Episode 238: Demystifying and Overcoming Hormonal Weight Gain Part 1

This week I did something I almost never do on Instagram. I called someone out. Well not just someone, I called out a fellow weight loss coach who I actually highly respect and admire (and who has 974k followers). 

In his post, he claimed experts that talk about the connection between cortisol (and other hormones) and weight gain are lying to you and just trying to scare you into buying their programs. 

His argument? That if cortisol was responsible for weight gain, prisoners of war who are underfed but highly stressed would gain weight. 

This is missing the point entirely. 

Yes, if you starve yourself no amount of hormonal disruption will keep you from losing weight. But those of us who work with clients to support their hormones are doing so to make sure you don't have to starve yourself (read: eat 1200 calories or less) in order to lose weight. 

Unfortunately I see this argument that hormones don’t cause weight gain from the calorie counting crowd constantly. 

And while I understand the sentiment behind it, disregarding the impact of hormones on weight management completely ignores the complexity of the human body. 

If you’ve gone through PCOS, hypothyroidism, menopause, trauma, etc, you probably have experienced weight gain despite eating the same things. I refuse to assume that millions of people are lying/don’t know how to count. 

Do we need to be in a calorie deficit to lose weight? Yes. If we eat in a calorie deficit will we lose weight even if we’re stressed? Sure. 

But can our hormones impact the amount of calories we’re burning and absorbing? Absolutely. 

With that in mind, I decided to dedicate this episode to demystifying hormonal weight gain (be it from cortisol, hypothyroidism, peri-menopause, and the like). You'll understand the key hormones at play on your weight loss journey, how they interact with each other and the rest of the body, and what you can do to balance your body to make weight loss easier. 

Since we're already here, lets start with...

Cortisol

Cortisol is our main stress hormone, and while we need it to survive and is beneficial in the proper amounts (it regulates our sleep/wake cycle, gives us energy, has anti-inflammatory effects, works with insulin to maintain blood sugar, and helps direct the way we use our nutrients), when we produce too much or too little it can have some pretty detrimental effects. 

Too much during times of acute stress:

• Lowers our basal metabolic rate by around 100 calories/day which equates to about 11 pounds/year. 

• Inhibits the thyroid (aka the master regulator of metabolism).
• Damages the gut (studies show even when calories are controlled, changes in the gut microbiome can drastically alter your weight).
• Inhibits DHEA, a muscle and metabolism-building hormone that is also a parent hormone to estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone.
• Causes blood sugar imbalances and cravings.

Too little due to chronic stress:

• Increases inflammation in the body which can...
  • Inhibit hormone production.
  • Impair leptin (your satiety hormone that also regulates your metabolism).
  • Contribute to insulin resistance causing you to produce more insulin which is fat storage hormone.
  • Release cytokines that contribute to visceral fat.
• Lowers blood sugar which can cause cravings, fatigue, and weakness (not exactly a recipe for increasing your movement or motivation).
• Causes morning sluggishness, making it harder to get up and workout or make a healthy breakfast. This can drive unhealthy morning habits like reaching for a quick, blood-sugar-spiking breakfast like coffee and a donut. 

I'll be honest, we had 6 other hormones we were going to talk about this week but Gio and I got on a role talking about common mistakes, misconceptions, and important nuances during the intro (I highly encourage you to listen to the episode on this one, don't just read these cliff notes). 

Next week we'll be digging into estrogen, testosterone, insulin, ghrelin, leptin, and the thyroid and how they all impact your ability to lose weight. 

Are their weight loss coaches out there who will tell you to ignore all of this and ‘just eat in a calorie deficit’. Sure

But I want to help you understand and support your hormones so that eating in a calorie deficit is easier (both physically and psychologically). 

How?

By sharing the what and why in these episodes and then taking it a step further in my program, The Hormone Belly Blueprint where you'll learn step-by-step what you need to do to optimize your hormones to make weight loss easier. 

Here's what you can expect inside:

• A clear explanation of why the strategies that used to work gangbusters are leaving you stuck and frustrated.
• The 3 essential steps for hormone balance and sustainable weight loss that most diets barely touch on (if at all).
• The biggest non-food-or-exercise obstacle that's sabotaging your weight loss goals. 
• An in-depth, step-by-step program that will tell you exactly what to eat, how to improve your sleep, what exercises you should do (and not do), what supplements will actually make a difference, and how to realistically manage stress in order to optimize your hormones for easier weight loss. 
• A guide on how to implement all your new habits to ensure long-term results and to prevent overwhelm.
• Ways to incorporate treats without disrupting your hormones and slowing down your progress. 
• Mouth-watering, throw-together recipes that will support your hormone health, reduce cravings, boost your energy, and leave you feeling satisfied for hours, minimizing the need to snack.
• A list of the top 10 hormone-disrupting chemicals, where to find them, and how to clean up your personal care, home, and cleaning products to avoid exposure.

This is my most affordable program at only $27, click here for the OG version (perfect if you struggle with hormone weight due to stress, peri/post-menopause, PCOS, chronic dieting and the like), or here if you want the version I wrote specifically for my fellow hypothyroid warriors. 

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Products and Programs!

The Hormone Belly Blueprint: $27

An e-book and step-by-step program to help you overcome stubborn hormonal weight be it stress weight, peri/post-menopause belly, or PCOS or hypothyroid-induced resistant weight loss. Click here to learn more and buy!

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Embrace the diet rebel within as I reveal the secrets to losing weight without counting calories, giving up your favorite foods, or following fad diets in the jam-packed 1-hour video masterclass! Click here to learn more and buy!

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My 60-day signature course where we optimize your gut to help you lose weight, reduce cravings, and tackle emotional eating. Click here to learn more and apply!

1:1 Functional Nutrition Coaching: $150-250/session

Finally get to the root of your health issues and experience relief from stubborn symptoms with functional lab work and customized protocols designed to optimize your gut, hormones, and metabolism. Click here to learn more and apply! 

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