You work out as much as you can and eat healthy food all the time, but still, gaining weight is haunting you day and night. Does the increase in hormonal belly weight make you the most uncomfortable? Don’t worry, as it is relatable. The weight around the waistline, usually known as the hormonal belly, can be the hardest to lose, and we acknowledge this face.
However, it is not about you being demotivated to work or not eating healthy; it is more about the hormones playing games. As you get older, even a slight possible change in your hormones can cause the hormonal belly to show up.
But how can you confirm if the increase in your waistline is because of you eating uncontrollably, or is that just your hormonal belly showing up? Here are some of the signs which may assure you that you are not to be blamed, but your hormones definitely are!
Signs that your hormones are causing the change:
You are having severe Mood Swings:
This is specifically for women. As you grow older and enter either the post or pre-menstrual years, the estrogen levels in your body also fluctuate. This may not only result in causing a considerable gain in weight through the waistline but also severe mood swings. This is when you don’t have to blame yourself but these hormones for the hormonal belly.
Exhausted but can’t sleep:
If you are continuously exhausted but are facing insomnia and are unable to sleep, your hormones are playing games with you. The lack of sleep that you face in this phase can cause huge fatigue, and as a result, stress, and insomnia show up.
All this noticeable stuff disturbs your hormones and especially the cortisol levels, which, according to some studies declare that the increase in cortisol levels decrease the thyroid levels, which in return result in weight gain, specifically the hormonal belly.
You have a proper diet:
This one hurts the most, as you are controlling, putting your hands on the things you love because you want to eat healthily. However, nothing seems to be working for the hormonal belly as you are eating healthy but still gaining weight.
If you have had a flat or normal belly all your life, but suddenly this hormonal belly appears out of nowhere, the reason could be the games played by little hormones. According to some studies, it is because as you age, the body starts becoming insulin-resistant, and thus it starts storing fats rather than burning them off.
You are stressed most of the times:
Cortisol is often referred to as a stress hormone, and it is also one of the major players to cause the hormonal belly. If you are continuously stressed or anxious, your body can sense it and the cortisol levels increase. This increase in the cortisol levels results in some difficulty to control and stubborn weight gain.
According to studies, the higher levels of stress and anxiety send the body into survival mode, increase the levels of cortisol in our body, and as a result, the body stores fatter.
You are craving loads of sugar lately:
Insulin resistance in the body is dangerous as it can not only lead to diabetes but also cause some effects on the other hormones too. This can result in knocking off the leptin hormone, which basically alerts the body about being full.
The increase in insulin levels may also result in an increase in leptin levels. And this may not force you to put down your fork and stop eating but will cause dysfunction of the leptin receptors. As a result, your brain stops getting the signal of not eating anymore, and you continue to eat as much as you can, which may cause the hormonal belly to show up.
The causes of Hormonal Belly in females:
Here are the most common causes of hormonal belly in females:
- A syndrome named Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is very much common in women and affects almost 1 out of 10 women, according to studies. The PCOS causes women to have higher levels of insulin, androgens, and other hormones, which affect the body’s power of turning food into energy and cause the hormonal belly to show.
- Some women have the problem of retaining fluid during their period. This may also result in temporary gain weight, especially around the stomach. Most of the women find the most fluid retention during the first day, which may decrease each day after.
- Another reason for the weight gain that women go through can be menopause. Menopause causes the estrogen levels to drop, which may result in additional weight gain, especially around the waistline in the women going through menopause.
Here is how you can lose the hormonal belly fat:
Looking for ways to lose your hormonal belly fat, worry no more as we have covered it for you. Here is how you can lose your hormonal belly fat:
1- Lost it in the healthiest way possible:
Staying away from fad diets and having diets full of nutrition is the need of time. This may require you to appoint a nutritionist that will set up the whole diet plan for you according to your body needs. This may require you to enjoy and have all the food groups but at a moderate level.
Additionally, you don’t only have to eat but also put your time and efforts into exercise as well. Strength training, cardio, and HIIT are the most useful for losing some extra fat.
2- Go for proper prescribed treatments:
Let the Doctor examine your hormonal belly properly and come up with conclusions. The doctor may start recommending some weight loss medications or injections if he finds out that your fat is due to cholesterol, elevated enzymes, blood pressure, etc.
Additionally, the doctor may find out the major cause of the weight gain to be PCOS, which needs some proper treatment to balance your hormones and not only some proper diet. The doctors will go for targeted treatment for either PCOS or diabetes; whatever your body changes are a reason.
Hormonal Belly – Conclusion:
The hormonal belly may have caused an increased amount of stress or irritation that you face on a daily basis. The improper fitting of all your favorite clothes may make you frustrated and make you don’t want to leave your home. However, this problem is not untreatable.
The proper and healthy diet that you are having may not have given you the proper results that you were expecting, however, the increase in belly weight may not only be due to fat, but that may be your hormones playing games and causing a hormonal belly in the result.
However, don’t ever go for treatments without proper discussion and prescription by your consulting doctor. Let your doctors decide on a healthy diet or proper treatment and medication for your issues after he checks your hormone levels.
Diet and exercise can play a huge role in your healthy daily life routine and reducing the belly fat that you are sick of and worried about. However, if the problem is related to PCOS or some elevated enzymes or other hormonal imbalances, they need to be properly checked and treated to avoid getting into more trouble and getting the results you require.
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