Hormonal Changes and Body Fat: Why Your Body Stores Fat Differently
Stubborn fat areas are influenced by more than just our weight. We have fat-storage hormones that affect how quickly we lose fat and where we store it.
To better understand hormonal body fat, it’s important to first understand fat storage in general.
We are all born with a specific number of fat cells, and as we age, that number stays pretty stable, but their size can increase dramatically.
When we eat, our bodies break down macronutrients into glucose, amino acids, and fatty acids. This raises our blood sugar, prompting the release of insulin. Insulin opens our cells, allowing them to take in glucose for energy.
Then insulin signals that excess energy be converted into triglycerides, which are stored in your fat cells.
How hormones influence fat storage
When we struggle with stubborn fat areas, it is due to several factors: genetics, hormones, and an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase (LPL), which acts like a fat-gathering magnet.
Our individual genetics tell our bodies where to store fat first. It could be the hips, thighs, or belly; it all depends on your specific DNA.
Fat-storage hormones also play a major role in determining where our fat is stored. Estrogen typically directs excess fat to the hips and thighs, whereas testosterone and cortisol usually direct it to the midsection.
Hormones also decide whether it’s burned for fuel, used to build muscle, or sent to your cells for storage.
When your hormones are out of balance, hormonal body fat occurs because your body holds onto fat instead of using it for energy.
The main hormones
Insulin: The most powerful fat-storage hormone in the body. Insulin’s function is to clear sugar (glucose) from the bloodstream.
When your insulin levels are high, it shuts off fat burning and switches to fat storage, leading to excess hormonal body fat.
Cortisol: The burst of energy we get from the fight-or-flight response is triggered by cortisol. Chronic low-grade stress keeps our cortisol levels elevated, which increases blood sugar and spikes insulin. This, in turn, triggers fat storage.
A large amount of cortisol receptors live in deep visceral fat, or belly fat, which is why chronically stressed people carry excess fat in their belly.
Estrogen and progesterone: For women, estrogen directs fat to the hips, buttocks, and thighs. When estrogen levels drop during menopause, storage usually shifts to the belly area.
Testosterone: The fat burner for both men and women. It helps build muscle mass, and muscles burn a lot more calories, even when we are sitting.
Low testosterone levels are linked to midsection body fat, and fat storage in this area creates a vicious cycle by further lowering testosterone levels.
Leptin: Your fat cells produce leptin, which signals to your brain how much energy you have stored.
The downside is that sometimes your fat cells tell your brain you don’t need more energy, but your brain doesn’t hear the signal. This happens during periods of significant weight gain.
Thyroid hormones T3 and T4: These determine the speed of your fat burning. Low levels slow fat burning to a crawl, even when you aren’t overeating.
Common causes of hormonal shifts
- Dietary choices. The wrong choices spike insulin and increase fat storage.
- Chronic stress.
- Sleep deprivation.
- Sedentary behavior.
- Aging
- Your body fat percentage.
- Environmental toxins.
- Alcohol consumption.
All of these factors can negatively affect your hormones, increasing fat storage.
Areas most affected by hormonal fat gain
For women, the hips, thighs, underarms, buttocks, and later in life, the abdomen. For men, belly fat is the most common hormonal fat.
How treatments can help target stubborn fat
Skin tightening and laser lipo are two powerful tools for targeting stubborn fat. Laser lipo destroys some fat cells, making it harder to regain weight in the treatment area.
Complementing that is our skin-tightening system, which contours, smooths the skin, eliminates cellulite, and tightens loose skin caused by aging and weight loss.
Together, they offer some of the best ways to sculpt your body without surgery or downtime.
Lifestyle tips to support balance
To balance your hormones and remain in fat-burning mode, adopt these habits:
- Eat fiber first. Start meals with veggies to reduce the insulin response.
- Protein is the priority. 25-30g per meal to stabilize ghrelin and support muscle gain and stability.
- Get 10 minutes of morning sunlight to regulate your circadian rhythm and cortisol spikes.
- Resistance training to boost testosterone and insulin sensitivity is superior to cardio.
- Limit sugar intake. Alcohol and soda are the biggest contributors to belly fat storage.
- Aim for 7 hours of sleep per night.
LightRx offers powerful solutions for targeting stubborn fat. Schedule a free consultation to discuss your goals and develop a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
