As women, we are aware of the hormonal changes that wreak havoc on our waistlines. Sometimes it seems impossible to get rid of our need to binge on a box of cookies. Whether you're in your period, going through menopause, having a stressful few weeks, or DNA, your hormones, hormonal cravings and metabolism changes are real and affect your weight loss efforts.

Hormonal balance is fundamental to your overall well-being, influencing everything from your daily mood to your weight management and ability to resist cravings. Although it may seem complicated, the good news is that you can make a big difference by making simple, consistent lifestyle changes.

Research indicates that female hormones and fat retention are connected. To achieve your weight loss goals, it's important to balance these hormones without relying on dubious diets or fancy supplements that promise weight loss. Products geared towards women may be counterproductive. It's best to pursue natural solutions. Here is what you need to do.

#1. The Stresses Of Life Never Seem To Let Up

No matter what you choose to do to ease your stress, you must adopt a calm mindset. Whether you opt for running, hiking, a yoga session, meditation or massage, you must do it.

This is because when we are tense, our stress hormone, cortisol, is released into our bloodstream. It ramps up your appetite, so you are tempted to eat anything in sight.

Furthermore, cortisol targets foods that are loaded with carbohydrates and sugar. These foods cause your blood sugar levels to fluctuate rapidly, leaving you feeling unsatisfied. It is essential to make time for yourself to unwind and maintain healthy cortisol levels.

Action Step: Choose Your Calm

The key is to adopt a calm mindset. To achieve this, commit to incorporating one intentional stress-reducing activity into your daily routine. Choose one of the following activities that you enjoy:

• Running
• Hiking
• Yoga sessions
• Meditation
• Massage

Remember that consistency is far more important than the specific activity you choose. The goal is simply to take time to unwind and recharge. This daily practice prepares your body for its most important recovery period - sleep.

#2. Get Enough Sleep. It Is Your Body's Renewal Time

Sleep is crucial for many reasons, but it is especially vital for hormone balance. During sleep, your body renews itself by generating cells and monitoring your hormone levels.

If you don't get enough sleep, your body won't be able to recover from stressful events during the day, meaning you will start the next day with higher cortisol levels. This is not an ideal way to begin your weight loss journey.

Action Step: Commit To Recovery

Your action step here is a simple yet powerful commitment: prioritise getting enough sleep by aiming for 7–9 hours a night. Don't view sleep as a luxury, but as an essential recovery process that enables your body to reset and manage stress hormones effectively. Without enough sleep, your body won't be able to recover from stressful events, meaning you will start the next day with higher cortisol levels.

#3. Eat Little Meals Instead Of Big Ones

If you focus your calorie intake on several mini-meals a few hours apart from each other, you can trick your hormones into working for you rather than against you. If your mini-meals balance the right amount of fats, proteins, and carbs.

Smaller meals stimulate the growth hormone in your body during metabolism so that your system ends up operating more efficiently and burning more calories. Using tricks like these throughout the day will optimise your body's functioning so you can make the most of your diet and exercise plans.

Action Step #1: Eat Frequent Meals

Instead of eating three large meals, focus on eating several smaller meals spaced a few hours apart. This simple strategy has two major benefits. Firstly, it helps to manage ghrelin, the 'hunger hormone'. Since ghrelin levels are particularly high in the morning, it is important to start your day with a healthy breakfast.

Eating at least once every six hours can keep ghrelin levels low and help you avoid intense cravings. Secondly, smaller, more frequent meals stimulate growth hormone, helping your system to operate more efficiently and burn more calories.

Action Step #2: Add Hormone-Friendly Foods

Focus on adding powerful, hormone-balancing foods to your diet rather than on restriction. The following foods provide specific benefits to help your body manage key hormones like estrogen as you age.

Smart nutrition, when paired with purposeful exercise, creates a complete and powerful strategy for wellness.

#4. Hormonal Changes And Body Weight

Many people think that reducing calorie intake and increasing physical activity is the only key to losing weight. However, many other external factors can affect weight and chances for successful weight loss.

One of these factors is hormones. Certain hormones can facilitate weight loss, while others can hinder it. Below, discover some of the various hormones that impact weight loss and ways to manage them effectively.

Adiponectin

Adiponectin is a hormone that can facilitate weight loss by instructing the body to burn fat and use it as fuel. Having adequate amounts of this hormone in your body has been shown to make weight loss easier.

Boosting adiponectin levels can be achieved by eating more magnesium-rich foods, taking a magnesium supplement (typical dosage range: 200–400 mg daily; discuss with a physician) or engaging in intermittent fasting (such as the popular 16:8 approach).

Ghrelin

Another important hormone to be aware of is ghrelin, which is associated with feelings of hunger. Not eating raises ghrelin levels in the body, causing you to feel hungry. The higher your levels of ghrelin, the hungrier you will be, and the harder you will find it to resist temptation and to avoid eating unhealthy foods.

To keep ghrelin levels low, you'll want to make sure you're eating often. Eating once every six hours, at least, can keep ghrelin levels low and help you to avoid hunger. Also, eating a healthy breakfast can be helpful, since ghrelin levels are particularly high in the morning.

Cortisol

Just as with ghrelin, it is important to maintain healthy levels of cortisol in the body. Often called the 'stress hormone', cortisol is released when the body experiences stress, leading to food cravings, particularly for sugar and carbohydrates.

It also encourages the body to break down the muscles instead of fat, which is the last thing you want. And, worst of all, when cortisol levels are high, they prompt the body to store fat in the stomach area.

Cortisol is basically every dieter's worst nightmare, but you can drive your levels down by taking in less caffeine, getting more exercise, and reducing stress in your life!

As you can see, hormones can play a role in weight loss, but remember, you are in control, not your hormones. If your hormone levels are problematic for you, follow these tips or find more information on how to get them in balance!

#5. How To Workout

Changing hormones as you age can make it more difficult to lose weight unless you know how to eat and workout for mature women. You don't have to accept weight gain as a part of ageing. You can stay fit and prevent packing on those extra pounds by following a few tips.

Exercising For A Toned Body

Women believe that activities like yoga and walking can assist them in regaining their figure, but this is untrue. To restore HGH levels in the body, you must undertake weight training. This will reduce fat accumulation around the waistline and other parts of the body as you age.

It is necessary to practise strength training regularly. The advantages comprise a decrease in abdominal fat, better mood, stronger skeletal structure, enhanced physical power, and a toned body. Do not eliminate cardio exercises. Regular exercise can help decrease stress and the quantity of cortisol that is released in the body.

Action Step: Introduce Strength Training

Your goal is straightforward: Aim to do strength training exercises 2 to 3 times a week. Focus on compound movements such as squats, deadlifts and overhead presses, which recruit large muscle groups.

This type of weight training is important because it reduces fat accumulation around the waist by helping to restore HGH levels in the body. This has a wide range of benefits that extend far beyond aesthetics, including decreased abdominal fat, an improved mood and a stronger skeletal structure. Regular exercise is also an effective way to reduce stress and cortisol levels.

Dietary Supplements

Good nutrition is crucial alongside exercise and healthy eating habits. To safeguard your bones, essential nutrients such as calcium, vitamin D, and fish oil must be included in your diet.

Although weight training can help, it is not enough on its own. These provide additional benefits, like lowering inflammation, balancing hormones, and reducing the risk of cancer and cardiovascular disease.