Don’t blame yourself for your too tight-fitting pants! If you struggle to keep extra pounds off your frame, consider whether weight gain hormones are the culprit.
Many factors lead to weight gain. But you may not have considered that your hormones are why you have a stubborn weight that won’t budge no matter how hard you try. Your hormones control functions throughout your entire body, but you may not realize that weight gain hormones may be overactive in your body if you’re having a hard time shedding pounds.
Hormones control your mood and can make you feel fatigued, so it makes sense that weight gain hormones can also play a role in your fat storage and metabolism. However, it is essential to note that all weight gain isn’t hormonal weight gain. According to St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, the most significant cause of weight gain is excess calorie intake. Consuming too many calories and hormone imbalance can lead to weight gain that can be difficult to control. This is a significant issue for women since women experience hormone fluctuations due to their menstrual cycle. Even though men don’t have a menstrual cycle, they still have hormones, leading to hormonal weight gain issues.
15 Habits to Help Rebalance the Weight Gain Hormones
If you’re trying to get your weight under control, here are 15 habits to incorporate into your life to outsmart your weight gain hormones.
1. Balance Your Weight Gain Hormones
Men and women have several hormones that are active in weight gain or loss. The hormones that are most unbalanced when people are trying to get rid of stubborn weight are:
- Estrogen
- Cortisol
- Progesterone
- Testosterone
- Thyroid
- Growth Hormone
- Aldosterone
- DHEA
Fortunately, there are ways to balance weight gain hormones. Eating fatty fish like salmon and tuna, beef liver, and yogurt can help keep your hormones in check. These foods provide omega-3 fatty acids, iron, probiotics, and calcium, making it easier for your body to process and burn fat.
Avoiding processed foods and sugar to keep your glucose levels steady and prevent insulin resistance. Keep your stress levels down as much as possible to prevent excess cortisol production, and work out regularly to balance blood sugar, lose weight, and maintain a healthy weight.
2. Mind Your Metabolism to Keep Weight Gain Hormones in Check
You may notice that your weight spreads as you get older in ways you never considered when you were younger. The body’s metabolism naturally slows down with age, so you have to be mindful of this to keep your weight gain hormones in check. This means being more physically active and resisting the urge to overeat or binge on snacks. Choose foods that are low in fat and sugar so that your body has an easier time processing them, preventing hormonal weight gain. It’s also a good idea to choose an exercise program you enjoy so you’ll be more likely to stick to it and keep your weight under control.
3. Get Enough Rest
The busier your schedule is, the less likely you’ll get adequate rest every night. Not getting enough sleep can raise stress levels, which means your body produces more cortisol, leading to hormonal weight gain. Poor sleep patterns also throw the rest of your hormones out of whack, making it difficult to lose weight, even if you’re active during the day. Try to get at least six hours of sleep every night and ensure your room is as dark as possible so your brain knows it’s time to rest.
4. Take Time to Relax
To keep weight gain hormones from becoming overactive in your body, you need to carve time out in your day to relax. Stress can not only make you produce too much cortisol, but it can also throw the rest of your hormones off balance. You may create more or less estrogen or testosterone or cause an imbalance in your thyroid gland if you are constantly stressed. Try deep breathing in the mornings to calm your body and mind or meditate in the evenings to let go of the day’s stress.
5. Avoid Sugary Drinks, as They Stimulate Your Weight Gain Hormones
Drinks filled with sugar can wreak havoc on your hormone levels and lead to unwanted weight gain. This is especially true for women experiencing estrogen dominance. Some of the chemicals in sugary juices and beverages contain phytoestrogens that mimic estrogen and cause a buildup of the hormone in the body. This makes it very difficult to lose weight, especially in the hips and midsection. If you want to get rid of stubborn weight, steer clear of sugary cocktails, coffee drinks, and processed food juices extremely high in sugar.
6. Consult Your Doctor
If you’ve tried following a healthy diet, exercising regularly, reducing stress, and avoiding sugar, you may have an underlying condition like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). This condition is characterized by cysts that develop on the ovaries and lead to the overproduction of testosterone levels in women, causing estrogen and progesterone to fluctuate. Testosterone imbalance in men can also lead to weight gain. Speak to your doctor about your concerns to develop a treatment plan that works for you.
7. Stay Active To Rebalance Your Weight Gain Hormones
When you want to ensure that your hormones won’t cause you to gain weight, you need to develop an exercise plan you know you will follow. Choose biking or swimming as part of your workout if these are activities you enjoy, or take a walk around your neighborhood to raise your heart rate. Exercise not only balances your hormones, but it lightens your mood, improves flexibility, and can motivate you to be more mindful of your eating choices.
8. Keep Your Ghrelin Levels Balanced
Ghrelin is a hormone produced in the stomach lining that sends the message to your brain that it’s time to eat. It’s essential to ensure you’re not producing too much of this hormone to avoid weight gain. Balance ghrelin by eating lots of protein and healthy fat instead of filling your body with carbohydrates. Foods like chicken, beef, avocado, nuts, and eggs will keep you full for an extended period, making you less tempted to snack excessively.
9. Increase Your Leptin Levels
Leptin is a hormone your fat cells secrete to regulate how your body stores and burns energy. The more leptin you have, the better your chance of avoiding and reversing hormonal weight gain. Eating food like berries and leafy green vegetables keeps your leptin levels up and makes it easier for your body to burn fat.
10. Control Your Insulin Levels
Insulin is the primary hormone in the body that controls fat storage in the body, so you have to keep this hormone balanced to avoid unwanted weight. Stay away from sugar since it can raise insulin levels. Maintaining a diet that is low in carbohydrates and high in protein immediately lowers insulin.
11. Check Your Neuropeptide Y Levels
Neuropeptide Y is a hormone produced in the brain and nervous system cells. When you’re stressed, your body produces more of this hormone, which can cause you to overeat and gain abdominal weight. Consuming soluble fiber and eating healthy proteins can help you avoid hormonal weight gain from Neuropeptide Y overproduction.
12. Don’t Fast for (Too) Long to Keep Weight Gain Hormones in Check
If you’re using intermittent fasting as a way to lose hormonal weight, make sure you don’t fast for too long. The longer you go without eating, the more fat your body will store to use as energy. This may reverse your efforts and cause you to be at a standstill with your weight loss efforts. Keep your fasting periods to around 8 hours or less to make this weight loss method more beneficial.
13. Keep Your Home Allergen-Free
Many people suffer from hay fever or seasonal allergies, but if you find that your allergies bother you throughout the year, you may want to try ridding your home of allergens. When you’re exposed to substances you’re allergic to for long periods, this will cause your thyroid hormone to act up. Remove dust from your home as often as possible, and use bedding and curtains that won’t aggravate your allergies.
14. Drink More Smoothies
If you love smoothies in the morning as a quick meal or drink them during the day as a meal replacement, you can make smoothies that are designed to balance your hormones. Use coconut water or nut milk and combine ingredients like pineapple, frozen berries, and avocado for a filling smoothie that supplies your body with the necessary nutrients for hormone balance.
15. Stay Away from Hormone Disruptors
Your hormones are sensitive, and when they are exposed to toxins, they will react, causing fatigue, mood swings, weight gain, and headaches. Use only natural home and beauty products free of dyes, preservatives, and pesticides to keep your hormones working as they should.
Final Thoughts: You Can Help Reclaim Control over Weight Gain Hormones by Changing Your Habits
Incorporate these tips into your daily routine to keep weight gain hormones in check and take control of your health for good. You will feel better, look great, and reclaim your self-confidence.
