These top female hormones may be why you aren't losing weight.
Are you doing everything right- you’re exercising and eating healthy and still not losing weight?
You may have a hormone imbalance. Let’s look at some common symptoms and what you can do to balance these top female hormones to lose weight.
Along with your hormones, there are 4 other players that need to be aligned to streamline your weight loss success. Grab Your Key to Unlocking Weight Loss Secrets.
New here? Thanks for stopping by or welcome back. After you read this blog, be sure to check out some of my other articles for women over 50 who want to lose body fat, build muscle, create phenomenal bodies they love.
Are you experiencing hormonal imbalance?
You might be if you are experiencing any of these potential warning signs:
- Unexplained weight gain
- Low libido
- Fatigue and low energy
- Poor sleep
- Depression, irritability, mood swings
Hormonal imbalance isn’t the only cause of these symptoms; however, your doctor can run blood tests to determine if your hormones are the culprit.
Isn't it just part of getting older?
Several years ago, I found myself coming home from work and falling asleep in my chair by 6p. I was also starting to gain a little weight. It wasn’t out of control, but it was out of the norm for me and I couldn’t pinpoint any reason for it.
For the longest time, I said nothing and just “dealt with it”. I worked out harder and watched what I ate even closer.
I assumed it was just part of getting older. Boy am I glad I was wrong!!
Visit to my Naturopathic Doctor
Then, I decided to see a naturopathic doctor for the first time. My visit wasn’t about being tired or even the extra weight gain.
Again, I assumed that was just part of getting older and something I needed to accept. I had gone to see what could be done about my hot flashes.
If you’ve ever been to a naturopathic doctor, then you know they treat the whole person and look for the underlying problem vs just treating the symptom.
As he was “getting to know me” and asking lots of questions about how I felt overall, my nutrition, my weight, my fitness routine, any concerns/problems, etc – other than the hot flashes, I casually mentioned that I had been falling asleep at 6p – in the middle of one of my favorite TV shows. This was NOT normal for me at all.
Although I thought this was just part of getting older, it was a red flag to my doctor. He immediately ran some tests. Looking back now, of course, it made no sense. I was very active, working out nearly every day, and eating pretty healthy. SO, why was I so tired and gaining weight?
If this sounds like you, just know you do not have to suffer. This is NOT just a part of getting older that you need to accept.
I, personally, had several hormones out of whack. I began feeling like a whole different person once he had them back in balance!
Causes of hormonal imbalance
There are numerous potential causes of hormonal imbalance. Some of the more common are stress, diet, and the environment. I will be focusing on how our diet can impact our hormonal balance.
Top Female Hormones to Lose Weight - Insulin
Let’s start with Insulin.
You’re probably familiar with blood sugar levels. The glucose test is pretty common when you’re having general blood work done.
Insulin is produced by the pancreas and processes the sugar in the foods we eat. When this is working as it should, the sugar is converted into energy.
Sugar is in so much of our standard American diet, but it isn’t just sugar you need to think about. When your body digests carbohydrates, they are turned into sugar.
Carbohydrates, like bread and pasta, raise your blood sugar more than the carbohydrates in fruits and vegetables.
If your pancreas cannot keep up and produce enough insulin, you may become insulin resistant, and sugar in your bloodstream is not converted to energy and builds up in your bloodstream.
Excess sugar is then stored as fat.
If you have an insulin imbalance or think you might, you’ll want to check with your doctor to ensure you aren’t causing any long-term health concerns, such as pre-diabetes or diabetes.
Top Female Hormones to Lose Weight - Leptin
Next up — Leptin.
Leptin is produced primarily by your fat cells and is that hormone that makes us feel full.
It is unclear exactly what causes an imbalance in the Leptin hormone. Genetics, as well as, inflammation caused by stress, poor diet, inadequate exercise and sleep all contribute.
Since Leptin is created by fat cells, if you have extra fat cells you should have high Leptin which would signal the brain that you have plenty of stored energy.
If you are Leptin resistant, your brain may not be receiving this message and thinks you are starving causing you to eat more and conserve energy.
Top Female Hormones to Lose Weight - Ghrelin
When Leptin stops working, the hormone Ghrelin kicks in.
Ghrelin is the opposite of Leptin. Where Leptin is a hunger suppressant, Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone and is produced in the stomach. Ghrelin sends signals to the brain telling us to eat.
Although most of us don’t suffer from not eating enough, if you’re underweight or struggle with gaining weight, you’ll want higher levels of the Ghrelin hormone.
Top Female Hormones to Lose Weight - Cortisol
You may know Cortisol as the stress hormone.
Cortisol functions in a variety of capacities, such as managing blood sugar and blood pressure, controls metabolism and reduces inflammation. Your level of cortisol can also impact sleep.
Cortisol should be higher in the morning and drop off by nighttime.
If your cortisol is too low in the morning, you may find it difficult to get out of bed.
If your cortisol is too high at night, you may have difficulty falling asleep.
Getting plenty of exercise and maintaining a consistent bedtime and wakeup time will aid in managing your cortisol levels.
Top Female Hormones to Lose Weight - Thyroid
The thyroid is known for regulating your energy levels, healthy weight, and metabolism.
Your thyroid also interacts closely with the rest of your body so when your thyroid isn’t working as it should, other systems like cardiovascular, immune, digestive are impacted too.
It is very common to have your thyroid slow down as you age. This is one of the hormones that was out of whack for me, causing tiredness and weight gain. If in doubt, there are blood tests that your doctor can run.
What can you do if you suspect a hormone imbalance?
- See your doctor. I’m biased, but I would recommend you see a naturopathic doctor.
- Don’t accept the diagnosis that “It is just part of getting older.”
- Clean up your nutrition by drinking plenty of water, eating enough quality protein, limit carbohydrates to whole grains and fruits and vegetables, eliminate processed foods and sugar.
- Consider an elimination diet to determine if specific foods, like gluten, are contributing to your hormone imbalance.
- Exercise
- Reduce stress
- Get 7 – 8 hours of quality sleep every night with a consistent bedtime and wakeup time – even on the weekends.
If you feel like you’re:
always on diet…
tired of losing the same 10 pounds over and over…
ready for some serious results…
Download your Key to Unlocking Weight Loss Secrets. The weight loss secrets detailed inside could be the difference that will take you from the status quo to hitting your weight loss goals with more energy and confidence!
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