Why Hormone Imbalance Can Make It Hard to Lose Weight

Hormones are specialized chemicals in your body. Humans naturally produce about 50 different types of hormones, which control bodily functions ranging from metabolism to sex drive.

Your hormone levels are always changing. In fact, it’s normal for hormones to ebb and flow hour by hour, day to day, and over the course of time. However, certain health conditions can interfere with your hormones and cause hormonal imbalance.

Hormonal imbalance affects your body in a number of ways — and one of the most common symptoms is weight problems. Having a hormonal imbalance can cause weight gain or make it hard to lose weight, even when you diet and exercise.

At Medical Associates Of North Texas, we understand how frustrating it is to struggle to lose weight. Our team specializes in medical weight loss programs, and if you have extra weight to lose, we can help you find a path to a healthier you.

If you’ve tried losing weight without success, you could have a hormonal imbalance. Read on to learn why hormones could be keeping you from shedding the weight and what you can do about it.

The role hormones play in body weight

Your hormones play a key role in metabolism, appetite, and hunger sensations. In fact, nine hormones directly affect your body’s digestive process — and they can have a significant impact on your body weight, too.

Insulin is a hormone that influences metabolism, and insulin resistance increases your risk of obesity. Insulin resistance also increases your risk of diabetes, which can also make maintaining a healthy weight more difficult.

Leptin is the hormone that controls your appetite and tells you when you’re full, and high leptin levels or leptin resistance can lead to overeating and weight gain. Ghrelin is the opposite of leptin. It tells you that you’re hungry, but low ghrelin can make you feel hungrier and cause you to overeat.

Cortisol, the stress hormone, also influences weight. High cortisol affects metabolism and may increase your risk of overeating or make weight loss more difficult.

Finally, women with low estrogen levels during and after menopause may experience increased weight gain, while men with low testosterone levels often lose muscle mass and gain body fat.

More signs of hormonal imbalance

Weight gain or difficulty losing weight are two common signs of hormonal imbalance, but they aren’t the only ones. Other common signs of hormonal imbalance are:

• Depression
• Fatigue
• Hair loss
• Insomnia
• Mental fog
• Mood swings
• Sexual dysfunction

If these symptoms sound familiar, talk to your health care team about screening for hormonal imbalance.

How to lose weight successfully

Eating a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the two main components of achieving a healthy weight, but these aren’t the only factors affecting your ability to lose weight. Hormonal imbalance could be playing a role too.

Hormonal imbalance can make weight loss difficult, and carrying extra weight can increase your risk of hormonal imbalance. Unfortunately, these factors work together to make weight loss even more difficult. 

It’s not easy to lose weight on your own, and our team at Medical Associates of North Texas provides the support you need to achieve success. If you have extra weight to lose, we offer comprehensive health evaluations to identify things that might hinder your progress.

We can help you identify potential hormonal imbalances, as well as other health conditions that may make weight loss more challenging for you. Then, we develop a customized weight loss program that may include regular doctor’s appointments, meetings with our dietician, and weight loss medication.

Achieving a healthy weight is possible. Plus, dropping those extra pounds can help regulate hormones, making it easier to maintain that weight loss over time.

Hormonal imbalance can create more challenges in your quest for better health, but lasting weight loss can still be a reality. Contact our team online or call our Fort Worth, Texas, office at 972-433-7178 for an appointment.