Weight loss can be challenging under normal circumstances, but it becomes even more frustrating when a hormone imbalance is at play. Today's guest is the author of The Women's Guide to Hormonal Harmony, Lacey Dunn.

Lacey Dunn, MS, RD, LD, CPT, founder of UpliftFit Nutrition and host of the UpliftFit Nutrition podcast, is a functional medicine dietitian with a fiery passion for helping women feel and look their very best. People call her the “Hormone Fairy Godmother,” as her one mission in life is to help women go from surviving to thriving. Dunn specializes in all things hormones, thyroid, gut, and metabolism and incorporates on-going education into her daily life.

In this episode, Lacey will share information and strategies that will help you get your hormones back in balance and shed a few pounds in the process.

Calories in vs. calories out is not all that matters. Your body is an everchanging organism, not a car with one set fuell-need and way to run. You have hormones that can increase or decrease your metabolism, and hormonal imbalances can play a great role in your ability to maintain or change your body composition and weight.

Hormonal Imbalance Signs and Symptoms

Some of the signs and symptoms of imbalanced hormone levels may include the following:

* loss of muscle mass* accumulating more belly fat* hot flashes* tender breasts* menstrual cycle being either too light or too heavy* debilitating pain with menstruation* low motivation* low libido * hair loss* trouble sleeping* cold intolerance* heart palpitations* insulin resistance * overweight or obesity* night sweats (mostly occurring during menopause)* infertility

Hormone Imbalance Weight Loss Tips

We want to bring back that hormonal balance. Especially if you have low levels of cortisol, progesterone, testosterone. Caring for your adrenal glands is one of the best things you can do for overall wellness, including being at the right body weight for you.

* Allow yourself to sloth (chill out when you need to and rest when necessary)* Focus on good sleep hygiene (wear blue light blocking glasses)* Don't starve yourself in dieting* Balance your blood sugar throughout the day* Smart snacking - always adding in that protein to balance meals* Avoid the grind and treat your body well* Have thyroid hormones checked * See a practitioner well versed in women's health, have hormone levels checked* Know about leptin, ghrelin, and how to stop cravings

Estrogen

One of the major role players when it comes to metabolism. Estrogen dominance can cause weight gain around the middle body and even hips and thighs. 

keeping estrogen levels balanced is important for the maintenance of lean muscle tissue, bone health, and regulating body temperature.

Cortisol

Too much cortisol will cause your body to store fat, you may notice it in your face, back, and abdomen. With an excess of cortisol, the body holds on to water weight. 

Blood sugar levels and blood pressure along with proper immune function are controlled by cortisol. Having too much cortisol will leave you tired and wired, crashing mid-day, but unable to sleep at night. Too much cortisol can lead to insulin resistance and even heart disease.

Meaning we can less use glucose for fuel and more readily store glucose as body fat. So we develop insulin resistance. We develop a lot of inflammation because the cortisol that normally helps combat inflammation then actually becomes inflammatory.