Bella Adams
If the pounds don’t drop despite training and dieting, it’s often not because of the wrong workout or too many calories. Instead, hormones often act like a fat-burn brake. We show you how to regulate them – and a 21-day hormone diet program.
Eat less, exercise more – almost everyone who wants to lose weight is guided by this dogma. If there is no success despite measly portions and daily exercise, we either torture ourselves even more or give up.
Both are frustrating – and counterproductive, as Dr. Sara Gottfried, US gynecologist, and hormone expert. “Being overweight isn’t just about calories and exercise, it’s also about hormonal imbalances,” she says.
Hormones have this influence on the metabolism
Hormones are messengers. They transmit messages from A to B in the body and thus control all metabolic processes. They dictate what our body does with food, where and how much fat is stored, what we have an appetite for, and what our sleep quality, gut flora, and mood are like.
Several hormone reactions are often interlinked.
This is what makes the system so vulnerable. If it gets stuck in one place, there will be a domino effect. Luckily, it’s mostly up to us to balance the chaos. Small lifestyle changes are often enough to bring the hormone balance back into balance.
Sleep: an important hormonal factor
Our sleep can decide whether we are overweight or ideal weight. After just four nights with less than seven hours of sleep, insulin and ghrelin levels are increased – we are more hungry and store more fat.
Leptin, the satiety hormone, is suppressed. In addition, the stress hormone cortisol increases after a night of drinking and causes bad decisions and cravings. The only solution: go to bed earlier.
Figure trap stress
Chronic stress is toxic to the body because it permanently increases cortisol levels.
The trigger does not have to be a measurably full appointment calendar. Even arguments, frustration, lack of exercise, or lack of time for relaxation can put our body in a hormonal state of permanent alert.
The last thing he wants is to give up protective fat reserves and forego comfort foods. Reducing stress also brings your hormones back into balance.
The cholesterol myth
The low-fat trend of past decades is still stubborn. Eggs, butter, and high-fat protein sources have been demonized for their cholesterol content. The study situation for these recommendations is proving to be flawed today. Cholesterol is not bad.
It occurs in the body as HDL and LDL cholesterol. Just too much of the latter is unhealthy. HDL cholesterol is essential for the production of metabolic hormones. Good fats from fish, olive oil, avocados, nuts, and eggs should therefore be present in every meal.
Losing weight with the hormone diet
A real restart for the hormone balance promises Dr. Gottfried’s 21-day diet (“The hormone diet”, approx. 20 euros).
The theory: There are seven essential metabolic hormones – and they can be reversed from weight loss blockers to allies in 72 hours.
So that you don’t have to change your eating habits overnight, one hormone after the other is tackled at three-day intervals. After three weeks your metabolism is regulated and up to seven kilograms are gone.
Balance food: Which foods help?
According to the “Food First Strategy” of Dr. Gottfried, it is almost always possible for healthy people to regulate their hormones with a fork.
Certain foods are generally considered hormone-friendly because they are good for the whole body. Others have a high potential for disruption. Here is a small selection:
Hormone Disruptors: Red meat, deli meats, sugar, fruit, dairy, wheat, alcohol, coffee, processed foods
Hormone Regulators: Oily Fish, Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, Avocado, Nuts & Seeds, Lettuce & Vegetables, Water, Green Tea
The hormone diet: Your 21-day plan
Lots of water, 500 grams of vegetables, and 30 minutes of exercise – anything that’s fun counts – are daily staples. There’s a diet for that. It may be tough, but it shows strong results!
Days 1-3: estrogens
Meat and alcohol are first on the hit list. Abstinence is a weight loss initial ignition for all with increased estrogen levels – a common disorder in women.
Men are not exempt, estrogen dominance in old age often manifests itself in fat deposits in the hip and chest area.
Meat is replaced with fish, legumes, or eggs. 30 to 40 grams of fiber per day will help flush out excess estrogen. Since alcohol sabotages every weight loss mission – especially in combination with too much estrogen – abstinence is worth it from day one.
Days 4-6: Insulin
When blood sugar levels rise, insulin is released. But when sugar molecules and insulin circulate in the blood, fat breakdown is blocked.
If you constantly eat sweets, your cells become insulin-resistant – that is, they react less sensitively. As a result, the body releases even more insulin. This causes cravings, fat storage and increases the risk of diabetes.
“Sugar detox is the most effective way to lose fat,” justifies Dr. Sara Gottfried took this drastic step. With a maximum of 15 grams of carbohydrates per day, healthy insulin receptors regenerate within 72 hours.
Days 7-9: leptin
If we eat too much fructose (fruit or finished products), the liver is overwhelmed and stores it directly in the fat cells. These release the hormone leptin, which signals to the brain that we are full.
However, the fructose flash does not make you fuller but makes your brain resistant to the stimulus of satiety. Overeating becomes easy. In this phase, fruit, juices, smoothies, and fructose products are taboo.
Days 10-12: Cortisol
Cortisol is released during chronic stress and can make fat loss more difficult. While we primarily counteract this with relaxation and sleep, on a nutritional level, coffee and caffeine withdrawal can lower our cortisol levels.
Days 13-15: Thyroid
Thyroid problems affect weight. Current studies show that those affected often cannot tolerate gluten.
Cutting out gluten-containing grains for a while makes sense for anyone trying to lose weight, and not just because of the high carb and calorie content.
Industrial grains often cause digestive problems, they are highly processed, contain few healthy nutrients, and are not very filling.
Days 16-18: growth hormones
We also need our growth hormone (HGH) after we are fully grown. It is involved in many metabolic processes and can also help with weight loss. The problem is the intake of too much artificial HGH.
This is also in conventional dairy products as cows are injected with HGH to increase their productivity. In this phase, milk, yogurt, and cheese are replaced with plant-based alternatives.
Days 19-21: Testosterone
Toxic substances from cosmetics and packaging get into our blood and behave like estrogens there. These so-called xenoestrogens can massively disrupt the hormonal balance.
They promote insulin and estrogen dominance and weaken our muscle hormone testosterone, which is so important for metabolism. Consciously reading the contents information on packaging for three days is eye-opening.
Hidden hormone toxins
Our bodies come into contact with around 500 chemicals every day: pesticides in food, genetically modified foods, chemical cocktails in cleaning products and cosmetics, and plasticizers in containers. The list of substances that are toxic and foreign to the body is endless.
These three are particularly common and a good guide to choosing less toxic and endocrine-disrupting products in the future. Little shopping helpers: the ToxFox and CodeCheck apps.
- Parabens: possibly in body lotion, cream, lipstick
- Phthalates (emollients): possibly in shower gel, shampoo, deodorant, hairspray, plastic bottles, and containers
- Sodium lauryl sulfate: possibly in soap, toothpaste, shampoo, and conditioner
After the diet
Anyone who goes through the 21 days deserves applause and can gradually reintroduce foods that were eliminated.
Important: Pay attention to what is good for your body and what is not. Then it works with the individual hormone balance.
Nutrition plan: One day during the hormone diet
Admittedly, the hormonal diet removes some of your favorite foods from your diet. But the sacrifice is worth it. After just a few days, the cravings go away, because now there is a lot of protein, healthy fat, and nutrient-rich vegetables on the plate. Just everything that the body needs to ignite the weight loss turbo.
Morning: green tea. Scrambled eggs or three egg omelets plus two large handfuls of spinach and a cup of greens
(e.g. green asparagus, zucchini), fried in olive or coconut oil.
Lunch: Chicken with large salad (e.g. romaine, rocket, white cabbage, artichoke hearts) with olive oil and vinegar plus fried vegetables (e.g. peppers) or Asian soup with chicken, coconut milk, pak choy, and mushrooms.
Evening: Fried fatty fish such as salmon or herring, along with steamed vegetables (e.g. broccoli) and a large salad (e.g. romaine lettuce, rocket, white cabbage, artichoke hearts). Olive oil and vinegar as a dressing.
