How Hormones Affect Weight

Your body’s hormones act like messengers that tell you when to eat, when to stop, and how to use or store energy. When these signals are balanced, reaching and maintaining a healthy weight feels much easier. But when stress, poor sleep, or certain food choices throw hormones off track, it can feel like your body is working against you.

Hormones have a profound impact on weight, energy, and metabolism, and both women and men can experience more stubborn weight challenges at different stages of life. For women, changes during puberty, pregnancy, postpartum, and menopause can alter levels of oestrogen and progesterone, influencing appetite, fat storage, and energy balance. For men, shifts in testosterone, cortisol, thyroid, and insulin can affect muscle mass, metabolism, and the way the body stores fat – particularly with age or under chronic stress.

These hormonal fluctuations can make weight feel harder to manage despite healthy efforts. As a nutritional therapist, I work with the body’s natural rhythms, creating personalized nutrition and lifestyle strategies that support hormonal balance. This holistic approach helps both men and women move toward better energy, improved metabolism, and sustainable weight management without fighting against their biology.