Are You Overweight Because of a Hormone Imbalance?

Are you doing everything right, but still struggling to lose weight?

A lot of people seem to think weight loss is just a case of simple math. That all it takes is “eating less and exercising more.”

That the only reason someone is overweight is because of their self-control.

Ladies and gentlemen, that is a lie.

When it comes to burning more calories than you consume, this so-called weight loss equation only applies to perfect hormonal specimens; people who have their cortisol, thyroid, insulin, estrogen and testosterone in perfect balance. Ironically, these are rarely the people who need to drop a few pounds.

I’ve found, both in my personal experience and with the thousands of women and men who come through my practice each year, that it’s nearly impossible to lose that spare tire, kimono arms, or bat wings when your cortisol is too high or your thyroid has ground to a halt.

Almost anyone who struggles with weight loss also battles a hormone imbalance. It never fails to amaze me how easy weight loss becomes once hormones are back in their sweet spot. I’m going to share the top hormonal reasons you may struggle to lose weight as well as some of the strategies.

High Cortisol

If you’re struggling with hard-to-lose belly fat, you may have high cortisol. This is the most common hormonal imbalance, and also the one that wreaks the most havoc on your health. Because cortisol is the alpha hormone it holds a lot of sway in how well your other main hormones function,

-thyroid and estrogen in women,

-thyroid and testosterone in men.

High cortisol is the result of chronic stress, an absolute epidemic in our culture.

High cortisol is associated with hard-to-lose belly fat, sugar cravings, and lousy sleep. Those may sound a little familiar, as may the feeling of wanting to throttle the next person who tells you about the great diet they just discovered.

Balance that Hormone:

The first step in managing cortisol is to also manage how you respond to stress. In other words: Hit the pause button. A tall order, yes, but there are some stunningly easy strategies that are proven to help. My favorite ways to reduce stress and lower cortisol include yoga, meditation, deep breathing, and nearly any contemplative practice. You can also add fish oil and phosphatidyl serine to your list of daily vitamins, as both have been proven to help lower cortisol. When you’re overweight or obese, Relora, an herbal combination of magnolia and phellodendron, has been shown to reduce night-time cortisol and stress-related eating.

Low Thyroid

A sluggish metabolism is another common culprit when it comes to weight loss struggles. Stress and high cortisol can slow down your thyroid, but other causes of low thyroid and slow metabolism include endocrine disruptors found in the environment, Vitamin D deficiency and gluten sensitivity. Symptoms of low thyroid include weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, and depression. In fact, 15-20% of people with depression are low in thyroid hormone. I suggest that you work with a clinician if your thyroid numbers are off.

The optimal range for TSH to 0.3-2.5 mIU/L, and some experts believe that people who have a normal thyroid are more likely 0.1-1.5

Balance that Hormone

You can take steps on your own to correct a thyroid imbalance by reducing the often-underlying cause of stress. There is limited animal data showing that you can limit absorption of bis-phenol A by taking oral probiotics. Add vitamin D to the supplements you take, or get some naturally and commit to spending more time in the sun (always with sunscreen on face, back and shoulders, of course).

Vitamin D is ideally kept in the Goldilocks position of 52-90.

Lastly, see if you have a gluten sensitivity by removing foods with gluten from your diet for a few weeks.

If you lose weight and have more energy,

bingo!

Insulin Resistance

Insulin is a hormone that stores fat. When your cells become numb to insulin, you lay down fat, especially where you can readily use it for fuel, such as your belly.

Balance that Hormone

Dr. Barry Sears, founder of the Zone Diet, is an authority on the hormonal effects of food. He famously said that you can reverse insulin resistance with the Zone Diet. Of course, there’s many ways to insulin nirvana–you can follow a Paleo Diet or The Hormone Reset Detox.

Low Estrogen

Low estrogen stimulates appetite. Researchers from Yale found that estradiol uses the same biochemical pathways in the body as leptin, a hormone released by fat that, when activated, pushes your “hunger button” and tells you that you need food.

Balance that Hormone

Some of my favorite ways to balance estrogen naturally include acupuncture, regular exercise and a good orgasm. You can also add flax seeds to your diet (I throw them in breakfast porridge and smoothies), and supplement magnesium.

Low Testosterone

Low testosterone makes you doughy, less able to remodel your musculature with resistance training, and slow down your metabolism.

Balance that Hormone

Dump the sugar, including alcohol. Even moderate daily alcohol decreases testosterone levels. Prevention Magazine reported that alcohol in women reduces metabolism by more than 70%, temporarily. I often find that women who want to lose weight make radical vows to give up everything… except their glass or two of wine each night.

Do you want to lose weight or do you want to numb out with alcohol?

Weight Loss and Hormone Balance: Reclaim Your Victorious Cycle

One of the wonderful things about weight loss and hormone balance is that they go hand-in-hand. Just as hormone balance can lead to weight loss, losing a few pounds can help bring your hormones back into their optimal levels. For example: belly fat has a much higher concentration of estrogen; drop 5 pounds and you’ll see your estrogen levels swing into that sweet spot of not too high and not too low.

Give up alcohol, and it lowers cortisol, raises testosterone, and balances estrogen.

Disclaimer:Please take a doctor's opinion before starting your dose!

For any queries or questions please leave your comments below or you can also email me on insiya1793@gmail.com. Please do leave your suggestions on any topic that you would like me to write on.

Your Well-wisher,

Dr.Insiya

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