent the production of cortisol by eating healthier, exercising and reducing stress.
Losing weight can be a big problem for women, especially for ones that suffer from hormone problems. Though, there are things you can do to help reduce the weight gaining effect of hormone imbalance. Lifestyle changes and food habits will affect these hormones. Following a low carb diet, sleeping more, exercising regularly, avoiding vices such as alcohol and smoking, eating at regular intervals, checking your medication and son on.
It’s still best to get your hormones checked out properly. Go to your doctor and consult them about your issues and they can pinpoint the exact test and treatment you need to take. You should always be aware of what’s going inside your body.
