We’re told that if you exercise and eat right, you will lose body fat. However, this isn’t always true. There are more causes of belly fat than simply eating too much. The smallest change in hormonal balance can result in excess weight gain. This is stubborn belly fat, that doesn’t respond to exercise and diet. So how exactly can you combat this type of fat?
What to do if you have a hormonal belly?
Treatment begins with first identifying exactly what’s going on. The only way to do this is to see a hormone specialist. They will conduct tests to determine exactly which of your hormones are out of order and create a custom treatment plan.
Hormonal belly fat in women can typically be treated with hormone replacement therapy, revitalizing the body with important hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and HGH. Men are typically treated with testosterone and HGH treatment.
There are other options as well. A doctor may prescribe growth hormone to help you lose weight without any additional exercise or dietary changes.
In some cases, dietary adjustments may also be necessary. Even if your diet has no bearing on your weight gain, changing your diet could result in weight loss. It may just simply be time for you to begin eating a little healthier. Combined with a customized treatment from your doctor, dieting can be a necessary part of losing weight.
You have little say in what doctors prescribe for you to take. However, you do have your own options in concerns of how you exercise and eat. Making sure you eat plenty of vegetables, complex carbohydrates, and lean meat is a great way to get your hormones under control. Proper dieting can work in tangent with hormonal treatment to get your life back in check.
First signs of hormonal belly
Sugar Cravings
Especially if you’ve never had a sweet tooth before, if you suddenly begin to crave lots of sugar hormones could be to blame. It is believed that insulin resistance and hormones have a connection.
For example, the thyroid produces a few hormones that control energy levels and metabolism. Hypothyroidism can potentially lower your insulin sensitivity, resulting in sugar cravings.
Sudden Change in Stress Levels
Cortisol is the stress hormone. It allows the body to know when it is feeling overworked and stressed out. It has been proven that irregularities with cortisol can lead to weight gain due to stress eating.
Increased stress levels can lead to something called stress eating. You will actually feel hungry even when you aren’t when your cortisol levels are improperly balanced. It can even be difficult to tell when you are actually hungry or when your high cortisol levels are making you feel like you are. This is why thyroid problems often lead to weight gain.
Moodiness
The fluctuating estrogen levels can lead to mood swings in women. This is widely known as the menopausal stage. Andropause is not nearly as widely known. It occurs in men and is similar to menopause but with one key difference. It occurs when men stop producing testosterone. It too, much like menopause, can lead to mood swings.
Change in Sleep Patterns
This one is a double-edged sword. Hormonal irregularities can lead to sleepless nights; sleepless nights can lead to exhaustion and further hormonal changes. Multiple hormones can be affected by drastic changes in sleeping patterns.
Disrupting our inner cycadean clocks can destroy our cortisol balances. All of this combined and you have a recipe for quick weight gain. Keeping your sleep patterns in check is a great way to provide immediate relief to hormone imbalances by making sure your body produces the correct hormones during the correct times.
Diet and Exercise Doesn’t Work
The most obvious sign that you have a hormonal imbalance is not seeing results with diet and exercise. As previously mentioned, no amount of eating right and working out will show results if a bad hormonal balance is underway. If you are gaining weight suddenly despite eating right, you may want to get tested for a hormonal issue. It could be the only way to keep your weight in check.
Relief is Around the Corner
If you have any of these five signs it might be time to visit a hormone specialist. They will be able to tell you exactly what type of hormonal imbalance you have and provide you with a path going forward. You may require hormone therapy and medication. You may require a drastic change to your diet. However, you won’t know until you seek consultation.