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Hormonal belly: 4 signs that your hormones are the culprits behind your belly fat

If you’ve tried everything possible but are still unable to lose fat from your abdominal belly, then you are suffering from a hormonal belly. Here are some signs and symptoms to understand if you have one!
plank dance
Plank pose can help you get rid of belly fat. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Geetika Sachdev Published: 19 Feb 2021, 11:10 am IST
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Weight loss is the dream of most people today, and boy, does it take a lot of effort to shed all that unwanted fat. We are sure you must have tried everything possible, from following the best diets to exercising hard, but what if you can’t lose fat, especially from your belly? Well, it could be that your hormones are wreaking havoc on all your efforts. 

Hormones help to regulate several functions in the body, including your metabolism, stress, hunger and even sex drive. In case your hormones are out of whack, it could result in a deficiency in certain hormones, and that’s why your belly bulge is becoming more prominent than ever. It also has a name: a hormonal belly

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. 

belly fat
Exercise daily to tame your hormones. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
So how do you know if you’re suffering from a hormonal belly? Here are some signs and symptoms to find out: 
  • You feel less satiated after eating

Has it lately happened that you don’t feel full after eating a proper meal? Well, if it is happening frequently, then it means your sex hormones are indirectly impacting hormones that regulate your metabolism: estrogen and testosterone. 

If you have low levels of estrogen in the body, you might still feel hungry after having a meal. This is because of the impact of estrogen on leptin. The more leptin you have in your body, the more problematic it is. 

Research suggests that testosterone too has an inverse effect on leptin concentration. This means as your testosterone levels go up, leptin decreases. 

  • You’re always stressed

Every time you’re stressed, your adrenal glands release cortisol to help your body respond appropriately. In case you are stressed all the time, your adrenal gland will not even realise that it’s producing much more cortisol that your body even needs. In fact, high levels of cortisol in your body raises the heart rate, blood pressure and even blood sugar. Plus, increased cortisol levels also increase abdominal fat. 

  • Your weight gain happens only in the abdomen

As we know, menopause is life-changing in so many ways, and yes, you experience weight gain too! That’s because the level of hormones in your body goes down. Low estrogen levels can be due to excessive exercise, issues with your eating patterns or even problems with pituitary glands. When the levels of estrogen drop, there’s a high chance that you gain more weight in the belly, as opposed to hips, thighs and buttocks. 

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  • You crave sugar all the time

If you want to nosh on sweet treats all the time, then there’s a high chance that your body is struggling with insulin resistance. In case of insulin resistance, your cells are unable to properly absorb sugar from the bloodstream, and that leaves your cells starved for carbs. This action can have an adverse impact on your leptin levels. With decreased sensitivity to both insulin and leptin, you won’t be able to understand when to stop and keep bingeing on sugary food. This will eventually add to your hormonal belly fat!

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About the Author

An independent writer and journalist, Geetika loves sharp and fresh humour, just like her coffee! If not writing, you'll find her cafe-hopping and raiding the best book stores in town. ...Read More

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