Well, there’s the million dollar question! Could hormones be playing a part in your weight struggles? Absolutely. While weight management is influenced by all sorts of factors, hormones can play a major role in how easy (or not) it is to reach your weight goals.

And we’re not just talking about the usual suspects like oestrogen and progesterone that many of us tend to focus on. We’re talking thyroid, cortisol, insulin, and more—all working quietly behind the scenes, either helping us out or making things even harder.

It’s important to understand that weight isn’t simply a case of calories in and calories out. It’s far more complex than that. The quality of your food, your muscle mass, how you move your body, how well your digestion is working, and yes, your hormones, all have a part to play.

So, let’s talk about the key hormones involved in weight regulation, figure out which ones might be holding you back, and most importantly, what we can do to bring them back into balance.

Cortisol is a bit of a buzzword these days, we hear a lot about rising cortisol, why it’s a problem, and what we should do about it. And yes, elevated cortisol can create hurdles when it comes to weight, but it’s also essential to life. It’s what gets us up in the morning, helps us focus, and kicks in during a fight or flight moment to protect us from danger.

The issue is, in today’s world, our bodies often can’t tell the difference between being chased by a lion or sitting in traffic on the way to work. And that’s where chronically elevated cortisol creeps in, causing all kinds of issues, including stubborn weight and that frustrating feeling of not being able to shift it, no matter what you do.

There’s actually quite a bit of research showing that when cortisol levels are high, especially during stress, we’re more likely to reach for the kind of food that gives us quick comfort and energy like sugary snacks, takeaways, and ultra processed foods. And over time, this pattern can lead to gradual weight gain, particularly around the belly, which is known as visceral fat.

The issue with this type of fat—visceral fat—is that it sits deep within the body, wrapped around the organs. It’s not just difficult to lose; it also behaves differently to other types of fat. It’s more metabolically active, which might sound like a good thing, but actually makes it more likely to contribute to inflammation, insulin resistance, and other metabolic issues.

Cortisol, Cravings & Blood Sugar

Cortisol also has a sneaky way of increasing our appetite, especially for foods high in sugar and fat. This is where the term “stress eating” really comes into play (I think many of us can relate!). That’s because cortisol can disrupt your hunger hormones and mess with blood sugar balance, often making you feel hungrier than you really are, and more likely to reach for things your body doesn’t actually need.

Plus, when cortisol stays high for too long, it can lead to insulin resistance—where your cells stop responding properly to insulin (the hormone that moves sugar out of your bloodstream and into your cells for energy). This can leave you with higher blood sugar, more fat storage (especially around the belly), and a rise in AGEs (advanced glycation end products), which aren’t exactly kind to your skin or tissue health either.

And here’s something not many people realise: your fat cells can actually reactivate cortisol. There’s an enzyme called 11β-HSD1 that lives in fat tissue, and its job is to switch “inactive” cortisol back into its active form. The more fat tissue you have, the more of this enzyme your body tends to produce, which means more active cortisol, more fat storage, and a bit of a vicious cycle.

Cortisol & Muscle Breakdown:

Another important piece of the puzzle is muscle mass, your good friend when it comes to metabolism and weight management. The more muscle you have, the more energy you burn throughout the day, even at rest.

But unfortunately, cortisol can get in the way here too. It’s catabolic, meaning it breaks down muscle tissue over time. That drop in muscle can lead to a slower basal metabolic rate (the number of calories your body naturally burns), making it harder to maintain or lose weight.

The thyroid really is one impressive little gland. Most people have heard of it in relation to weight gain or symptoms like thinning eyebrows, feeling cold, or ongoing fatigue, but it does so much more than that. In fact, it plays a role in the metabolism of nearly every single cell in the body. Pretty incredible, right?

It’s involved in everything from mood and energy to gut function, brain clarity, and muscle repair. So when your thyroid is out of balance, it’s no wonder it can feel like everything else is too.

So, What Does the Thyroid Actually Do?

The thyroid produces two main hormones—T3 and T4—which help regulate your metabolism and influence how your body uses energy. These hormones also help release glucose from the liver overnight, which supports blood sugar balance and stable energy levels (two major factors when it comes to weight management).

When thyroid function slows down, it can show up in lots of different ways - chronic constipation, low energy, poor stress tolerance, feeling cold all the time, or struggling to recover after being unwell. It can also lead to inflammation, a weaker immune response, and even gut issues like leaky gut, as T3 plays an important role in keeping your intestinal barrier strong.

Hypothyroidism & Weight Gain:

Hypothyroidism is when your thyroid isn’t producing enough hormones. This slows down your metabolism and can often lead to weight gain, mostly due to things like fluid retention and decreased thermogenesis (your body’s ability to generate heat and burn calories). There’s also something called subclinical hypothyroidism, where your TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) is raised, but your T3 and T4 are still in range. This is increasingly common, especially in women who are carrying a little extra weight.

Thyroid hormones directly affect your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which is the number of calories your body needs to function while at rest. This includes essential functions like breathing, circulating blood, keeping your organs ticking over, and regulating body temperature.

Your RMR makes up the majority of your daily calorie burn, even if you’re not particularly active every day. And it’s your thyroid that helps set that pace.

Think of your thyroid like a thermostat or engine controller. It decides how fast (or slow) your body uses energy. So when thyroid hormone levels are low, your RMR naturally drops too, meaning you’re burning fewer calories at rest, your energy production slows, and your body isn’t breaking down fat as efficiently. This makes it far easier to gain weight, even if your eating and movement habits haven’t changed.

On the other end of the scale, when thyroid hormones are elevated—as seen in hyperthyroidism—RMR speeds up, weight loss often becomes noticeable, and appetite usually increases as your body tries to keep up.

Thyroid & Menopause Connection:

It’s incredibly common for women to experience changes in thyroid function around perimenopause and menopause. This stage of life brings significant hormonal shifts, and your thyroid (which is already sensitive) can easily feel the effects.

As oestrogen and progesterone levels start to decline, as they naturally do during menopause, it can disrupt the balance that helps keep your thyroid functioning smoothly.

Oestrogen, in particular, helps increase something called thyroid hormone binding proteins, which help transport thyroid hormones to your cells. So when oestrogen drops, there’s often less thyroid hormone available for your cells to actually use, even if your blood test results look “normal.”

This hormonal shift can lead to slower thyroid hormone production, reduced conversion of T4 to the active form T3, and more circulating reverse T3, which essentially blocks active thyroid hormone from doing its job properly. All of this can result in symptoms of low thyroid function, like weight gain, fatigue, brain fog, low mood.

What makes it even trickier during menopause is how similar the symptoms of thyroid imbalance and menopause can be. Low energy, weight changes, disrupted sleep, mood swings, dry skin, thinning hair, does that sound familiar? It’s easy to assume these changes are ‘just hormonal’, without realising the thyroid might be part of the picture too.

Sex hormones like oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone naturally fluctuate throughout your cycle and across different life stages. But when these hormones become imbalanced, whether through stress, age, lifestyle, or other factors, they can absolutely be a driving force behind changes in weight and body composition.

Oestrogen’s Role in Fat Storage & Appetite Regulation

Oestrogen is essential for maintaining a healthy body weight and fat distribution. It encourages fat to be stored subcutaneously (that’s under the skin—often around the hips and thighs) and helps regulate appetite and how much energy you burn. It’s also been shown to suppress appetite by influencing brain chemicals that control hunger, while progesterone and testosterone are thought to stimulate appetite, which might explain why cravings can fluctuate across the month.

One of the most noticeable shifts many women experience after menopause is where their body starts to store fat. Before menopause, fat tends to collect more in the hips, thighs, and bum. But after menopause, it often shifts to the belly. And that’s partly down to the drop in oestrogen.

During the reproductive years, oestrogen encourages fat storage in the lower body, something thought to be protective and supportive for fertility and pregnancy. It also helps maintain insulin sensitivity, energy balance, and supports fat-burning processes in the body. But once oestrogen starts to decline, things begin to change.

Without its protective influence, the body becomes more prone to storing visceral fat, the kind that wraps around your organs, deep inside your abdomen. This type of fat is more metabolically active than surface level fat, meaning it responds faster to hormones like cortisol (your stress hormone).

With less oestrogen around, your body becomes more sensitive to the effects of cortisol, making it easier to hold on to belly fat. It’s as though your body goes into survival mode, storing energy in case it’s needed later. On top of that, metabolism tends to slow down, and insulin sensitivity drops, making it harder to break down fat effectively. Oestrogen also supports the enzymes that help burn fat, so when levels fall, your fat burning ability can take a hit too.

Progesterone & Testosterone's Role In Weight Management

As we mentioned earlier, progesterone and testosterone can both stimulate appetite, impact fluid balance, and influence muscle mass, all of which have a knock on effect on weight management.

Progesterone tends to rise during the second half of your cycle (the luteal phase), and this is often when food cravings and hunger ramp up. It also encourages the body to hold on to sodium and water, which can cause bloating and temporary weight gain, especially in the lead up to your period.

Testosterone, meanwhile, has a strong influence on body composition. It supports the development and maintenance of lean muscle mass, which is crucial for keeping your metabolism healthy and burning calories efficiently, even at rest. When testosterone levels are out of balance, especially if they’re too high (as in conditions like PCOS) or too low (which can happen with age or stress), it can lead to increased visceral fat and a shift in how and where the body stores weight.

The balance between oestrogen, progesterone, and testosterone is incredibly important for maintaining a healthy weight. When that balance is thrown off, especially during life stages like menopause, it can lead to metabolic changes that naturally favour weight gain. But once you underrate these shifts, it gives you the motivation to support it and try working with these hormonal shifts in your favour.

When it comes to weight, it’s rarely just about calories. Your hormones, nervous system, sleep, food choices and stress levels all weave together, and small changes can really make a difference.

So instead of trying to change everything at once, here’s some of our favourite tips to support hormones, which are easy to dip into. These support everything from cortisol and thyroid to insulin and oestrogen, and they can genuinely help your body feel more balanced, energised and at ease.

• Stress Management: No surprises here. Stress is one of the most overlooked causes of stubborn weight and hormone imbalance. In today’s world, being endlessly busy is often celebrated and related to success, but your body doesn’t always feel the same.
  
  If you want to keep lean, support your skin, your gut, your metabolism, your mood… take a breath. Success is definitely found when calm and healthy, rather than constantly running on empty. Journal, meditate, stretch, walk, lie down in a quiet room for five minutes. Whatever helps you feel more grounded, just do it, and do it often.

• Physical Activity: Regular movement is amazing for managing cortisol, improving insulin sensitivity and supporting metabolism overall. But it doesn’t need to be intense or punishing, especially if you’re already stressed.
  
  Try the likes of pilates, yoga, strength training, brisk walks, mobility work. Exercise should build you up, not burn you out. Another great option is resistance training, which is especially helpful for protecting muscle mass (which supports your thyroid, testosterone and resting metabolic rate too).

• Adequate Sleep: Please don’t underestimate the power of sleep. It’s one of the most healing, balancing, hormone friendly things you can do. Aim for 7–9 hours of proper, restful sleep each night.
  
  A gentle wind down routine really helps, so dim the lights, get off your phone, and allow your body to drop into rest. Sleep lowers cortisol and encourages melatonin production, your sleep hormone, which works hand in hand with cortisol to regulate your body clock and support hormone health overall.

• Mindful Eating: This one’s simple, but honestly, so important. Sit down for your meals. Step away from the emails, the scroll, the mental to do list. Even five minutes of peaceful, focused eating can make a big difference. Chew properly (your gut doesn’t have teeth!), slow down, and give your body time to register fullness. This supports better digestion, blood sugar balance and appetite regulation.

• Key Nutrients: To convert T4 to T3 (the active thyroid hormone), your body needs iodine, selenium and zinc. These are the building blocks that help your metabolism work smoothly and efficiently.
  
  Here’s how to naturally top them up:
  
  - Selenium: 2–3 Brazil nuts a day, sunflower seeds, sardines
  - Zinc: Pumpkin seeds, shellfish, grass-fed beef, lentils
  - Iodine: Seaweed (in moderation), sea moss, eggs, fish
  
  Try rotating these into your meals regularly. Try sardines on sourdough, Brazil nuts as a snack, a lentil salad with pumpkin seeds, or a sprinkle of seaweed on soups and grains.

• Support Thermogenesis: Protein is crucial, especially first thing in the morning. It requires more energy to digest (thermogenesis), helps balance blood sugar, and supports lean muscle mass. Aim for a good source of protein at every meal. Great options include: fish, grass fed or pasture raised meat, lentils, chickpeas, butter beans, tofu, tempeh, or a scoop of quality protein powder if needed.

• Phytoesotgoens: Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that gently support oestrogen balance, whether your levels are too high or too low. They work in synergy with your body, helping to modulate hormone activity depending on what you need. The best sources are flaxseeds and linseeds, and fermented, organic soy (like tempeh, natto, and miso). Try sprinkling ground flax into smoothies or porridge, and adding a little miso paste to soups or dressings.

• Mini Fasts: Intermittent fasting isn’t for everyone, especially if cortisol is already high. If skipping breakfast doesn’t suit you, don’t worry. Instead, try mini fasts between meals, leaving a solid 3–5 hour window to allow blood sugar and insulin to reset, and give your digestion a break. This can gently support cortisol balance, energy, and appetite control without going to extremes.

• Cinnamon in Food: Cinnamon is a beautifully simple way to help keep blood sugar stable, and luckily, it tastes amazing too. It slows the rate food leaves your stomach and can help reduce cravings. Add it to smoothies, porridge or chia puddings, natural yogurt, herbal teas or anything else you like. Just 1/2 tsp a day can make a difference if used regularly.

• Green Tea: Amazing for supporting metabolic health, thanks to the amazing antioxidant called EGCG (epigallocatechin gallate). It’s one of the most well researched natural compounds for fat burning and weight support. EGCG helps enhance your body’s ability to break down fat, especially when paired with movement or light fasting. Try having 1–3 cups per day, ideally between meals. It’s a gentle but powerful support for hormone balance, energy, and weight regulation.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope this has helped shine a light on just how much your hormones influence your weight, and how it’s so much more than calories, willpower, or doing more at the gym.

Your body is constantly responding to what’s going on inside and around you. Hormones like cortisol, thyroid, oestrogen, and insulin are all deeply connected, and when just one gets out of sync, it can ripple into so many areas like energy, mood, cravings, sleep, and how your body holds or releases weight.

However, the small shifts really do add up. And the more you understand your body, the more empowered you become to support it gently, in a way that actually feels good.

So be kind to yourself. Nourish your body. Create a little more space for rest. And take each step forward with patience, you don’t need to do it all at once.