Weight gain around the holidays is normal and even expected in some ways. However, it is unhealthy to keep up the eating habits you embrace over the holidays and colder months. If you're back on your normal routine of healthy eating and regular exercise but can't seem to lose the weight; or if you've unexpectedly gained a few pounds with no explanation, you might have an underlying issue.
Weight gain can be caused by a number of things including an unhealthy diet, lack of exercise, and the natural aging process as our metabolisms slow down and we lose lean muscle mass. What you may not know is that weight gain can also be caused by a hormonal imbalance, which can happen to both men and women as they age.
Hormones help us control the way our body responds to certain stimuli - like how we digest the food we eat, how often we exercise if we get enough sleep, and if we are too stressed. All of these factors can play a serious role in keeping your body at a healthy weight. If your body is having trouble breaking down the food you eat, your metabolism will start working more slowly. If you stop exercising, your body will lose lean muscle mass and gain fat. If you don’t get enough sleep or if you are under a lot of stress, your body will not be able to recover and heal. All of these factors will cause you to gain unwanted weight.
Taking a more specific look into hormonal imbalance, the hormone insulin is the one that plays a major role in weight gain. Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas designed to regulate the amount of glucose in the blood, lower blood sugar, and it lets our body know to store fat. An insulin imbalance, or resistance, can be very dangerous. Our cells stop responding normally to insulin, not allowing glucose to enter the cells as easily, so it builds up in the blood. This is what causes weight gain, and in some cases, it can cause diabetes.
If you're experiencing weight gain, along with other symptoms like changes in sleep patterns, low sex drive, anxiety, depression, mood swings, fatigue, loss of muscle mass, and low energy, it's time to get your hormones checked. If you do suffer from a hormonal imbalance, there is a simple and effective treatment called Hormone Replacement Therapy that can help you get back to feeling like yourself again.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) is an alternative therapy to help with anti-aging health and longevity, as well as getting your hormones back in balance. At LongevityMed, we can help you get back on track with HRT and weight loss services. It's what we do every day and our specialty. Take our hormone test for Men or Women, or Contact us today to schedule a consultation.
