Belly fat: five signs that hormones are to blame

For example, studies show that menopausal women who receive hormone replacement therapy have significantly lower belly fat levels compared to women of this age. But before running for a prescription for hormones to the doctor, you can try adjust your hormones naturally:

• reduce sugar intake;

• exclude semi-finished products and fast food from the diet;

• try to completely give up milk, alcohol, caffeine (at least temporarily).

This will drop your blood sugar and change your insulin levels.

But here are 5 sure signs that the cause of belly fat is precisely a disturbed hormonal background.

1. The waist gets bigger, even if you eat right

“As we age, the body can become more insulin resistant, causing the body to store fat rather than burn it,” explains Sara Gottfried, MD, author of Hormone Treatment and The Hormone Dumping Diet. – Women become more estrogen-dominant as we move into menopause. The dominance of estrogen promotes insulin resistance and this causes the accumulation of belly fat. “

2. Constantly craving for sweets

Insulin resistance begins to affect leptin. This is a hormone that should control the level of satiety and send a signal to the brain, they say, stop eating. But when there is too much insulin, the amount of leptin rises. This leads to dysfunction of the leptin receptors. In general, in simple terms, the signaling system stops working normally. Signals of satiety do not go to the brain, and the person continues to eat or even feels hungry, although in fact he is full, he wants sweets and this turns into a vicious circle.

3. Regular mood swings

When women enter menopause, their estrogen levels begin to fluctuate dramatically. This leads to mood swings and a steady, confident increase in the amount of fat in the middle of the body. Dr. Gottfried says you can’t blame yourself for being overweight. “If you’re trying unsuccessfully to lose weight, don’t blame yourself for your lack of willpower or self-discipline. Chances are your hormones are against you. ” Also, most women with estrogen fluctuations report onset of depression or recurrent depression. The doctor advises not to torment yourself with diets, just eat normally and play sports for yourself, and not for the sake of losing weight.

4. You constantly feel stressed

“Another important ‘player’ in the hormonal game for belly fat is cortisol, the stress hormone. – explains Jacqueline Montoya, MD, physician in the intensive care unit of GreenMed MD, – Cortisol levels increase when the body feels overwhelmed by anxiety and fear. Then it goes into survival mode and starts accumulating fat just in case. “

5. Insomnia along with lack of sleep in one bottle

I’m terribly sleepy, but it’s worth going to bed, but sleep doesn’t go. Insomnia, complete with nervous exhaustion, is a direct sign that hormones are to blame for weight gain. Lack of sleep causes fatigue, but – what a paradox! – it leads to insomnia. Very high stress levels are initially to blame. “Increased cortisol leads to decreased thyroid function,” explains Dr. Montoya. – Hormonal balance is disturbed. Against this background, the production of growth hormones, which are responsible for tissue build-up, muscle growth and overall health, also decreases. “

How to naturally “renew” the hormonal background

First, it is still a healthy diet. The diet should include spinach, avocado, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, red beans with sesame seeds. You need to break the vicious cycle that makes your stomach problem worse.

Hormonal imbalance is also cyclical, only the cycle goes in the opposite direction – one problem “winds up” on another.

“Making informed, day-to-day decisions about what you eat, what exercise you do, how many hours you sleep and how you deal with stressful situations is the key to fighting hormonal imbalances,” says Dr. Montoya.

And Dr. Gottfried suggests: “I recommend giving up sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol and caffeine for 40 days. There are only vegetables and protein. I also recommend the intermittent fasting method. We have developed the “16: 8” system – every day you have an eight-hour window for food and a 16-hour night fast. But you can decide what time it is best for you to “fast”, be it morning or evening. Plus exercise and sleep for at least 7-8 hours. Because poor sleep quality destroys your internal biochemistry, we immediately start overeating when we are very tired, ”the expert says.

Yaroslava Shaforostova, a cosmetologist at Frau Klinik, spoke about other possible reasons for the formation of belly fat.

Causes of belly fat:

1. Unbalanced diet. Excessive consumption of refined, easily digestible carbohydrates (sweet, flour, white rice, semolina, bananas, grapes, wine, potatoes, carbonated drinks, etc.) leads to the accumulation of excess body fat. Eat right, include more vegetables, greens, protein foods, the right carbohydrates and fats in your diet.

2. Decreased physical activity, sedentary lifestyle.

3. Pregnancy and childbirth. After the birth of a child, many women notice changes in their figure and dream of returning to their previous shape.

4. Insufficient sleep time. Numerous studies have shown that people who sleep less than 7 hours are 30% more likely to gain weight. The fact is that the hormones that are responsible for sleep and wakefulness are also closely related to the feeling of hunger and satiety. The correct regime is the key to a slender figure.

5. Genetics. There are several types of figures, depending on the genetic predisposition, some fat is deposited in the thighs, while others – in the abdomen, back, arms.

6. Stress. Many of us, at work and at home, experience chronic stress and begin to “seize problems.” Try to find another way to distract yourself, take up your favorite hobbies, take a walk in the city, ride a bike, meet with friends. Food will only bring short-term relief, and overeating will only add extra pounds.

It is important to understand: fat in the abdomen can be not only subcutaneous, but also visceral, located in the abdominal cavity and surround the internal organs, liver, pancreas, intestines, and also interfere with the work of the cardiovascular system. Such fat is the most dangerous to health, as it interferes normal functioning of organs, provokes the development of hypertension, diseases of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. Therefore, you need to constantly monitor your weight and waist.