Don’t give up. It doesn’t matter why you gain weight; you can lose it. Finding the cause of weight gain is usually easy. People eat more calories than they burn. Sometimes, that process is complicated by illnesses or an imbalance of hormones. If it’s from a medical issue, treating the issue can solve many problems. For most hormone imbalances, you can realign them naturally and start losing weight. It’s all about the right diet and exercise program.
Hormones are messengers that help direct the body’s functions.
Insulin is one of those hormones. It tells the cells to open and uptake insulin. Cortisol is another hormone. It’s a stress hormone that prepares your body to fight or run. If you have an overabundance of either or both of these hormones, you’ll gain weight. Much of that weight will land on your belly. Exercise can help rebalance both. When you exercise, you’re mimicking the movements of running or fighting, effectively burning off the hormones of stress. Exercise also improves glucose uptake and diminishes insulin resistance. That helps you lose weight and lose belly fat.
If you can’t stop eating, it may be your hormones.
The feeling of fullness is directed by two hormones. Ghrelin is the hormone that makes your brain tell you that you’re still hungry. Leptin is the one that tells the brain you’re full. Lack of sleep affects both of them. If you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces more ghrelin. That can give you an insatiable appetite causing you to eat more than you should. It also causes the body to produce less leptin, so your brain doesn’t get the message your stomach is full. Getting more sleep helps.
Is your thyroid causing your metabolism to slow?
Many people say their thyroid gland isn’t functioning properly or indicate they have a slow metabolism. Signs of underproduction besides weight gain include irregular heartbeat, constipation, sensitivity to cold or heat, fatigue, hair loss, and dry skin. You can help prevent the problem with a healthy diet. Avoid processed food and cut out sugar. Learning ways to reduce stress is also valuable. Always seek your healthcare provider’s advice first.
- Exercises to reduce insulin resistance and reduce belly fat are HIIT workouts. They are not a specific workout but a way of working out where you alternate between high intensity and recovery.
- If you have an imbalance of ghrelin and leptin and get adequate sleep, you can still reverse it. Sometimes, the problem isn’t an imbalance but eating too fast and not giving the stomach time to signal the brain. Eat slower and savor every bite.
- Menopausal weight gain can be a problem. Studies show that a Mediterranean-style diet can help prevent that. Regular exercise, cutting out sugar, stress-management techniques, and exercise help.
- Regular exercise boosts glucose uptake and also builds muscle tissue. The more muscle tissue you have, the easier it is to shed extra pounds. The older you are, the more important exercise becomes since you start losing muscle mass at around age 35 unless you do exercise.
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