REVEALED! Why You Gain Weight and Ways to Lose it.
Weight gain is an increase in body weight. This can involve an increase in muscle mass, fat deposits, excess fluids such as water or other factors. Also, it can be a symptom of a serious medical condition.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably struggling, or perhaps you wanna read up & stay healthy. Whichever category you belong to, you have come to the right place.
To solve a problem, you must first determine what the problem actually is. For the most part, it is easy to focus on symptoms, instead of causes. So I began an in-depth research on the subject and discovered that while weight gain is often associated with overeating, it can be caused by various hormones going absolutely nuts! Crazy, right?
In addition, various triggers like stress, age, genes, and poor lifestyle choices also do not help and can cause a hormonal imbalance leading to obesity!
With that said, I present to you in this post, 9 hormones that cause an imbalance in the body resulting in weight increase and ways to keep them in check. Don’t go nowhere!
9 Hormones That Makes You Gain Weight
1. CORTISOL
Cortisol is a hormone secreted by the adrenal glands when you are depressed, anxious, stressed, nervous, angry, or physically injured. Its primary function is to decrease stress levels by increasing blood sugar levels, suppressing the immune system and aiding in the metabolism of fat, protein, and carbohydrates.
But given our often poor lifestyle choices, our body can be in a constant state of stress, leading to the secretion of cortisol being detrimental to our overall health by aiding visceral fat deposition and stimulating the maturation of fat cells.
You should:
• Get at least 8 hours of sleep every night.
• Avoid processed food, deep fried food, and alcohol. (That deep fried chicken gats to go.)
• Practice deep breathing, yoga, and meditation for at least one hour every day. It helps in reducing stress levels.
• Spend time with your family and close friends (my all time favorite). There is no better way to unwind!
2. THYROID
The thyroid gland is at the base of our necks. It produces hormones T3, T4, and calcitonin which are responsible for maintaining the body’s metabolism.
The underproduction of these hormones leads to hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism is often associated with weight gain mostly due to the accumulation of water in the body and not fat, making a person look plump (This was me).
You should:
• Consume iodized salt.
• Eat well-cooked food and avoid raw vegetables.
• Take vitamin D supplements.
• Consume food rich in Zinc content such as oysters and pumpkin seeds.
3. INSULIN
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas. It helps to carry the glucose into the cells to be used as energy or to be stored as fat, thereby maintaining the glucose levels in the blood. Overconsumption of processed food, unhealthy snacks, alcohol or artificially sweetened drinks can lead to the body developing a resistance to insulin.
This causes the muscle cells to not recognize glucose-bound insulin, resulting in glucose remaining in the bloodstream. This causes a spike in the blood sugar levels and Type 2 diabetes making you add some pounds.
Think again before stuffing yourself full on fast food and unhealthy snack bars.
You should:
• Consume green leafy vegetables, seasonal fruits, and seasonal vegetables.
• To improve your omega-3-fatty acid levels, consume fatty fish, nuts, olive oil, flaxseeds.
• Drink at least 4 liters of water every day.
• Start working out at least 4 hours a week.
• Avoid alcohol, late night snacks, aerated and artificially sweetened drinks.
4. MELATONIN
Melatonin is a hormone that regulates sleep and wakefulness. While we are asleep the body releases growth hormones which help the body to heal, improve body composition, and build lean muscle. But if we do not get proper sleep, this healing process gets disrupted causing stress and ultimately leading to inflammation-induced weight increase.
You should:
• Do not eat late at night or just before going to bed.
• Get sufficient sleep.
• Sleep in a dark and cold room.
• Turn off all gadgets before sleeping.
5. GHRELIN
Not Gremlin. Secreted primarily by the stomach, ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone. Ghrelin stimulates the appetite and increases fat deposition. Ghrelin levels are also high when people are on a strict diet or while fasting.
You should:
• Workout regularly.
• Eat every 2-3 hours.
• Drink 1½ cups of water 20 minutes before a meal (this is bae!)
• Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, and food rich in protein content.
6. ESTROGEN
Estrogen is the primary female sex hormone. Any imbalance in levels of estrogen in the body can lead to adding weight. High estrogen levels in the body can be due to either overproduction of the hormone or due to a diet rich in estrogen.
When estrogen levels go up, the cells producing insulin get stressed. This makes you resistant to insulin, causing a rise in the blood glucose level.
Premenopausal women have lower levels of estrogen. In order to replenish the supply of estrogen, the body starts looking for other sources that produce estrogen. One such source is fat cells. When the estrogen levels drop, the body starts converting all available sources of energy to fat to replenish the glucose levels. This makes you look bloated.
You should:
• Consume whole grains, fresh vegetables, and fruits.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Exercise regularly.
• Avoid processed meat.
7. PROGESTERONE
The level of progesterone and estrogen should be balanced in the body to make it function properly. Progesterone levels can drop due to a variety of reasons like stress, use of contraceptive pills, menopause, etc. This can result in weight gain and depression.
You should:
• Exercise regularly.
• Try meditation.
• Avoid stress.
8. TESTOSTERONE
Testosterone is often considered to be a male hormone but it is also secreted by females (yes, ma’am). It helps burn fat, strengthens bones and muscles, and improves libido. Age and high stress can cause a significant decrease in testosterone levels in women, leading to loss of bone density, loss of muscle mass, and obesity.
You should:
• Workout regularly. It helps improve testosterone levels.
• Avoid alcohol.
• Consume protein supplements.
• Include fiber-rich food like whole grains, pumpkin seeds, and flaxseed in your diet.
9. LEPTIN
Leptin is a hormone that regulates energy balance in the body by inhibiting hunger. But when we eat food rich in sugar content, the oversupply of fructose gets converted to fat that gets deposited in the liver, belly and other regions of the body (Look at my huge bedonkey!) These fat cells secrete leptin.
As more and more leptin get secreted, the body gets desensitized to it. This causes the brain to cease receiving signals to avoid eating.
You should:
• Avoid food rich in sugar content. Consume no more than 3 servings of fruit per day.
• Consume dark green leafy veggies.
• Avoid processed food.
• Get proper sleep. 7-8 hours of daily sleep is recommended.
• Keep yourself hydrated!
In conclusion, some hormones might sound complicated; Take Gremlin for example, sorry Ghrelin, but now you know which hormone is doing you wrong. Which is it? Tell me in the comments below.