by Candace Burch | May 7, 2019 10:24 pm
You’re working out, dieting, tracking your food- but weight still not budging? “I exercise 5 days a week, watch what I eat and have even tried eliminating dairy and excess carbs and STILL don’t see a change on the scale or in the way my clothes fit. I feel hopeless. ” If this sentiment sounds like you, rest assured, you are most definitely NOT alone. If you’ve struggled to lose or maintain weight or have packed on pounds in areas like the hips, thighs and middle, you could have a hidden hormonal imbalance that’s been sabotaging your best efforts to look and feel the way you deserve!
What’s the most accurate way to correct these imbalances? Through individualized testing and natural hormone re-balancing – using specific herbs & supplements, stress reducing techniques and mindful nutrition. But first, let’s break down three of the major reasons WHY you might be dealing with this unwanted weight gain …
#1 You Are Estrogen Dominant
Estrogen dominance is one of the most common hormonal imbalances women experience today but because most have never heard of the term before, they are unaware of the signs and symptoms that are associated and/or how to test for it! In short, estrogen dominance occurs when the ratio between your estrogen and progesterone (female sex hormones) gets thrown out of balance due to poor diet, lifestyle factors, environmental toxins, birth control and stress. Ideally, our hormones should be like a beautiful symphony playing in harmony together, and just like a symphony, when one instrument (hormone), plays out of tune (gets thrown out of whack), the entire orchestra (endocrine/hormone system) suffers. And when it comes to estrogen dominance, we often see fat distribution in the butt, hips and thighs that can feel impossible to shift.
We can start to move the needle by focusing on nutrient-dense, low-glycemic foods that are non-gmo, organic, “hormone-free ” and that clearly state “these animals were raised without hormones or antibiotics. ” If you drink milk or consume dairy, it’s important to stick to organic, hormone-free variations and enjoy them as a treat rather than an everyday staple. Look for organic, pasture-raised eggs like Vital Farms which you can find at many major grocery stores.
Excess estrogen can also be the result of daily exposure to xeno “fake ” estrogens which are man-made toxins that mimic estrogen action in the body. These estrogen mimickers can be found in cosmetics, household cleaners, furniture, clothing, almost all plastics, pesticides, car exhaust, industrial waste products, and much more! Did you know that women use an average of 30 products per day, most including ingredients like fragrance and phthalates, that can be detrimental to our hormone health.
You can take steps to combat estrogen excess with smart nutrition, reducing xeno-estrogens by using all natural, non-toxic products (www.thinkdirty.com and the healthy living app are both great resources), and by taking natural herbal and bio-identical supplements that bolster your progesterone and balance estrogen. Visit DetoxMeTuesday.com for tips and tricks on how to switch to safer products in an easy, approachable way. As the founder, Clean Living Consultant, Lauren Breiding says, every single change matters …it’s not about what happened in the past, it’s about the decisions you make moving forward!
#2 You’re over-exercising!
Most of us have been trained that in order to lose weight, we must burn more calories than we consume.. but unfortunately, that’s where we’ve been a little misled. In regards to hormone balance, it’s not about the quantity of exercise we do -or the amount of sweat we’re dripping – but rather the quality. Working out too much can cause our cortisol “master stress hormone ” levels to spike too high which can actually signal our bodies to hang on and store fat instead of releasing it, which is the very reason we’re killing ourselves at the gym in the first place! It’s important to take rest days between high intensity training days and to focus on workouts that are toning and strengthening like pilates, swimming and moderate weight lifting. Your body needs it to recover from all of the breaking down that happens during workouts so it’s equally as important to create space for calming activities like stretching, deep breathing, yoga, and walks in nature.
#3 Your Adrenals Are Shot
The adrenal glands are involved in producing over 50 hormones including our sex hormones and pump out cortisol to help you take daily stress in stride, and adrenaline so you can react to a threat i.e. the “fight or flight ” response.
If you sleep 7-8 hours a night but wake up feeling exhausted, you’re lethargic all day, and/or feel “tired but wired ” when you try to fall asleep, you have some of the hallmark symptoms of adrenal fatigue. When we drink too much caffeine (likely as a result of being so tired), over-exercise, get poor sleep, take prescription medications like birth control, eat lots of sugar and carbs, and live a high-octane life with good (i.e. weddings) and bad stressors (i.e. funerals), our adrenal glands have to kick into overdrive. In trying to meet all of these demands, the adrenals eventually get worn down leading to increased hunger, uncontrollable cravings and weight gain in the least flattering places like the belly!
So what can you do? Take a look at your life and all of the habits that may be contributing to your tired adrenals. Ask yourself questions like:
What stressors am I dealing with right now? In what ways could I swap some of these stressors for more “me-time ” or remove some of the unnecessary social/work related commitments?
How much coffee do I drink per day? What alternatives could I try to reduce my consumption? Four Sigmatic elixirs and Dandy Blend latte’s are great options!
What kinds of workouts am I engaging in? Could I swap 2-3 days for more calming forms of movement like walking or yoga?
Do I have sugar and carb cravings? How often do I find myself reaching for something sweet after a meal? What healthier alternatives could I find to sooth my sweet tooth? Beauty Bar Chocolate is a creamy sugar-free dark chocolate bar that really does the trick!
Once you come up with answers to these questions, put these new priorities into action by journaling, adding reminders to your calendar, and making small steps in the direction of change.
In short, eating nutrient-dense, hormone-free foods, getting in quality exercise, and keeping internal and external stressors low are essentials in balancing your hormones and therefore, kicking that stubborn belly fat and creeping weight gain to the curb. If you’re doing all of the “right things, ” but nothing seems to change, testing your hormones can be incredibly eye opening. Salivary testing of active hormone levels is the most efficient way to uncover hidden imbalances that may be sabotaging your efforts to slim down, and test results can serve as your guide for getting back in balance!
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