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Hormonal imbalance and weight loss resistance

By WHN Editorial Team

A lot of women think that menopause and weight gain go hand in hand — and that there’s nothing you can do to stop it (or reverse it). While it’s true that many women do become weight loss resistant during perimenopause, you absolutely can do something to change that!

hormonal weight in woman

You can start by being mindful of when, where, and how you eat. All of these factors affect both your hormonal balance and the way your body stores fat and builds muscle. A diet that limits carbohydrates and emphasizes quality proteins and fats provides the building blocks for all your hormones, including major hormones like cortisol and insulin, as well as minor, but important, hormones like estrogen, progesterone and testosterone.

On the other hand, a diet that’s high in processed foods and sugar, but low in nutrients, can throw off your hormones and the delicate balance between them. A high-carb diet, for instance, encourages your body to produce excess insulin, which can lead to instability in blood sugar — a “sugar rush” followed by a “sugar crash.” And these fluctuations can trigger an overproduction of your stress response hormone, cortisol.

Why imbalanced hormones lead to weight gain

When you have consistently high levels of the major hormones, cortisol and insulin, it can lead to eating more and gaining weight. And from what the research tells us, weight gain itself leads to increased levels of sex hormones like estrogen and testosterone in the body. We tend to think that fat tissue just “sits there” on our bodies, but instead, it’s actively producing hormones (mostly estrogen), which increases the amount of circulating sex hormones. Imbalances in sex hormones can lead to gaining even more weight and stronger weight loss resistance. And this troublesome feedback loop becomes especially apparent after menopause.

Release stubborn weight naturally

The great news is that by changing what you eat and how, you can help naturally reset the balance between your major and minor hormones. You can jumpstart this process by using targeted phytotherapeutic herbs. We’ve formulated a hormone balancing herbal combination of black cohosh, red clover, kudzu, passionflower, ashwagandha and more that adapts to the hormonal needs in your body. This combination can ease your hormones back into balance and eliminate bothersome symptoms. With the burden of hormonal imbalance lifted, your body can release the stubborn weight it’s holding on to.

Our Weight Loss Resistance Package offers a specially formulated eating plan along with targeted nutrients and herbs shown to improve hormonal regulation.

References

1 Vicennati, et al. 2002. Response of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenocortical axis to high-protein/fat and high-carbohydrate meals in women with different obesity phenotypes. J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 87 (8), 8984–3988. URL: https://jcem.endojournals.org/cgi/content/full/87/8/3984 (accessed 03.05.2009).

Schwarzbein, D., & Deville, N. 1999. The Schwarzbein Principle. Deerfield Beach, FL: HCI.
Lukanova, A., et al. 2004. Body mass index, circulating levels of sex-steroid hormones, IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3: A cross-sectional study in healthy women. Eur. J. Endocrinol., 150 (2), 161–171. URL: https://eje-online.org/cgi/reprint/150/2/161 (accessed 03.04.2009).

2 Lukanova, A., et al. 2004. Body mass index, circulating levels of sex-steroid hormones, IGF-I and IGF-binding protein-3: A cross-sectional study in healthy women. Eur. J. Endocrinol., 150 (2), 161–171. URL: https://eje-online.org/cgi/reprint/150/2/161 (accessed 03.04.2009).

Azziz, R. 1989. Reproductive endocrinologic alterations in female asymptomatic obesity. Fertil. Steril., 52 (5), 703–725. URL (abstract): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2680625 (accessed 03.04.2009).

3 Sites, C., et al. 2007. Effect of a daily supplement of soy protein on body composition. Fertil. Steril., 88 (6), 1609–1617. URL: https://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=17412329 (accessed 03.05.2009).

Last Updated: November 27, 2022
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