The treatment will depend on the cause. A doctor may recommend medication to balance the hormones that are causing the problem. If a hormonal belly is due to thyroid problems, a doctor may recommend using medication, such as levothyroxine. Diet and exercise can help lose weight around the belly.
Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training. “What you want to employ now is high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” Dr. Peeke says.
There are several hormone-related conditions that can cause weight gain around your abdomen. This includes an underactive thyroid, PCOs, or even menopause. Other hormonal imbalances could happen due to obesity, environmental triggers and toxins, excessive stress or even some medications.
How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help with Belly Fat During Menopause. Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
The hormones leptin and insulin, sex hormones and growth hormone influence our appetite, metabolism (the rate at which our body burns kilojoules for energy), and body fat distribution. People who are obese have levels of these hormones that encourage abnormal metabolism and the accumulation of body fat.
Weight gain typically happens when you're consuming more calories than you burn. But sometimes belly fat can be the result of hormonal imbalances like wacky estrogen or testosterone levels. Stress and lack of sleep can also wreak hormone havoc. You might be able to tackle hormonal belly with lifestyle changes.
Hormones that affect fat storage and weight loss
Our bodies produce a number of hormones, each with unique functions that keep us healthy. If certain hormones have higher than normal levels, losing weight can be much harder. Some of the most important hormones for losing stubborn fat are estrogen and leptin.
High levels of the hormone leptin are also associated with increased weight gain in the lower belly. Fat cells release leptin, which sends signals to your brain that trigger a feeling of fullness after eating, signaling that your body has stored enough fat.
What is a Hormonal Belly? A number of hormone-related diseases can cause weight gain around the abdomen. Menopause, low T, an underactive thyroid, and PCOs are examples of this. Obesity, environmental triggers including excessive stress, chemicals, and even some drugs can cause hormonal abnormalities.
An alcohol belly is caused by drinking too much alcohol and consuming alcoholic beverages with too many calories. On the other hand, a hormonal belly is a lower abdominal weight gain that's caused by a hormonal imbalance with hormones either being too high or too low.
What does hormonal weight gain look like? Hormonal weight gain looks like any type of excess weight. Factors such as age, sex, body type, and cause of weight gain may make you gain weight differently. However, it's not possible to know that hormones are causing your weight gain by the way it looks.
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
Traditional natural hormone replacement therapies
phytoestrogens, which are dietary estrogens found in legumes, seeds, and whole grains. folate (vitamin B-9 or folic acid) St. John's wort.
Performing regular exercises is an excellent way to lose menopause belly fat and improve your overall physical health. Women can start with moderate to vigorous activities and might consider including aerobic exercises such as cycling, running, jogging, swimming, walking, and resistance or strength training.