Today I'm going to do something a little different I'm going to answer a question I recently got in my DMs:

"Someone told me I need to fix my hormones that's why i'm not losing weight" Coach steve is that true?

Let's get to it!

🧠5-Second Skim

If you’ve ever wondered why eating less still isn’t working… this is why:

• 🧠 Leptin stops signaling “I’m full.”
• 🍽 Ghrelin keeps your hunger dial stuck on high.
• Fat loss is a hormonal response to a caloric deficit. Cutting calories matters—but your hormones decide how well it works.

“I’m eating better, I’m working out—but the scale won’t budge!”

…you’re not imagining it.

Yes, calories matter. But hormones are the invisible hand behind your hunger, cravings, energy, mood, and even how much fat your body is willing to let go of.

So let’s pull back the curtain on four key hormones that might be sabotaging your progress—even when you’re doing everything right.

Leptin: The “I’m Full” Hormone

Leptin is made in your fat cells. Its job is to tell your brain, “We’re good—stop eating.”

But here’s the problem:

The more body fat you carry, the more leptin your body produces. Sounds like a good thing, right?

Not always.

Over time, your brain can become resistant to leptin’s signal, meaning you still feel hungry—even when your body has plenty of energy stored.

This is called leptin resistance, and it’s one reason people with overweight or obesity often feel hungrier than someone leaner—even on the same number of calories.

🔬 Research shows that leptin resistance is linked to chronic inflammation, insulin resistance, and disrupted satiety signals (Myers et al., 2010, Nature Reviews).

Here’s what to do about it:

• Reduce inflammation by prioritizing sleep, managing stress, and eating more whole foods and fiber-rich veggies.
• Quick-fix diets can worsen leptin sensitivity. That “1200-calorie” hustle? It might backfire in the long run.

Ghrelin: The “Feed Me” Hormone

Where leptin tells you when you’re full, ghrelin tells you when you’re hungry. It spikes before meals and drops after eating.

But here’s what sucks:

When you diet too hard or lose a lot of weight quickly, ghrelin goes up and stays up, making you ravenous.

That’s your body’s survival system doing its job—but it can feel like your willpower is broken.

🔬 A 2011 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that even a year after weight loss, ghrelin levels stayed elevated, contributing to weight regain (Sumithran et al., 2011).

Here’s what to do about it:

• Eat enough protein and fiber to naturally keep ghrelin lower and help you feel satisfied.
• Don’t skip meals thinking it’ll help. For most women, especially in high-stress roles, skipping meals just makes cravings worse later.

Cortisol: The Stress Hormone That Stores Fat

You know cortisol as the stress hormone—but it’s also a major player in fat loss.

When your cortisol levels are chronically high (from poor sleep, emotional stress, overtraining, or undereating), your body starts to:

• Store more belly fat
• Break down muscle for energy
• Hold onto water weight
• Increase cravings for carbs and sugar

Why? Because your body thinks it’s in a state of emergency—even if the “emergency” is your inbox, your kids, or a 5:30 AM spin class.

🔬 Chronic elevation in cortisol is linked to increased visceral fat, insulin resistance, and appetite dysregulation (Björntorp, 2001, Psychoneuroendocrinology).

Here’s what to do about it:

• Walks, music, therapy, prayer, deep breathing—all of it helps.
• Sleep is non-negotiable. 7–9 hours isn’t lazy—it’s hormonal self-defense.

Calories Still Matter—But Hormones Make Them Work (or Not)

Let’s clear this up:

You can’t out-hormone a 3000-calorie diet.

But…

You can be in a calorie deficit and still struggle to lose fat if your hormones are signaling “store fat and eat more.”

Here’s the truth no one likes to hear:

Fat loss is a hormonal response to a caloric deficit.

That means: You need a calorie deficit to lose fat

• But your hormones influence how hungry you feel in that deficit,
• How efficient your body is at burning stored fat,
• And how long you can stay consistent without burning out.

So if you’re stuck, it may not be about eating less—it might be about eating smarter for your hormone health.

What This Means for You:

Most of the women I work with aren’t just overeating.

They’re overstressed, underslept, and trying to lose fat while their body is quietly screaming, “Not now!”

If that’s you:

• Don’t fall for the quick fixes.
• Don’t slash your calories into the ground.
• Don’t assume your body is broken.

Start here:

1. Build regular meals around protein, fiber, and healthy fats.
2. Ditch the pressure to be perfect—it spikes cortisol.
3. Get 7+ hours of sleep like it’s your job.
4. Take at least one walk or one moment of stillness daily.
5. Choose consistency over intensity.

Final Word: Your Body’s Not Fighting You—It’s Trying to Protect You

If your body feels like it’s holding onto weight despite your efforts, don’t jump to blame yourself.

Check your hormones.

Check your habits.

And if you’re still unsure…

👉🏽 That’s what coaching is for.

We dig deeper. We personalize. We adjust the plan based on what your body is telling us—not what TikTok said last week.

🧠 References:

1. Myers, M. G., Leibel, R. L., Seeley, R. J., & Schwartz, M. W. (2010). Obesity and leptin resistance: distinguishing cause from effect. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 11(9), 605–613.
2. Sumithran, P., Prendergast, L. A., Delbridge, E., et al. (2011). Long-term persistence of hormonal adaptations to weight loss. New England Journal of Medicine, 365(17), 1597–1604.
3. Björntorp, P. (2001). Do stress reactions cause abdominal obesity and comorbidities? Obesity Reviews, 2(2), 73–86.

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