The Surprising Truth About Hormones and Weight Loss

One of the most common misconceptions about weight loss is the role that hormones and your metabolic health play in weight loss. You can be adhering perfectly to a great diet and still not see the results you want if your body is not able to maintain healthy lean muscle, burn fat, and keep up a normal metabolism.

Well known hormones such as testosterone, estrogen, and thyroid hormones play a big role in your body’s metabolic activity and whether or not you will be able to keep fat off.

There are plenty of other hormones that play a role in appetite, sugar regulation, and fat storage as well that also help your body maintain its weight and composition in a certain way.

If these hormones are out of whack, then it could be much harder to get rid of stubborn belly fat and other problem areas that are hindering your weight loss goals.

The real key to getting the body you want lies within the balance of these key hormones. This is especially true for women, where it was found that hormones were responsible for weight loss struggles in over 70% of cases

Not only will you begin to shed weight easier but you will also experience more clarity, energy, and an overall improved mood. Here is a brief overview of the most important hormones involved in this process and what symptoms to keep a lookout for:

Ghrelin

Also known as the hunger hormone, Ghrelin is responsible for triggering feelings of hunger. It is produced in the lining of the stomach when it is empty and tells your body that is time to eat. Most people on diets would want less Ghrelin due to the fact that no one wants to be hungry all the time. The levels and action of Ghrelin are closely tied with another similar hormone called Leptin which also helps determine levels of Ghrelin.

Leptin

Leptin is the polar opposite of Ghrelin. It tells the body that it is full and suppresses your appetite. The hormone is produced by fat tissue when the body thinks that it has plenty of fat present, and when there is too much, it can become disoriented. When this occurs, the body can develop a resistance to Leptin and be very prone to hunger no matter the fat content.

Not only that, but Ghrelin levels also increase when you begin to become overweight which creates a vicious cycle of hunger that makes it difficult to lose any weight. Leptin resistance is very similar to Insulin’s resistance mechanism where the body simply doesn’t listen to the signal any longer.

Cortisol

Cortisol is a critical hormone responsible for breaking down proteins and fats into energy to be used throughout the day. It also plays a role in anti-stress pathways and helps maintain stress and mood. When your body starts to become high in fat cells and sugars, cortisol levels can become elevated. Excessive cortisol over time can cause
excessive abdominal fat, depression, and low energy. It will begin to stop the breakdown of fats for energy and trigger excessive fat storage. This altered mechanism wreaks havoc on the body and throws off a variety of different systems involved in weight loss (including Ghrelin and Leptin).

How They Work Together

The metabolic axis consists of a system of mechanisms that involves all of these hormones working in harmony to maintain balanced proportions of fat and muscle tissue. Based on how many calories you are burning and your energy expenditure, your body should break down fat and use it for energy.

When you begin to store an excess of fat, carbs and sugars, the body’s natural systems get confused and begin to trigger unnecessary actions.

Once this system is thrown off, it is difficult to get it back on track.

The best way is always through a balanced diet and exercise while getting plenty of sleep.

Often, you will still struggle to burn excess fat because your hormones still might not be balanced.

This is where hormone therapy comes into play and can help you get rid of those stubborn pounds that won’t seem to come off.

This system, as we’ve learned, is very delicate and requires precise treatments to line back up again.

If you have been struggling to take back control of your weight and want to feel more energetic, happier, and lighter, try speaking with a hormonal therapy specialist and pinpointing the cause of your weight issues.