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You can be doing everything right, like exercising and eating the proper way for you, but for some reason the weight is not coming off or maybe even you are gaining some. It is enough to drive us nuts and those around us.  Our hormones will go up and down and up and down, you feel like you are on a roller coaster that never stops sometimes. They affect our moods, skin, workouts, appetite, and sleep just to name most of them. What is a woman to do?? This is what you should do. Be aware that there are four hormones that can affect our weight, especially during those pre-menopause and menopause phases. Monitor those levels and see if there is a possibility that one or more could be causing your weight gain. How about we break down those hormones for you by starting with the most popular one? Estrogen! This one gets blame right away when you start talking about hormones, weight gain and those pesky menopause phases that we tend to go through. Look everyone knows that estrogen is responsible for the development of the females’ sexual characteristics and our levels decrease, along with progesterone, during menopause. Have you ever of “Estrogen Dominance”? It is simple, estrogen dominance is the ratio between estrogen and progesterone. When you have more estrogen than progesterone your body can gain weight and store the fat around your stomach, hip and thighs, even if you have been told you had low estrogen. Okay enough about estrogen, I think we have given it enough attention and let’s move on. Click on the links below to find out more on the subject. https://www.johnleemd.com/estrogen-dominance.html https://www.drlam.com/blog/estrogen-dominance-part-1/1704/ Next one, Cortisol! You know when you are in a stressful situation, this is the hormone that regulates your body’s response to it. Those levels rise, which in turn can raise your insulin levels then before you know it you are satisfying your craving for fatty or sugary foods because your blood sugar dropped. If this becomes a habit every time you stress then you run the risk of gaining weight. “More stress = more cortisol = higher appetite for junk food = more belly fat,” says Shawn M. Talbott, PhD, a nutritional biochemist. http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/stress-weight-gain#1 Ready for the third one? Insulin! Yes, cortisol and insulin are linked but there still needs to be something else pointed out about insulin and the role it plays. Insulin is our body’s glucose regulator and if you are munching down on sugary foods throughout the day you are throwing it out of whack and making it work harder to get the sugar out of your blood and when insulin can’t clear out that sugar it turns it into fat. Extra sugar = extra fat.  https://www.endocrineweb.com/conditions/type-1-diabetes/what-insulin
The last one I promise. Leptin! This hormone is produced by the body’s fat cells and one of its main functions is to let the brain know that we are satisfied and we have stored enough fat. So, to find out that its main role is to regulate how many calories we consume and burn makes sense. There is a catch though you can be leptin resistant, in other words your body doesn’t know when you are full or not. Your brain does not receive the signal that you have consumed enough calories and have plenty of energy stored. One of the main contributors to leptin resistance, highly processed foods that include fructose. http://www.healthline.com/nutrition/leptin-101#section7 There are things you can do to help with all these hormones levels, you just need to implement them. Avoid processed foods Exercise Portion control Consume foods that are high in macronutrients and fiber Get some good sleep Meditate Those are four hormones that not only women need to monitor, but also men. If you have been struggling with your weight talk with your doctor and ask them to test your hormones. You and your doctor know more about your health than anyone else. Use the information above to help you decide if there could be a problem with your hormones and figure out how to bring some balance to them. You should enjoy life by being healthy and knowing that there are steps you can take to help you get there. |