Hormones and Weight Gain: What You Need to Know

 Ever feel like no matter how carefully you eat or how faithfully you exercise, the scale just won’t budge? You’re not alone! Many people struggle with stubborn weight, and the reason often comes down to hormones.

Hormones are chemical messengers in your body that control everything from appetite and metabolism to mood and energy levels. When your hormones are out of balance, losing weight can feel like an uphill battle – but understanding how they work can give you a great advantage in finding the right path to a sustainable weight loss program.

How Hormones Affect Your Weight

Hormones influence weight in three key ways:

 Appetite and cravings – Hormones like ghrelin (hunger hormone) and leptin (satiety hormone) tell your brain when you’re hungry or full. If these signals are off, you might eat more than you need.

 Fat storage and metabolism – Insulin helps regulate blood sugar, but high insulin levels can cause your body to store fat instead of burning it. Thyroid hormones control how quickly your body burns calories, affecting your metabolism.

 Energy balance and mood – Hormones impact energy levels and motivation. Low testosterone, estrogen, or thyroid hormones can leave you feeling tired, which can reduce physical activity and make weight loss harder.

Key Hormones That Influence Weight

Here’s a closer look at some of the main hormones that affect weight:

• Insulin – Regulates blood sugar; excess can promote fat storage.
• Leptin – Signals fullness; resistance can lead to overeating.
• Ghrelin – Triggers hunger; rises before meals and falls afterward.
• Cortisol – Stress hormone; chronic high levels can increase belly fat.
• Thyroid Hormones (T3, T4) – Control metabolism; low levels slow calorie burning.
• Sex Hormones (Estrogen, Testosterone, Progesterone) – Imbalances, especially during menopause or low testosterone, can affect fat distribution and muscle mass.

How Hormonal Imbalances Hinder Weight Loss

Hormonal imbalances are common and can make losing weight more difficult:

• Hypothyroidism can slow your metabolism, making it harder to burn calories.
• High cortisol from stress or lack of sleep can increase abdominal fat.
• Insulin resistance can lead to fat storage and make dieting less effective.

It’s important to understand that experiencing these obstacles aren’t signs of failure – they are physiological challenges that can be addressed.

The Good News: GLP-1 is a Hormone that Works FOR You!

As you undoubtedly already know, GLP-1 medications have revolutionized type 2 diabetes and weight loss treatment. But did you know that GLP-1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide-1) is a natural hormone produced in the small intestine? Cleveland Clinic provides this guide to how it works.

Triggering insulin release from your pancreas — Insulin is an essential hormone that allows your body to use the food you eat for energy. It lowers the amount of glucose (sugar) in your blood. If you don’t have enough insulin, your blood sugar increases, leading to diabetes.

Blocking glucagon secretion — Glucagon is a hormone your body uses to raise your blood sugar levels when necessary. So, GLP-1 prevents more glucose from going into your bloodstream.

Slowing stomach emptying — Slower digestion means that your body releases less glucose from the food you eat into your bloodstream.

Increasing how full you feel after eating (satiety) — GLP-1 affects areas of your brain that processes hunger and satiety.

While your body produces GLP-1 naturally, GLP-1 agonist medications work by mimicking this hormone. In medication terms, an agonist is a manufactured substance that attaches to a cell receptor and causes the same action as the naturally occurring substance. In other words, GLP-1 medications bind to GLP receptors to trigger the effects (or roles) of the GLP-1 hormone. The satiety effect of GLP-1 agonists reduces your food intake, appetite and hunger, resulting in weight loss. You may be familiar with this medication as semaglutide, which is manufactured under the brand names Ozempic® and Wegovy®.

Some weight loss medications – such as Monujaro® and Zepbound® – include tirzepatide. This prescription medication’s dual-action mechanism stimulates both GLP-1 and GIP receptors, offering a broader span of metabolic benefits and appetite control than semaglutide alone. GIP induces weight loss by stimulating satiety in the hypothalamus – the area of the brain that produces hormones that control hunger. Tirzepatide’s benefits for weight loss in adults are as follows:

• Enhanced appetite suppression.
• Insulin regulation.
• Increased metabolism.

Take Control of Your Hormones and Weight with a Medical Weight Loss Program

Hormones can make weight loss challenging, but understanding them gives you the edge. If you’ve struggled to lose weight despite your best efforts, a personalized medical weight loss program could help you get results that last.

Medical weight loss utilizes GLP-1 medications to safely achieve significant results when prescribed by a doctor specializing in medical weight loss as part of a comprehensive program that includes diet and moderate exercise. William E. Newsome, M.D. – Medical Director and co-owner of Solutions Weight Loss – can put you on the road to success, beginning with your in-person consultation. During your first appointment, Dr. Newsome will measure your BMI (body mass index), take your vital signs (body temperature, pulse rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure) and talk with you about your medical history to learn about any health conditions you’ve had or currently have.

During this appointment, Dr. Newsome will also have an in-depth conversation with you about your weight loss goals. If you feel frustrated by the lack of results and setbacks from previous weight loss programs and fad diets you’ve tried, Dr. Newsome will be able to relate to your experiences. He has been where you are, and knows that losing excess weight is a difficult and emotional process.

Based upon your consultation, Dr. Newsome will evaluate and prescribe for you the best medication treatment plan to achieve your goals. We offer high-quality, safe and affordable compounded GLP-1 medications like semaglutide and tirzepatide. Research shows that when combined with one-on-one physician coaching, low-calorie diet and lifestyle changes, they are the safest and most effective approach to achieve sustainable weight loss. Our blog post – “The Benefits of Medical Appetite Control” – describes in detail how GLP-1 medications work to control appetite, as does our website’s Medications page.

Although GLP-1 medications are now getting the most attention, phentermine is an FDA-approved, once-daily diet pill that aids in weight loss by suppressing appetite. Available only with a doctor’s prescription, this stimulant and appetite suppressant is probably the most well-known weight loss medication in the world due to its relative safety and efficacy – recognized as a safe and effective way to decrease hunger while dieting. Based upon your consultation with Dr. Newsome, this may be the medication he determines will be best for your individual situation.

The doctor-patient relationship is essential to successful, sustainable weight loss. Dr. Newsome and our entire Solutions Weight Loss team are with you on every step of your medical weight loss journey! You’ll never feel that you’re on your own. You will know us, and we will know you – which allows us to give you the individual help and advice you need!

Our Record in Getting Significant, Sustained Results for Our Patients

Solutions Weight Loss internal results prove our medically supervised program is effective at driving long-term improvements to metabolic health and weight loss, with an average of 21% weight loss at 12 months; 19.1% at 18 months, and 18.9% at 24 months. Our members have also decreased their waist circumference by 7 inches, on average. These results are superior to the weight loss seen in clinical trials for GLP-1 medications. Regardless of which medication they take, our members have demonstrated significant and sustained results!

See what makes Solutions Weight Loss the #1 weight loss clinic in Florida! Schedule your consultation with Dr. Newsome here, or call 407-413-5503, and experience the benefits of today’s metabolic approach to sustainable weight loss! End the frustrating cycle of serial dieting and start living your best life!