To stay healthy and fit, hormones must be balanced. From hunger, sleep, sex life to mood, hormones are affected. Not only this, if your weight is increasing continuously or even after many efforts, it is not decreasing. So some hormones can also be responsible for this.
There can be many reasons for imbalance in hormones, among which the main reasons are puberty, pregnancy, consumption of certain medicines. If imbalance of hormones affects physical and mental health, it can also cause problems of weight gain. Not only this, if your hormones are messed up, then weight loss will not be that easy for you. Therefore it is important to keep weight gain hormones under control.
1. Thyroid Hormones
The work of thyroid glands is to produce T3, T4 and calcitonin hormones. These hormones maintain the body’s metabolism. If the secretion of these hormones is low in the body, then you may be prone to hypothyroidism, which is directly related to weight gain.
What to do?
- Get thyroid tests done regularly. Consult a doctor.
- Avoid eating raw vegetables. Eat cooked vegetables only.
- Use iodized salt.
- Include zinc in your diet. Oyster and pumpkin seeds are good sources of zinc.
- Eat fish oil. Take vitamin D supplements.
- If the doctor has given any medicine for thyroid, then eat it regularly.
2. Insulin
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas, whose function is to transmit glucose to cells. Through this glucose we get energy and we are able to do all the work. When the amount of insulin in the body decreases, then glucose does not reach other parts of the body, due to which the energy to work in the body is not left. This also affects the blood sugar level of the body, causing weight gain.
What to do?
- Keep checking blood sugar level. Consult a doctor.
- Take a balanced diet. Take a low carb diet.
- Stay away from stress.
- Eat more and more fruits and vegetables.
- Avoid alcohol and cigarettes.
- Avoid late-night snacking.
- Yoga-exercise helps in regulating insulin.
- Have eight hours of sleep. Less sleep can disturb the balance of hormones, especially it has a direct effect on insulin levels.
3. Estrogen
Both high or low levels of estrogen can cause weight gain. Excess production of estrogen by ovarian cells or consumption of foods that are rich in estrogen can increase estrogen levels. In fact, a healthy body produces insulin in proper quantity, which keeps the blood sugar level under control. But the high level of estrogen in the body produces such cells, which produce insulin. This causes our body to become insulin resistant, leading to high glucose levels and weight gain. While the problem of low estrogen mostly occurs with increasing age, as estrogen production decreases with increasing age. The body uses fatty cells to produce estrogen and convert the entire energy into fat, which leads to weight gain.
What to do?
- Avoid eating processed meat. Buy meat from the local market only.
- Abstain from alcohol.
- Do regular yoga exercises. Try to be stress-free.
- Include more whole grains, fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet.
- Consult a doctor. Tell them what changes you have made in lifestyle to maintain estrogen level maintenance so that they can give you the right advice.
4. Testosterone
Testosterone is generally considered to be a male hormone, but it is also secreted in women’s bodies. Testosterone maintains sex desire, burns fat and strengthens bones and muscles. But due to increasing age, stress, etc., the testosterone level starts decreasing at times, due to which obesity increases.
What to do?
- Consult your doctor and get testosterone levels checked.
- Include high fiber items like flaxseed, pumpkin seeds, whole grains etc. in the diet. This will also help in weight loss.
- Exercise regularly. This will improve the testosterone level and boost metabolism.
- Take vitamin C, probiotics and magnesium supplements.
- Abstain from alcohol.
- Take zinc and protein supplements. This will improve your testosterone level.
5. Progesterone
Progesterone is essential for the smooth functioning of the body. But sometimes the level of weight increases due to the intake of stress, menopause or contraceptive pills.
What to do?
- Consult your gynaecologist.
- If taking contraceptive pills, ask your doctor which pill would be better for you.
- Do not consume processed meat.
- Exercise regularly. Pranayama will also prove beneficial.
- Avoid stress. If necessary, seek the help of stress management therapy.
Slimming mantra
- Lifestyle: Make changes in lifestyle. Exercise by taking time out from the busy routine. Keeping fit with the right diet and exercise is not a difficult task.
- Junk food: In today’s era, it is not possible to completely avoid junk food, but healthy options can be adopted in them too. Apart from this, fix one or two days in a week or month for junk food and only eat junk food at the same time.
- Shortage of time: Busy Life has made it a habit to eat ready to eat. Lack of time has increased the demand for fast food and things made in two minutes, and these things lead to increasing obesity. But healthy food can also be made in a short time like- soup, salad, oats, oatmeal etc. Working couples can adopt a healthy diet with little planning.
- Stress: Stress is also a big reason for weight gain. Often we eat more under stress. Whenever you feel that you are feeling stressed, drink a glass of water. Also exercise to get rid of stress, like breathing heavily, adopt a muscle relaxation technique.
- Lack of sleep: Late night waking habits and lack of sleep also increases obesity. It would be better to try to complete all your work on time so that you can sleep on time and get enough sleep. It is very important to sleep for 7-8 hours daily.