This blog post is part of my weekly wellness newsletter, packed with easy-to-follow tips to help you stay healthy and energized—without the struggle!
If you’ve been trying to lose weight but nothing seems to work, you’re not alone. Did you know that at least seven hormones play a major role in weight regulation?
When these hormones are out of balance, they can:
✅ Slow your metabolism
✅ Increase cravings
✅ Make your body store fat instead of burning it
But here’s the good news—you can reset your hormones naturally with the right foods, habits, and mindset!
💡 Let’s dive into how to make weight loss work WITH your body, not against it.
👉 And guess what? We’re sticking together on this journey until Easter—so by then, we’ll feel lighter, stronger, and more energized!
Before we begin… Here’s a preview of my FREE March Magazine! 🎉
What’s in store for today:
- What Are The Hormones Affecting Weight Gain?
- The Big Picture: How to Reset Female Hormones (and Male) for Weight Loss
- How I Lost 2 inches Off Waist in 1 Week? Check our FREE meal plans
What are the hormones affecting weight gain?
Your body’s hormones control hunger, fat storage, and metabolism. When they’re balanced, losing weight feels natural. When they’re out of whack, you might feel constantly hungry, store fat easily, or struggle with energy crashes.
Here’s how to reset your key fat-burning hormones naturally:
1. Leptin – The “I’m Full” Signal
Leptin tells your brain, “We have enough energy, stop eating!” But overeating junk food or carrying extra body fat can make your brain resistant to leptin, leading to constant hunger.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Cut back on sugar and processed foods (they disrupt leptin signals).
✅ Get 8-9 hours of sleep (poor sleep = more hunger).
✅ Eat fiber-rich veggies and whole foods to keep leptin levels stable.
✅ Exercise regularly (strength training + walking work best).
2. Ghrelin – The Hunger Alarm
Ghrelin is like your stomach ringing a dinner bell. When balanced, it keeps your appetite in check. But poor sleep, stress, or irregular eating can make it ring too often, making you feel constantly hungry.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Eat protein with every meal (like eggs, chicken, beans).
✅ Get 8-9 hours of quality sleep (bad sleep = more ghrelin).
✅ Stay hydrated (sometimes thirst feels like hunger!).
✅ Eat fiber-rich foods (like whole grains and veggies) to keep ghrelin stable.
3. Insulin – The Energy Boss
Insulin decides whether your body burns fat or stores it. Too much sugar and processed food spike insulin levels, making it harder to lose weight and easier to store belly fat.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Reduce sugar, white bread, and processed carbs.
✅ Eat healthy fats (nuts, avocados, olive oil) to stabilize insulin.
✅ Try time-restricted eating (like an 8-12 hour eating window).
✅ Move your body! Strength training + walking improve insulin sensitivity.
4. Cortisol – The Stress Hormone
Cortisol is your body’s built-in alarm system. When you’re constantly stressed, your body holds onto belly fat and increases junk food cravings.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Get 8-9 hours of sleep (less stress = better fat loss).
✅ Laugh more! (It actually lowers cortisol).
✅ Go for walks without your phone (nature reduces stress).
✅ Cut down on caffeine (especially in the evening).
✅ Try deep breathing, yoga, or meditation to calm your system.
5. Thyroid Hormones – The Metabolism Controllers
Your thyroid regulates how fast or slow your body burns energy. A sluggish thyroid slows metabolism, leading to weight gain, fatigue, and brain fog.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Eat iodine-rich foods (seafood, eggs, seaweed).
✅ Get enough selenium (found in fish and Brazil nuts).
✅ Exercise regularly (keeps thyroid hormones balanced).
✅ Manage stress (chronic stress disrupts thyroid function).
6. Estrogen & Testosterone – The Balance Keepers
These hormones control muscle, fat, and energy levels. Too much estrogen = more fat storage. More testosterone = easier to build muscle and burn fat.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Get sunlight + vitamin D (low vitamin D = hormone imbalance).
✅ Eat protein + fibre-rich veggies to support hormone function.
✅ Lift weights to naturally boost testosterone.
✅ Manage stress (chronic stress disrupts both hormones).
7. GLP-1 – The Fullness Hormone
GLP-1 is like a traffic light for your appetite. When it works properly, you feel full after meals. If it’s too low, you’ll keep feeling hungry—even after eating.
🔹 Fix it:
✅ Eat protein + fiber with meals (keeps GLP-1 levels stable).
✅ Eat slower (your brain needs time to register fullness).
✅ Stay hydrated (dehydration can mimic hunger).
✅ Exercise regularly (boosts GLP-1 naturally).
The Big Picture: How to Reset Female Hormones (and Male) for Weight Loss
All these hormones work as a team. If one is off, it can throw everything else out of balance. To keep them working for you follow these six steps 1:
Step 1: Compose the Perfect Meals – Prioritize low glycemic load foods rich in phytonutrients to stabilize blood sugar and reduce insulin spikes. You can read more about this in Mark Hyman’s book “Ultrametabolism- The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss“
Step 2: Eat Early and Often – Align your meals with your circadian rhythm, having a protein-rich breakfast to regulate hunger hormones.
Step 3: Choose Foods That Control Appetite – Include fibre, protein, and healthy fats to maintain satiety and avoid processed foods that trigger cravings.
Step 4: Use Herbs for Hormonal Balance – Incorporate adaptogens like ashwagandha, maca, and spearmint to support stress, metabolism, and reproductive hormones.
Step 5: Leverage Supplements for Brain-Fat Cell Communication – Consider omega-3s, magnesium, vitamin D, and chromium to regulate insulin, leptin, and cortisol.
Step 6: Test for Underlying Imbalances – Identify hidden thyroid function, insulin resistance, or gut health issues that could disrupt appetite control.
💡 Small changes lead to big results. Start with one habit, stay consistent, and watch your body respond! 🚀
How I Lost 2 inches Off Waist in 1 Week
I didn’t go on a restrictive diet or spend hours at the gym. Instead, I focused on resetting my hormones naturally with simple, consistent habits.
1. I Cut Out the Biggest Hormone Disruptors
✅ Swapped refined carbs for fibre-rich carbs like oats, quinoa, and sweet potatoes.
✅ Eliminated processed sugar—my cravings disappeared within a week!
✅ Avoided dairy, gluten, and most beans (except chickpeas) while cutting out processed meats—this reduced bloating and water retention.
2. I Ate for Hormone Balance (Not Calories!)
✅ Kicked off the week with a ✔ 3-Day Detox to reset my metabolism using antioxidant-rich smoothies, lean proteins, and fibre-packed meals. The smoothies were so good, I might do this every week!
✅ Started my mornings with high-protein, high-fibre breakfasts like protein smoothies or frittatas.
✅ Balanced my macros—lean proteins, healthy fats, and complex carbs—to stay full longer and keep blood sugar stable.
✅ Ate three balanced meals instead of grazing all day.
✅ Snacked smartly with Brazil nuts, goji berries, and protein-rich foods. If I had fruit, I paired it with nut butter or a few Brazil nuts to lower the glycemic load.
✅ Meal planning & prepping was my secret weapon! I love reusing leftovers.
3. I Fixed My Sleep & Stress
✅ Prioritized 7-8 hours of sleep (huge difference in bloating & cravings!).
✅ Took magnesium before bed to improve sleep and lower stress.
✅ Added short walks after meals – helped regulate blood sugar.
4. I Focused on Smart, Sustainable Movement
✅ Strength trained 3 times a week (15-20 min short workouts).
✅ Did daily walks instead of exhausting cardio.
✅ Stretched or did gentle yoga before bed for stress relief.
Want to Try It for Yourself?
I put everything I learned into an easy-to-follow meal plan that helped me reset my hormones and lose stubborn belly fat—without counting calories or feeling deprived.
👉 Grab the 7-Day Hormone Reset Meal Plan Here!
But this journey doesn’t stop here! To keep up the progress and feel my best before my next holiday, I’m diving straight into Part 2 of my February Shrink Your Waist Challenge.
References:
[1] Hyman, M. (2006). Ultrametabolism: The Simple Plan for Automatic Weight Loss. Scribner.