Simply burning calories by exercising and eating less does not always result in losing weight. Nutritionists have known for some time that while caloric intake does affect your weight, the more likely cause is metabolic imbalance and insulin resistance.

The body’s metabolic system converts food into energy. Even in a resting state, your body’s cells need the energy to breathe and circulate blood. Losing weight depends on factors like body size, sex, age, and hormone levels.

People with more muscle mass tend to have a faster metabolic rate. Metabolic rates are usually higher in men because they typically have more muscle mass and less body fat. But all of us lose muscle as we age which contributes to our metabolism slowing down.

Hormonal imbalance, often associated with aging, can contribute to weight gain in men and women. Bioidentical hormone therapy can help reset hormone levels, which causes people to have better sleep, better moods, increased energy, and higher metabolism.

How Hormones Affect Weight Loss

There are a lot of reasons diets don’t work, especially for women. Not dealing with hormonal imbalances is one of them. Here are several hormones that play an integral part in regulating your blood sugar levels which can affect weight loss:

Cortisol

Cortisol regulates blood pressure, raises blood sugar, and manages the use of carbohydrates. Excessive levels of cortisol can cause weight gain, headaches, and trouble sleeping.

Estrogen and Progesterone

Estrogen and progesterone imbalances can cause low energy and hinder the ability to lose weight. When women stop ovulating, lower levels of progesterone lead to an imbalance of the estrogen to progesterone ratio. The wrong combination of estrogen and low progesterone together slows the metabolism causing weight gain around the belly, butt, and thighs. This is one of the primary reasons it is more difficult for women to lose weight.

Testosterone

As previously mentioned, muscle mass helps regulate our weight. As testosterone drops as men get older, it becomes more difficult for men to build and maintain muscle mass. Lower levels of testosterone mean a lower metabolism for both men and women.

Thyroid

The thyroid hormone works in conjunction with your brain’s hypothalamus to regulate metabolism. A sudden, unexplainable weight gain or loss might be a symptom of a thyroid disorder. A condition called hyperthyroidism is unhealthy and can create sudden and large weight loss. While hypothyroidism, the thyroid level or number increases but causes weight gain. It’s a delicate balance. Hashimoto’s is another type of thyroid problem.

If you are having trouble losing weight, or want to know more about the effects of metabolic imbalance, then let’s talk.

Schedule an appointment today.