Plagued by Slow Weight Loss? Your Hormones Could Be to Blame

Trying to lose weight but seeing little to no progress can be incredibly frustrating, especially when you’re doing all the “right” things, like eating healthy and moving more. The hard truth: Sometimes, it’s not anything you’re doing (or not doing) that’s getting in the way of your results — instead, it could be your hormones.  

Hormones play powerful roles in how your body stores fat, burns calories, and regulates hunger. As hormone levels shift with age, stress, or underlying health conditions, weight loss can become slower and more difficult without targeted, personalized medical support.

The good news: Joseph Moleski, DO, and Laura Howard, FNP, help patients at STL Medical Weight Loss get back on track and enjoy real weight-loss results with medical weight-loss plans tailored to each patient’s needs, including identifying and addressing underlying hormonal imbalances that may be interfering with your metabolism. 

Here, learn about some of the hormones that play key roles in weight management, and how even a minor imbalance could be sabotaging your best efforts.

Insulin, fat storage, and hunger

When most people think of insulin, they immediately think of diabetes and its role in managing glucose (blood sugar) levels — but what a lot of people don’t know is that insulin plays a role in your metabolism, too. 

Insulin resistance is a metabolic problem that occurs when your body produces excess insulin over time, eventually “desensitizing” it to its effects. The result: your body doesn’t metabolize glucose as well, leading to more calories going into fat production and storage. 

Fortunately, our team can detect insulin-related issues with a simple blood test, helping you take steps to improve insulin sensitivity and amp up your metabolism, too.

Cortisol and stubborn weight gain

Sometimes called the “stress” hormone, cortisol is widely known as the “fight-or-flight” hormone because it helps your body respond to short-term stress. 

If, like many of us, you’re dealing with stress on a regular or chronic basis, your cortisol levels can remain elevated for a long period, too, signaling your body to hold onto fat, especially around the belly area.

High cortisol also interferes with sleep and blood sugar regulation, further hampering your weight-loss efforts. Managing stress and adopting healthy sleep habits can go a long way toward regulating cortisol levels, supporting healthy weight management, and improving overall wellness, too.

Thyroid hormones and metabolic speed

Located in your neck, your thyroid gland produces hormones that play major roles in your metabolism and how quickly and efficiently your body burns calories. When your thyroid is even slightly underactive, your metabolism slows down, leading to fatigue, weight gain, and difficulty losing weight.

Because symptoms can be subtle, thyroid-related weight issues are frequently overlooked. Our team uses a simple blood test to evaluate thyroid health and function so we can develop a plan that supports normal thyroid function, along with healthy metabolism and sustainable weight loss.

Estrogen and weight changes with age

Estrogen plays a key role in metabolic activity in women, as well as affecting how fat is distributed throughout your body. As estrogen levels fluctuate or decline with age, many women notice unwanted fat buildup around the belly and hip area, along with slower weight loss overall.

At the same time, lower estrogen affects insulin sensitivity and energy levels, even interfering with normal sleep routines. All these issues make it a lot harder to lose weight effectively. The good news: Adopting healthy habits can help, and so can hormone replacement therapy (HRT) using bioidentical hormones to restore estrogen levels, particularly during menopause and perimenopause.

Testosterone and its impact on muscle and fat

Estrogen isn’t the only “sex” hormone that affects weight and metabolism. Testosterone supports lean muscle mass, energy, and fat metabolism in both men and women. When levels dip, we lose fat-burning muscle mass, making weight loss more challenging.

Like low estrogen levels, low levels of testosterone are associated with increased fatigue and reduced motivation to stay active. Optimizing testosterone levels helps support weight loss efforts by improving body composition, strength, and metabolic activity, too.

Medical weight loss: Beyond calorie-counting

Hormone-related weight gain is rarely solved with calorie counting and exercise alone. Our medical weight loss programs focus on identifying underlying hormonal imbalances and creating personalized treatment plans that support your body’s natural ability to lose weight.

To learn how we can help you reach your healthy weight goals and improve your overall wellness, call or book an appointment online with STL Medical Weight Loss at our Chesterfield, Missouri, practice today. 

Can’t make it to the office? We also offer telehealth services for patients in Missouri, Texas, Illinois, Kansas, Florida, Delaware, Arizona, New York, Tennessee, Ohio, Michigan, Nevada, and Washington State.