In our body there are several hormones that among their functions have the task of controlling our weight, in one way or another they have participation in the increase or decrease of weight, to make some of them work in the correct way, you must take care of what you eat and your physical activity, keep reading and know the hormones that control your weight.
Our body is like a perfect machine, where each organ has a specific function, if everything works in the correct way, we are healthy, energetic and vital people, when it comes to staying at the ideal weight, firm and agile, and hormones play an important role, read on and find out what hormones are involved in this process.
It is important to note that the hormonal imbalance can result from various health conditions as well as age and some diseases, therefore, is not so simple to understand how to achieve hormonal balance satisfactory unless we take a count and care deeper of our health.
Main hormones in weight control
Many people think that weight loss is just a matter of stopping eating and exercising more to lose the extra pounds. But not everything is under our control and determination, as in the case of hormones that play a very important role in regulating our weight. Find out below which are the main hormones that may be preventing you from losing weight.
People who have their cortisol, thyroid, insulin, estrogen, and testosterone levels in perfect balance are rarely the people who need to lose weight. This has an explanation, and then you will know what their role is.
Insulin resistance:
Insulin is an anabolic muscle-building hormone, secreted by the pancreas, it is responsible for controlling sugar levels, especially those generated by carbohydrates, so it is advisable to eat few carbohydrates since excess of them is converted into fat in the body.
When cells become insensitive to insulin, they deposit fat in a very specific place: our belly, which they will later use as fuel. Learn how to treat insulin resistance, in our note.
Glucagon
It is the opposite hormone to insulin, it increases blood sugar levels, insulin stores excess carbohydrates turning them into fat, while glucagon breaks down fat deposits and causes you to burn faster. When there is a deficit in glucagon production, the body burns fat but more slowly. This hormone can resume a regular function while maintaining a correct carbohydrate intake, and it goes hand in hand with treatment for insulin resistance.
Leptin
It is the hormone that alerts the brain when we are satisfied and we must stop eating, it is generated by the fat cells of our body, the more fat we have, the more leptin is generated, but this is not good if there is excess fat, when that There is an excess of the hormone leptin and the brain becomes “deaf” to its signals, which makes us eat more than necessary. One of the ways to regulate leptin levels is through a hypocaloric diet, and during some day of the week, do what is known as “cheat day”, increasing calorie intake, but it must be done carefully, otherwise, we can cause a very high increase in this hormone, with the negative consequences already mentioned.
Cortisol
Cortisol is a gland that negatively affects the muscles in stressful situations or due to excess training, to control this hormone it is necessary to sleep at least 8 hours a day. High levels of cortisol are the main cause of increased fat in the abdominal area. In addition to wreaking havoc on health, very high cortisol levels also cause other hormonal imbalances, as cortisol affects the thyroid and estrogens in women.
In this case, one of the most common ways to treat elevated cortisol is to reduce the stress levels to which we are exposed, as well as to regulate our sleep hours and achieve an increase in serotonin, a neurotransmitter that stimulates well-being. And good humor.
Thyroid
A slow metabolism is another enemy of weight loss. Both stress and high levels of cortisol can slow down the thyroid, vitamin D deficiency and gluten intolerance can also cause this decrease in thyroid hormone. Symptoms of an underactive thyroid include weight gain, fatigue, mental confusion, and depression.
Low estrogen levels
The low level of estrogen stimulates the appetite. The Yale researchers found that estradiol uses the same biochemical pathways in the body as leptin, a hormone released by fat that, when activated, triggers hunger, causing us to eat more than usual. To level estrogen, we invite you to read our article that mentions how to act in case of estrogen dominance and how to level it.