You have heard somebody blame it on the hormones. Possibly, you have even said it yourself. But here’s the thing, it is more often true than people realize.
At this stage, you might be doing all the right things, and yet you can still be gaining weight.
There is generally something going on beneath the surface. Possibly, your hormones are working against you, and you are not even aware of it.
What Happens When Hormones Get Off Track
Think of hormones as switches that control different functions in your body. One handles your blood sugar. A second relates to stress.
Some determine the speed at which you burn calories. When these on-off switches get jammed in the wrong position, it often results in weight gain.
The nature of such weight gain is that it is a progressive process. You may not relate feeling tired all the time to those extra pounds creeping up on you.
The Main Hormones Behind Weight Changes
Insulin and Blood Sugar
Insulin is the hormone that moves sugar from your blood into your cells.
With a high intake of processed foods or in a state of stress, the cells become unable to respond correctly to insulin.
Your body reacts by producing more of it, and the excessive amounts of insulin signal your body to store fat.
People with this condition typically have noticeable:
People dealing with this usually notice:
- Weight gain around the middle
- Feeling tired after meals
- Intense sugar cravings
- Difficulty losing weight even with dieting
Stress and Cortisol
The human body releases cortisol when it is under stress. A little bit of it is good.
However, if the stress is chronic, such as pressure at work, family problems, or financial worries, then it remains high in terms of cortisol.
This makes a person hungrier, especially for ‘comfort’ foods. It also causes the body to hold onto belly fat.
Sleeping problems are typically accompanied by high cortisol and make matters even worse.
Sleep deprivation only increases cortisol levels further and the vicious cycle is a hard one to break.
Thyroid Problems
It sits in your neck. Makes sure that your body burns its energy at an average rate, neither too slow nor too fast and when it becomes slow, all others follow suit.
You feel cold when others are comfortable. You’re exhausted even after sleeping well. Your brain is always foggy. And the weight creeps up no matter what you do.
It’s estimated that the number of people with thyroid issues is much higher than believed and is a common health crisis, more so in patients above 30.
Sex Hormones
Estrogen and testosterone are not just specifically reproductive hormones; they also influence the site of fat deposition and the process of muscle formation in the body.
Women who have passed menopause often lose weight and then suddenly regain it, typically around the abdomen rather than the hips or thighs.
This drop in testosterone in a man causes him to have almost identical symptoms to a woman who has less estrogen-producing fat; that is, less muscle, more belly than hips and generally low metabolism.
How to Tell If This Is Your Problem
Some signs are obvious. Others aren’t. Here’s what to watch for:
- The scale keeps going up despite eating less
- You’re always hungry or craving specific things
- Sleeping doesn’t fix how tired you feel
- Your mood swings more than usual
- Periods become irregular or heavy
- You can’t seem to build or keep muscle
- Most of your weight sits around your waist
If several of these sound familiar, hormones are probably involved.
What You Can Do About It
The first step is to determine which hormones are out of balance. It can all be seen by a simple blood test. Once you know, there are ways to fix it.
Depending on the problem, a treatment may involve adjusting your diet or managing stress more effectively; others may require medication or hormone therapy, often in combination with the above.
The point is, you don’t have just to accept the weight gain. Once you know what you’re dealing with, there are real solutions.
Getting Help
Іf уou’ve been strugglіng wіth unexplaіned weіght gaіn, іt mіght be tіme to dіg deeper. At Grace Health Clinic & Urgent Care, we look at the whole picture.
Our Medical Weight Management program includes personalized treatment plans.
We don’t just hand you a diet sheet and wish you luck. We figure out what’s actually causing the problem and address it directly. Same-day appointments are available, and we accept walk-ins.
Stop guessing about what’s wrong. Come in and find out for sure.
FAQs
Do hormones ever get corrected without using medication?
Certain problems may be alleviated by:
- Improving sleep
- Reducing stress
- Making nutritional adjustments that can help eliminate some imbalances
But conditions such as low thyroid normally need medication.
How soon will I see results?
Often, energy and mood improve within a few weeks. Weight loss takes the longest usually a couple of months, but then everybody is different.
Do I need treatment forever?
Depends on the cause. Some hormone problems will be of a temporary nature, while others will be permanent/chronic and will require lifelong management.