As we get older, even a slight disruption in our hormone levels can cause stubborn belly fat to stick. Thankfully, you can adjust hormones naturally (no prescription needed). More about that in a second. First, let’s see if those extra pounds came from a hormone imbalance – or, you know, the extra slices of pizza you wish no one knew about.
What is a hormonal imbalance?
A hormonal imbalance happens when you have too much or too little of one or more hormones. It’s a broad term that can represent many different hormone-related conditions.
Hormones are powerful signals. For many hormones, having even slightly too much or too little of them can cause major changes to your body and lead to certain conditions that require treatment.
Some hormonal imbalances can be temporary while others are chronic (long-term). In addition, some hormonal imbalances require treatment so you can stay physically healthy, while others may not impact your health but can negatively affect your quality of life.
Your waistline is getting bigger, but you’re eating right
If you’ve had a relatively flat stomach for majority of your life and then suddenly that spare tire appears overnight, it may be a sign you’ve developed a hormonal belly. As we age, the body can become more insulin-resistant, driving your body to store fat instead of burning it off. Women also become more estrogen-dominant as we move into perimenopause and beyond, which promotes insulin resistance and causes the belly fat build up.
You’ve been craving a lot of sugar
Leptin is the hormone that alerts your body when you’re full, but elevated insulin levels eventually lead to elevated leptin. Consistently elevated leptin levels can lead to a dysfunction of leptin receptors that stop sending signals to the brain to tell you to stop eating. As a result, you do the exact opposite of what leptin is designed to control, and you continue to eat, never receiving the signal to stop.
You experience mood swings
As women enter the pre- and post-menopausal years, their estrogen levels fluctuate often, which can lead to mood swings and stubborn weight gain around the midsection. This is also the time that most women reported the onset of depression or recurrent depression.
You’re constantly stressed
Another major player in the hormonal belly fat game is cortisol, often called the stress hormone. Cortisol levels increase when your body senses you’re stressed out or anxious, which can lead to stubborn weight gain. High levels of stress and anxiety can send the body into survival mode which increase our cortisol levels and signals the body to store more fat.
You’re exhausted all the time but can’t fall asleep
Insomnia and exhaustion can be tell-tale signs that hormones are to blame. Lack of sleep makes you tired, which makes you stressed, which makes it harder to sleep. Hello, vicious cycle. All of these things will mess with your hormones, specifically your cortisol levels, which can lead to decreased thyroid levels that cause central weight gain.
So, if you have one or more of the signs your hormones may be to blame, what can you do about it?
HIT YOUR BODY’S RESET BUTTON AND BALANCE YOUR HORMONES NATURALLY!
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