Hack Your Hormones: How to Look and Feel Your Best, Especially When You’re 50+
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Want to know a secret I learned about losing weight after my 50th birthday?
This is my story.
After I turned 50, my doctor said I needed to slim down. At 192 pounds, he said I’d start to experience a host of health issues that could cut my life short.
At the age of 53, I saw a 55-year-old woman on the news running marathons and thought to myself, “If she can do it I can too!” Of course, it wasn’t something I could jump into immediately. The road was paved with pitfalls as I didn’t know how to get to the finish line. I attempted to starve myself, exercise until I was exhausted, and nearly gave up the process entirely.
So what if I told you that it IS possible to get back in shape in your 50s and have an amazing, healthy life without fad diets, extreme exercise regimes, or expensive supplements?
Here’s where I let you in on my “secret” responsible for my success – hormones.
Hormones play a vital role in our body, especially when we get older. With the help of my doctor, I learned facts about hormones that can help us all learn how to keep our bodies in balance and take charge of our health and weight, even after 50.
Fact #1: Hormones impact our body weight and shape
Our bodies are filled with hormones that regulate appetite, metabolism, and fat storage. Some tell you you’re hungry, while others tell you that you’ve had enough.
Ghrelin is known as the hunger hormone. It stimulates appetite through the part of your brain responsible for hunger – the hypothalamus. It also affects glucose metabolism and your sleep-wake cycle. Leptin, on the other hand, is known as the satiety hormone and is secreted by fat cells. They signal to your brain that you’re full and should stop eating. An imbalance of these appetite hormones can make you eat more than your body needs and can lead to weight gain.
What’s more, there are other hormones that regulate the body’s fat storage and breakdown. For example, cortisol, the stress hormone, influences how much fat is stored in your body. Too much and it will hang around for a long time!
Fluctuations in hormones can ultimately make you gain weight, especially in certain parts of the body – this certainly explains why I had a wider midsection in my 50s!
Fact #2: Hormones change as we get older
When we’re younger, hormones work together in a balanced way. But as we get older, they start to get out of balance which can lead to cravings and an increase in fat storage.
If your hormones aren’t balanced, it’s harder to lose weight and even maintain a healthy weight. Women in particular experience more drastic hormonal changes around the time of menopause and can find themselves gaining weight despite their best efforts.
Looking for a solution? Following a cookie-cutter diet won’t likely work because your body is responding to hormones that aren’t in balance. As inflammation and insulin resistance increase, hormones can become further imbalanced. Even leptin, the satiety hormone, can become resistant to your body’s signals and make it harder for you to lose weight.
Leptin resistance is the number one reason why so many people struggle with weight loss after 50. So, even if you’re trying to lose weight, you could be fighting a losing battle!
Fact #3: Exercise and diet affect our hormone production
Maybe you’ve tried cutting out carbs or starting numerous unsustainable diets with little success, resulting in the yo-yo effect – when people lose weight, only to gain it back shortly after. These types of diets simply don’t address the underlying problem.
These extreme diets can even impact your endocrine system, making it harder to maintain balance. After all, your endocrine system is responsible for hormone production, including the hormones that help you lose weight and regulate your metabolism.
What can help? Finding balance in your diet that goes beyond just “eating healthy”.
Until I tried an anti-inflammatory diet, I wasn’t able to see results. Because let’s face it, fad diets have never and will never work. With restrictions that are too extreme and hormones that are still out of balance, you’ll just end up back at square one.
Aging shouldn’t be an excuse or a hindrance to your health goals, because you know what? It’s 100% possible to get back on track and lose weight. The key is understanding that hormones play a huge role in your body.
Here’s the weight loss method that worked for me
After discovering how my hormones were holding me back, my doctor suggested adopting an anti-inflammatory diet to bring everything into balance. I started my journey with a quick quiz through Immudi, which asked about my metrics and lifestyle. I was then given an anti-inflammatory plan crafted by professional nutritionists and experts.
I could forget about counting calories and instead focus on eating a balanced diet – including the foods I loved. The easy-to-follow plan came with trackers, support, and other tools that accompanied me through the entire process. I no longer had to feel alone in my journey.
After about a week of following the anti-inflammatory diet, my energy levels went through the roof. My clothes fit better, and I felt lighter. In no time at all, I was on a shopping trip to pick out brand-new clothes in smaller sizes.
One month later, I realized that I was finally going through the motions with my new lifestyle. My friends gushed over my transformation, and I was feeling more confident in myself than ever before. But what I loved the most? I felt amazing in my own skin.
Before, I felt like a seesaw with my hormones going up and down. But now? Everything is in balance – and I owe it all to understanding the connection between my hormones my weight and my overall health.
So don’t wait! Don’t let your age stop you from feeling and looking your best. By taming inflammation and getting your hormones, you can achieve the best version of yourself without the guilt and struggle.
Take advantage of Immudi’s limited-time offer – start the free quiz and get your plan today!
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