When diet and exercise no longer seem to be working, or haven’t even worked in the first place, it’s easy to become frustrated. You’re doing everything right, but you still aren’t seeing results! It turns out that there’s a secret to weight loss success that many people don’t know about.
When it comes to losing weight, especially for women, hormones can make it very challenging. They tend to be responsible for stubborn fat deposits, like around your stomach and arms. Take a look at these three hormones to learn how they can affect weight loss and which areas they tend to affect.
Estrogen
Estrogen plays many roles in the body1, like lubricating joints and increasing the amount of receptors that slow fat release.
Wait, what?
That’s right. When it comes to weight, estrogen is what increases the amount of receptors that slow fat release in the lower body (of women). The more estrogen that’s in your body, the longer it will take to lose fat.
Not only does estrogen do that, but it also makes women store fat more in their arms and legs. If you cut down foods that up or mimic estrogen levels, that fat may end up being stored in the stomach instead.
Oh and women have about 9 times the amount of these fat releasing receptors than men do.
Think estrogen may be the culprit of your difficult weight loss? A study published in 20072 in the “International Journal of Cancer” found that fiber from fruit and cereal plays a role in lowering estrogen levels.
Estrogen also has fat-related effects on insulin and cortisol, two other hormones that affect weight loss.
Insulin
Insulin is a big issue for many people. Insulin has many effects on the body3. When it comes to fat, insulin increases the storage of it in fat cells. It also prevents those cells from releasing fat for energy.
That’s a recipe for trouble.
Not to mention that excessive sugar intake can imbalance your insulin levels, cause insulin sensitivity, and increase your risk of type 2 diabetes.
Two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar before a carb-heavy meal can reduce blood sugar levels in those who are insulant resistant. Research shows that the vinegar can reduce the glucose and insulin4 responses to a sucrose or starch load.
Cortisol
Ever wonder why you’re losing weight everyone else except your stomach? Cortisol might be the reason why. Cortisol is a hormone that is released in response to stress5. That hormone can make you store fat, specifically in your belly.
High cortisol is linked to lowered serotonin levels, which can be related to depression and food addition. Anxiety, depression, and food addiction? Weight gain is a logical result.
In order to lower cortisol levels, remove outside factors that cause or aid in creating anxiety. Coffee is a common cause of pounding hearts and rapid (often worrisome) thoughts. Introduce calming exercises into your routine, like yoga or meditation.
Don't Be the Last to Know
There are many different possibilities that explain why you’re having trouble losing weight. The hormones listed above are just a few. It’s good to know about what’s going on in your body and how everything works, especially if you’re trying to make changes. If you have questions, the best answers and solutions will come from a trusted doctor.
Sources:
- http://www.metaboliceffect.com/female-hormones-estrogen/
- http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/can-diet-rich-fiber-lower-estrogen-levels-11806.html
- http://www.lifetime-weightloss.com/blog/2012/6/2/insulin-and-fat-storage.html
- http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/27/1/281.full
- http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/180/2/99
