Reset your hormones to amplify weight loss

No matter what your approach – diet, exercise or a combination of the two – weight loss and fat loss are hormonally controlled processes.

By failing to take this fact into account, any efforts in the gym or kitchen aimed at transforming your body will fall short.

Hormones and your body

Hormones are chemical messengers produced by glands and organs in the endocrine system and released into the bloodstream to trigger specific effects and responses on certain cells or other organs.

They are essential for the function of every biological process in the human body, including our metabolism.

The main endocrine organs in women include:

• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary gland
• Thyroid and parathyroid glands
• Adrenal glands
• Pancreas
• Ovaries

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The hormonal feedback loop

A balanced hormonal environment is essential to the optimal functioning of specific systems in isolation and the body as a whole as they regulate growth, muscle repair, development, reproduction and also determine our body’s capacity to handle physical and psychological stress.

The internal control mechanism that regulates hormone release is known as a feedback loop. As an example, increased blood glucose levels triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas, which causes an increase in glucose uptake.

This lowers blood glucose levels by drawing the substance out of the bloodstream. The resultant decrease in blood glucose then sends a ‘feedback’ message to the pancreas, which switches off the production and release of insulin.

As such, through this process insulin action inhibits its own release as the body achieves a state of balance again.

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Metabolic regulators

Importantly in terms of weight loss and fat loss, hormones affect how we metabolise sources of energy in the body and if excess energy is stored as fat.

For example, hormones produced by the ovaries, such as oestrogen and progesterone, may regulate where fat is deposited on the body.

This means that a hormone imbalance can result in excess fat storage around the waist or hips. These imbalances can occur due to age, inactivity, poor diets and nutrition, as well as illness or stress.

Accordingly, it’s essential to maintain an optimally functioning hormonal system, particularly if we want to avoid weight gain and create an environment conducive to weight and/or fat loss.

In this regard, there are numerous tools at our disposal to control and better regulate hormone action to maintain balance.

These include:

1. Diet 
2. Exercise 
3. Sleep 
4. Recovery 

It, therefore, pays to understand the role hormones play in the weight management process, and work to manage their effects through healthy eating and regular exercise.