According to nutritionist Rashi Chowdhary, you need to reset three hormones — prolactin, insulin and thyroid antibodies — for optimal fat loss.
The hormone leptin is produced by fat cells and is secreted into our bloodstream. Leptin reduces a person's appetite by acting on specific centres of their brain to reduce their urge to eat. It also seems to control how the body manages its store of body fat.
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.
Outside of menopause, low estrogen levels can be due to excessive exercise, disordered eating patterns, or pituitary gland issues. Decreased estrogen levels can change the fat distribution of your body, causing you to gain more in the belly as opposed to the hips, thighs, and buttocks.
Leptin resistance not only contributes to the body's ability to absorb more food, but also signals to the brain that the body needs to conserve energy, which in turn limits calorie burning. Therefore, supplementing with blood leptin levels does not actually lead to weight loss.
Your Slow Metabolism:
When you have a slow metabolism, your body doesn't convert food into energy in sufficient quantities. So most of the food you eat is stored in the form of fats. This is the main reason why some people get fat even though they don't eat much.
Leptin. The fat cells release a hormone called leptin. Leptin targets nerve cells in the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, and triggers a feeling of fullness. According to an older study , the leptin levels in the body correlate to the amount of fat the body has stored.
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
Gottfried suggests overhauling what you eat. “I recommend 40 days of cutting out sugar, gluten, dairy, alcohol, and caffeine,” she says. “Aim to eat one pound of vegetables daily, such as cruciferous vegetables, along with anti-inflammatory protein.
Believe it or not, sleep is essential fat-burning time. Melatonin - our sleep hormone - is released when we are in a deep sleep and aside from regulating our sleep/wake cycle well functioning melatonin gets our appetite fat-releasing hormone leptin in balance and helps to regulate our appetite.
B-complex vitamins: These help metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, activating stored energy instead of letting it turn to fat. Niacin, vitamin B-6, and iron: This impressive trio increases your body's production of the amino acid L-carnitine to help burn fat.
Leptin is secreted mainly by white adipose tissue, and levels are positively correlated with the amount of body fat (3). Like many other hormones, leptin is secreted in a pulsatile fashion and has a significant diurnal variation with higher levels in the evening and early morning hours (4, 5).
“It is possible to overcome hormonal changes, particularly in women with perimenopausal belly fat or menopausal weight gain,” explains Registered Dietician, Lon Ben-Asher from the Pritikin Center.
Adding in cardio, such as a brisk walk will help lower your cortisol levels and control your stress. Once you have your stress under control, you can add interval training and sprints two or three times a week to reduce your belly fat.