Hormones and Weight Loss

Are Hormones Sabotaging Your Weight Loss?

We’re not just talking menopause. Sleep deprivation, stress, and a bad diet can cause imbalances in the chemicals that regulate appetite, metabolism, and fat storage
By Hollis Templeton fitbie
 

7 Reasons You’re Off Balance

Are Hormones Sabotaging Your Weight Loss? // woman in workout clothes © Thinkstock

Image: Thinkstock

Routinely cheating on your eating plan or shying away from physical activity may explain why your weight loss has come to a screeching halt—or failed to take off in the first place. If you’re not burning more calories than you take in, pounds will stick around. But if conscientious calorie counting and regular gym sessions get you nowhere, consider another factor at play in the feud against fat—your hormones.

“There are a lot of different hormones that control your appetite, your feeling of fullness, your cravings, and your metabolic rate,” says Scott Isaacs, MD, medical director of the Atlanta Endocrine Association and clinical instructor of medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, adding that certain hunger hormones such as peptide YY can even stimulate growth and multiplication of the body’s fat cells.

While hormonal disorders need to be addressed, says Isaacs, the good news is that they usually don’t require extensive medical care. “For the vast majority of people, treatments do not involve taking medication, but rather making lifestyle changes, including diet, exercise, quality sleep, stress management, and prioritization of these goals,” he says. Here we’ll walk you through seven hormones that could be stalling your slim-down strategy along with tips for how to get your body back in balance.

More: Harness the power of hormones by following this meal plan

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