Can hormone imbalance cause weight gain? Yes. If you’ve ever felt like you’ve put on weight for no reason, with no significant changes in your diet pattern, exercise routine, or other lifestyle habits, it’s possible that hormones are to blame.
Hormonal weight gain can occur in conjunction with a medical issue, as a natural part of your aging process, or during certain seasons of life characterized by hormonal shifts, such as menopause.
Regardless, it can be frustrating to feel like you don’t have any control over hormones and weight gain. Let’s examine why exactly hormonal changes can translate to fluctuations in your weight and what you can do about it.
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Hormonal Weight Gain Symptoms
Hormonal weight gain can affect anyone. While it’s commonly thought that only women have to deal with the effects of hormones on their weight, the truth is that it affects men, too.
The main difference in how men and women experience it is how the associated fat distribution falls on their bodies. Men tend to accumulate extra weight in their abdominal area. Premenopausal women are more prone to weight gain around their thighs and hips, whereas postmenopausal women tend to gain weight around their abdomen.
A number of hormonal imbalances can contribute to unintentional weight gain. Some may be due to levels of certain hormones being too high while others are too low. This also means that hormonal weight gain may come with different symptoms, such as:
- Fatigue
- Trouble sleeping
- Low mood
- Changes in bowel habits
- Skin changes like acne
- Feelings of brain fogginess
- Frequent thirst and urination
- Sweating more than usual
- Changes in the menstrual cycle
Why it Occurs
Everyone has unique factors playing a role in their hormonal weight gain. Common medical factors that may contribute can include:
- Menopause: Defined as a season that begins once a woman has stopped having her regular menstrual period for at least 12 months, menopause denotes a significant reduction in estrogen production. This can cause weight gain due to disrupted sleep patterns, slower metabolic rate, reduced lean body mass, fat distribution changes, and lower calorie needs.
- Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS): In PCOS, the ovaries or adrenal glands produce more male hormones than normal. This results in ovarian cysts and a higher risk for weight gain, as many women experience insulin resistance as a result of PCOS-related hormone changes.
- Insomnia: This is a disorder in which people have difficulty falling and staying asleep. Unfortunately, a chronic lack of sleep has been associated with a higher risk for weight gain. Hormonal factors like reduced insulin sensitivity, higher levels of ghrelin, inflammation, and lower leptin levels appear to play a role in sleep disruption.
- Underactive thyroid: Hypothyroidism is a condition in which the thyroid gland - which controls things like energy, body temperature, and mood - is underactive and not producing enough thyroid hormone. Unintentional weight gain often occurs in conjunction with inadequate thyroid hormone production.
- Endometriosis:
In this condition, uterine tissue abnormally grows outside of the uterus and can be painful. Medical management often includes reducing ovarian estrogen production. Having excess estrogen can promote weight gain from an increased appetite, water retention, and bloating.
As you can see, each of these conditions can involve a variety of hormonal imbalances as well as unique symptoms depending on the individual.
5 Hormonal Imbalances and What You Can Do
If you’re struggling with suspected hormonal weight gain, the first step is to speak to your healthcare provider. They can provide a comprehensive medical exam to diagnose a potential underlying medical condition and help you identify imbalances. In some cases, medications or hormone replacement therapies may be indicated under the supervision of your doctor or specialist.
In order to achieve and maintain a healthy weight range, it’s important to identify areas where you might be able to improve your lifestyle habits. Let’s take a closer look at five hormones that can play a role and how you can help put them back in order.
1. Estrogen
The primary role of estrogen is to regulate a woman’s reproductive cycle, but it’s also involved in other processes in both sexes. Having too much or too little estrogen can disrupt the hormone’s ability to help regulate things like appetite, energy expenditure, metabolism, inflammation, and body fat distribution, which may promote weight gain.
To help balance your estrogen levels:
- Support a healthy weight by exercising regularly and eating a diet rich in minimally processed and whole foods.
- Include foods like orgainic soybeans, flax seeds, and sesame seeds in your diet as they contain phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that act like estrogens in the body and may help balance your natural hormones in a way that is cancer-protective.
- Get your vitamin D levels checked and supplement as directed, as vitamin D plays a role in estrogen synthesis.
2. Ghrelin
Also called “the hunger hormone”, ghrelin is secreted by the digestive tract and works with the brain to regulate appetite. Additionally, it helps promote muscle growth by telling the pituitary gland to release growth hormone. Having a sensitivity to ghrelin may be associated with unintentional weight gain.
To help normalize your ghrelin levels:
- Listen to your body’s cues and eat regularly as your ghrelin levels are highest right before you eat
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight, as being overweight may increase sensitivity to ghrelin and increase appetite
- Improve your sleep quality and duration, as lack of sleep has been associated with higher ghrelin levels
3. Insulin
Insulin is released after you eat to help move glucose molecules into your cells where they can be used for energy. It also helps transport glucose to the liver and muscles to be stored as glycogen for later energy use. People with insulin resistance or type 2 diabetes struggle to use insulin correctly, which leads to higher-than-normal glucose levels. When this happens, excess glucose is stored in fat cells and promotes weight gain.
To improve insulin sensitivity:
- Exercise for at least 30 minutes 3-5 days per week, particularly resistance training
- Improve your quality of sleep, aiming for 7-9 hours per night
- Practice stress management, as high levels of cortisol can also reduce insulin sensitivity
- Eat 1-2 servings of carbs per meal. Consistent carbohydrates are key to glucose and insulin control.
- Never eat a carb alone! Always pair carbs with protein, even fruit.
- Reduce your intake of added sugars, especially fructose and increase fiber intake by eating more whole food carbohydrate sources
4. Cortisol
Known as the primary stress hormone, cortisol is released by the adrenal glands. It’s also involved in your metabolism, inflammatory response, sleep cycle, and blood sugar regulation. Chronic stress can lead to continuously elevated cortisol levels, which can promote things like increased appetite and sugary carbohydrate cravings that may lead to weight gain.
To manage your cortisol levels:
- Be intentional with your rest and relaxation
- Make time for things you enjoy, like listening to calming music, painting, socializing with friends
- Seek therapy to provide mental health support
- Try mindfulness practices and meditation
- Optimize your sleep, as a chronic lack of sleep can raise cortisol levels
- Try taking adrenal supportive herbs like ashwagandha or holy basil
5. Leptin
Fat cells produce leptin which acts on the brain to help regulate hunger-fullness cues. Some evidence suggests that people with obesity may have some resistance to leptin. Having leptin imbalances may affect food intake, body weight, appetite, and energy expenditure.
To help normalize your leptin levels:
- Eat a high protein, high fiber diet to help with satiety
- Achieve and maintain a healthy weight, as reducing body fat can also help reduce leptin levels
- Exercise regularly, considering a combination of things like swimming, biking, jogging, weight lifting, and playing sports you enjoy
Hormonal weight gain can be frustrating. If you’re experiencing unintentional weight changes, it’s always best to start by speaking with your healthcare provider. Additionally, consider whether there are areas in which you may benefit from making healthier lifestyle changes.
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