How Does Estrogen Impact Weight Gain
Produced within the ovaries, estrogen is responsible for optimal functioning of all female reproductive organs. Estrogen promotes the storage of fat for healthy reproductive years. When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when theres too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results.
Overweight women typically have high amounts of estrogen, as do women in the first half of pregnancy. Then theres perimenopause and menopause, which are characterized by a notable decrease in estrogen. Its during this time that some women opt for hormone replacement therapy to replace declining estrogen levels.
The Role Hormones Play In Body Weight
Your hormones play a key role in metabolism, appetite, and hunger sensations. In fact, nine hormones directly affect your bodys digestive process and they can have a significant impact on your body weight, too.
Insulin is a hormone that influences metabolism, and insulin resistance increases your risk of obesity. Insulin resistance also increases your risk of diabetes, which can also make maintaining a healthy weight more difficult.
Leptin is the hormone that controls your appetite and tells you when youre full, and high leptin levels or leptin resistance can lead to overeating and weight gain. Ghrelin is the opposite of leptin. It tells you that youre hungry, but low ghrelin can make you feel hungrier and cause you to overeat.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, also influences weight. High cortisol affects metabolism and may increase your risk of overeating or make weight loss more difficult.
Finally, women with low estrogen levels during and after menopause may experience increased weight gain, while men with low testosterone levels often lose muscle mass and gain body fat.
What Are The Symptoms Of A Hormone Imbalance
Now that you know about the different hormones responsible for your weight loss issues, you should understand the various symptoms of hormone imbalance to help you determine your next steps.
There are plenty of different symptoms, but this section will take a look at symptoms that both men and women can suffer from if they have a hormone imbalance:
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What Is A Hormone Imbalance In Men
A hormone imbalance occurs when the body produces too little or too many essential hormones. These imbalances often affect the sex hormones, including testosterone for men and estrogen for women.
Hormone imbalances can lead to a number of health issues. Thats why its important to detect and treat them quickly.
Further, male hormones most prone to imbalance include:
What Are Hormones And What Do They Do
Hormones are the tiny messengers in your body that carry information through your bloodstream to all the other parts of your body. They tell organs and tissues what to do, how to do it, and for how long.
Hormones are the responsibility of your endocrine system, which is a vital part of your overall health. They work efficiently, but slowly, so it may be difficult to know if you have a hormonal imbalance. Hormones affect processes like your metabolism, sexual function, growth, mood, and reproduction.
Weight gain is the most obvious and common sign of a hormonal imbalance. Weight fluctuations are normal, but if youve gained a significant amount of weight in a short period of time, we at Balance Hormone Center can help.
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How Hormonal Imbalance Can Affect Weight Loss
Hormones are chemical messengers that let your brain know what your body needs including how fast your metabolism needs to work, and how much fat you need to store for leaner times. But heres the problem those messages often get distorted, and your body ends up holding on to fat even when youre survival isnt threatened.
The levels of specific hormones circulating through your body can vary hour to hour or even minute to minute, depending on the signals your brain is receiving. Different levels of hormones are released at different times of day, and change throughout your menstrual cycle as well.
As we age, some hormones naturally decrease, which isnt a problem on its own. Difficulties begin when the levels are out of balance with each other. Ratios between certain hormones are important, and if the balance is off weight loss becomes incredibly difficult no matter what you do!
Hormone production begins with the HPA axis, and so many things can go wrong right from the very beginning of the process. Thats why its so important to look for the root cause of weight loss resistance instead of taking drastic measures to try and drop the weight. That weight is a symptom and you need to know what caused the gain in the first place if you want the interventions you choose to be effective.
Ready For Healthy Weight Loss
If you are ready to begin your journey toward improved health, talk to us today about hormone therapy for weight loss. Our team of functional doctors will provide guidance on how to balance hormones for weight loss through natural health protocols and proven dietary directives designed to rev up metabolism and aid in weight loss. If needed, hormone replacement therapy will be used.
Practice good health by eating a healthy diet, getting the recommended daily amount of sleep, following a detoxification program, and exercising daily to help in your journey toward weight loss. In addition to this, talk with your doctor to learn about the connection between bioidentical hormones and weight loss. Hormonal imbalances can negatively impact weight. Just one hormonal imbalance can cause your metabolism to drop significantly. By learning about the hormones that can help you lose weight, you will no longer be frustrated when the scales keep rising as you keep eating less and exercising more.
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What Are Hormone Diets And Can They Really Help You Lose Weight Quickly
As a registered dietitian, I have found that my clients are increasingly asking about books and programs that claim you can adjust your hormones with a diet to lose weight quickly and easily.
Search for hormone diet and there are more than 30 recent books on the topic. The authors allege that the reason people over 35 struggle to lose weight doesnt have to do with eating too much or not exercising enough. They say its your hormones working against you.
According to these books, you can trick your metabolism and feed your thyroid. They claim that all you need to do is eat the right foods and take the right supplements, and youll unlock the secret to lasting weight loss.
But is there any evidence these diets work?
In researching hormone diets, I found some that are sold at weight-loss centers, created by wellness experts who have no recognized credentials. They claim to promote rapid weight loss by affecting hormones such as insulin, which moves sugar from your blood into your cells cortisol, the stress hormone sex hormones such as testosterone and estrogen and thyroid hormones.
So, do hormone diets lead to quick and easy weight loss?
I dont know of any diet that will change hormone levels in a way that these hormone changes will be instrumental in promoting weight loss, Franck Mauvais-Jarvis, a professor of medicine at Tulane Universitys medical school, wrote in an email.
Identification Of Postmenopausal Women
We administered a questionnaire to all female participants during the weight loss program to determine menopausal status. Menopause was defined as no menstrual periods during the last 12 months and/or surgical removal of both ovaries. Women older than 60 years were considered postmenopausal. For women between the ages of 48 and 60 years we confirmed menopausal status by considering levels of follicular stimulating hormone and estradiol from blood samples. Hormone replacement use was determined from questions that ascertain medications during the scheduled data collection. Among the 654 female participants in the trial, we identified from the questionnaire 313 postmenopausal participants who were not taking hormone replacement therapy at any time during the trial. From these participants, we further excluded 35 women, including 29 with high levels of total estradiol and six with low follicular stimulating hormone . In total, 278 postmenopausal women were included in our analyses.
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What Can I Do About A Hormonal Imbalance
At Balance Hormone Center, we have some easy solutions if youre experiencing the effects of a hormone imbalance.
Hormone therapy can help women before, during, and after menopause, and its also an option for men experiencing a drop in testosterone levels. Regardless of age, diet, or environmental factors, a natural hormone replacement therapy treatment plan can decrease or eliminate imbalances. At Balance Hormone Center, we specialize in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy .
When diet and exercise arent enough to shed excess pounds, consider personalized treatment options for weight loss. You can take control of your weight loss under the supervision of a certified specialist by developing unique treatment plans that help you reach your goals.
Getting your body back in balance is a critical part of your happiness.
Are you ready to make an appointment at Balance Hormone Center in Norman, Oklahoma? To find out how we can help you return to a happy and healthy hormonal balance, our office today or use our convenient online scheduling tool to request an appointment.
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Obesity And Adrenal Glands
Cortisol circulates in the bloodstream mainly bound to Cortisol-Binding Globulin and less to albumin. About 10% of cortisol is free or unbound and this fraction represents the bioactive portion of the hormone. CBG concentrations can be increased or decreased in several conditions and by some medications , thus affecting total cortisol levels in these situations.
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How Is Hormonal Weight Gain Diagnosed
An evaluation with an endocrinologist can help determine if a hormonal condition is the underlying cause of weight gain. Declining estrogen, adrenal disorders, hormonal resistance, thyroid imbalance, and several other hormonal imbalances can lead to weight gain. Laboratory tests give endocrinologists insight to hormonal imbalances when combined with your symptoms and presentation, but it doesnt always tell the whole story. Blood and urine results can be influenced by many things. For this reason, we suggest special evaluations to see how metabolic information relates to the lab data.
What Is Calorie Balance
Calorie balance is the number of calories you consume daily compared to the number of calories you burn. If the amount you eat is less than you burn, you are in a calorie deficit meaning you should lose weight.
Fat loss is generally a longer process for women compared to men, but as with any long-term goal, consistency and adherence are the keys to success. Although calorie deficit is the key factor in weight loss, it does not mean hormones are irrelevant its actually the opposite they can have a massive impact.
Many factors can affect your hormone levels, including:
- Exposure to environmental toxins
And when a hormonal imbalance occurs, losing weight may seem impossible. But keeping an eye on your hormones can help you understand whether they are sabotaging your weight loss.
Our Female Hormone Blood Testprovides a thorough hormone MOT to tell you if your hormones are typical for your age, or whether an imbalance could be affecting your health.
But which hormones are the ones to look at when your weight loss has come to a halt?
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What Is A Hormone Imbalance
A hormone imbalance is when the hormones in our bodies are not functioning at the right level. This occurs when there is too much of one hormone, not enough of a hormone, or a combination of the two. When you have a hormonal imbalance you are likely to feel worn down and see physical symptoms like weight gain, muscle fatigue, and even issues with your heart and other vital organs. When your hormones are balanced you feel great, full of energy, and usually have great overall health.
What Causes Unexplained Weight Loss
Unexplained weight loss can be a sign of a health issue, such as:
- Gastrointestinal disorders
- Hormone imbalances
In people over age 65, sudden weight loss can be especially concerning. Your provider can help determine whether your significant weight loss puts your health at serious risk, as well as recommend any further testing if needed. To easily screen for colon cancer from the comfort of home, consider the Everlywell at-home colon test .
Unintentional weight loss can result from hyperthyroidism, or overactive thyroid, which is linked with high thyroid hormone levels. Easily check your thyroid hormones from the comfort of home with the at-home Thyroid Test.
References
1. Obesity. Endocrine Society. URL. Accessed February 18, 2020.
2. Lankisch P, Gerzmann M, Gerzmann JF, Lehnick D. Unintentional weight loss: diagnosis and prognosis. The first prospective follow-up study from a secondary referral centre. J Intern Med. 2001 249:41-46. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2796.2001.00771.x
3. Elsherif Y, Alexakis C, Mendall M. Determinants of Weight Loss prior to Diagnosis in Inflammatory Bowel Disease: A Retrospective Observational Study. Gastroenterol Res Pract. 2014 2014:762191. doi:10.1155/2014/762191
4. Malik TF, Gnanapandithan K, Singh K. Peptic Ulcer Disease. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island : StatPearls Publishing 2020.
5. Unexplained Weight Loss. Cleveland Clinic. URL. Accessed February 18, 2020.
6. Crohn’s disease. Mayo Clinic. URL. Accessed February 18, 2020.
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What You Can Do: Stop Overeating The Foods That Cause Insulin Resistance
How do we ensure our insulin levels remain balanced? First, we need to stop eating too much. Its a known fact that overeating leads to insulin resistance, especially when we eat too much food thats no good for our bodies and minds. When we eat too much sugar, too much fast food, and too many processed carbohydrates, insulin goes haywire. These elevated insulin levels lead to weight gain and low-grade inflammation. A 2010 study published in the journal Diabetes found that even eating too much of these foods in the short term leads to insulin resistance and weight gain.
You may also want to restrict carbohydrates in your diet. According to a study published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolism, a low-carb diet prevents metabolic syndrome and the insulin resistance that causes it. Other findings show drinking green tea, consuming omega-3 fatty acids from fatty fish, and eating adequate amounts of protein all help balance insulin levels.
What Are The 7 Hormones That Prevent Weight Loss
Top 7 Weight Loss Hormones
- #1: Insulin. Think of insulin as your energy storage boss. …
- #2: Leptin. Meet leptin, your satiety hormone. …
- #3: Ghrelin. Secreted in your stomach and pancreas, ghrelin is your hunger hormone. …
- #4: Cortisol. You’ve probably heard of cortisol. …
- #5: Testosterone. …
- #7: Thyroid hormones.
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Eat Protein At Every Meal
Consuming an adequate amount of protein at each meal is extremely important, as protein influences the release of hormones that control appetite and food intake.
Eating enough protein can and stimulate the production of hormones that help you feel full.
To optimize hormonal health, aim to consume a minimum of the recommended 20 to 30 grams of protein per meal.
Why Are You Gaining Weight Hormones Might Be The Problem
If youre gaining weight, chances are poor diet and a sedentary lifestyle are the reasons. But thats not always the case. A hormonal imbalance also can cause you to pack on the pounds.
Obesity continues to be an issue in the United States, bringing with it an increase in chronic health issues such as coronary heart disease and many forms of cancer.
When hormones are the culprit, losing weight poses additional challenges.
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Your Low Testosterone Levels Are Slowing Down Your Metabolism
You are confronted with an astounding number of toxins each day, including pesticides, herbicides, genetically modified foods, and about six different synthetic hormones in meat. Toxins are lurking in face creams, prescription drugs, processed foods, your lipstick, the linings of tuna fish cans, the fire-retardant materials in couches, and even the air you breathe. The list goes on.
Many types of these toxins, such as pesticides, plastics, and industrial chemicals, behave like estrogen when absorbed in the body. Experts believe that our increasing exposure to toxins helps explain why so many girls are entering puberty earlier and why many boys exhibit feminine characteristics such as developing breasts. Xeno-estrogens, as these particular toxins are called, have been associated with an elevated risk of estrogen-driven diseases like breast and ovarian cancers and endometriosis.
HOW TO LOSE BELLY FAT
All this fake estrogen overwhelms your body’s testosteronewhich is vital for hormone balanceand contributes to estrogen overload. Testosterone contributes to muscle growth, which in turn supports metabolism. And, as we already know, estrogen overload raises insulin insensitivity. The combination adds pounds to your frame: A study from Sweden published in the journal Chemosphere showed that exposure to a particular type of pesticide called organochloride was linked to a weight gain of 9½ pounds over 50 years.
Have You Tried Everything And Are Still Struggling To Get Rid Of Belly Bulge It Turns Out Your Hormones May Be The Answer Find Out Why A Hormonal Imbalance Can Cause You To Hold Onto Fat In Unexpected Places And How To Get Rid Of Hormonal Belly Today
Unexplained weight gain can be frustrating, especially when you feel like youre doing all the right things. Sometimes, though, a sudden belly bulge or stubborn abdominal weight you cant seem to lose is a sign of something deeper going on with your hormones. Your hormones actually play a big part in regulating metabolism, hunger, fullness, and energy. And because your hormones are always talking to each other, they form a tangled web of communication to keep your body regulated.
A number of hormone-related conditions can cause abdominal weight gain including an underactive thyroid, polycystic ovary syndrome , or menopause. Outside of specific conditions, general hormone imbalances, which can be the result of obesity, environmental triggers and toxins, chronic stress, or medications, may also be at the root of your resistant hormonal belly fat. If you think youre dealing with a hormonal belly, here are a few signs to look for.
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