Metabolism/Weight Loss

How hormones sabotage weight loss

If you have been watching what you eat and exercising regularly but aren’t losing weight, it could be your hormones.

For over a hundred years, doctors have been telling us the only way to lose weight is to burn more calories than you consume. So why do so many people follow these instructions faithfully but only lose two or three pounds and stop? Thanks to ongoing research about how numerous hormones can prevent you from losing weight, we have more in-depth insight into why weight loss is difficult for most people and what can be done to facilitate weight loss.

Hormones That Can Affect Your Weight

Ghrelin

Produced by cells lining your gastrointestinal tract, ghrelin not only regulates appetite but also plays an important role in metabolism. Ghrelin also increases hunger and prevents fat from oxidizing for energy purposes. Ghrelin levels are lowest after eating a meal and slowly start rising as your stomach digests food. Certain growth hormones and cortisol appear to promote ghrelin production by triggering brain receptors that control insulin and leptin sensitivity.¹

Leptin

A hormone implicated in suppressing appetite, metabolism, body weight and reproductive processes, leptin is encoded by a gene associated with obesity. Released by placental cells and epithelium cells in the stomach, leptin levels in the body correlate with the size of your fat cells. Gaining weight and accumulating stores of fat means your fat cells increase in size. In response to abnormally large fat cells, cell increase production of leptin to help reduce appetite. When an imbalance of estrogen, testosterone and other hormones exist, leptin release is often suppressed, which leads to weight gain and inability to lose weight through diet and exercise.²

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

Polycystic ovary syndrome affects women in their 20s and 30s who have hormonal imbalances involving progesterone, estrogen and androgens (male hormones). Symptoms of PCOS include sustained weight gain, excessive hair growth, high blood pressure and pre-diabetes.³

Insulin Resistance

A pancreatic hormone that helps the body utilize sugar from carbohydrates for energy, insulin can also prevent weight loss when insufficient amounts exist in the body. When your body “thinks” it doesn’t have enough insulin to convert glucose and carbs into energy, the pancreas compensates by making more insulin. This causes blood sugar levels to rise as well as your appetite.⁴

Cortisol

When you are under physical or psychological stress, the adrenal glands start pumping out large amounts of cortisol, the stress hormone. Since cortisol stimulates metabolism, oxidation of fat stores and release of insulin, your appetite and cravings for high fat, sugary foods increase. Elevated cortisol also prevents your body from producing testosterone. Without enough testosterone, muscle mass decreases rapidly. The less muscle mass you have, the fewer calories you burn.⁵

How to Correct Hormone Imbalances in Order to Lose Weight

Nutritional Supplements

Glutamine, carnitine and other amino acids are essential for building protein, maintaining muscle mass and promoting metabolism of carbs and fats. Without enough glutamine and carnitine, the body tends to accumulate fat instead of burning fat for energy.⁶

Getting Enough Good Sleep

Sleeping poorly slow down metabolism, encourages the body to store excess calories as fat, increases appetite during the day because of fatigue and increases cravings for unhealthy foods. In addition to rising levels of ghrelin and reducing leptin, lack of sleep also alters serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin is linked to depression and anxiety; it also influences your appetite and mood. Feeling depressed typically induces cravings for salty, sugary or fatty foods.⁷

Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy

Offered by Renew Health and Wellness, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) is a “one-stop” method for correcting many hormone imbalances implicated in difficulty losing weight. Bioidentical hormones are a popular, healthier alternative to traditional hormones developed using chemicals foreign to the body. Derived from soy and other plants, bioidentical hormones closely resemble the molecular structure of hormones made by your body. Receptors readily accept these hormones to provide excellent benefits for your overall health and well-being. In contrast, synthetic hormones do not match receptor structures, which is the primary reason pharmaceutical hormones put men and women at risk for cancer and heart disease.

Clean Start Weight Loss

Renew Health and Wellness also provides a medically monitored weight loss program called Clean Start Weight Loss. This program is especially designed to scientifically decrease appetite, reset a sluggish metabolism, reduce cravings and help you lose weight.

Why struggle with losing weight when we can provide immediate assistance with restoring imbalanced hormones levels and a slow metabolism? Call today to schedule an appointment at Renew Health and Wellness!

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