Normally you have 100 to 500 times more progesterone than estrogen in your body. If your ratio is off, you may have symptoms of estrogen dominance, including weight loss resistance, depression, fatigue, breast tenderness, painful periods or heavy periods. Many women report feeling like they have PMS, or that they fly off the handle more easily than they used to, particularly the week to 10 days before menstruation. Progesterone that’s either too high or too low can cause a range of problems. When progesterone is too low, you’re more likely to develop endometriosis and problems with uterine bleeding, possibly even cancer. When you have too much estrogen, you have a greater risk of infertility and endometrial cancer, a malignancy arising in the lining of your uterus, and breast cancer. Proportionate balance is the goal.

When your hormones are in balance, neither too high nor too low, you look and feel your best. But when they are imbalanced, you feel miserable, with a range of symptoms that include fatigue, sugar cravings, weight loss resistance, bloating, belly fat, trouble sleeping, anxiety or irritability, and constant stress.You won’t really know if your hormones are to blame for your symptoms until you get some basic blood work done. Record your symptoms and check in with your physician. Most traditional doctors only recognize the merits of blood testing, yet the latest testing techniques to determine hormone levels include saliva and dried urine testing.

While exercise is an essential part of managing health and balancing your hormones, it can also throw them further out of whack if not managed properly. Most exercises place stress on the body that cortisol shoots up, such as endurance running. If you’ve got imbalanced cortisol and chronic stress, high intensity exercise can be depleting and worsen adrenal fatigue. Most people with this situation feel worse or tired after exercise, not energized. These folks sometimes develop mitochondrial fatigue too.Some dedicated female athletes may see body fat drop to such a low number that they stop having menstrual cycles, or can’t produce enough estrogen and progesterone and other sex hormones to properly manage their mood, appetite, and sleep.My advice if exercise is depleting is to exercise smarter, in a way that fits your adrenal function. Burst training can make you stress resilient and raise growth hormone, and I’m a big fan of measuring heart variability to assess your nervous system and capacity for training. In cases of adrenal fatigue, adaptive exercise can be a better choice, such as yoga or Barre class or Pilates. Consider adding meditation, or guided visualization several times a week.For a quickstart program on how to balance your hormones for weight loss, click below to purchase The Hormone Reset Diet 10 Day program.

It is like a mini detox and designed as a hormone balancing and weightloss quickstart. This program calls for all of the 7 food eliminations Day 1. Where the full program includes an extensive membership website and complete with self-assessments, lesson plans, and resources. We offer the full program in our store and do this twice a year as a group.