What Is Hormonal Belly and What to Do About It

3.7.2025 0 comments

Author: Trisha Houghton, CNS, ASIST

Unexplained weight gain can be the bane of our existence! 

When you’ve been working hard to eat a clean and balanced diet, exercise, sleep enough, and live a healthy life, it can be difficult to see your weight go up every time you step on the scale rather than down. 

But here’s something you need to know: the weight gain may not be caused by eating or lifestyle choices. Instead, it could be the result of your hormones, a condition nicknamed "hormonal belly". 

In this post, we’re going to take a look at what exactly hormone belly is and what can cause it. We’ll dive into a few of the hormonal imbalances that could be increasing belly fat accumulation and preventing your weight loss.

Then we’ll examine the hormones that could be causing the problem, and what you can do to address the issue both with the help of medical professionals and on your own.

By the end, you’ll have a much clearer understanding of what hormonal belly is and how you can avoid and prevent it. 

What is Hormonal Belly?

Hormonal belly, aka "hormone belly", is the name used to refer to abdominal weight gain caused by an imbalance in your hormones. 

Your endocrine system produces a wide variety of hormones that regulate everything from appetite to energy levels, weight gain to muscle mass, sex drive to brain function. 

Hormones interact in a delicate balance influenced by many factors, including stress, diet, exercise, aging, and health conditions.

In the cases of hormonal belly, whatever is causing the hormonal imbalance is affecting the specific hormones that regulate weight gain. The result is an accumulation of abdominal fat that may be unaffected by your diet and exercise weight loss efforts. 

How Hormones Affect Belly Fat

There are two types of fat:

• Superficial or subcutaneous fat builds up directly beneath the skin and causes cellulite. It’s common on the backs of your legs, your buttocks, your arms, and around your face, though some will be present around your belly.
  
• Visceral fat  accumulates around your internal organs and blood vessels. It’s concentrated in your abdominal region because that’s where most of the organs are located.

Superficial fat isn’t typically a health concern. Sure, it can affect the way you perceive your body and can weigh on your joints. But the really dangerous form of fat is visceral fat because it slows down organ function, clogs up your cardiovascular system, and increases your risk of metabolic disease. It’s also the more stubborn type of fat that is harder to eliminate.

The storage and regulation of both types of fats are regulated by three hormones the body produces:

• Leptin controls your appetite and manages fat storage. Leptin is produced by fatty cells, so people who have a higher-than-average body weight tend to have higher-than-average leptin production. Leptin sensitivity also decreases with obesity, so it becomes harder to detect leptin’s signals to your brain that you are satiated.
  
• Insulin stimulates the uptake of glucose (energy in sugar form) from your bloodstream into your liver, muscles, and fatty tissue. Elevated insulin levels (a common side effect of obesity, reduced physical activity, and poor diet) lead to higher fat storage. Insulin sensitivity also decreases as you gain excess weight and store fat, causing your body to uptake and store more energy in fat form.
  
• Estrogen, the female sex hormone, determines the distribution of body fat in both men and women. Estrogen directs fat storage to the thighs, buttocks, and breasts in women, ensuring energy reserves for pregnancy and lactation. As estrogen levels drop (a common side effect of aging), the fat cells take up the production and may end up over-producing this hormone. The result is an increase in visceral and abdominal fat. The fact that this happens to so many post-menopausal women is why it’s also called "menopause belly".

A hormone imbalance in any of these three could be the reason you’re gaining weight and fat around your belly.

Common Hormonal Imbalances Linked to Extra Belly Fat

A number of different conditions and disorders may be responsible for the hormonal fluctuations and imbalances that cause accumulation of abdominal fat. 

Some known causes of hormonal belly are:

• High cortisol levels, often the result of excessive stress;
• An underactive thyroid;
• Leptin resistance, which may result from improper diet or obesity;
• Menopause;
• Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS);
• Abnormally low or high estrogen levels, in both men and women;
• Low testosterone levels, particularly in men;
• Fluid retention (often a symptom of and accompanied by other health problems).

Any one of these could be the culprit behind your gaining weight. 

Signs and Symptoms of a Hormonal Belly

The most common sign of a hormonal belly is, you guessed it, an increase in abdominal fat. This will often be accompanied by weight gain that proves stubborn and resistant to your efforts to curb or reverse. 

The fat will typically accumulate around your belly, but could also increase around your waist, on your sides (muffin top), or in your buttocks and thighs.

However, if it’s really hormone belly and not just standard weight gain, you may notice a few other signs, too.

They include:

• Hair loss, particularly among men. Hair loss is a sign of hormonal imbalance (too much androgen), and is linked to thyroid conditions, high cortisol levels, and other endocrine issues.
  

• High levels of stress. Chronic stress can ramp up your cortisol levels, which can negatively affect the levels of other critical hormones (including leptin, ghrelin, and estrogen). Chronic stress also increases the signals to your body that you need to store more belly fat, leading to fat and weight gain.
  
• New cravings, particularly for sweets and sugary foods. This is a good indicator of hormone-induced cravings, which are vastly different from regular hunger. It could be a sign of insulin resistance or high insulin levels. 

Hormonal belly fat doesn’t build up on its own. Instead, it’s almost always accompanied by these other indicators that your hormones are to blame for the issues. 

The Role of Cortisol in Belly Fat Accumulation

It’s important that you understand how cortisol and belly fat are linked. 

Cortisol is your "stress hormone", one of the hormones that helps your body react in times of high stress. It reduces inflammation, regulates your blood pressure, controls your metabolism, and ensures your body has a supply of glucose available to burn in case of "fight or flight".

In times of acute stress (such as a dangerous situation), cortisol works with adrenaline to keep you safe. Unfortunately, given that our lives are more prone to chronic, sustained stress over long periods of time, cortisol can ultimately be more problematic than beneficial.

Chronic stress causes your body to maintain a higher-than-normal level of cortisol. This excess cortisol stimulates an increase in the production and uptake of glucose. When the body can’t immediately use glucose, it converts it into fat to store for later use. Cortisol causes it to be stored as abdominal or visceral fat. 

The result: you gain weight, particularly an accumulation of belly fat. 

How Insulin Resistance Affects Belly Fat

Insulin resistance, often caused by obesity, is another endocrine problem that can lead to higher belly fat storage.

As you saw above, insulin is responsible for regulating glucose uptake into our muscles, tissues, and fat cells. Body fat makes your cells less sensitive to insulin, which forces your body to produce more insulin to trigger the same effect.

This increase in insulin causes an increase in glucose uptake, which leads to more belly fat, which contributes to insulin resistance. It’s a vicious cycle that leads to both an accumulation of visceral fat and a higher risk of diabetes.  

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Dietary Changes to Manage Hormonal Belly

You might be thinking, "If this fat gain is caused by my hormones, can my diet do anything to promote weight loss or curb fat accumulation?"

The answer is a resounding yes!

What you eat has a direct impact on your endocrine levels. For example, a diet high in lean protein, fiber, and healthy fats will be much more effective at regulating your appetite than a diet packed with sugary, artificial, and junk food. Foods low on the glycemic index will also prevent glucose spikes and insulin resistance. 

The best foods you can eat to manage or get rid of hormonal belly are:

• Proteins, including legumes, tofu, brown rice, quinoa, peas, soy beans, oats, and chia seeds.
  
• Nuts and seeds, which are very effective at satiating your appetite. However, eat them in limited quantities because they are very high in calories.
  
• Fruits, which contain natural sugars that trigger the production of insulin and fiber that aids in glucose management.
  
• Vegetables, which are packed with fiber that prevent sugars from being absorbed into your body and help with weight management.
  
• Whole grains, which are loaded with protein, fiber, and micronutrients. 

These foods are what you should be eating, but equally important is avoiding foods that will increase your risk of hormonal belly. Particularly sugary, fatty, and artificial foods, as well as food high in saturated fat.

High intake of refined carbohydrates and artificial sugars can spike your glucose levels and contribute to insulin resistance. High fat foods will flood your body with more calories than it can use, causing the excess energy to be stored as excess abdominal fat. 

Limit yourself to a diet that leaves you at a very slight caloric deficit (no more than 100 to 200 calories per day, MAX) and is composed entirely of healthy, natural, nutrient-rich foods.  

Exercises to Target Belly Fat

Paired with your healthy, balanced diet, you absolutely need to exercise if you want to counteract hormonal belly. 

Exercise, particularly high-intensity resistance training, can increase your testosterone levels, decrease cortisol, and balance out your hormones. It can also prevent insulin resistance, curb your appetite, and stop your body from storing fat. 

The best workouts to include are:

• Strength training exercises and high intensity interval training (HIIT). Lifting weights or doing HIIT workouts 3-5 times per week is crucial for managing your hormones and losing weight.
  
• Cardiovascular conditioning, including walking, jogging, running, cycling, stair climbing, and rowing. This exercise will burn excess calories but, performed at a more moderate intensity level, also targets fat.
  
• Yoga and/or Pilates. These workouts are particularly effective at combatting stress, and can lower cortisol levels. Plus, they aid in mobility and core strength, which will make you fitter and healthier overall (especially as you age).

These are the "best", but you can do anything you want. Dance, run, play sports, hike, climb mountains, kayak, or ride your bike around your city. The more exercise you do every week, the more likely you’ll be to lose extra weight and get rid of that hormone belly.  

Lifestyle Adjustments for Hormonal Balance

Following a healthy diet and exercising regularly are the most effective ways to balance hormones. 

However, a few other lifestyle changes can also help:

• Sleep more. Try to get between 6-8 hours of sleep per night. Sleep loss can interfere with your hormonal balance, increase your appetite, lower your energy levels, and make exercise difficult.
  
• Combat stress. Try Yoga, meditation, spending time in nature, reading, listening to relaxing music, and anything else you can think of for chronic stress management. Life is busy and filled with pressures, but stress will negatively impact your weight, your body fat, and your overall health.
  
• Quit smoking. Smoking can increase your body’s accumulation of visceral fat and elevate insulin resistance.
  
• Limit alcohol consumption. Men, in particular, should reduce alcohol intake, as alcohol can promote weight gain and insulin resistance as well as affecting testosterone levels.

A healthy, balanced life is key to reducing your risk of hormonal weight gain and keeping those endocrine issues at bay. 

When to Seek Medical Advice for Hormonal Issues

Unfortunately, even the healthiest lifestyle, diet, and exercise program might not be enough to prevent fat gain that is caused by medical conditions or hormonal imbalances.

You might want to consult your doctor if you notice weight gain along with other conditions, such as:

• Hair loss, which could be a sign of high androgen levels for men or low estrogen levels for women.
  
• Bloating and/or pain around menstruation. This plus fat gain could be linked to a number of reproductive health issues (such as PCOS) that are better addressed as soon as possible.
  
• High insulin levels, which could suggest insulin resistance is linked to the fat gain, indicative of prediabetes or diabetes.
  
• Menopause symptoms, such as night sweats, sleep difficulties, hot flashes, reduced libido, mood changes, and brain fog. Hormone belly is a common side effect of menopause, and while there’s little you can do to stop the hormonal changes, you can get help managing them and remaining healthy throughout.
  
• Low energy levels, which could be an indication of an underactive thyroid (reduced production of thyroid hormones) or thyroid conditions.

If you notice any of these symptoms along with your unexplained weight gain and increase in belly fat, it’s definitely a good idea to visit your primary care physician or local doctor for a checkup to rule out endocrine system diseases.

Wrapping Up

Hormonal belly is a common problem that affects a significant number of aging people, both men and women. It’s often a natural side effect of the aging process and decrease in hormone levels. However, it may also be due to hormonal issues that can be addressed, managed, and even reversed.

If you notice weight gain or an increase in hormonal fat, consider the diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes we recommended above. That may be enough to combat the problem.

But even if it doesn’t (and you end up going to the doctor), at the very least it’s improving your quality of life, helping you maintain a healthy weight, and eliminating the non-hormonal causes of fat gain. That’s always worth the effort! 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What are the signs of low estrogen?

Common signs of low estrogen include sleep issues, vaginal dryness, weight/fat gain, menstrual cycle changes, night sweats, hot flashes, mood changes, breast tenderness, skin issues, headaches, and brain fog.

Will taking estrogen reduce belly fat?

Estrogen Replacement Therapy (ERT) is a type of hormone therapy during menopause that can reduce or redistribute belly fat. Elevating estrogen levels can also combat hormone belly by boosting your metabolism and aiding in weight loss.

What does an estrogen belly look like?

Typically, an estrogen belly is composed of soft fat that concentrates around the lower waist. It may sag, droop, or hang over your belt. However, if it’s caused by more serious hormonal issues, it may be firm or tight.  

Resources

What causes a hormonal belly?

Why am I gaining weight so fast during menopause? And will hormone therapy help?

Belly fat in women: Taking — and keeping — it off

Obesity and hormones

How can I balance my hormones?

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