What Is The Hormonal Diet (And Does It Really Help You Lose Weight?)

But another eating plan that has gained attention recently is the hormonal diet, which claims that the reason people have difficulty losing weight is because their hormones aren’t working properly.

Many books have been written on the subject in which proponents of the hormonal diet claim that people can quickly lose a significant amount of weight by following this diet and exercising to manipulate or reset their hormones.

There are some variations, but the main idea of ​​the diet is that the key to losing weight is to correct hormonal imbalances in the body.

The role of insulin

Hormones play an important role in the processes our body carries out daily, from the digestion of food to the growth of our bones.

Hormones circulate throughout the body through the blood and act as “ chemical messengers ” that instruct cells to do certain jobs.

For example, insulin is essential for regulating metabolic processes and allows the body to store carbohydrates from food as energy in our muscle cells.

When we eat, it causes our blood sugar levels to rise, and this in turn causes the pancreas to release insulin into the bloodstream.

Insulin attaches to cells and signals them to absorb sugar from the blood and store it for later use.

At one time it was thought that insulin played a crucial role in weight gain, but recent research shows that total calorie intake is the primary factor in weight gain or loss.

Fewer calories = less weight

Fat loss can only be achieved by creating a calorie deficit, which simply means you burn more calories than you consume.

This is also the reason why many people find the intermittent fasting diet successful, as it causes them to eat less and therefore consume fewer calories.

A popular book promoting the hormonal diet uses a three-step program that promises to help people lose weight, gain strength, and feel younger.

Steps one and two of the diet focus on changing nutritional habits. Step three focuses on exercise.

According to its author, readers should “detoxify” their bodies.

In step one, the reader must eliminate from their diet foods such as alcohol, caffeine, sugar, red meat, cow’s milk and its derivatives (such as cheese or yogurt), and simultaneously consume more fruits, vegetables, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products derived from sheep, goat, and plant-based milk.

In the second step, processed foods, sweeteners, and refined grains should be eliminated.

The third step involves an increase in cardiovascular and strength-building exercises.

The dietary recommendations included in steps one and two call for a reduction in foods that are typically high in calories and poor in nutritional value such as alcohol, high-sugar foods, and processed foods.

The diet also promotes foods such as vegetables, fish, and fruits, which increase fiber consumption (important for the digestive system) and provide the body with a variety of vitamins and minerals that perform many bodily functions needed for overall health and well-being.

These foods are generally lower in calories than alcohol high-sugar or processed foods.

And, combined with the exercises recommended in step three, this “hormonal diet” will likely increase calorie “burning” and provide other health benefits.

So does it work?

Generally speaking, the hormonal diet recommended in this book does not contain bad nutritional advice.

But the key here is that any potential weight loss will likely be linked to the change in calorie intake, rather than the effect (if any) on your hormones.

Weight loss (or body fat loss) is achieved by creating a caloric deficit, not by “resetting your hormonal balance.”

Despite what hormonal diet advocates claim, hormonal imbalances are usually the result of a more serious underlying health problem, such as diabetes (insufficient insulin function) or hyperthyroidism (where the thyroid produces too much thyroid hormone), which cannot be resolved by diet alone and which require medical treatment.

Currently, there is no viable theory to prove that a person can “reset” their hormones to influence weight loss.

There is also no review of studies done by a major journal that has specifically studied the hormonal diet and its effects.

But there may be a simple explanation for why people believe the hormone diet works: It helps create a calorie deficit through improved nutritional habits and exercise, which likely results in weight loss.

Ultimately, anyone looking to lose weight or body fat should focus on creating a calorie deficit.

How each person creates this deficit can vary from person to person, and may even be by following a popular diet like keto or intermittent fasting.

However, it is best to follow the method that is most compatible with our lifestyle.