9 Hormones that Affect Your Weight and How to Improve Them 

In the quest for health, exercise, and diet play key roles in helping to maintain or lose weight. But there’s another factor that can make or break healthy weight and fitness goals – hormones. In fact, some hormones can be considered your personal weight management system, and while mainly on autopilot, normal hormonal fluctuations such as during menopause can cause weight gain even though your lifestyle remains the same.

What are Hormones?

Hormones are chemical messengers that send signals throughout your body to regulate numerous processes including metabolism, hunger signals, and blood sugar levels. When they are out of balance, it can be difficult to gain or lose weight and can sap you of energy. Luckily, daily lifestyle changes can go a long way in balancing your hormones, including learning what foods help with hormones. These are the 9 hormones that directly affect your weight and some tips on how to improve them.

1. Insulin – We begin our hormonal journey here because this is a primary hormone in regulating blood sugar and plays a key role in metabolism and weight. Insulin is produced by the pancreas and helps your body use glucose for fuel or store it as fat. Normally, small amounts are released after a meal to help transfer food energy into the cells, but insulin resistance will cause blood sugar to remain in an unhealthy range as the body cannot respond to it. Insulin resistance is linked to heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. To maintain healthy insulin levels, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy sleep schedule, and improve your diet. Include healthy fats such as olive oil, consume fish and nuts for protein, and include low glycemic carbohydrates like vegetables, legumes, and whole grains.
2. Cortisol – This hormone is produced by the adrenal glands and can be an ally during times of stress. But low-level, chronic stress can cause your body to produce too much leading to weight gain and belly fat. Get this hormone under control with stress management activities like meditation, exercise, and deep breathing. Eating for your health will also help control stress since sugars and food processing additives can increase feelings of anxiety.
3. Leptin – Leptin is the hormone that indicates you are full, while leptin resistance stops these signals from reaching your brain. While the cause is unclear, it is suspected that internal inflammation resulting from chronic stress or poor diet is a major factor in leptin resistance. Bring this hormone under control with quality sleep, maintaining a healthy weight, and regular exercise. And since exercise can help you sleep better and help with weight management, exercise can be central to keeping leptin levels healthy.
4. Ghrelin – This hunger hormone is considered to be the opposite of leptin because it signals your brain when your stomach needs food. This hormone is at its highest level before eating and lowest after, and research has indicated that obese people have low ghrelin levels. While severely restricting calories can cause this hormone to increase to unhealthy levels, eating on a regular schedule can help balance it. But the key here is to consume healthy foods that help balance hormones and do your best to abstain from highly processed foods and sweets.
5. Estrogen – Many are familiar with estrogen, the hormone that regulates the female reproductive system, but it also plays an important role in the immune system, as well. High levels of estrogen can cause weight gain and are associated with chronic disease, but low levels, such as with menopause, also lead to excess weight and increased body fat. Following a healthy, balanced diet with low-fat proteins, plenty of vegetables, and whole grains with regular exercise will help manage your weight and estrogen levels.
6. Neuropeptide Y – This little-talked-about hormone is known to increase appetite and decrease energy in response to stress. It is activated in adipose tissue (fat) and high levels can lead to obesity and chronic health problems. Diets high in unhealthy fats and sugars are thought to increase this hormone, so maintain healthy levels with a nutritious balanced diet of whole foods and get regular exercise to help maintain a healthy weight.
7. Glucagon-like Peptide-1 – This hormone is produced in the “gut,” and helps stabilize blood sugar and feelings of fullness. Consuming a healthy diet with high-protein foods such as whey protein helps increase this hormone. Also, keep your digestive tract healthy with a balanced diet with healthy fiber foods like vegetables and probiotic foods like yogurt.
8. Cholecystokinin – Called CCK for short, this is another hormone produced in the gut and aids in digestion and energy production. Therefore, eating for your health will not only improve your digestive tract so that it can function properly and produce these important hormones, but it will also contribute to an overall healthier hormonal balance. A high protein diet and regular exercise both support healthy levels of CCK.
9. Peptide YY – Our final hormone is also produced in the gut area, and plays a role in controlling appetite. Keep sufficient levels of this hormone with a healthy, high-protein diet and regular exercise. 

The common theme for each of the hormones that affect weight is eating foods that help with hormones such as healthy proteins, vegetables, and whole grains along with regular exercise. But abstaining from overconsumption of unhealthy foods that are high in sugars and fats as well as highly processed foods is just as important. And if you don’t exercise now, it’s easy to begin with a daily walk. To make your walk more enjoyable, use a fitness app like Yes.Fit to help keep you motivated and soon you will enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle as your hormones find their healthy balance. Or if you are local to Lakeland Florida check out YF Wellness for group fitness and vitamin therapy!