There are many factors that can cause your weight to go up, such as living a sedentary lifestyle, eating unhealthy foods, and not getting enough sleep too. Another possible reason why you are gaining weight is because of hormones. You may not realize this, but hormones can play a role on whether you will be gaining weight or not. Compared to men, women are prone to hormonal weight gain because of their fluctuating hormones.
How will you know if your weight gain is triggered by your hormones? Here are a few signs that you should watch out for.
Constant fatigue
Hormonal imbalances such as low testosterone, high cortisol, as well as hypothyroidism can leave you feeling tired most of the time. Although we may feel tired after a long day, if you wake up without feeling any improvement, it is possible that your hormones are unbalanced.
High blood sugar
Our blood sugar levels can go up when we consume high-carb foods. The problem, however, is that when your blood sugar level is constantly high, insulin resistance may develop. Insulin is a type of hormone that is responsible for transferring blood sugar into your cells, and when your cells become resistant to insulin, this can put you at risk of type 2 diabetes.
Bigger waistline
If you find your waistline becoming bigger lately, even when you are eating right, it is possible that your hormones may contribute to the problem. The body tends to become insulin resistant as you age which can lead to weight gain. Women become prone to this side effect as they near their menopausal stage.
Constantly stressed
The amount of cortisol that your body is producing can contribute to your weight gain. Cortisol, which is also referred to as the stress hormone, goes up when you’re anxious or feeling stressed. This can lead to weight gain which is hard to remove. Since the body goes into full stress mode, the amount of cortisol in your body can mean that your body will be storing more fat, hence weight gain.
Regular headaches
Headaches can be triggered by eye strain, dehydration, and even lack of sleep, just to name a few. However, if your headache often arrives before or after your period, it can mean that you are suffering from low estrogen levels. The problem with having low estrogen is that you will be at risk of hormonal weight gain since your metabolism will become affected too. Consuming foods that contain starches at this point will only add to the problem since your body cannot effectively break down the sugar.
Constantly in need of sugar
The problem with insulin resistance is that it can also affect the leptin in your system. Leptin works by telling your body that you are already full, but since your insulin level has gone up, your leptin will be the same too. However, if you think that just because you have an elevated leptin, it doesn’t mean that you will be stopping yourself from eating. On the contrary, elevated leptin can do the opposite which is to make you crave more food, such as anything that contains sugar. You can already imagine what will happen if you consume plenty of sugar. Your weight will go up, your skin will be prone to acne breakouts, and your mood will be quite unpredictable too.
Knowing the signs that your weight gain is caused by hormonal imbalance can help you determine how to prevent them from happening in the first place, and take steps on how to combat your weight gain too.