Hormones can cause extra belly fat in some cases. Hormones play a role in a variety of biological functions, including metabolism, stress, hunger, and sexual desire. If a person lacks specific hormones, it can lead to weight growth around the abdomen, which is referred to as a hormonal belly.
So, for the basics, there are various categories of belly fat!
Three Types of Belly Fat in Women.
- Bloated belly Fat : It is due to Inflammation, water retention, or accumulation. It might be caused due to a simple factor such as improper excretion of the digested food. It changes along with the change of time during the day.
- Real fatty belly : It is due to Excess calorie intake. It simply means that you are burning less calories than you consume, in other words you are ingesting more food than is required by your body. It can be identified with layers in stomach along with obliques.
- Hormonal belly Fat : It is due to Hormonal imbalance. It can be mostly observed from under the naval region to pelvic region and even thighs of the women. The hormones that promote belly fat are also commonly know as “Fat storing hormones”. Although these hormones are required and essential for the body for various functions, but under unhealthy lifestyle and food consumption conditions, they counter attack and create issues such as a fat belly.
Hormonal belly in women : Fat Storing Hormones.
Various fat-storing hormones can be found in your body with various functions:
- Cortisol : Stress Hormone.
- Progesterone : Dominance of Male hormone in female body.
- Estrogen : High Estrogen during or close to menopause period. Excess and dominance of this hormone can also lead to PCOS/PCOD(Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome).
- Leptin : Hunger hormones.
- Insulin Resistance : Responsible for High Sugar levels.
- Thyroid : Responsible for your metabolism.
If ignored for long, one hormone imbalance can cause a chain reaction resulting in disruption of other hormones.
Therefore, nowadays combination of hormone imbalance can be seen in women.
Ways to Control or Reduce Hormonal Belly in Women.
1. Get back to Maintenance Calories
This simply can be stated as: Consume as much as you can burn! Eat a balanced diet with maintenance calories to boost Metabolism, avoid starvation ( avoiding Crash Diet) at any cost.
Maintenance calories can be simply calculated by:
- Convert your weight in kilograms to pounds.
- Multiply your weight in pounds with 10.
- The answer is your minimum maintenance calories.
It gives a basic idea that gives you an idea to prevent both undereating and overeating both at the same time. Eating less than your maintenance calories not only harms your metabolism but at the same time hinders the process of weight loss.
2. Add more Fiber to your diet.
Fiber rich foods like veggies, cruciferous veggies, flax seeds, chia seeds, legumes, pulses, millets should be consumed.
Fiber helps in detoxification of excessive hormones specially estrogen in your body.
Minimum intake of Fiber should be 25-30g/day.
3. Gain Some muscles.
Muscles plays a major role in restoring hormonal balance.
Make sure to eat a protein rich diet and gradually add some resistance or strength training ( but don’t strain your body initially). Slow and steady wins the race, remember that!
4. Completely cut the Crap Carbs from Diet.
Refined Carbs, packaged food or Ready to Eat Food comes under the categories of unhealthy carbohydrates which serves 0 nutrition to your body. And on top of that, these Carbs mimic your estrogen hormone leading to the disruption/dominance of the hormone in the body, which is either ways harmful.
5. Consume moderate amount of fat is must in Diet.
Moderation is the principle. Excess of anything is harmful, therefore portion size and quantities are required to be analyzed before consumption. 15g-20g visible Fat is fine and fit for consumption.
6. Always Stay Hydrated.
Staying hydrated not only helps in boosting energy, but also helps in controlling cortisol levels, leading to hormonal balance, and ultimately preventing weight/fat gain.
7. Support your liver.
Avoid toxins, preservatives, alcoholic drinks, excessive medications in consumption.
Eat foods good for your liver health such as beetroot.
8. Get Good Quality & Quantity of Sleep
Rest and sleep is equally important as workout and eating well. It is a necessity and not a luxury! Prioritize a quality sleep of at least 6-7 hours.
9. Stay Active Throughout the day.
Apart from doing workout session, it is very important to stay active throughout the day. Make sure to increase NEAT (Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis). This contributes majorly towards weight loss.
10. Have patience
Keep the process slow. Don’t rush for the results, set small and achievable goals, develop small habits and convert them into behaviors for long term results.
FOCUS on developing a healthy Long lasting and sustainable LIFESTYLE!
Make your way out! Bio individuality is a concept often under looked and neglected. What suits for your friend might not suit you. The technique/ diet/ lifestyle helps the other person lose weight might not work for you. Look out for your body needs and requirements, plan and act accordingly to see the maximum results.