This is how a hormonal imbalance stalls weight loss

I often have patients tell me they’re struggling with weight loss. They exercise. They eat right. And yet, the scale isn’t moving. They’re frustrated. I get it. But what many people don’t know is this:

A hormonal imbalance can be the reason weight loss is difficult for you.

As a Nutrition Response Testing practitioner, my job is to help patients eliminate their symptoms. I get to the root cause of their problem by looking at what they’re experiencing. And in many cases, failed weight loss efforts are a symptom of something bigger. You see, our hormones are very complex. Plus we have a lot of them! But if a particular few are imbalanced, weight loss becomes nearly impossible. These are some of the big ones.

Insulin

When you’re overweight, insulin becomes imbalanced and your cells don’t recognize the hormone. So you experience blood-sugar highs and crashes. You store excess fat because your glucose regulator is broken. That will stall weight loss regardless of how good your diet is. One of the best ways to reset insulin is to cut out all sugar and artificial sweeteners.

Estrogen

Estrogen is the female sex hormone. Having too much of it will affect the way your body responds to food and drinks, thus making weight loss difficult. Common causes of excess estrogen are hormone-driven birth control and some antibiotics. To lower your estrogen levels, up your intake of vegetables significantly. The fiber will help decrease the amount of estrogen in your body. I also suggest sticking to a birth control method that does not involve your hormones.

Cortisol

Your body produces cortisol in response to stress. Many of us respond to stress with food. We eat when we’re not hungry - that’s where the term emotional eating comes from. And when high cortisol is the culprit, it’s usually sugar that we crave. That means overeating the wrong things and gaining weight. While there’s no magic solution for eliminating stress entirely, I find that cutting down on caffeine can help decrease cortisol levels.

Permanent weight loss occurs when your hormones are balanced. Once you have a better understanding of the connection, weight loss gets easier. I promise.