If you’ve ever felt that sometimes you can eat lots, and at other times it feels challenging to eat your “normal” amount, chances are it’s because of the hormones in your body. Hormones are chemical messengers that arrange and moderate a variety of key weight-loss related bodily processes, such as your metabolism, sleep cycle, mood and overall internal balance.
The way you eat, sleep, exercise and experience stress can influence the hormones in your body and how you react to them1. Because of this, understanding the relationship between hormones and weight loss can give you more control over your appetite, supporting your weight loss goals and wellness.
Keep reading to learn about the connection between hormones and weight gain, and how you can use this relationship to power your weight loss journey.
How do hormones affect weight?
Hormones and weight gain are intertwined – and there is an array of hormones that can influence your metabolism, how hungry you feel, and how and where your body stores fat. When these hormones are out of balance, you can feel tempted to eat more and accumulate more body fat. An increase in body fat affects the balance of many key hormones, which can then encourage more weight gain.
When your hormones are balanced, however, you’ll find it easier to manage your eating and weight. This then helps you develop healthy habits that maintain hormone production and regulation: such as eating a healthy diet, getting enough sleep, and exercising regularly.
Which hormones influence weight gain and loss?
The main substances that influence the relationship between hormones and weight loss are:
- Ghrelin
- Leptin
- Cortisol
- Thyroid
Understanding these hormones will support your weight loss journey, as you will become more aware of changes in your appetite and body. This can give you more control over your weight, enabling you to make healthy decisions around your nutrition, fitness routine and sleep. Keep reading to learn about the connection between hormones and weight, and how balancing hormones for weight loss is possible.
Ghrelin
Also known as the “hunger hormone,” ghrelin is responsible for your appetite, satiety (how full you feel after eating) and fat storage2. An increase in ghrelin stimulates your appetite, increasing your desired food intake. During dieting and significant calorie deficits, the level of ghrelin in the body increases, which in turn increases food cravings and even affects your sleep quality2. This can lead to unwanted snacking of calorie dense food between or after meals.
When learning how to balance hormones to lose weight, one useful tactic to manage your ghrelin levels is to eat at small calorie deficit. Aiming for the F45 recommended amount of a 500-1000 calorie deficit encourages steady weight loss, without spiking levels of ghrelin.
Leptin
Leptin is produced by adipose tissue, and plays a role in regulating your appetite, body mass and energy. When considering hormones and weight, leptin’s key function is to send messages to your brain, letting your brain know that you’re full.
A reduction in leptin levels occurs when you lose weight. This means there are fewer signals going to your brain saying that you’re full, which increases your appetite and inhibits weight loss. For people experiencing obesity, leptin levels are increased, and instead of resulting in a decrease of appetite, they’re able to develop a leptin resistance: resulting in an increase in appetite or calories consumed3.
A great way to balance your leptin levels is to improve your fitness. Regular moderate to high intensity resistance training or cardio can improve leptin signalling, supporting weight loss management.
Cortisol
Commonly referred to as the stress hormone, cortisol is released during times of stress or a “fight or flight” response. When responding to stress, the function of cortisol is to reduce inflammation, increase metabolism of glucose in your body, and control blood pressure4. Cortisol levels generally return to normal once the stressful event is over, however, levels can remain high in situations such as chronic stress and excessive exercise. This can increase your cravings for calorie-dense foods, leading to hormonal weight gain.
There are a variety of ways to lower your cortisol: such as getting more sleep and exercise, learning mindfulness and breathing practices to combat stress, and building a healthy social network. Joining your nearest F45 studio is great way to enjoy calorie burning workouts in a supportive atmosphere. On top of the benefits of F45 workouts, the empowering community at F45 will help you stay motivated and make powerful new social connections.
Thyroid
Thyroid hormones regulate your metabolism. The relationship between hormones and metabolism is important to weight loss, as your metabolism burns calories to keep your body functioning. Thyroid hormones can increase your metabolism – and a higher metabolism results in a higher calorie burn while resting, encouraging weight loss.
Some people will naturally have slower or faster metabolisms, however there are some things you can do to boost your metabolism for weight loss. Eating a protein rich diet supports metabolism, as it takes more energy to burn and absorb protein. High-intensity-interval training (HIIT) or strength training are both great options to raise your metabolism, and the subsequent increase in muscle mass can further increase your metabolism, as your muscles will burn more calories to function5.
Use the connection between hormones and weight loss to elevate your fitness journey. To further support weight loss, learn how to meal prep for the week.
1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3147122/
2 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4443295/
3 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8167040/
4 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4263906/
5 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3661116/
