Hormonal Belly In Men
Low Testosterone Levels
Although females generate testosterone, it is the most important male sex hormone. Testosterone is a hormone that has a role in the development of typical male traits, including facial and body hair. It also encourages muscle growth in both men and women. Testosterone decreases with age, and a lack of it might stifle muscular growth and cause weight gain.
According to one study, 30% of obese men have low testosterone levels.
As well as weight gain, testosterone deficiency can cause erectile dysfunction, reduced sex drive, fatigue, hair loss, loss of muscle mass, and depression.
1. Youre eating right, but your waistline is getting bigger.
An indication of hormone belly might be the almost overnight appearance of that spare tire.
2. You feel stressed all the time.
Cortisol is another significant factor in the hormonal belly fat game. Cortisol, often known as the stress hormone, rises when your body detects youre stressed or overloaded, which can lead to obstinate weight gain.
3. Youre having a lot of mood swings.
Mood swings in men can be a symptom of andropause, a hormone imbalance in men that generally occurs between 40 and 60 years of age.
As women enter the pre-and postmenopausal years, their estrogen levels fluctuate, which can lead to mood swings and stubborn weight gain around the belly.
4. Youre craving sugar often.
5. Always tired but cant fall asleep.
Move More Once You Hit Midlife Say Experts
Weight gain may feel like its inevitable once youve entered your fourth decade, but the truth is, it doesnt have to be. Natural hormonal changes mean you may start to notice symptoms of menopause, such as hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings, but you dont need to idly accept that the number on the bathroom scale will steadily creep up, too.
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Heres whats going on with your body if elastic-waist pants are now your go-to fashion staple: Weight distribution changes as you hit menopause, with the added pounds accumulating right around your belly. I named the extra fat that collects around your middle the menopot, says Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, author of Body for Life for Women.
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What we did when we were 30 and what we do when were 60 is very different, says Kathryn A. Boling, MD, a family medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore. We have to adjust our exercise some as we get older. If youve lost some gusto, create incentives for yourself to stay moving. I have an Apple Watch, and I like to see that circle closed, she says. Peeke says you dont have to go to a gym, but you do need to do enough strength training to keep your muscles strong and your metabolism revved. Try activities that have you lifting, pushing, and pulling, she says.
Hormones And Weight Gain: How To Fix The Hormones That Control Your Weight
Did you know that your weight is directly related to your hormones? This is a fact many of us forget as we travel along the often slow and frustrating road to weight loss. To maintain a weight thats healthy for our unique bodily makeup, a delicate balance of hormones is required. If certain hormones are off-kilter, weight gain often results.
In order to lose weight and keep it off we must understand the intricate inner workings of our many hormones. Once we understand the relationship between hormones and weight gain, we can take the proper steps to balance these hormones and lose weight in a sustainable, healthy way.
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Food That Helps To Get Belly Flat
To get the flat belly you need to consume more natural foods that fight against inflammation and cut out all the junk foods and see the difference in just 1 week. The foods that help to get the belly flat are green vegetables, berries, ginger, turmeric, salmon, nuts and seeds and low fat foods. All these foods help to burn stubborn belly fat and make your belly appear less bloated.
Also some drinks like mint, lemon, honey also helps to cut the fat in the belly and make a quick process to get the belly flat.
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Update Your Healthy Sleep Strategies To Rest Better And Fight Weight Gain
Insomnia is an extremely common symptom of perimenopause, which is the period of time when womens bodies transition toward their final menstrual cycle. And according to the North American Menopause Society, that transition phase can last for four to eight years. All that time spent waking up unrefreshed means youre probably feeling too exhausted to head out for a workout, too. Its imperative to get sleep as you get older, says Peeke. One of the things that truly helps combat the menopot is high-quality sleep.
Inadequate sleep impacts our hunger hormones, ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin and leptin become dysfunctional when you dont get enough sleep, so good luck trying to lose weight if you dont fix that problem, says Peeke.
Palumbo says that you should close your kitchen and brush your teeth by 7 p.m. This will keep you from eating late, which can keep you from getting restful slumber and cause you to pack on the pounds. You shouldnt be eating before you sleep, because it will interrupt your sleep, she says.
Aim for a minimum of seven hours of shut-eye, although this varies from person to person and over time. Keep your bedroom cool to offset hot flashes and night sweats, and turn off all glowing screens for at least an hour before you want to fall asleep. If you really cant fathom doing that, wear amber-lensed glasses to counteract the sleep-disrupting effects of blue light, or see if your device has an amber light setting, says Peeke.
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Hormone Replacement May Fight Belly Fat Study Says
Hormone replacement may prevent belly fat in postmenopausal women
The effects last only as long as the woman is on hormones
If youre a woman of a certain age, you might have wondered: Where did this belly fat come from? Youre eating and exercising no differently than you did before menopause struck, but suddenly, your tummy has ballooned.
Welcome to life without estrogen.
Preclinical data has shown that either surgical menopause or declines in estrogen accelerates fat accumulation, primarily visceral or abdominal fat, said Dr. JoAnn Pinkerton, executive director of the North American Menopause Society. Changes over time in how women look such as noticing more abdominal fat, having increases in waist size, pants no longer fitting in the waist or increases in breast size all may be signs.
Unfortunately, that extra fat can be life-threatening.
A body fat percentage of 35% or more for postmenopausal women means a higher risk of obesity-related heart and diabetes risks, Pinkerton explained, including higher total and LDL cholesterol and insulin resistance.
To combat those health risks, women are encouraged to eat healthy, watch their weight and exercise. Now, there may be another weapon in the arsenal: menopausal hormone therapy.
Your Weight Gain Is Only In Your Abdomen
Menopause puts your body through a whole host of changes, one of them commonly being weight gain. Why? Your production of estrogen, along with other hormones, takes a dip. Outside of menopause, low estrogen levels can be due to excessive exercise, disordered eating patterns, or pituitary gland issues. Decreased estrogen levels can change the fat distribution of your body, causing you to gain more in the belly as opposed to the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Estrogen deficiency can also impair the action of insulin, making it harder to regulate blood sugar and leading to increased hormonal belly fat. abdominal weight gain.
Your gameplan:
Melt away hormonal belly fat caused by low estrogen and insulin resistance by adopting a low carbohydrate eating plan, recommends Johnston. Between protein, fat and carbohydrates, carbs have the biggest impact on raising blood sugar and insulin levels, she says. Reducing high-carbohydrate foods such as refined sugars, breads, cookies, crackers, and pasta and boosting less insulin-stimulating foods rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fat can have a significant impact on your waistline.
Keep in mind that if your carb consumption dips too low, it can suppress your leptin levels and interfere with leptins ability to regulate your reproductive hormones so its important to keep some whole-food based sources of complex carbohydrates in the diet such as fruit, starchy vegetables, and whole grains.
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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.
Why Do Women Gain Belly Fat During Menopause
During menopause, some women find they have trouble losing weight, while others gain weight.
It isnt just the weight gain itself many women find where they lose weight shifts during menopause. Traditionally, women gain weight around their hips and thighs. After menopause, however, that weight gain shifts to her midsection as belly fat.
Researchers arent entirely sure how low estrogen during menopause increases belly fat, but they have some theories. Among them:
- Your metabolic rate slows down, so you burn fewer calories.
- Your fat cells change, so more fat accumulates as belly fat.
- Menopause can impact sleep, which can impact other fat-regulating hormones including your stress hormone, cortisol.
- You might not be exercising as much.
All of those changes can lead to weight loss resistance during menopause. In fact, obesity increases in women once they reach the age of 40 when perimenopause usually occurs. About 65 percent of women 40 59 are obese, and 73.8 percent of women 60 years and older are obese.
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How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help With Belly Fat During Menopause
Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area. However, estrogen replacement therapy can help your body redistribute this fat to different areas on your body, rather than your abdominal area. This is a key benefit of estrogen therapy, as belly fat specifically increases your risk for many negative health consequences.
In addition to fat redistribution, estrogen replacement therapy may help add to a healthy exercise regimen. Researchers have found that menopausal hormone replacement therapy may help the effects of exercise on body fat. Additionally, estrogen replacement therapy can help you feel well enough to exercise regularly. Therefore, if you have symptoms of menopause that interfere with your life and also notice youre gaining more belly fat than you used to, talk to your hormone doctor about your options. In many cases, hormone replacement therapy can help you feel better and improve your overall health.
S For Beating Belly Fat
There are four keys to controlling belly fat: exercise, diet, sleep, and stress management.
1. Exercise: Vigorous exercise trims all your fat, including visceral fat.
Get at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise at least 5 days a week. Walking counts, as long as its brisk enough that you work up a sweat and breathe harder, with your heart rate faster than usual.
To get the same results in half the time, step up your pace and get vigorous exercise like jogging or walking. Youd need to do that for 20 minutes a day, 4 days a week.
Jog, if youre already fit, or walk briskly at an incline on a treadmill if youre not ready for jogging. Vigorous workouts on stationary bikes and elliptical or rowing machines are also effective, says Duke researcher Cris Slentz, PhD.
Moderate activity raising your heart rate for 30 minutes at least three times per week also helps. It slows down how much visceral fat you gain. But to torch visceral fat, your workouts may need to be stepped up.
Rake leaves, walk, garden, go to Zumba, play soccer with your kids. It doesnt have to be in the gym, Hairston says.
If you are not active now, its a good idea to check with your health care provider before starting a new fitness program.
2. Diet: There is no magic diet for belly fat. But when you lose weight on any diet, belly fat usually goes first.
Continued
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Common Weight Gain Based Bulge:
Increased Weight affects the body, but some people get more in the abdomen area than others. They increased weight results when the intake of calories is much more than a person burns through its metabolic process & daily routine activity. Being overweight is also associated with stress and insomnia.
Natural Ways To Fight Menopause Belly Fat
Many of the changes that occur during menopause including hot flashes and night sweats can feel confusing and frustrating, and youll want to work with your healthcare practitioner to address and minimize them.
But the good news is that menopause does not automatically cause an increase in belly fat. You have plenty of strategies within your control to manage your weight and other symptoms associated with this pivotal time in your life.
Some women consider hormone replacement therapy during menopause. Researchers show those who undergo hormonal therapy for menopausal symptoms have less belly fat.
However, that impact is small compared with dietary and lifestyle changes. In fact, the weight loss results only occurred when women were on therapy, and they regained weight once they stopped therapy.
What you eat and how you live can dramatically improve many symptoms during menopause, including belly fat. Please discuss with your healthcare practitioner about specific strategies to address your menopausal symptoms, including hormone replacement therapy, these, and other menopausal therapies.
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Belly Fat Reduction & Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Estrogen replacement therapy can redistribute fat and help you feel well enough to exercise regularly.
Estrogen replacement therapy helps reduce many symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness. However, it may offer another benefit. During menopause, you may notice that you seem to accumulate more fat in your abdominal area. Studies show that estrogen replacement therapy may help you avoid this issue. Learn more about how hormone therapy can help you reduce your belly fat during menopause.
What You Need To Know About Leptin Resistance
When your body becomes resistant to leptin, leptin levels become too high. In fact, overweight individuals who get their leptin levels tested typically find their leptin levels to be as high as four times the normal level. Whats more, its really difficult to balance leptin levels once theyve become resistant.
With leptin resistance, communication between the brain and leptin is impaired, so that your brain doesnt understand that its full, and tells your body to keep eating. Its as if your brain thinks youre starving when in reality, youre just leptin resistant.
To reverse leptin resistance or prevent it from happening to you in the first place, lets talk food, drink, and supplements. Everything in your body impacted by what you put into it, and leptins no different. Sugar, in particular, can cause leptin levels in your body to skyrocket, so youll want to eat less sugar. Other ways to prevent or reduce leptin resistance include:
- Committing to a regular exercise routine
- Getting truly restorative sleep on a regular basis
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Getting To Know Ghrelin
You can think of ghrelin as your hunger hormone. Like leptin, it communicates with the brain in this case, telling your brain to eat. Every time your stomach becomes empty, it naturally releases ghrelin into your bloodstream. Ghrelin levels are lowest just after youve finished a meal. Theyre at their highest when the stomach is empty and youre ready for your next meal. This scenario is normal when a person is healthy and maintaining optimal weight.
An overweight person, on the other hand, will find that like the other hormones weve explored ghrelin levels are typically out of whack. In healthy individuals, ghrelin levels decrease in a way that satiates them and signals their brains to stop eating. But in obese individuals, ghrelin levels dont decrease enough after eating, which fails to send the brain the signal it needs to stop eating and feel satisfied.