How Your Hormones Can Prevent Weight Loss and How to Reset Them
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Have you ever had a really disciplined week of eating and then you get on the scale and you didn’t lose as much as you had hoped? Or even worse, you didn’t lose at all?!
I have been there. When I went off the birth control pill, my hormones went crazy and I had gained 10 pounds in 2 weeks. I was desperate to get back into my cute cutoff shorts so I started counting calories like a maniac and tried eating as healthy as I knew how and still nothing. No progress. There is nothing more frustrating than doing the work but not seeing the results.
If you have been trying hard to lose weight and are not seeing the results you feel you should be seeing, it may be a hormonal problem. As women, hormones, (especially estrogen) play a huge roll in our weight management and our overall bodily function. Estrogen is great until you have too much of it. Keep reading to find out why.
In the post I will explain:
- What is Estrogen Dominance?
- How to tell if you have Estrogen Dominance
- How to overcome it and start seeing results
What is Estrogen Dominance?
Did you know there are technically two different types of estrogen that can occur in your body? There is the kind that your body produces naturally and then there is the kind that comes from toxins and chemicals that get absorbed into your body. These are called xenoestrogens. Xenoestrogens can be very harmful to your body and your hormonal health. When we are exposed to too many plastics, pesticides, chemicals, and even dairy, it raises the levels of xenoestrogens in the body causing estrogen dominance.
Estrogen dominance can cause weight gain, headaches, irregular or heavy periods, PMS symptoms, and more. Sounds fun, right? It’s important to limit your exposure to xenoestrogens in order to maintain healthy hormone levels.
How to tell if you have Estrogen Dominance
Estrogen dominance can reveal itself in a few different ways. For me it was weight gain. Estrogen-related weight gain typically occurs in the hips, butt, and thighs. If you are carrying a little extra padding in those areas, you definitely want to keep reading.
Did you know PMS symptoms are not normal? Seems like so many women suffer from some type of PMS, that we think it’s just something we have to deal with every month. Guess what? Estrogen dominance can also cause those pesky PMS symptoms. Painful cramps, heavy or irregular periods, irritability, and mood swings all can stem from having too much estrogen in your body.
Headaches are another sign of hormonal imbalance. If you suffer from frequent headaches, you will definitely want to look at lowering your exposure to xenoestrogens. Regardless of the symptoms discussed in this post, we are all exposed to WAY too many toxins and harmful chemicals on a daily basis. It is in your best interest to learn what foods and products to try to avoid for better hormonal and overall health.
It is also a good idea to see a Naturopath if you suspect you might have estrogen dominance. I am not a doctor and have no medical degrees. I am only sharing with you what I have learned through my own journey with estrogen dominance. A Naturopath will want to test your hormones twice in one month (at different times of your cycle) to determine if you have a hormonal imbalance. I highly recommend this approach because sometimes you can have multiple hormones that are out of whack, and it helps to know where they all stand so you can work to get everything balanced again.
How to overcome it and start seeing results
Once you have determined that you have estrogen dominance, it’s time to take steps to naturally decrease exposure to those toxins that are throwing your hormones for a loop. Common products like shampoos, conditioners, body lotions, perfumes, hairspray, makeup, deodorant and soap contain cancer causing agents which act like estrogen in the body. You want to watch out specifically for; parabens, formaldehyde, synthetic fragrances, phthalates, and aluminums. These ingredients are not only known to be cancer causing but also have been shown to contribute to diabetes and obesity by directly affecting your metabolism and thyroid hormone. Yikes!
You will want to start looking at your daily beauty routine and check the product labels for any of those bad ingredients. The clean beauty market has exploded in recent years so there are TONS of great options that won’t harm your health.
If you aren’t sure about a product you use, check out this website: https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to see if your product is considered safe or not. This site evaluates thousands of commercial products and will tell you how harmful they are so you can make a more educated decision. You can also visit my resources page to see some of my favorite safe products that I use and love.
Another tip: avoid plastics like the plague. BPA-free plastic is only a little bit safer but you are still being exposed to xenoestrogens if you are drinking out of plastic bottles. I recommend a stainless-steel water bottle and be sure to get stainless-steel straws as well. Here is one I use and I love it.
Lastly, you’ll need to change your diet. While eliminating toxic products and plastics from your daily routine can help balance estrogen, adding six to nine cups of vegetables into your daily routine can work wonders for your hormone health and weight loss goals. Vegetables help support liver function and your liver is responsible for eliminating excess estrogen. Try to eat two cups of fresh veggies with each meal. Also, think about cutting down on dairy products and opt for organic grass-fed beef and meat. Try to only buy organic produce if you can. If you need recipe ideas, be sure to subscribe to my newsletter below and receive 3 of my favorite simple recipes for FREE.
Hormonal imbalance can be unbelievably frustrating and exhausting but once you know what to look out for and start to make small changes every day, you will be a well-balanced, lean, veggie-eating machine before you know it and you will probably find yourself wondering how you ever lived any other way. If you want to learn more, check out my related posts below and don’t forget to visit my resource library for more recommendations to help with your hormonal health journey!
Related Posts:
- 3 Ways to Manage Food Cravings
- The Mission of Seeking Simple
Sources for this post- Dr. Brighton’s “Beyond the Pill”
