Most people who are struggling to lose weight don’t realize there is a deeper, underlying cause of weight gain. It isn’t about getting enough exercise or overeating. For many women, one of the root causes is hormonal imbalance. If you don’t realize that’s the problem in the first place, this can be hard to remedy. Oftentimes, the popular calorie deficit weight loss strategy will actually make the imbalance even worse.
Here’s how to fix hormonal imbalance without calorie restriction or intensive exercise.
What is a Hormonal Imbalance?
A hormonal imbalance happens when a body has too much or too little of one or more hormones. Hormones are powerful chemical signals in your body that control things like your mood, metabolism, homeostasis, growth, and reproduction. They travel through the bloodstream to your tissues and tell your body how to function. When even one is out of balance, it can throw the entire system out of whack.
What Causes Hormone Imbalance?
Hormone levels fluctuate naturally throughout a person’s life. They will rise and fall more dramatically as you go through things like puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. These are normal and natural fluctuations. There are other causes for hormone fluctuations that are less natural. One of the main causes of this hormone imbalance is stress.
When your body begins to produce too much cortisol or stress hormone, it affects everything in the body. When just one hormone is imbalanced, all systems are thrown into imbalance as well. It affects crucial glands like your thyroid. The thyroid affects almost every organ system in your body.
What Causes Stress in the Body?
There are many factors in a person’s life that can cause stress. It isn’t the same for everyone, but there are some causes that many people share. Some of these factors include:
- Too much exercise
- Harmful ingredients in food
- Lack of sleep
- Too much caffeine
- External stressors like relationships and jobs.
How to Fix Hormonal Imbalance Caused by Stress?
Balancing your stress and your hormones will naturally fall into place over time. Cholesterol is used as a basic building block for more than one hormone. When your stress levels are high, your body uses cholesterol to build cortisol. When everything is balanced, the cholesterol is used for building the other hormones instead.
To reduce your cortisol, you need to actively reduce your stress. Consuming less caffeine, alcohol, and processed foods will help reduce some of the internal stressors. Instead, eat whole, natural foods that support your body’s natural functions.
Why Caloric Deficit and Strenuous Exercise Raise Stress Levels
The human body is built with a self-defense system called fight or flight. Cortisol controls that fight or flight system. Unfortunately, your body can’t tell the difference between strenuous exercise and running for your life. It also can’t differentiate between a calorie deficit for weight loss and famine. These commonly used methods for weight loss are actually driving up your cortisol levels, increasing imbalance in your body.
What are the Signs of Hormonal Imbalance?
There are many different signs of hormonal imbalance. What symptoms you have often depend on your gender, age, and which hormones are imbalanced. The most common signs include:
- Brain fog
- Change in energy levels
- Changes in mood
- Sleep problems
- Hair loss
- Acne
- Loss of interest in sex
- Uneven fat distribution
How Can I Get Personalized Help to Balance My Hormones?
The Metabolism Reboot is a 10-week lifestyle coaching program that teaches people how to balance hormones, boost their metabolism, and reduce inflammation. The personalized support we provide changes our clients’ lives by transforming their health. Get healthy and achieve the body of your dreams by treating the root cause of your weight gain. Contact us today to schedule your Metabolism Reboot consultation call.