How do I gain more control over my hormones?
May 14, 2017 12:24 PM Subscribe
I am looking for clear, concise information on how the connection between hormones and one's emotions affects weight.
It seems that my hormones dicate whether I drop below or go above my weight set point. Not much, maybe four or five pounds either way. I don't mind losing the few pounds. I do get annoyed when not only do I get back to my weight set point within a week, but then soar past it to the other end of the spectrum. I believe this has to do with my mental state, which in turn determines which hormones are active in my body.
When I am extremely stressed, I believe it is adrenaline that starts pumping, and the weight falls off. Correlated to the weight loss is not being able to eat because of the stress. The thing is, though, that when I do eat in this state, I can eat handfuls of high-calorie trail mix, half jars of peanut butter, pasta, dried fruit; none of this in great quantity, but enough that I don't collapse into a puddle of fatigue. I don't crave food. I'm too stressed to think about it, really. The weight stays off.
When I am depressed, all I can do is think about food, and crave it, constantly. I am a vegetarian and mindful of what I eat, so I do not gain massive amounts of weight, but the creeping poundage is annoying and makes me more depressed. I can feel my body slow down in this state, and it is very, very hard to resist that kind bar with the latte, instead of just the latte; the extra helping of trail mix (which is NOT my friend when I'm depressed) that bigger cake slice, etc. I've heard this has something to do with cortisol, but I am not sure of the connection.
I want to understand how hormones work with emotions in regulating weight, so that I can gain understanding of how to handle and control my emotional state in regards to food and eating. I am not looking for supplements, pills, etc unless they are natural and really can make a noticable difference. What I do want is to know how to control the "must eat" feeling I get when depressed. I exercise regularly. I have long ago made carrots my best friend. If this post is confusing, because I know so little about hormones and appetite and related factors, for which I apologize. What I really want to know, is how to eat the right time, and not forget to eat (like I do when stressed) or, after a dinner out, proceed to the cabinet at home to polish off the better part of a watermelon and a bag of raw almonds. Thanks.
It seems that my hormones dicate whether I drop below or go above my weight set point. Not much, maybe four or five pounds either way. I don't mind losing the few pounds. I do get annoyed when not only do I get back to my weight set point within a week, but then soar past it to the other end of the spectrum. I believe this has to do with my mental state, which in turn determines which hormones are active in my body.
When I am extremely stressed, I believe it is adrenaline that starts pumping, and the weight falls off. Correlated to the weight loss is not being able to eat because of the stress. The thing is, though, that when I do eat in this state, I can eat handfuls of high-calorie trail mix, half jars of peanut butter, pasta, dried fruit; none of this in great quantity, but enough that I don't collapse into a puddle of fatigue. I don't crave food. I'm too stressed to think about it, really. The weight stays off.
When I am depressed, all I can do is think about food, and crave it, constantly. I am a vegetarian and mindful of what I eat, so I do not gain massive amounts of weight, but the creeping poundage is annoying and makes me more depressed. I can feel my body slow down in this state, and it is very, very hard to resist that kind bar with the latte, instead of just the latte; the extra helping of trail mix (which is NOT my friend when I'm depressed) that bigger cake slice, etc. I've heard this has something to do with cortisol, but I am not sure of the connection.
I want to understand how hormones work with emotions in regulating weight, so that I can gain understanding of how to handle and control my emotional state in regards to food and eating. I am not looking for supplements, pills, etc unless they are natural and really can make a noticable difference. What I do want is to know how to control the "must eat" feeling I get when depressed. I exercise regularly. I have long ago made carrots my best friend. If this post is confusing, because I know so little about hormones and appetite and related factors, for which I apologize. What I really want to know, is how to eat the right time, and not forget to eat (like I do when stressed) or, after a dinner out, proceed to the cabinet at home to polish off the better part of a watermelon and a bag of raw almonds. Thanks.
Best answer: The thing is, up to 100% of those four or five pounds in either direction can be accounted for in hydration and the contents of your bowels (plus moisture content there, too). If you are a person who menstruates (or should menstruate), those people tend to fluctuate more than those who do not because those hormone cycles are a pretty strong driver of water retention and bowel motility.
Insulin is a player in the hormone arena, and is part of the equation that affects hydration and digestion. Some of your sluggishness at the higher end might literally be constipation. Stress or lack of sleep will do the same.
If you are a person who menstruates you might log your cycle plus dietary intake, sleep, exercise, output in quantity and quality, and you'll probably find a pretty strong correlation.
What I really want to know, is how to eat the right time, and not forget to eat (like I do when stressed) or, after a dinner out, proceed to the cabinet at home to polish off the better part of a watermelon and a bag of raw almonds. Thanks.
The logging would help you figure a lot of this out as well. So will meal-planning, eating on a schedule, and having a plan in place for when you have cravings *before* the cravings hit.
There are a lot of books on insulin resistance that will cover other issues like cortisol and maybe toe-dip into serotonin/dopamine, but it's become such a Diet Industry staple that it all seems like way overblown marketing manuals now. Maybe someone can chime in with one that is more concerned with the functionality rather than selling a diet or supplements.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:58 PM on May 14, 2017 [4 favorites]
Insulin is a player in the hormone arena, and is part of the equation that affects hydration and digestion. Some of your sluggishness at the higher end might literally be constipation. Stress or lack of sleep will do the same.
If you are a person who menstruates you might log your cycle plus dietary intake, sleep, exercise, output in quantity and quality, and you'll probably find a pretty strong correlation.
What I really want to know, is how to eat the right time, and not forget to eat (like I do when stressed) or, after a dinner out, proceed to the cabinet at home to polish off the better part of a watermelon and a bag of raw almonds. Thanks.
The logging would help you figure a lot of this out as well. So will meal-planning, eating on a schedule, and having a plan in place for when you have cravings *before* the cravings hit.
There are a lot of books on insulin resistance that will cover other issues like cortisol and maybe toe-dip into serotonin/dopamine, but it's become such a Diet Industry staple that it all seems like way overblown marketing manuals now. Maybe someone can chime in with one that is more concerned with the functionality rather than selling a diet or supplements.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:58 PM on May 14, 2017 [4 favorites]
Lack of sleep can cause hormonal changes that promote weight gain.
Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of key hormones that control appetite, so sleep-deprived people may be hungrier than those who get enough rest each night.
posted by Sockpuppets 'R' Us at 5:53 PM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
Lack of sleep disrupts the balance of key hormones that control appetite, so sleep-deprived people may be hungrier than those who get enough rest each night.
posted by Sockpuppets 'R' Us at 5:53 PM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]
i have the same problem you have re: the depression eating, and enlisted the assistance of some experts. they are using these resources from this organization to help me. here's an article about female hormone balance w/r/t nutrition: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/female-hormones
posted by zdravo at 6:35 PM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
posted by zdravo at 6:35 PM on May 14, 2017 [2 favorites]
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posted by gemutlichkeit at 12:38 PM on May 14, 2017 [1 favorite]