How Hormonal Imbalances Can Affect Your Weight Loss

How hormonal imbalances can affect your weight loss is key to reaching your goals! Keeping your body in good health and following a personalized food diet are both important parts of getting fit. If you’re struggling to achieve weight loss in Orlando, then your hormones may be to blame. When hormones are out of balance, your body’s systems may function less than optimally. This can have a negative impact on your ability to lose weight, even if you follow a customized diet. Hormonal imbalances relate to weight loss in several ways.

Cortisol Imbalances

You may have heard of the hormone cortisol and its ability to make you gain fat around your midsection. Cortisol is a glucocorticoid, or steroid hormone, and is synthesized in the kidneys’ adrenal glands. Two of the most common causes of elevated cortisol production are a lack of sleep and chronic stress. High levels of cortisol can cause you to feel more hungry and eat more. Studies have shown that the weight you gain in response to elevated cortisol levels has a tendency to deposit fat around the abdomen, rather than on the hips and thighs.

Estrogen and Testosterone Imbalances

Another issue that can put a serious kink in your designed weight loss program is a sex hormone imbalance. This type of hormonal imbalnce can affect your weight lossDuring perimenopause and menopause, women’s estrogen levels can drop significantly. Decreased sex hormone levels in women can lead to weight gain characterized by fat deposits around the gut. When women gain weight during and after menopause, it tends to be distributed in locations that create a less curvy and feminine shape. Men can also experience a decline in the sex hormone testosterone as they age. Lowered testosterone levels can result in reduced muscle mass and weight gain around the abdomen.

Thyroid Imbalances

Your thyroid gland is responsible for the production of thyroid hormones. These hormones are responsible for regulating several bodily functions like muscle control, digestive function, and brain development. Additionally, the thyroid hormone plays a critical role in your metabolism. When an individual suffers from hypothyroidism, this means that the thyroid gland is underactive and producing low levels of hormones. Because this can affect your metabolism, hypothyroidism can lead to weight gain.