• Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win
  • Domestic Diva Awards 2022
  • Food
    • Eating Out
    • Cooking Tips
    • Festive Food
    • Asian Recipes
    • Food
    • Celebrity Recipes
    • Dessert Recipes
    • Healthy Recipes
    • Quick & Easy Recipes
    • Western Recipes
  • Family
    • Family
    • Save Money
    • Parenting
    • Sex & Marriage
    • Travel
  • Beauty & Health
    • Beauty & Health
    • Skincare
    • Makeup
    • Hair
    • Awards
    • Diet & Nutrition
    • Fitness
    • Wellness
  • Style
  • Great Women
    • Career
    • Great Women of Our Time
    • Real Life
  • Entertainment
  • EVENTS/WIN
  • #SchoolForLife
  • Hair Awards
  • Great Escape
  • Explore Singapore
  • Also available at:
Privacy Menu
SPH Media

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.

  • Food
  • Family
  • Beauty & Health
  • Style
  • Great Women
  • Events/Win

Beauty & Health

These Hormones Could Be The Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors
Beauty & Health

These Hormones Could Be The Reasons Why You’re Not Losing Weight

March 6, 2019

Did you know that your hormones do more than just affect your mood? They can affect your weight as well, so even though you’re cutting down calories in a bid to lose some kilos, you still don’t see any change in the scale. And since you’re already on a low-calorie diet, surely cup of bubble tea every other day is fine, right?

intermittent fasting viral eating trend lose fat
Photo: 123RF

Wrong. Both of these attempts to lose weight produce the hormones that actually prevent you from shedding the kilos. In fact, there are seven hormones that could get in the way of your weight loss plan.

Scroll through the gallery to find out what they are and what you can do to remain on-track with your weight loss goals.

WATCH THIS VIDEO TOO:

10 Probiotic-Rich Foods To Boost Your Gut Health


 

READ MORE:
The Absolute Fastest Way To Get A Flatter Tummy (And It Involves Your Spouse!)
15 Fat-Burning Foods That Will Help Get You Your Dream Body
5 Surprising Health Benefits Of Seaweed, Including Helping You Lose Weight

https://www.womensweekly.com.sg/gallery/beauty-and-health/hormones-reason-why-not-losing-weight/
These Hormones Could Be The Reasons Why You're Not Losing Weight
Hormone 1: Insulin
image

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

Hormone 2: Leptin
image

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

Hormone 3: Ghrelin
image

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.

Hormone 4: Thyroid hormones
image

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!

Hormone 5: Testosterone
image

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

Hormone 6: Cortisol
image

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

Hormone 7: Oestrogen
image

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

  • TAGS:
  • body
  • eating
  • Food
  • Health
  • hormones
  • Nutrition
SHARE THIS ON

What’s Hot

Beauty & Health

SWW x Chloé: An Afternoon Of Layering A...

Beauty & Health

Beauty Bestsellers To Buy Now Before The...

Beauty & Health

10 Best Budget Beauty Deals To Shop Now

Beauty & Health

Find The Best Beauty Gifts To Give To Yo...

Beauty & Health

8 Best Alternatives To The Dyson Hair Dryer

Beauty & Health

What It's Like To Be Diagnosed With Type...

Beauty & Health

Early 11.11 Sale: Fitness Deals You'll W...

Beauty & Health

The Chloé Pop-up at Raffles City Is A F...

Beauty & Health

This Dyson Hair Dryer Is On Sale Now

Beauty & Health

10 Best Red Lipsticks For Asian Skin To ...

Beauty & Health

How To Eat Without Worrying About Gainin...

Beauty & Health

18 Weight-Loss Foods To Pair With Any Wo...

Editor’s Picks
  • Hair Easy, Chic Styles For Medium-Length Hair
  • Hair 20 Easy Ways To Style Short Hair
  • Skincare 20 Hydrating Sleeping Masks That Will Help You Wake Up To Glowing Skin
  • Hair 15 Easy Hairstyles Perfect For Chinese New Year Visiting
  • Skincare These Skincare Habits To Follow Will Up Your Self-Care Routine
  • Skincare Lightweight Japanese And Korean Sunscreens We Are Loving Right Now
Don't Miss Out Ever Again!
Tips & tricks to stay sane + win invites to our events!

By signing up, you indicate that you have read and agreed with our Privacy Statement
Footer Menu
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Conditions of Access
  • PDPA
  • Privacy Policy
?>">
SPH Magazine

Copyright © 2023 SPH Media Limited. Co. Regn. No. 202120748H. All rights reserved.