The Hormone-Weight Connection: A Deep Dive Into Hormones, Metabolism, and Weight Loss"

“Why am I gaining weight?!”

This is probably one of the most common questions I get from my clients when we start working together. After having tried all the tricks of the trade— restricting calories, increasing exercise, cutting carbs, etc. women often come to me as a last-ditch effort, hoping to demystify the cause of their weight gain through the lens of their hormones.

However, most of the time, they have no idea what it actually looks like to address hormone imbalances in the context of weight gain! Rather, it’s more of this elusive sense that something more complicated may be going on with their bodies.

It can be easy to feel as though your body is playing a mysterious and maybe even cruel game with you when the scale seems to tick up unexpectedly. So let’s pull back the curtain and explore both hormone and non-hormone-related causes of weight gain.

Hormone-Related Causes of Weight Gain

When it comes to the intricate relationship between hormones and weight, it is paramount to understand that hormone imbalances are very much a part of the equation that determines your weight, they are NOT the root problem.

In other words, instead of asking the question, “Are hormones to blame for my weight gain?”, we want to ask, “How are my hormone reacting to underlying causes of weight gain?”

Here are 4 hormones that react to underlying nutrition and lifestyle factors that can impact your weight.

Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition that drives up blood sugar and insulin levels, both of which put the body in “energy storage” leaving you more susceptible to weight gain. Insulin resistance can be caused by many factors including an imbalance in carb intake, mineral depletion, and chronic stress.

Thyroid Dysfunction:
The thyroid, our metabolic powerhouse, plays a vital role in weight regulation. An underactive thyroid (better known as hypothyroidism) can slow down metabolism. This is often a compensatory response when the thyroid senses excessive stress in the environment. This stress can be mental and emotional (work stress, relational stress, grief, etc.) or physical (undereating, over-exercising, inflammation, etc.) The slowing down of thyroid activity is the body’s attempt to conserve resources which manifests as weight gain.

Cortisol Imbalance:
Cortisol gets a bad rap but is very beneficial when used appropriately in the body. Cortisol which is released as part of our stress response, serves us well in the short term. However, much like a friend who has overstayed their welcome, chronically high cortisol levels signal “DANGER!” to the body, driving a cascade of metabolic imbalances that put the body in preservation mode. Chronically elevated cortisol levels also exacerbate insulin resistance and suppress thyroid dysfunction.

Estrogen Dominance:
One of estrogen’s main functions is to promote growth and development, supporting the growth of your bones, muscles, the fetus during pregnancy, and yes, fat tissue as well. Unfortunately, society treats fat like the plague, when in reality, having enough fat on the body helps regulate appetite, support fertility, and even balance mood. However, when estrogen exists in excess in the body, you may find it more difficult to lose weight. Estrogen dominance can be driven by factors such as nutrient deficiencies, sluggish liver detox, and excess exposure to estrogen promoters like alcohol and xenoestrogens.

Non-Hormone Related Causes of Weight Gain

As much as we’d like to put all the blame on hormones, we have to be careful not to treat hormones like the enemy! And I get it. When you feel like you’ve exhausted everything that is IN your control, the hope is that something OUT of your control (aka “those crazy hormones!”) is the cause of all your woes with your weight. However, in most cases, I find that it is a combination of both hormone-related and non-hormone-related factors that keep my clients spinning their wheels with their weight.

Here are 4 non-hormone-related causes of weight gain to consider.

Health and Wellness Misinformation
“Take this supplement for weight loss!” “ Eliminate gluten and dairy!” “Don’t do any cardio!” or “Only do cardio!” I’m sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but none of these ‘magic bullet” solutions will result in weight loss. And don’t even get me started on the over-glorification of certain food products (i.e. protein bars, oat milk, sugar alternatives, juices, etc.) as if these foods are like fairy dust on the scale and when eaten, magically ‘melt off’ the weight.

The Restrict-Binge Cycle
“I’m eating at a deficit, so why am I not seeing weight loss?” Yes, it’s true. An energy deficit is a part of the weight loss formula. However, if that deficit is leading to grazing between meals, binges at night, or ‘cheat days’ on the weekend, we have to ask if that deficit is 1) truly a deficit and 2) sustainable in the long term.

Poor Appetite Connection
Your hunger and fullness cues are your internal guide to when and how much to eat. The caveat is that they are gentle by nature. That means if you’re often eating in the car, multi-tasking your meals (especially in front of a screen), under high stress, or skipping meals altogether, it will feel difficult if not impossible to tune into your appetite signals, making it difficult to eat in a way that is aligned with your body’s energy needs.

Low Nutrient Dense Foods
With the overemphasis on calories, so many women overlook the quality of the foods they eat. Low nutrient-dense foods (liquids, refined foods, snack foods, convenient foods etc.) compared to high nutrient-dense foods (whole protein, starchy vegetables, mineral-rich dark leafy greens) will feel very different in the body even when consumed in an equal caloric quantity. Low nutrient-dense foods digest quickly and provide little satiation, which leads to frequent hunger along with a greater susceptibility to overconsuming these foods.

As you can see, hormones are just one piece of the puzzle! Differentiating fact from fiction with nutrition information along with addressing your relationship with food all play a role in supporting your healthiest weight.

Looking for support with your hormone health? Here are a few ways I can help!

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