This hormone is secreted by your pancreas and plays an important role in maintaining your body’s blood glucose levels. However, overconsumption of processed food and unhealthy snacks can cause your body to develop a resistance to insulin, affecting its function to regulate blood glucose levels.

This may lead to weight gain or even Type 2 diabetes. Age will also cause your body to become more insulin-resistant, resulting in your body to store more fat.

What To Do: Have a balanced diet by incorporating more green, leafy vegetables and fruits. If that is a tall order, you can always start small by cutting down on sugary beverages like soft drinks and bubble tea (a treat once in a while is okay!). This ensures you keep your blood sugar level in check.

READ MORE: How To Cut Down On Eating Sugar And Lose Weight

Leptin is the hormone that signals to your body when it’s full. Insulin resistance also has a part to play in elevating leptin levels. Unfortunately that does not mean you’re more likely to stop eating. Instead, it may lead to leptin resistance and your brain will no longer be able to receive the signal to stop eating even when you’re full.

What To Do: Fructose found in processed foods inhibits your leptin receptors, opt for whole foods instead. Eating more foods rich in protein and omega-3 will also help regulate leptin levels.

READ MORE: These Dieticians’ Tricks Will Help You Lose Weight And Eat Healthier

Commonly known as the hunger hormone, it stimulates appetite and increases fat deposition. Ghrelin levels are especially high for people who are dieting, which is why crash diets often lead to binge eating, crushing your weight loss efforts.

A study published in the Journal of King Saud University found that ghrelin levels only decrease slightly for obese subjects, meaning they are unable to receive the signal to stop eating even if they have eaten enough.

What To Do: To improve the function of ghrelin in your body, avoid sugary foods that may affect ghrelin response after meals. Incorporating protein into every meal is also a great way to keep ghrelin levels low by keeping you full for longer.

The thyroid gland at the base of your neck is responsible for producing hormones — namely triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) — to maintain your body’s metabolism.

Low levels of thyroid hormones may lead to hypothyroidism—a disorder that comes with symptoms like fatigue, constipation, mood swings and weight gain.

What To Do: As always, a balanced diet is key to staying healthy. Steer clear of processed foods laden with sugar and preservatives. However, if you suspect you have a thyroid problem, avoid raw cruciferous veggies like cauliflower and cabbage as they could affect thyroid hormone synthesis. Fret not, you don’t have to give up these nutritious veggies, simply have them cooked or lightly steamed to reap their many benefits. Here are some delicious cauliflower recipes to try!

No, this is not just a male hormone, the female body also secretes testosterone. And it plays a huge role in burning fat and strengthening bone and muscle to improve metabolism. Testosterone levels tend to be lower among older women leading to loss of muscle mass and weight gain.

What To Do: Exercise is a great way to boost testosterone levels. Other than cardio, try to incorporate more resistance training like weight lifting to give testosterone levels a boost. A healthy balance of protein, carbs and fats is also crucial when it comes to optimising testosterone levels.

READ MORE: 6 Simple Walking Tips To Help You Lose Weight That Are Actually Doable

Always craving for unhealthy snacks while you’re busy trying to meet tight deadlines? This stress hormone may be the culprit behind your serious weight gain.

Aside from inducing cravings for sugary things, high levels of stress may also cause your body to store more fat and stimulate maturation of fat cells.

And if you’re on a strict diet, it could backfire. According to a study published in the Psychosomatic Medicine journal, a low-calorie diet may raise cortisol levels causing you to have an even high tendency to overeat.

What To Do: Learn to recognise when your stress triggers to keep your mental health in check. Even when you’re super caught up with work, take a couple of minutes to practise deep breathing or meditation to relax. It is also crucial to allocate sufficient time for sleep.

READ MORE: 8 Ways To Look After Your Mental Health At Work

Many women may notice sudden weight gain during menopause. Oestrogen has a part to play in regulating metabolism and body weight. As oestrogen levels decline during menopause, it is common for fat to start building up in the abdominal area. If you’re not going through menopause, your oestrogen levels can also be affected by vigorous exercise or eating disorders like anorexia.

What To Do: Good news, a few simple tweaks to your lifestyle to stay active can help you manage oestrogen levels. Incorporate exercise into your daily life to prevent oestrogen levels from fluctuating too much.

READ MORE: 
11 Easy Ways You Can Exercise Even When Busy
Signs That You Have Hormonal Imbalance And What To Do About It
10 Ways To Lose 5 Kilograms In Under 2 Weeks

Text: Claudia Tan/Shape