This Is How Your Hormones Affect Your Weight Loss Journey
Most women undergoing menopause also notice significant weight gains during this time. This is often attributed to age-related changes in their hormonal balance.
However, weight loss and hormones share a tentative link at every phase of life, and this applies to men too.
Find out more about this delicate balance here.
The Link Between Weight Loss and Hormones
Hormones are part of an intricate regulatory system in our bodies called the endocrine. They’re like tiny messengers delivering updates to hormone receptors located in numerous internal systems.
These hormone receptors are like docking bays for these messengers circulating throughout our bodies.
In this way, hormones help regulate the delicate balance between various parts of our bodies and control several body functions.
These are:
- Emotional wellbeing
- Growth and development
- Immunity
- Metabolism
When your hormones and your hormone receptors experience a lapse in communication, or these messages become less frequent, it’s easy to see how things can start to go wrong.
Endocrine disruptors, caused by things like lack of exercise and a poor diet, are usually the culprits when it comes to these internal communication problems. Menopause can also cause affect the relationship between hormones and weight loss after 40.
The Hormones Involved in Weight Regulation
There are two main ways in which hormones affect weight gain. They control appetite and regulate energy storage. There are several hormones implicated in these functions.
These are:
- Leptin – signals the body to shed weight
- Ghrelin – responsible for hunger signals
- Thyroid hormones – regulate your basal metabolic rate
- Insulin – regulates energy use from nutrients
- Estrogen – regulates where the body stores fat
- Testosterone – enhances muscle development at the expense of fat
- Cortisol – tentative links to fat storage
Through diligent studies, researchers have already uncovered a few ways to address hormonal imbalances.
What Can You Do About Hormone Health and Weight Loss?
Fortunately, there are several ways you can deal with your hormones and weight loss problems.
One of the most common remedies for women struggling with weight gain issues due to menopause is hormone replacement therapy. However, some of these treatments are controversial as well as risky for certain individuals.
Several studies indicate a link between growth hormone and weight loss, although these therapies also present risks.
Unless you’re dangerously obese, it’s sometimes better to embrace your new shape instead of meddling with the natural order of things.
In this light, some people swear that a functional medicine doctor can help with hormone-related weight gain or loss. This approach centers on a holistic approach to hormonal health by adjusting lifestyle factors that could be influencing hormonal health or weight gain issues.
Although this approach involves a lot more effort than simply popping a pill, and it can take longer to see results, it’s a safe alternative to chemical interventions.
A Happier Healthier You
The relationship between weight loss and hormones is top of mind for most people as they age, but hormones aren’t always the source of our troubles. Remember, there’s a strong link between your lifestyle and your body’s internal workings too.
If you’d like to find out more about how to promote your health and make the most of life, keep browsing our blog.