The Weight Loss Warriors | Julie Dennis

Woman in warrior poseAre you unhappy with some part of your body and want to change it? Have you tried to make a change in the past but it’s not worked out?

If you want to lose weight and change your body shape there’s a crucial step to take before you even start looking at what you eat or the way in which you exercise. And if you skip that step you will not succeed. You need to understand your unique hormone balance.

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They control everything from your weight and appetite through to your libido, your mood and your behaviours. They’re impacted by your food choices, the environment, stress, the chemicals in food packaging and even the way in which you exercise.

If over a period of time your hormone levels become unbalanced and stay unbalanced, one of the things that happens is that your body becomes much better at holding onto it’s fat stores than burning them. And particularly holding onto the fat in certain areas of your body such as the back of the arms, your tummy or around your hips and bum.

For women and for weight loss there are three hormones that it’s essential you get in balance: cortisol, oestrogen and insulin. These three form the holy trinity of hormones when it comes to body shape. They are weight loss warriors for women everywhere battling bingo wings, muffin tops and saddle bags.

Cortisol – the boss

First of all lets take a quick look at cortisol. She’s the boss of this group and keeps you focused and functioning when you’re under stress. When your cortisol levels are balanced you feel calm, cool and collected.

High cortisol is the most common hormone imbalance facing women today and the effects include disrupted sleep, migraines and the old muffin top because it encourages fat storage particularly around your middle.

Oestrogen – the babe

The second weight loss warrior in our trio is oestrogen. If cortisol is the boss then oestrogen is the babe of this group.

Oestrogen ups your libido, keeps your mood stable and helps keep those wrinkles at bay. Oestrogen is the hormone that defines you as a women. Externally, she gives you hips and breasts and internally she manages your mood by adjusting your serotonin (happy hormone) levels.

When your oestrogen levels are balanced your skin is smooth and hydrated and your moods stabilize. You feel feminine, content and vital.

Raised levels of oestrogen causes bloating, swollen ankles and mood swings. It can slow down the release of fat to be used as energy, particularly from around your hips and bum area. Oestrogen is responsible for your saddlebags!

The key areas insulin deposits fat are around your waist, on your back and under your arms – insulin is responsible for your bingo wings!

Insulin – the key holder

The third and final weight loss warrior in this group is insulin and insulin holds the key to fat storage. The main job of insulin is to regulate your blood sugar levels. She takes sugar out of your blood stream and stores it as glycogen in your muscle and liver cells. Once the muscle and liver cells are full, insulin will take any remaining sugar and store it in your fat cells. But she doesn’t just store it there, she locks it in and hides the key so it’s nearly impossible for your body to access that fat and use it as energy.

The key areas insulin deposits fat are around your waist, on your back and under your arms – insulin is responsible for your bingo wings!

Your weight loss warriors are immensely powerful in the battle of the bulge. If you can get them working together, you’ll avoid weight gain, poor sleep patterns and that dreaded afternoon energy slump.

Discover the five signs your hormones are affecting your body shape AND what you can do about it at www.juliedennis.net/WATC

About the author

Julie Dennis is a weight loss specialist for women over 40 and through menopause. She is WATC's new fitness and health blogger. Follow Julie’s blog or visit: www.juliedennis.net.
Visa - WeAreTheCity - Pioneer 20 - nominations open
WeAreTech Festival 2024 advert

Upcoming Events

march, 2024

Job Board Banner

Related Posts