What’s the Connection Between Hormones and Weight?

Hormones are key players in regulating weight, metabolism, blood sugar, insulin, and when and where the body stores fat. As we age, shifting hormones trigger numerous symptoms of imbalance – including unexplained weight gain.

Common hormone-related causes of weight gain often involve the following scenarios:

Estrogen & Progesterone Imbalances

Result in weight gain in hips and thighs, water retention & sluggish metabolism

Low Testosterone or DHEA

Lead to decreased lean muscle and increased body fat, decreased metabolic rate & abdominal obesity

High Cortisol

Results in insomnia, anxiety, sugar cravings, feeling tired but wired & increased belly fat

Low Cortisol

Causes chronic fatigue, low energy, food and sugar cravings, poor exercise tolerance or recovery & low immune reserves

Vitamin D3 deficiency

Associated with hyperinsulinemia & increased belly fat

High TSH

Leads to hypothyroidism, low metabolic rate & obesity

High Insulin

Indicative of insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome & abdominal obesity

High HbA1c

Predictive of type 2 diabetes

Many of us know that maintaining an ideal weight is difficult despite all the best efforts with diet and exercise. What most don’t know is that an undetected hormone imbalance can be the hidden culprit sabotaging your hard work to stay slim.

What’s the Connection?

Hormones are key players in regulating weight, metabolism, blood sugar, insulin, and when and where the body stores fat. As we age, shifting hormones complicated by stress, poor diet, lack of exercise, etc., trigger numerous symptoms of imbalance – including unexplained weight gain.

The good news is that there is a simple, at-home test that can identify whether you’re one of the thousands affected. Are you affected?

Hormone Triggers to Weight Gain

WOMEN with a hidden hormone imbalance often discover that they can’t lose weight as easily as they have in the past. Or they now have immovable belly fat they never had before. Surprisingly, weight gain caused by hormone imbalances can occur at any age.

Premenopausal women aged 20-30 with irregular cycles, or who don’t ovulate, often expereince imbalances and premenstrual weight gain, fluid retention, and sugar cravings made worse by stress, yo-yo diets and birth control.

In midlife, perimenopausal women aged 40-50 experience a “roller coaster” of symptoms including weight gain and belly fat caused by fluctuating hormone levels in the years leading up to menopause.

Women, generally over 50, who are entering into menopause and no longer ovulating see their progesterone production plummet. This creates a surplus of estrogen – a condition of estrogen dominance – that promotes weight gain in the hips and thighs, water retention and a sluggish metabolism. Postmenopausal women often mark the end of periods with the beginning of their real struggles with weight.

MEN with a hormone imbalance often notice that body fat is taking the place of lean muscle as testosterone and DHEA levels decline around age 40. The more pounds gained, the more testosterone turns into estrogen in fat cells, with further drops in metabolism. Related imbalances of cortisol and insulin in both sexes can impair thyroid function and raise risks for metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Did You Know?

An undetected hormone imbalance can defeat weight loss or your best efforts to maintain a healthy weight.

If you have:

– Difficulty losing weight despite dieting and exercising
– Weight gain with belly fat– Weight gain in hips and thighs
– High Body Mass Index (BMI)
– Loss of lean muscle
– Increased appetite/cravings

simple testing can reveal whether hormones are silently sabotaging your weight loss efforts. ZRT’s Weight Management Profile can pinpoint hormone imbalances that contribute to unexplained weight gain.