Are You Overweight Due To Hormone Imbalance?

A hormone imbalance can create many problems, including weight gain. People often come to Rising Fitness in Totowa, NJ, for that reason. Either they suddenly gained weight with no other medical explanation, or they can’t lose weight even though they cut their calorie intake. Menopause, for instance, can cause you to gain weight due primarily to a hormone imbalance. While sex hormones can play a big role, other hormonal imbalances can also cause issues with weight.

What are hormones?

You may immediately think of sex hormones, but the body has many other types of hormones. Hormones are messengers. There are 50 different types of hormones in the body and the pituitary gland at the base of the brain tells the glands which ones to make so the body can perform properly. Sex hormones determine where fat is distributed. Several hormones play a role in weight gain. Leptin and ghrelin determine how quickly you feel full and your hunger level. Too little leptin and too much ghrelin can make you feel hungry, even if you overeat to the point of bloating. Getting more sleep can help eliminate this imbalance. Some hormone imbalances require medical treatment, but some can respond with simple lifestyle changes.

Insulin resistance causes the body to overproduce insulin.

Insulin is a hormone that tells the cells to open and uptake glucose for energy. If you chronically flood the body with high amounts of sugar and creates a high insulin production. You develop insulin resistance when the cells fail to respond, causing the glucose levels to remain high and more insulin produced. It becomes a vicious cycle. One of the signs of insulin resistance is weight gain which can lead to obesity. Changing to a healthy diet and HIIT—high-intensity interval training— or another exercise program can reverse insulin resistance.

Hormonal imbalances can come from too much estrogen or cortisol.

People often think it’s the lack of estrogen causing hot flashes, weight gain, and other signs of menopause. In reality, it’s an imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, with estrogen being dominant. Another problem causing fat accumulation, particularly abdominal fat, is too much cortisol, the stress hormone. Lifestyle changes can help both. Eliminating food that causes inflammation, such as sugar, food with added sugar, and alcohol, is a start. Eating more high-protein food, fermented food, and fiber can also help. Exercise helps reduce cortisol and improves the balance of sex hormones. Learning relaxation techniques can help control stress that leads to too much cortisol.

• Work with your health care professional to balance hormones naturally if you’re going through menopause. Synthetic sex hormones have serious side effects, such as heart disease.
• Strength-building exercises, such as weightlifting, can help reduce body fat, particularly belly fat. It benefits most types of hormonal imbalances, even when medication is necessary.
• Including healthy fat in your diet is important. It includes omega-3 fatty acids. Other nutrients that help balance hormones are vitamins D, C, and B, and magnesium.
• Always consult your health care professional first. Some symptoms of hormonal imbalances can be caused by serious conditions that require medical intervention.

For more information, contact us today at Prime Fitness Studio