Hormones
and Weight Loss
If you've been ignoring those extra lbs shown on your scale, then it
is the time to open your eyes and look for the reasons causing that.
The question might arise that why one should lose weight. The answer would be that it leads to a long life by providing good physical and mental health. Moreover, losing body fat means a healthier, more responsive and more robust immune system. Being overweight can have very serious effects on the body, causing various diseases.
Sometimes people eating the right food and carrying out the
appropriate workout every day still find it hard to lose weight.
Hormonal imbalance is one of the major but mostly overlooked reason
for weight-loss resistance. There are certain hormones in the human body that need to be balanced at any age in order to maintain a
healthy weight. Other reasons might include your genetics,
nutritional imbalances, metabolic challenges or environmental factors.
Some of the major hormones affecting your body weight and health
include:
Testosterone
Testosterone is a human sex hormone required for enhancing libido,
bone density, muscle mass, and strength. Even if you are controlling your diet or regularly doing exercise, a lower level of testosterone may cause increased body fat and muscle loss. Mostly the lower testosterone level is linked to obesity, stress, aging, over the use of alcohol, lack of exercise or heart disease. Another known cause of testosterone suppression is the compound Phthalates, commonly found in cosmetics, soaps, and most plastics.
Estrogen
The primary function of estrogen in the human body is the development of
female secondary sexual characteristics and maturation of the sperm and maintenance of libido in males. Regardless of the gender, excess amount of estrogen in your body causes weight gain. Too much fat
gained around your hips or belly is caused by elevated estrogen levels
this causes difficulty in losing weight. Increased estrogen level is
linked to increased body fat, menopause in women, depression, muscle
loss and might lead to memory loss as well.
Leptin
Leptin is one of the hormones produced by fat cells in our body,
playing a major role in regulating appetite. Ultimately influencing body fat and weight. Excess body fat can cause a condition known as leptin resistance. The increased level of leptin or high-calorie
foods might slow down your metabolism leading to hunger signals towards the brain. Thus, making you feel hungry most of the time.
Ghrelin
Similar to leptin, ghrelin is a hunger hormone, regulating appetite and hunger, consequently regulating homeostasis. Less ghrelin will help you in losing weight as you won't get hungry. The hormone level is high before you eat and low after you eat. Ghrelin production is increased in response to stress, explaining why so many people eat a lot when they are stressed. Moreover, the increased level may
contribute to obesity.
Ways to Lose Weight Through Hormonal Balance
Proper Diet- Overconsumption of carbs or lack of protein-rich
food can lead to weight gain. In another case, you might be consuming a healthy food with good protein to carb ratios, but the amount of
food intake has gotten bigger. So, there must be a check of proper
calories intake. Undereating protein and overeating carbs can lead
to weight gain. Some of the anti-inflammatory proteins are found in
lentils, legumes, and beans. Besides vegetable are a good source of
vitamins and antioxidants and are found to reduce inflammation that interferes with the proper functioning of leptin. Such diet can help in keeping you full, increase fat burning and reduce your cravings.
Avoid Alcohol- Drinks such as coke, energy drinks and especially alcohol increases the storage of belly fat. Thus, when it
comes to losing weight, maintaining body mass, a healthy lifestyle as
a target, then there is no place for alcohol in your life. Avoid its
consumption, along with other important factors for weight loss and
you will observe drastic changes.
Good Night's Sleep- A good night's sleep of about 7-8 hours keeps cortisol and insulin levels in check. When you're excessively drained two hormones are released in your body named leptin and ghrelin. Leptin tells your body that you are full while ghrelin tells your body when to eat. During the lack of sleep, leptin level decreases and you enter a state of constant hunger. On the other
hand, ghrelin level spikes when you are sleep deprived.
Think Different
Carleton
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