Weight Gain: The Hidden Hormonal Connection

Have you ever felt like your body is playing games with you? You eat right and exercise regularly but you struggle to maintain a healthy weight. No matter how hard you try, it’s just not possible to get the results that you want. If this is you,  then it might be time to look into hormonal imbalances. In this blog post, we will discuss the connection between hormones and weight gain, the contributing factors and what you can do about it. So, buckle up - it's time to take control of your body! 

But First, Let’s Have a Hormonal Recap

Hormones are chemical messengers in our bodies. They help regulate everything from metabolism and reproduction to stress levels and mood. To break it down, hormonal imbalance occurs when your body does not produce enough or too much of certain hormones. When these hormones become out of balance, it can lead to a variety of health issues such as difficulty losing or gaining weight, infertility, anxiety, depression, fatigue, dry skin, acne, cravings, irregular periods, thinning hair, and bloating. Sounds too familiar? 

6 Common Hormones Responsible For Weight Management
Several key hormones play a major role in controlling your appetite, feelings of fullness, metabolism, and body fat distribution. A change in their normal level or function can lead to excess weight gain.

Estrogen plays an important role in regulating your menstrual cycle, bone health, libido, and more. It can also affect your weight by increasing your appetite while slowing down your metabolism.
Insulin helps regulate our blood sugar levels by helping our cells take in glucose (from food) for energy production. If we eat too much sugary or starchy food and generate too much insulin, it can begin to accumulate in our bodies — leading to weight gain over time.
Cortisol is often referred to as the “stress hormone” because it’s released during times of stress or anxiety. High cortisol levels trigger cravings for sugary or fatty foods, which in turn leads to weight gain if not managed properly. 

Leptin is one of the hunger hormones and is secreted by fat cells and affects the way the body stores and burns energy, and it also regulates hunger by stimulating satiety.
FSH regulates fat accumulation and redistribution as it rises at menopause, which could be responsible for the weight gain and bone loss that many women experience in their middle ages.
TSH (thyroid hormones) are essential for regulating weight. Hypothyroidism with an increased TSH level can directly lead to slower metabolism and weight gain.

What Health Conditions May Cause Hormonal Weight Gain?
1. Insomnia – Not getting enough sleep affects our hormones and can lead to increased hunger cravings.
2. Having Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) – PCOS is a condition caused by excess testosterone production in women which can lead to irregular periods, infertility issues, acne problems… as well as difficulty losing or gaining weight.
3. Hypothyroidism Disorder – This disorder causes an underactive thyroid gland which results in slower metabolism.
4. Having Endometriosis - Endometriosis occurs when tissue from the uterus grows outside of its normal location,  this condition causes hormonal imbalances which can then lead to unexplained weight gain.
5. Menopause - During menopause estrogen levels drop significantly which changes how our bodies store fat leading to unwanted changes on the scale.  

As for the solution?
You’ve probably heard of estrogen therapy, testosterone therapy, thyroid hormone therapy and metformin amongst others — but let’s not jump into all these medical treatments when there’s so much we can do naturally first.

A great way to start is by doing a complete at-home blood test with Valeo. You’ll get a better idea of what’s going on inside your body, where your levels stand and how this is affecting your overall weight. Through diet, lifestyle and supplement interventions, your Valeo health expert will help you make informed decisions on the best practices to manage your weight based on your personal levels. We can also remove the uncertainty of supplementation. Who made them, what’s in them, how do they work, do they work? Valeo works closely with world renowned manufacturers and experts to cut through the jargon. Importantly, we test, advise and retest, to make sure you get on the right track.

Now let’s get to the root cause of your weight fluctuations and set up a plan to help you reach a happy healthy body!