6 Hormones That Are Stopping You from Losing Weight

If you are honest with yourself and know for sure that you are making every effort to lose weight, but you are not succeeding, you should think about your health. There is even a theory, which does not have a solid basis in knowledge, according to which the location of fat deposition can be used to understand the cause of obesity. You can clearly see an example in the picture below.

Estrogen.

In fact, estrogens are the collective name for several hormones: estradiol, estrone and estriol. They appear during a woman's puberty, reaching maximum production during puberty and then gradually decreasing their production until menopause.

Functions of estrogen:

Reproductive. Estrogens directly affect a woman’s fertility, helping her conceive and bear a child.
Impact on the cardiovascular system. Due to estrogen, the walls of blood vessels become elastic and strong, the inflammatory process in them decreases, and cholesterol production is controlled.
Estrogens inhibit the destruction of bone tissue.
It is not for nothing that estrogens are called the hormones of youth and beauty, since they are responsible for the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid, which directly affect the condition of the skin.
Estrogens increase concentration, memory, learning processes and improve sleep patterns.

To normalize estrogen production:

Watch your weight. With obesity, its production is often disrupted.
Don't overuse heavy weights during strength training. We are talking about professional sports.
Avoid stress.
If a lack of estrogen is detected, it is worth checking the function of the ovaries and the functioning of the pituitary gland. Also, estrogen production inevitably drops during and after menopause.

During menopause, all women are recommended to take additional calcium and vitamin D, which will inhibit the development of osteoporosis. Doctors also prescribe hormone replacement therapy. Most often these are phytoestrogens - natural biologically active substances.

Our weight and overall appearance are influenced by a number of factors. If you cannot influence the passage of time, then you can influence your lifestyle. A healthy diet, adequate sleep, normalization of sleep and wakefulness, and physical activity will help improve your health.

Hormones and weight

Our body is ruled by a “hormonal orchestra”; we are dependent on the activity of many hormones, for example, the hormone leptin is responsible for the feeling of satiety, and our appetite increases if the hormone decreases. Estrogen performs many functions in the female body and is involved in the regulation of the menstrual cycle. With insufficient production of the hormone, excess weight appears.

The stress hormone “cortisol” performs a protective function in the body and is able to slow down the metabolic rate in order to direct energy to combat stress. The well-known insulin is produced by the pancreas and regulates blood sugar levels, and excess glucose can be converted into fat deposits. Thyroid hormones, produced in insufficient quantities by the thyroid gland, can also lead to a slower metabolism and excess weight gain, but excess also leads to disorders. In this article we will look at the mechanism of how some hormones work, as well as how to influence their production with the help of well-chosen foods and lose weight.

Adrenalin

The hormone adrenaline is produced in the body to compensate for stress and extreme anxiety. It appears in the adrenal glands and adapts the body to stress and enhances protein metabolism.

When eating on a diet, the hormone helps you lose weight because its fat-burning effect is activated. Interestingly, with a normal diet, its effect is practically undetectable.

Adrenaline rate

Minimum value: 112 pg/ml
Maximum value: 658 pg/ml

If your goal is to use hormones that can make you fat, reduce your adrenaline. To do this, eat more foods containing vitamin B: avocados, bananas, walnuts, almonds, peanuts, spinach, beans, tomatoes. Dairy products, mint decoction, and asparagus will also help.

When you need a hormone that helps you lose weight, choose adrenaline and increase its content in the blood. Give it a little shake-up every now and then: jump with a parachute, spar with a martial arts master, try bungee jumping.

If it's really cool, just go up to the upper floors of the skyscraper and go out onto the balcony. You will definitely get an adrenaline rush. Often this should not be done, otherwise the cortisol level will increase and, accordingly, the opposite effect will occur.

Leptin

Under normal circumstances, the hormone leptin tells you when you are full and should stop eating.

But by overeating sugar-rich foods such as candy, chocolate, fruits, and processed foods, excess fructose is converted into fat, which is stored in the liver, stomach, and other parts of the body.

Now the fat cells begin to produce leptin, and the more sugar you consume, the more leptin is produced. The body becomes less sensitive to leptin, and the brain stops receiving signals that you are full. This often leads to excess weight.

How to lower leptin levels?

You need proper rest. Research has shown that lack of sleep can lower leptin levels, causing the brain to miss signals that it's time to stop eating. Sleep 7-8 hours a day.
Eat every 2 hours.
Avoid sugary processed foods, eat no more than 3 servings of fruit per day, dark leafy vegetables and healthy snacks
Remember to drink water, as dehydration can also make you feel hungry.

Insulin, a fat storage hormone

The main task of the anabolic hormone insulin is to maintain optimal and safe blood glucose levels. The amount of insulin secreted depends on the amount of glucose entering the blood. When the glucose level rises to 100 mg/deciliter, the pancreas begins to produce insulin, blood sugar decreases, and excess glucose is transported into cells and partially into glycogen, which is deposited in the muscles and liver. Excessive amounts of glucose are stored in the glucagen depot, but its volumes are limited, and then sugar turns into fat.

Fat burning and the hormone testosterone

Testosterone is the main male hormone, androgen, which is synthesized by the cells of the testes in men, the ovaries in women, and the adrenal cortex in both sexes. In men, the hormone regulates many functions in the body, helps build muscle, grows facial hair, helps develop a deeper voice, regulates spermatogenesis, and much more.

For women, this hormone also plays an important role, since it is necessary during the intrauterine development of the embryo, promotes the development of the mammary glands, and its concentration increases during pregnancy. One interesting property of testosterone was discovered quite recently. There are studies that show that it promotes youth in women, so this hormone is not only important for men, but also for women.

After age 30, testosterone levels in men decrease by 1.5% per year. By the age of 60, this significantly changes a man’s appearance. Muscle mass is lost and fatty tissue is added. Therefore, an important aspect is a reasonable life, physical activity and proper nutrition, with minimal sugar consumption. This will allow you to stay young and in a high quality of life zone for as long as possible.

The hormone is necessary for both male and female bodies, because it is it that activates sex receptors in the brain and is responsible for normal sexual desire. But without going deep into physiology, let's find out how testosterone can affect our weight.

Classification of hormonal drugs for weight loss

Hormones for weight loss for overweight women are prescribed by their attending physician, an endocrinologist. The type of drug is selected individually depending on the type of disease diagnosed in the patient.

The main components of the drug are also taken into account, which are classified according to the following principle:

extracts of hormonal substances - were obtained biochemically from the endocrine glands of farm animals that were slaughtered;
artificial hormones - produced in the pharmaceutical industry;
synthetic compounds - obtained as a result of complex chemical reactions, but are also capable of having a pronounced hormonal effect on the body;
phytohormones are natural substances present in some plants, which, after entering the human body, act exactly like hormones.

Based on the above biochemical substances, medications are created, which are subsequently used as active components for medications for excess body weight.

Aerobic training and fat burning process

Aerobic exercise includes running, cycling and rowing.

Running activates the sympathetic-adrenal system and releases major neurotransmitters. A number of reactions occur in the body involving amino acids and physiologically active substances, catecholamines; the chain of transformations ends with the release of adrenaline and norepinephrine, which increase the transport of oxygen to the muscles. Our fat is burned in the muscles, to be more precise in the energy substances of cells (mitochondria), since energy formation occurs there.

Under the influence of adrenaline, the breakdown of glycogen in muscles is enhanced and the process of burning fat to obtain energy is activated. Therefore, the body first receives energy from glycogen, and this happens within 30-40 minutes, and only then from fat.

To make the body more easily tolerate fatigue and work in an aerobic mode for a long time, glucose is released into the blood and lactic acid is utilized. At this stage, fat burning occurs.

But you must remember that if the workout lasts more than 1.5 hours without stopping, part of the energy will still come from glycogen while its reserves are available.

If the glycogen reserves in the liver and muscles are not depleted, then even an hour and a half race will not help to completely deplete them. A low-carb diet and strength training will help deplete your glycogen stores, so if you're committed to burning body fat, it's advisable to do strength training followed by cardio.

In other words, fat breakdown occurs as a result of oxidation, that is, the aerobic pathway of neutral fat breakdown into carbon dioxide and water. All these seemingly complex processes occurring in the body occur with the participation of hormones, including adrenaline.

Remember the basic rules for safe fat burning

To achieve maximum results and activate fat burning processes you need to:

Create a calorie deficit in the diet;
Avoid intake of simple carbohydrates with a high glycemic index;
Exercise regularly, alternating between strength and cardio training.

Hormones insulin and glucagon

Foods with a high glycemic index cause a sharp rise in blood sugar levels, stimulate the release of insulin, the "fat storage" hormone, which can promote fat accumulation. Low glycemic index foods help maintain normal blood glucose levels, but eating such foods does not guarantee weight loss.

To activate the lipolysis process, you need the hormone glucagon, which burns fat. To lose weight, firstly, you need to know the mechanism of interaction between insulin and glucagon, and secondly, how you can stimulate the production of glucagon, which burns fat in the body.

Adiponectin

The hormone adiponectin commands our weight loss. The more it is, the faster weight loss occurs. It increases metabolism and instructs the body to burn fat tissue. This is a hormone that helps you lose weight. It was opened in 1995. Scientists consider it important for maintaining normal weight and health.

It reduces insulin dependence, protects the liver from inflammation and fibrosis. Low levels of adiponectin lead to atherosclerosis, type 2 diabetes mellitus, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, and pancreatic cancer.

Adiponectin levels and the risk of insulin resistance

Low risk: more than 10 mg/ml
Average risk: 4 to 10 mg/ml
High risk: less than 4 mg/ml

Thus, it is better to have an adiponectin level of 10 mg/ml or higher. Then you not only lose weight from hormones, but also take care of your health. In obese people it decreases automatically. That is, the more adipose tissue, the lower the level of the hormone that burns it. To increase adiponectin levels, include cabbage, spinach, and pumpkin seeds in your diet.

How to choose the right pumpkin seeds to successfully lose weight?

Pay attention to seasonality, there is a clearly limited time period when you can buy healthy seeds, the period from September to March.
The seeds should be absolutely dry, not wet, this can be determined by squeezing it with your fingers, then you will hear a characteristic click, such seeds can be eaten.
To neutralize phytic acid, which reduces the body's absorption of essential minerals, eat roasted pumpkin seeds.
It is enough for an adult to eat 1 handful of pumpkin seeds per day to get the required amount of zinc, which means starting fat burning and losing weight!

Testosterone regulates many functions in the body of both men and women. Now you know that our metabolism depends on testosterone levels. This important hormone regulates the ratio of muscle and fat mass in the body, stimulates the growth of muscle mass and bone tissue, converting fat into energy. Knowing this function of the hormone in the body, you can manage your weight, that’s the whole secret!

Conclusion

As you can see, you can do everything possible to lose weight, but this may not happen due to disruptions in the hormonal system of your body. This makes a person feel depressed, apathetic, and loses motivation, since he makes great efforts, completely changes his usual lifestyle, but there is no result.

Therefore, the first thing to do in such cases is to focus on correcting the hormonal imbalance. Get tested, check the functioning of all systems of your body, and only then work towards the result without interference.

Cortisol

Cortisol is a steroid hormone produced by the adrenal glands. It is mainly produced when we are stressed, depressed, anxious, nervous, angry or physically injured.

If you are often stressed, the amount of cortisol in your body increases, you begin to eat more and more often, which is why you gain extra pounds.

People who accumulate excess weight around their waist are known to produce more of the hormone cortisol during periods of stress.

How to reduce cortisol levels?

Make a to-do list and mark off those you have already completed.
The best way to reduce stress is to take time for yourself. Take up a hobby that you have long dreamed of, learn something new, read a book, watch your favorite movie.
Spend more time with family and friends. Nothing beats spending time with people who don't judge you and want the best for you.
Take a break from your daily routine and do something you've never done before.
Stop worrying about what others think.
Spend one hour doing deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to reduce stress
Take Magnesium and Vitamin B Supplements
Sleep 7-8 hours a day
Avoid alcohol, processed and fried foods.

How does glucagon break down fats in the body?

In order for the body to begin burning fat deposits (thanks to glucagon) for energy, it is necessary to control the level of insulin in the blood. Because in order to extract energy, the body first uses sugar, and only then fat. A large amount of simple carbohydrates ingested from food leads to a greater increase in glucose levels and, accordingly, the release of more insulin.

When the body gets used to extracting sugar from fast carbohydrates, its absence can be perceived as a lack of energy, hence increased tiredness and fatigue, mood swings and, as a result of any addiction, a craving for harmful sweets and quickly digestible carbohydrates.

The effect of testosterone on weight and fat burning in the body

One of the many functions of testosterone is its effect on metabolism. This important hormone regulates the ratio of muscle and fat mass in the body, stimulates the growth of muscle mass and bone tissue, converting fat into energy. Knowing this function of the hormone in the body, you can manage your weight, this is the whole secret of weight control!

Muscles burn fat, so if you are gaining weight, you should get tested and check the level of hormones in your body. If testosterone is not working at full capacity, we become overweight and overgrown with fat. A normal level of testosterone in the body helps maintain normal weight. As a rule, the level of the hormone can decrease during the period of hormonal changes in the body and even during the autumn-winter period, which is why many people gain weight during the cold season.

Tests required for appointment

Weight loss hormones are prescribed to women only after undergoing a diagnostic examination. An endocrinologist, who has seen a patient with signs of obesity caused by hormonal imbalance, conducts an initial examination and also listens to the current symptoms.

The article discusses in detail popular hormones for weight loss for women.

After this, he prescribes the following examination:

blood from a vein to test the concentration of sex hormones (the level of secretions secreted by all organs of a woman’s endocrine and reproductive system is checked);
Ultrasound diagnostics of tissues of the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries;
examination of the body for the possible presence of benign and malignant neoplasms, since most tumors have sensitive receptors to female sex hormones, and taking medications of this group can provoke their rapid growth or cause cell degeneration;
collecting capillary blood from the ring finger to conduct a clinical analysis of the level of platelets, lymphocytes, erythrocytes, phagocytes, glucose;
delivery of morning urine for biochemical examination.

If a woman has concomitant diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, then she is advised to undergo gastroscopy and endoscopy. Depending on the cause that caused excess body weight gain, other diagnostic methods may be used.