Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Plus 6 Fixes
Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Is this the root of your weight problems?
Your hormones can have a significant effect on your ability to lose weight. They may mean the crucial difference between losing and gaining.
Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Hormones are a part of your Endocrine system. Hormones play a crucial role in controlling your bodies metabolism and energy use. An imbalance or hormone disruption can lead to weight gain and an absolute inability to lose the weight, even when dieting.
Unexplained weight gain is probably one of the most obvious and distressing signs of having a hormone imbalance.
The weight gain can be very rapid and take you by surprise. If you haven’t changed your exercise or eating habits but suddenly find you have gained a lot of weight, hormone imbalances are a likely culprit.
There are a number of conditions which can disrupt your hormones and lead to weight gain. These include problems with your Thyroid. Estrogen Dominance and Polycystic Ovary Syndrome {PCOS} amongst others. Many of these problems can arise around Menopause or Perimenopause
Once you get your hormones working smoothly again you should be able to lose weight more easily.
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How do hormones work?
Hormones are little chemical messengers that travel through your blood to communicate with different parts of the body. They are the way that your brain and organs such as your Thyroid, communicate with your tissues and keep everything running smoothly.
A hormone imbalance happens when there is too much or too little of a hormone available. Even a slight change will have a big impact on your overall health and how you feel.
Hormones work together too so that an issue with one hormone will have a knock on effect on the others.
Hormones tend to fluctuate too depending on your life stage. Puberty and pregnancy are obvious times when hormones change. However the menopause is a very dramatic time for hormonal fluctuation.
Your lifestyle and any medical conditions you have also affect your hormone levels.
Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Yes, if your hormones are unbalanced it’s hard to lose weight.
Which hormones make you gain weight?
Generally, weight gain is caused by a combination of hormones working together to mess with your metabolism.
A problem with one hormone tends to have a knock on effect with all your other hormones too.
Which are the hormones most likely to set off this chain reaction?
Estrogen and Progesterone
Estrogen and Progesterone are two hormones that often go out of sync especially around menopause. They should keep each other in balance but if this mechanism starts to fail then Estrogen Dominance can result which can result in weight gain as well as other common Menopause symptoms
Insulin
Insulin is the hormone which keeps blood sugar levels in balance. If you become Insulin resistant this can lead to diabetes or pre-diabetes which means that you are more likely to put on weight.
Cortisol
Cortisol is the hormone which is released when you are stressed.
Stresses at work and home as well as lack of sleep can all lead to this hormone being raised.
This will lead to weight gain especially around the middle in the belly area. Belly Fat is a common symptom of stress around the time of Menopause.
Thyroid Hormone
Thyroid hormone is made in the little gland in the front of your neck. If your levels are low your metabolism will slow down and you will find it impossible to lose weight.
How do you know if you have a hormone imbalance?
There are many hormones working together. They all play a part in your health. As result the symptoms of a hormone imbalance are wide ranging and your symptoms will depend on which of your hormones are malfunctioning. Your Doctor can run various tests to check your hormone levels.
Weight gain however is the most obvious sign of a hormone imbalance.
A hormone imbalance is likely if…
- You have gained weight over a short period of time.
- You have gained weight whilst eating and exercising the same amount.
- You find you cant lose weight even if you diet and exercise.
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If you think that you may have imbalanced hormones, this online test is a helpful way to discover if this is what is causing your weight problems. It takes around 60 seconds and will give you a breakdown of what may be the problem from your symptoms.
Hormones and weight gain after 40
It’s one of life cruel tricks that sadly, hormonal issues and weight gain do become more common after 40.
Hormone changes related to Perimenopause and Menopause can lead to weight gain, especially in the hips, thighs and Belly area.
Women are often made to feel there is nothing that can be done about this “middle aged spread” but thankfully thats not true.
Controlling your hormones and making lifestyle changes can work to reverse the menopause weight gain.
Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Pin for later
Symptoms of Hormonal Imbalance
Your own personal symptoms will very much depend on which Hormones are out of balance for you.
However, there are some common symptoms which many women suffer from.
1 – Low Libido
A low or completely missing libido is especially common if you are going through the menopause. It is caused by disruption to estrogen levels as well as testosterone. Contrary to popular belief, women need testosterone too and this dips during Menopause causing libido issues.
2 – Poor quality sleep and insomnia
Do you go to sleep only to be wide awake at 3am with a racing mind, unable to snooze back off?
This may be due to lowered levels of Estrogen and Progesterone, especially around menopause. Low Estrogen can also contribute to night sweats which will keep you awake and lead to you feeling exhausted and fatigued.
3 – Mood swings and rages
Estrogen has a powerful effect on the neurotransmitters in the brain. This includes Serotonin, your “feel good” chemical.
Disruption can lead to changes in mood which can be wild and difficult to handle in everyday life.
It can manifest as Anxiety, depression, rage, teariness and generally messy emotions.
If you feel like you have constant crazy PMS and are not really yourself, the likelihood is that hormones are responsible.
4 – Unexplained Weight Gain
Many hormone related issues result in weight gain. In fact it is probably the most common symptom of a hormone related issue.
If you have put weight on for no reason and have not changed any of your habits, chances are hormones are to blame.
5 – Skin changes and problems
Itchy or dry skin and adult acne can all be signs of a hormone imbalance.
6 – Hair problems
Dry and brittle hair that snaps off. Thinning hair and a thinning crown can be caused by being Hypothyroid, or having low levels of Thyroid hormone as well as other hormone imbalances.
7 – Headaches
Headaches can be related to the pattern of the Menstrual cycle or Menopause. Changing levels of hormone at Menopause can mean Migraines or severe headaches starting.
If you do start having migraines for the first time, please visit your Doctor to get checked out.
8 – Vaginal dryness
Falling Estrogen levels can cause vaginal dryness. This can happen especially during Menopause or Perimenopause.
Vaginal dryness can cause major issues with intimacy as sex can be really painful. Coupled with lowered libido this can be a very upsetting symptom of hormone imbalance.
9 – Bone weakness
Lowered levels of Estrogen can mean that bones are weakened.
You may not realise your bones are weakened until you sustain a fracture or break from a minor incident.
It’s really important to rectify hormone imbalances in order to prevent major bone problems in older age.
10 – Painful or heavy periods
If you are still having periods, you may find that they are worryingly heavy or irregular.
Pain in the stomach, lower back or during sex can indicate you may have fibroids. Fibroids seem to be stimulated by Estrogen. Although non-cancerous, fibroids can impact your quality of life severely. Make sure you see you Doctor to get them checked out and treated.
how to lose hormonal weight gain
In order to lose weight its crucial that you work out what is happening with your hormones and take steps to heal your body.
Depending on the problem you may be able to make small lifestyle changes. Other hormone problems may need medical intervention.
Each woman is different so its crucial that you get to the bottom of your own underlying hormone issues in order to lose weight and be healthy.
Some general lifestyle changes that may help include the following
Lower your stress hormone Cortisol by doing the following.
- 1 – Set aside some time just for YOU to do something relaxing.
It could be a relaxing bath, listening to music or going for a walk in nature.
Make sure you ring fence this time and don’t feel guilty about looking after yourself. - 2 – Make sure you get a good and restful sleep.
Whilst you sleep your body is working hard to rebalance your hormones.
Lack of sleep results in unbalanced hormones, which in turn leads to disrupted sleep. It’s a vicious circle. Do what you can to sleep well.
Things that may help include
- Sleeping in a cool room
- Going to bed at the same time every night
- Not watching violent programs or news before bed
- Keeping away from laptops and iPads immediately before bed.
Balancing your Estrogen can help you to lose weight.
The following lifestyle tweaks can help.
- 3 – Make walking in nature part of your day.
Walking, even for 30 minutes will give your metabolism a boost. - 4 – Avoid endocrine disrupters.
These are chemicals which can upset your Estrogen levels.
These chemicals are found in plastic bottles and containers which are made with BPA.
Check labels to buy plastics that are BPA free. - 5 – Avoid meats which have been raised with hormones.
Try and buy meat which is organic or grass fed. - 6 – Buy Phthalate free cosmetics and household products.
Can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Yes. Balance your hormones weight loss and future health
So, can a hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Yes, but there is a lot you can do to get your hormones back in balance. Healing your hormones is key to losing weight and to your future health too.
Many of the diseases of later years, such as diabetes can be avoided by healing your hormones now.
I hope this article has given you some idea of where to start on your healing journey.
I have put together a FREE Guide to get you started that you can download by clicking below…
Love and Light
How to get your life back! [Even if your hormones are out of balance!]
Have you struggled with weight gain, depression, low libido, fatigue, and other seemingly un-related symptoms?
Just don’t feel like your old self…
It’s time to take your health into your own hands.
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Helen
