Is weight gain hormonal?

[Anonymous]

I’m constantly seeing ads on Instagram saying that middle aged women (I’m 46) gain weight because of hormonal imbalances and stress.

I’ve gained 15 lbs since Covid started and I really can’t get it off.

Articles I read about what to do say to eat less and exercise. Well duh. But then why do I need their program and why does it matter if it’s from stress or hormones.

My question is - has anyone ever found a program or medication that helps weight loss by fixing these hormonal issues?
Drs run minimal tests during annual physicals so I don’t even know what to test for!

I can’t imagine what these programs know that we don’t.

[Anonymous]

My metabolic issues and prediabetes worsened with perimenopause. Starting on metformin (along with dieting) helped me lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Yes, it's all hormonal, but it's all interconnected and complicated.
Looking into insulins resistance/metabolic syndrome is one place to start. Normalizing sleep patterns - another step.
But beware - there is no magic pill - it's still all about healthy diet, moderate exercise and normal sleep.

[Anonymous]

Just because it’s a hormonal problem doesn’t mean it’s a hormonal solution. You can’t just take additional synthetic hormones and drop the weight. You can only dig yourself out of the hole with a caloric deficit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just because it’s a hormonal problem doesn’t mean it’s a hormonal solution. You can’t just take additional synthetic hormones and drop the weight. You can only dig yourself out of the hole with a caloric deficit.

Agree with first sentence.
Disagree with last. Balancing your hormones is not about calories, it's about what and when to eat.

[Anonymous]

I started skipping periods just before covid arrived and have gained a lot of weight. Strategies for weight loss I have used in the past (cutting all refined sugar) aren’t working. Two doctors told me once the transition to menopause starts you need to do IF it a serious calorie deficit to move the needle On my weight (like 1000 calories a day).

[Anonymous]

I've been struggling with perimenopause for six years. I don't drink alcohol, I don't eat sugar, no gluten or dairy. Excercise 2x per day. Cannot lose weight. Tried IF but am going to have to do it more agressively.

[Anonymous]

I'm a bit younger, but I also suspect I'm perimenopausal and definitely gained 15 pounds during the pandemic. I've been trying hard to lose weight for the past month or so and basically what's worked is to try to delay eating as much as possible. So have breakfast at 9 so I don't have a midmorning snack. Same with lunch. Then have dinner at 6:30 and don't eat anything afterwards. And eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables and fill up on that instead of empty calories. Have lost about 5 pounds so far and don't feel any need to join a program. That would probably annoy the heck out of me.

[Anonymous]

Insulin Resistance is very common and one of the many possible causes of unexplained weight gain (others include poor sleep, stress, medications, thyroid, food choices, stress eating, mindless eating, etc). Try to limit four and sugar and keep an eye on your eating window to start if you are worried about insulin resistance. Check in w your PCP if you can too-it may make sense to check a fasting insulin in addition to normal labs!

[Anonymous]

It can be, but 15 pounds in a year when you were most likely less active and eating more at home due to quarantine/lockdown is probably not hormonal. A lot of people gained weight for these reasons between March 2020 and now. You’re one of them.

[Anonymous]

Read Delay Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens. You’re welcome.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It can be, but 15 pounds in a year when you were most likely less active and eating more at home due to quarantine/lockdown is probably not hormonal. A lot of people gained weight for these reasons between March 2020 and now. You’re one of them.

This but also the stress. Fat shamers just can’t stop pretending that weight gain is calorically based. Stress is an enormous risk for weight gain. Welcome to cortisol.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Read Delay Don’t Deny by Gin Stephens. You’re welcome.

IF isn’t for everyone.

[Anonymous]

Stress and sleep issues can exacerbate hormonal issues. Part of the COVID weight is probably inactivity and spending so much time at home but it's also been a really stressful year for most people. When the body is in a state of stress it 'holds onto' fat. Try to focus on your sleep hygiene and self care (walks, quiet time, etc.) and see if that helps at all.

From Psychology Today: "There appears to be a triple whammy in play that makes it difficult for people who are chronically stressed to lose weight. First, stress creates the desire to eat more. Second, stress triggers the release of hormones such as cortisol and betatrophin that increase abdominal fat and slow metabolism respectively. Third, fat-to-brain signaling appears to increase stress levels as part of a feedback loop that entrenches this vicious cycle."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It can be, but 15 pounds in a year when you were most likely less active and eating more at home due to quarantine/lockdown is probably not hormonal. A lot of people gained weight for these reasons between March 2020 and now. You’re one of them.

This but also the stress. Fat shamers just can’t stop pretending that weight gain is calorically based. Stress is an enormous risk for weight gain. Welcome to cortisol.

Yes true. Btw I wasn’t fat shaming OP, but if people blame all weight gain on hormones, they won’t lose it, because they won’t change the habits that led to the weight gain. “Hormones” is something nebulous and out of your hands. Calorie deficits, movement, sleep are within our control, and if your weight gain is largely due to those things, you have to be honest to change them and reverse the gain.