How to Reset Female Hormones For Weight Loss

Hormones can be helpful heroes, supporting the immune system and a healthy sleep-wake schedule. But they can also be culprits of frustrating body issues, like excess weight that won’t come off despite your best efforts. 

Like many women, you might be wondering how to reset female hormones for weight loss.

While you can’t technically “reset” your hormones, lifestyle changes can support healthy hormone production to help make weight loss easier. 

Read on for a breakdown of the hormones that affect your body weight and tips for supporting them so they work for you rather than against you.

Jump-starting your hormones to help your body lose weight sounds appealing. And while we wish it was as simple as pressing a reset button or shocking your system with booster cables, it’s a bit more complex.

What you eat, how you move your body, whether you’re getting enough sleep, and how you manage stress all play a role in hormonal balance. So, by making positive lifestyle changes, you might be able to get things back on track and improve your weight loss efforts.

The link between hormone health and weight loss is intricate and multifaceted.

Several hormones — such as insulin, leptin, ghrelin, cortisol, and thyroid hormones — have significant influence over your metabolism, appetite, and fat storage within your body. And imbalanced hormones can mess with these mechanisms.

Understanding how they’re all interrelated can help you make changes to address a possible hormonal imbalance and work toward your weight loss goals.

Hormone Imbalance and Weight Loss

Hormone-related health conditions — like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hypothyroidism, as well as life seasons like menopause — can lead to hormonal changes that make losing weight more challenging. 

For instance, with PCOS, high levels of insulin and testosterone can increase your appetite and promote fat storage, particularly around your midsection. 

Hypothyroidism (having an underactive thyroid gland) may slow metabolism, potentially resulting in weight gain despite efforts to eat fewer calories. And during menopause, fluctuations in progesterone and estrogen levels can make your body hang onto more belly fat. 

If weight loss is your goal, addressing hormonal imbalances is key. This often requires a combination of lifestyle modifications, medication, and possibly hormone therapy under medical supervision.

What to Know About Metabolic Age

Have you ever heard someone say, “I’m 65 today, but I don’t feel a day over 30?” Your metabolic age is sort of like that.

Chronological age is simply the number of years you’ve been alive. But metabolic age provides insight into how efficiently your body burns energy relative to other people of the same chronological age.

In other words, it compares your basal metabolic rate (BMR) to the average BMR for folks in your age group. BMR is the number of calories you’d burn each day just from being alive — or what you’d burn if you laid in bed all day without moving.

Having a metabolic age lower than your chronological age means your body is burning calories more efficiently than average — a general signal of good overall health and fitness.

On the other hand, a metabolic age higher than your chronological age could mean your metabolism is slower than average. In that case, dietary changes and other healthy lifestyle adjustments might be necessary for weight loss.

Research suggests metabolic age can predict a person’s risk for developing metabolic syndrome, a cluster of conditions that includes:

• Abdominal obesity

• High triglycerides

• Low “good” cholesterol

• High blood pressure (hypertension)

• High blood sugar

Metabolic age is just one way to assess health. Still, it can be useful for understanding how your body burns calories and why it might be resisting weight loss.

We tend to focus on food intake and exercise when talking about weight. Though they’re undoubtedly crucial, these aren’t the only factors.

Hormones have much to do with metabolism, food cravings, hunger-fullness cues, and even how weight is distributed around the body.

Several female hormone types matter for weight loss:

• Insulin

• Leptin

• Ghrelin

• Glucagon-like peptide 1

• Estrogen

• Cortisol

• Cholecystokinin

• Peptide YY

• Neuropeptide Y

• Testosterone

We’ll go over the purpose and functions of these 10 hormones, along with how they’re involved in weight management for women.

1. Insulin

Insulin is involved in regulating blood sugar (glucose) levels. It helps move glucose from your blood into your cells, where it can be used for energy. This hormone is also partly responsible for storing excess glucose in your liver, muscles, and fat tissues.

High insulin levels can prevent the breakdown of fat. This makes weight loss more challenging, as it tells your body to store excess calories rather than burn them for energy.

2. Leptin

Leptin is produced by fat cells. It helps regulate your appetite and how much energy you burn. This hormone signals to the brain when there’s enough fat stored in the body, which tells your appetite to reign it in and your metabolism to kick it up a notch.

Leptin resistance is associated with obesity. This is when your body may not respond properly to the hormone’s signals, leading to overeating and trouble losing weight despite having enough body fat stored.

3. Ghrelin

Ghrelin is a hunger hormone made by the stomach that stimulates appetite. It acts on the hypothalamus (the part of the brain that makes hormones relating to mood, hunger, and body temperature) to tell you to eat.

When ghrelin levels are high — often during periods of calorie restriction or weight loss attempts — it can lead to increased hunger and potentially hinder weight loss efforts.

4. Glucagon-Like Peptide-1

You’ve probably heard of glucagon-like peptide 1 (aka GLP-1), given the rising popularity of GLP-1 weight loss injections and obesity-management medications. 

This hormone is naturally released by the intestines in response to food, especially after meals high in carbohydrates and fats.

GLP-1 is heavily involved in blood sugar management. It triggers the release of insulin from the pancreas and prevents the release of glucagon. The hormone also slows down how fast your stomach empties its contents, helping you feel full longer after a meal — and potentially preventing overeating.

5. Estrogen

Estrogen is best known as a primary female sex hormone, but it’s also involved in metabolism.

Estrogen helps regulate fat distribution and storage throughout the body, which, for women, is usually more concentrated around the thighs and hips. 

When estrogen levels are off-balance — or when they fluctuate during life stages like menopause — it can disrupt metabolism. This could lead to unintentional weight gain.

6. Cortisol

You may know cortisol as “the stress hormone.” When your body is under stress, cortisol increases blood sugar levels to provide energy.

Although this response is helpful for short-term problems, like, say, running away from a bear, chronically elevated cortisol levels can disrupt your metabolism and promote excess fat storage.

7. Cholecystokinin

Cholecystokinin (CCK) is released by the small intestine when fats and proteins are present in the digestive system. It slows down gastric emptying (how quickly food leaves your stomach) to create feelings of fullness, which may help prevent overeating.

But when your body doesn’t have enough CCK, it could increase your appetite, making it hard to create the necessary calorie deficit to lose weight.

8. Peptide YY

The hormone peptide YY is released by your GI (gastrointestinal) tract when you eat protein and fat.

It acts on the appetite centers in your brain, helping your food intake stay in check by promoting fullness. Balancing this hormone may help support your weight loss goals. 

9. Neuropeptide Y

Neuropeptide Y is a neurotransmitter (brain chemical) that stimulates appetite. It aids in the storage of calories as fat and reduces how quickly energy is burned. 

When neuropeptide Y levels are higher than normal, you may notice increased food cravings and resulting weight gain.

10. Testosterone

You might be thinking, What’s testosterone doing in an article about how to balance female hormones? Well, testosterone isn’t just a male hormone. It’s also produced in women’s ovaries — albeit a much smaller amount.

In women, testosterone is involved in the development and maintenance of lean muscle mass. It also influences how fat is distributed in the body. Low testosterone levels may lead to more fat sitting around the abdomen.

The best ways to reset female hormone levels for weight loss involve lifestyle changes, including eating a nutritious diet, exercising, finding ways to manage stress, and getting enough sleep.

These strategies will not only support sustainable weight loss but also improve overall well-being. Here’s what you can try.

1. Get Active

Exercise helps support weight loss goals by burning calories, yes, but it’s also a key component of hormone management. How so? Regular physical activity triggers the release of endorphins and other hormones that decrease cortisol and overall stress.

Exercise also helps combat insulin resistance, which leads to better blood sugar regulation. What’s more, testosterone production increases when you’re active. This helps support the development and preservation of lean muscle mass while boosting fat metabolism and overall weight loss.

Your best bet for weight loss is combining cardiovascular exercises (like swimming, biking, running, or group fitness classes) with resistance training and strength exercises. Resistance training has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity and blood sugar regulation.

In a study on elderly Korean women, 60 minutes of exercise multiple times a week resulted in benefits on hormonal status and physical function.

2. Make Healthy Food Choices

It’s no surprise that what you put in your body plays a significant role in your weight. Eating more nutrient-dense foods can help support normal hormone production, which could make it easier to lose weight.

“Hormone-reset diets” often follow a Mediterranean, vegetarian, dairy-free, or otherwise plant-based diet pattern. But you don’t need to follow a specific diet. 

Instead, eat a balanced diet of:

• Fruits and vegetables

• Whole grains and complex carbs like oats, brown rice, and quinoa 

• Healthy fats like avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil  

• Legumes like chickpeas, lentils, and beans 

• Lean proteins like chicken, turkey, and tofu

These foods are naturally lower in calories than ultra-processed foods (think baked goods, packaged snacks, and sodas). They also provide an array of nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals and regulate insulin levels.

3. Find Healthy Ways to Manage Stress

Modern living comes with an endless supply of reasons to be stressed out. This means it’s super important to figure out healthy ways to combat stress so it doesn’t take a toll on your health — physically or mentally.

Chronic stress can contribute to hormonal imbalance and unintentional weight gain (as well as trouble losing weight).

Think about your stress triggers and what might help you overcome them. A few ideas include: 

• Meditation

• Deep breathing

• Taking nature walks

• Listening to calming music

• Journaling

• Yoga

Incorporating practices like these into your life can help you avoid overeating or reaching for junk food when you’re stressed.

4. Catch Better Zs

Experts recommend adults get seven to nine hours of quality sleep every night. Not only does being fully rested help prevent crabbiness and trouble focusing, but it also supports hormonal balance.

You can improve your sleep by: 

• Keeping a regular sleep schedule 

• Cutting down on caffeine 

• Avoiding large meals before bed

Getting better sleep helps regulate the production of ghrelin and leptin, which are involved in appetite and satiety. When these hormones are out of whack, you’re more likely to overeat because your body’s hunger-fullness cues are askew.

5. Talk to a Healthcare Provider

Weight management is a multifaceted and personal process. 

If you’re having trouble losing weight, your best bet might be talking to a healthcare provider. They can determine whether you’re experiencing hormone imbalances and, if necessary, help you figure out how to reset hormones for weight loss.

This might involve conversations about: 

• Hormone replacement therapy

• Intermittent fasting

• Supplements

• Weight loss medications

Whether it’s your primary care physician, a hormone specialist, or a registered dietitian knowledgeable in female weight loss, a medical professional can tailor a plan to your specific needs. They may also have insight into how to reset female hormones for weight loss.

Whether they’re being blamed for bloating and chocolate cravings during your menstrual cycle or for the adult acne you thought you left behind at 17, hormones are constantly involved in many aspects of daily life.

Weight loss is often more than just calories in versus calories out. Balancing hormones for weight loss can be an easily overlooked factor of women’s health. But knowledge is power.

Here’s the bottom line on how to balance hormones for weight loss:

• Many hormones are involved. Hormones are always working, for better or worse, when it comes to appetite, food cravings, metabolism, and fat storage. Rather than trying to target one specific thing, a broader approach with multiple lifestyle changes might be best.

• Strategies for hormonal balance are also strategies for weight loss. A healthy diet, better sleep, stress management, and regular exercise target both weight loss and hormonal balance. This might be a relief in the sense that you don’t have to do double the work to meet two separate goals.

• Ask for professional help. Hormones are complex, and weight loss requires a personalized approach. A healthcare provider can help you figure out if you’re actually experiencing a hormone imbalance or if something else is going on. Additionally, a dietitian can help you create a plan.

Looking for more guidance on achieving a healthy weight, or want to learn more about weight loss medications? Start by taking our free weight loss assessment.