Which hormones cause weight gain? When your tried & true way of losing weight stops working
As swimsuit season approaches, my clients begin asking about weight loss. Many also wonder which hormones cause weight gain.
The inability to lose weight with strategies that worked in the past is a widespread concern for most women as we age. You are not alone if you struggle with feeling comfortable in your changing body!
Did you know that the average woman will gain two to five pounds during her transition to menopause (1)? And some women gain even more.
On top of this, weight gain is a more complex topic for us than for our male counterparts, making the struggle especially frustrating. For instance, have you ever noticed that a diet that works wonders for your husband does nothing for you? Or leads to more weight gain?
Do you ever feel like when it comes to weight loss, you have a million invisible obstacles preventing you from getting the results you want?
So often, this has nothing to do with your self-control or not exercising enough. As I hinted above, the invisible obstacles you face might be related to your hormones (2).
Let’s discuss which hormones cause weight gain…and what to do about it.
Before we get started
I want to preface this blog by saying that, believe it or not, I was hesitant to write it.
I know that might sound strange, but I have a good reason.
I often avoid speaking directly about weight loss because, based on my knowledge as a nutrition professional, I know it’s just one small piece of the big picture of health.
Your body, vitality, and life are about so much more than the size of your jeans. Most women are perfectly healthy, even with a few extra pounds.
And honestly, some of us are so preoccupied with our weight that we miss out on amazing parts of our lives or even overlook other symptoms that may need our attention.
So please remember that while a balanced weight is part of a healthy life, it’s just one part.
You are so much more than the number on the scale!
Which hormones cause weight gain: Estrogen & progesterone
Estrogen and progesterone are the primary female sex hormones. But they do a lot more than influence our fertility.
These essential hormones regulate blood sugar, bone density, mood, immunity, and, most importantly for this conversation, metabolism, i.e., the creation of biochemical energy from food or caloric stores..
When considering which hormones cause weight gain, estrogen and progesterone are often first on the list because they fluctuate dramatically throughout the perimenopausal and menopausal years.
But not every woman experiences the same patterns of estrogen and progesterone fluctuation.
Because of this, it’s often incredibly frustrating to find weight loss solutions…there’s not a one-size-fits-all fix for sex hormone-related weight gain.
For years we’ve known that estrogen and progesterone begin to decline steadily around age 50, or sometimes earlier, depending on your genetic profile and lifestyle choices like tobacco use or exposure to toxic substances (3).
However, we’re now aware that many women experience a prolonged rise in estrogen, sometimes called estrogen dominance, as they enter their 40s and the beginnings of perimenopause, the technical term for the transition from menstruation to menopause.
Perimenopause is when many women start noticing a bit of weight gain or differences in weight distribution. For instance, your weight may not have increased, but your favorite dress doesn’t fit the way it used to. What gives?
The unique imbalances in estrogen and progesterone that characterize perimenopause are often the reason. And for some women, irregularities in sex hormones can last throughout all of menopause (4).
As perimenopause leads to menopause, gradually declining estrogen and progesterone levels contribute to weight gain, too—estrogen is an essential regulator of appetite and fat storage (5).
Estrogen tells your body to store subcutaneous fat in your thighs and butt and less in your stomach area (6). So when estrogen begins to drop, more fat is stored in your midsection…think apple-type body shape versus pear or hourglass.
In addition to this, lower levels of estrogen make you hungrier!
So what can you do?
As I mentioned, each woman’s sex hormones respond differently to perimenopause and menopause. These bio-individual differences make weight loss frustrating. What works for a friend may not work for you.
However, one dietary change has a profound impact on almost every woman I’ve worked with who wants to lose weight.
It’s deceptively simple but dramatically effective.
Increase dietary protein.
You may have noticed that I often highlight protein in my blogs. And there are many evidence-based reasons why.
As we increase in age, our need for protein increases, too.
Protein helps us build protective muscle mass, improve bone density, and create crucial immune compounds and mood-enhancing neurotransmitters.
Protein is also satiating and supports strong metabolism in multiple ways. Plus, it tastes good!
My favorite easy-to-grab proteins include:
Tinned fish
Well-sourced jerky like this brand or this one
Hard-boiled eggs with chunky sea salt and black pepper
Cottage cheese with fresh berries
Include protein-dominant foods with each meal, such as fresh fish, chicken or turkey, and beef, bison, or venison, and you might notice that even with no other changes, your clothes start fitting how they used to.
Which hormones cause weight gain: Thyroid hormones
You’ve probably heard about the connection between weight and the thyroid. But which hormones cause weight gain?
First, let’s do a quick overview of the thyroid.
The thyroid is a lovely, butterfly-shaped gland that gently wraps around the esophagus at the front of your neck. Yes, it really looks like a butterfly!
This tiny gland has many physiological roles and influences the heart, lungs, skeletal muscles, and even growth during childhood.
However, its main job is to keep your metabolism balanced and your body at a steady temperature, otherwise known as thermoregulation (7). Are you cold all the time? It might be related to your thyroid.
T3 and T4 are the two main hormones produced by the thyroid. T3 is a highly active hormone, meaning it’s ready to influence metabolism as soon as it’s released into the blood.
T4 is an inactive form of thyroid hormone. It must be activated by processes in the liver and GI tract to impact metabolism.
Rates of underactive thyroid are relatively large: Approximately 5% of people in the United States have a diagnosed form of hypothyroidism. This equates to over 16 million people. And most of them are women (8).
Unfortunately, this number may underestimate the true occurrence of thyroid issues and subsequent weight gain.
A study on perimenopausal women without previously diagnosed thyroid disease found that 18% had subtle thyroid under-activity, medically known as subclinical hypothyroidism (9).
It may make you wonder how to determine if your thyroid is contributing to weight gain.
Common symptoms of sluggish thyroid function are:
Cold hands and feet
Thinning hair or eyebrows
Dry skin
Feeling consistently drained
Feeling “blue” or out of sorts
Unexplained, steady weight gain
Thankfully, there are thorough blood tests that can reveal even small changes in thyroid function.
But you can also take two proactive steps to support yourself.
The first is to make sure you’re eating the appropriate amount of calories per day. Like the protein recommendation above, this may seem too simple to work. But for many women who want to lose weight, calorie-deficient days are simply a way of life.
However, your thyroid responds terribly to this strategy and can undermine your weight loss efforts.
Without enough calories to support everyday physiological function, not to mention activities like working, cooking, or a Pilates class, your thyroid signals weight maintenance versus weight loss.
Shoot for at least 2,000 calories per day, with a special focus on protein-rich foods, as described above. On days with more activity, increase your calories to match your tasks.
The second strategy is to do your best to decrease stress. Your thyroid is incredibly sensitive to the biological effects of stressful situations and quickly reacts to the next hormone on our list—the stress hormone cortisol (10).
Psychological and physical stress alike, such as hard-core HIIT workouts every morning at 5 AM, can negatively affect the thyroid gland and your metabolism. While you are counting on those intense, dedicated workouts for weight loss, they may lead to the exact opposite effect. Opt for two to three days per week of shorter HIIT and two or three days of slow weight lifting, walking, yoga, or a gentle jog or bike ride.
Which hormones cause weight gain: Cortisol
Cortisol is your body’s primary stress hormone. It plays a significant role in your immune system, is a potent anti-inflammatory, and, as you may have guessed, affects metabolism and not only how much you weigh but where your body deposits fat.
In our busy lives, cortisol is often chronically high. Experiencing one stressful event after another leads to a flood of cortisol and a constant feeling of “fight or flight.”
Think of those days when your alarm jolts you out of bed. Then you come home to find that the washing machine has flooded the laundry room…you can’t wait for the moment you get to crash on the sofa with a sleeve of Girl Scout cookies and a second or third glass of wine (no judgment, I promise!).
Many women experience these days more often than not!
And multiple studies show a strong link between stress, cortisol, and weight gain, particularly weight gain in the lower belly (11, 12).
Cortisol abnormalities may also contribute to more frequent, severe hot flashes and possibly even sleep disturbances (13).
I realize that eliminating stress is impossible. But there is one practice I’ve adopted and recommend to clients, and it really works. Even Navy Seals use it!
Box breathing or square breathing is the practice of inhaling, holding, exhaling, and holding your breath on counts of 4, 5, or 6 seconds, depending on your comfort level.
Try this stress-reducing breathing technique the next time you’re loading the dishwasher or waiting for the kids to finish soccer practice.
Which hormones cause weight gain: Insulin
Finally, let’s talk about the most popular hormone associated with weight gain: Insulin.
Insulin is critical to balanced weight but has gotten some bad press over the past few years. Thankfully, it’s not the monster we’ve made it out to be.
Like cortisol, just the right amount of insulin is key. Insulin keeps our cells properly fueled and feeling energetic. It’s a multi-purpose signaling hormone that ensures our metabolism runs correctly.
However, too much (or even too little!) insulin can create metabolic havoc.
You may have heard the term “insulin sensitivity,” and this phrase simply refers to the way our cells react to its powerful effects. Are your cells sensitive to the effects of insulin or resistant to them?
When we eat, insulin ideally increases to usher fuel into our cells to make energy. At the same time, insulin suppresses other metabolic hormones that aren’t needed in a fed state.
But if our cells can’t respond appropriately, then fuel such as glucose and fatty acids don’t enter our cells, and energy can’t be made. These compounds gather in our blood instead of being used for energy creation. The body stores the unused fuel, and we begin to notice weight gain.
Unfortunately, other symptoms may accompany insulin resistance-associated weight gain, such as lethargy, joint pain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and other signs of inflammation.
The chances of insulin resistance increase as we age due to changes in sex hormones, discussed above, and, amazingly, changes in fat cells themselves (14)!
But there are steps we can take to resensitize our cells to insulin.
The first is to include as many colorful vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes as possible in your family’s meals. These foods are full of antioxidants that reduce the chances of insulin resistance at the molecular level. Yes, produce is that powerful (15).
Think red lentils, black rice, bright green broccoli, and red pomegranate. These colors signify metabolic support.
The second is to incorporate movement in your week, with a particular emphasis on resistance training. Flexing your muscles means strengthening your body’s ability to efficiently use the food and stored fuel, i.e., fat tissue, for energy and muscle building (16).
Finally, include prebiotic foods for microbiome and metabolic health. Amazingly, the microbiome influences the actions of insulin and the ability of your cells to respond to it (17).
True prebiotics such as garlic, onions, leeks, Jerusalem artichokes, and oats are powerful, medicinal foods that build a robust microbiome. And a healthy microbiome contributes to which hormones cause weight gain or weight loss.
If you think your gut needs extra support, let’s talk about GI testing. Specific testing comes with specific support, which you may need to balance your hormones and lose those extra pounds.
References
https://jneuroinflammation.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12974-020-01998-9
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453021000512
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1038/oby.2009.76
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13669-012-0011-x https://www.monash.edu/medicine/sphpm/units/womenshealth/info-4-health-practitioners/insulin-resistance-in-the-menopause
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2319417017301506
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2782527
