Declining Estrogen Levels Can Change How You Feel

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Hormones play a crucial role in your bodily functions. Acting as critical chemical messengers, they communicate instructions to your organs and tissues through your bloodstream by connecting with specified target cells.

When hormonal control of your weight is disrupted, it can lead to weight gain due to factors like hormone resistance, excess or deficiency of specific hormones, and altered hunger, energy usage signals and fat storage.

Your endocrine system has a feedback system that helps maintain a balance of hormones in your bloodstream. If you have too much or too little of a certain hormone, the negative feedback will instruct a specific gland to correct the hormonal imbalance. It is a delicate balance, and when it comes to weight loss, things get really tricky. Cutting back on calories can slow down your metabolism to retain stored fat, and intense exercise can release leptin hunger hormone.

Abnormal Metabolism Results from Imbalances

Hormone tests can indicate if weight gain or difficulty losing weight is due abnormal metabolism and the accumulation of body fat due to imbalances in hormones like those discussed below:

Estrogen: During menopause, the decrease in estrogen production can cause hot flashes, sleep disturbances, and a decreased sex drive. Imbalances in estrogen during menopause is also linked to the weight gain and hormonal belly that many women experience.

Progesterone: When there's not enough progesterone, women may experience irregular periods, headaches, mood changes, and even loss of sleep. Men with low testosterone levels may have a low sex drive, hair loss, fatigue, and loss of muscle mass.

Testosterone: Good nutritional choices and the subsequent hormonal changes both play significant roles in men's health. It impacts the risk of developing chronic conditions such as heart disease. Similar to women, men can routinely experience hormonal shifts.

Insulin: Although natural parts of your fight or flight mechanism, the combined effect of excess insulin and elevated cortisol levels from stress can lead to dangerous drops in blood sugar levels and unexpected weight gain over time. Regulating glucose levels is essential for healthy living.

Cortisol: When you feel like indulging in fries and a milkshake instead of eating a balanced meal, it may be due to excess cortisol from either immediate or constant stress, or both. To boot, excess hormone can lower testosterone levels and slow your metabolism.

Thyroid Hormone: Managing an autoimmune disease like Hashimoto's hypothyroidism can be challenging due to unstable blood sugar. The afternoon crash, characterized by drowsiness, fogginess, tiredness, and lack of motivation, is often caused by low blood sugar levels. The thyroid hormones are also involved in weight regulation.

While poor diet and lack of exercise are usually to blame for weight gain, hormonal imbalances can also contribute to those extra pounds. Hormones like leptin, insulin, estrogens, and others can influence your appetite, metabolism, and body fat distribution. As you age, your hormone levels change, leading to low mood, poor sleep, and other health issues.

The best way to address hormonal weight gain is by balancing your hormones. This can be achieved through lifestyle changes, such as maintaining a healthy diet, regular physical activity, sufficient sleep, and stress management. Exercise can increase leptin levels and improve insulin sensitivity. But, balancing hormones is a personal journey that can take time.