Why Your Metabolism and Hormones May be a Little Slow
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Ever wonder if your metabolism or hormones are off?
I have women come to me all the time wondering if they are doing things wrong because they aren’t seeing the scale move and they feel like their energy is low…could it be metabolism and hormones? Very possible. But WHY?
Why would your metabolism or hormones be off or slow? I’m about to give you the number one reason why the 2 may be a bit off and a few tips on how you can change that.
Of course, you could be going through menopause, have a thyroid issue, adrenal fatigue, and a few other things that might be setting things off but all those things have a lot to do with HORMONES and METABOLISM.
My number one reason all leads back to the disruption of hormones and metabolism and can really mess with the above issues even more.
#1 reason why your hormones and metabolism may be a bit slow
YO-YO DIETING!!
I’m sorry. What? How in the world would going on a diet mess with hormones and metabolism?
Tell me if this sounds familiar.
Clients often come to me and say things like:
“I want to be 130 pounds by bikini season.”
“I need to be a smaller size by my High School reunion in three weeks.”
“I won’t get rid of my size 4 jeans because I know it will fit when I get back to working out eventually.”
All of these quotes come from actual clients of mine, but chances are they sound awfully familiar to you or someone you know. Things like this lead to yo-yo dieting and put our metabolism and hormones in a whirlwind of confusion.
What is yo-yo dieting
So before we dive into our metabolism and hormones, let’s first talk about WHAT yo-yo dieting even is.
Take a look again at the quotes above. This is likely something that would lead a person on a path to yo-yo dieting. They NEED to see quick results for a specific event and they’ll pretty much do whatever it takes to get those results.
So, there’s this event coming up. Vacation, wedding, reunion…Whatever the event you wish to look your best.
You’ve gained 25 pounds over the course of 3 weeks then lost 15 pounds in 2 weeks. Your weight seems to be on a roll-a-coaster ride with no stop in sight. This scenario perfectly describes yo-yo dieting.
A yo-yo diet is a short-term cycle of changes in one’s activity and eating habits which bring about temporary changes in physical appearance. Yo-yo dieting is an unstable eating pattern used for short term weight goals.
Not only does this type of dieting mess with our heads, but it also messes with our body…metabolism, hormones and much more.
How hormones and metabolism are connected
Yo-yo dieting disrupts the normal metabolic functioning of the body. Your metabolism and your hormones work together as a team. Metabolism isn’t just about how quickly you burn calories—it encompasses all the ways your body stores and uses energy from food.
Your metabolism turns protein, fats, and carbs into compounds like amino acids, fatty acids, and simple glucose, then transports them into your cells; grows and maintains your muscles, and breaks down the fat stored by your body.
These metabolic functions are controlled by hormones. To keep things moving smoothly, your hormones must be balanced. This yo-yo dieting can completely confuse not only our metabolism but also our hormones. When your hormones are off, your metabolism can get thrown out of whack, which can affect your workout, your mood, and your weight.
What yo-yo dieting does to your hormones and metabolism
Yo-Yo dieting tends to go along with strict calorie restriction (hence calorie deficit is NOT always the answer). This calorie restriction can increase the hormone called cortisol.
Cortisol is the stress hormone and when we are dieting, we can add stress to our bodies. This kind of stress can actually cause us to store fat…IN THE BELLY!
Not only can yo-yo dieting confuse your cortisol levels, but it can also mess with other hormones called leptin and ghrelin. These are your hunger hormones. They kind of have a few WTF moments when you are yo-yo dieting. Not good!
This can really put your health at risk by increasing diseases like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
If you’re always over-restricting your calories, your body responds by slowing down your metabolic rate, or your ability to burn calories. It also causes muscle loss. You’d think that rapid weight loss would help to ramp up your metabolism, right? Wrong. Research has proven that excess weight loss over a short period of time actually causes your metabolism to slow down.
So basically this crazy on-again, off-again yo-yo dieting is putting your body in complete hormonal and metabolic confusion.
3 Horrible Effects of Yo-Yo Dieting
Not only can yo-yo dieting affect your metabolism and hormones, but it can also cause a few other health issues.
Weight gain
Yep, this crazy dieting can actually cause the exact opposite of what you are trying to achieve due to the disrupting of your hormones and metabolism with the constant restriction and dieting.
It’s like your body goes into survival mode and prompts the storage of fat for future shortages. This is also a common downfall with the super low-calorie diets. this also tends to lead to binging and overeating, so you’re never truly able to keep any weight off.
Gut Issues
Oh, the good old gut. Yep, it’s kind of important…like, really important. Yo-yo dieting throws off the healthy balance of gut bacteria.
Believe it or not, your gut health can influence everything from metabolism to immune function to overall nutrition. But when gut health is disrupted, gastrointestinal conditions like inflammatory bowel disease and obesity are the result.
Mind Games
Oh, the mind games! Yo-Yo dieting can play mind games with you and can take a toll on your emotional and physical well-being. We think we’re doing all the right things to see weight loss only to be frustrated when we gain it back again and then end up going on another quick-fix diet to help get that weight off that we just gained back. It can be a vicious emotional cycle.
How to avoid yo-yo dieting
So how do we avoid this chaos? How do we keep our metabolism and hormones in check?
FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE…which is different for everyone. I dive deeper into this with my Balance 360 Program. Understanding your body and what it needs is so important to end the yo-yo diet cycle.
Weight loss should not be about trying out new diet fads but about lifestyle changes…and remember, true health is NOT always about weight loss or a specific number on the scale or your clothes.
It might be time to switch up your mindset and find your balance with your body, food, and exercise to help regulate your metabolism and simmer down the hormones.
Latest posts by Melanie Sobocinski (see all)
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