How Hormones Affect Your Body and Metabolism Over Time

Clinically reviewed by: Dr. Barbara Levy and Dr. Chevon Rariy

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As women age, it’s normal to notice changes in energy, weight, and mood. Stress, sleep, diet, and lifestyle factors play a part, but your hormones can also be to blame. These changes don’t always mean something is “wrong ” —  they’re often due to how the body adjusts with age.

Hormones help manage hunger, blood sugar, fat storage, and energy. Metabolism is how your body turns food into fuel. As your hormones shift, your metabolism changes too. 

In this article, we’ll look at how hormones affect metabolism and why midlife body changes are so common. We’ll also discuss lifestyle habits that can help support hormone balance, energy, and long-term health.

How hormones affect metabolism

Hormones are chemical messengers. They help different parts of the body work together. When one hormone falls out of balance, it can affect the whole system. Let’s take a deeper look at the main hormones that support metabolic health and how changes in their levels can affect the body.

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1. Insulin

Insulin is a hormone made in the pancreas that helps manage blood sugar. High insulin levels happen when the body has to work extra hard to control blood sugar. When your cells do not respond well to insulin, this is called insulin resistance. 

High insulin makes your body more likely to store fat instead of using it for energy. This can increase hunger, cravings, and lead to weight gain — even when you’re doing everything “right.”  

Insulin resistance can happen for many reasons — most commonly genetics, lifestyle, and diet — but your body composition is also a factor. When the body holds on to extra abdominal fat, it’s harder for cells to respond to insulin. This creates a cycle in the body, higher insulin resistance makes it easier to store fat, and extra fat makes insulin work less well.

In short, if weight has been hard to manage, insulin resistance may be one piece of the puzzle. But it is also something you can improve. We’ll walk through the simple, consistent habits you can make to better support insulin sensitivity below. 

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2. Estrogen

We often think of estrogen mainly as a reproductive hormone. But in reality, it affects most parts of a woman’s body. One of estrogen’s most important functions is that it helps your body respond to insulin, which controls blood sugar. This means it’s a huge part of your overall metabolic health. 

Body fat makes hormones, including a form of estrogen. When fat increases, your hormone balance changes. Estrogen imbalance can be caused by many factors such as stress, poor sleep, and excess fat. As women go through perimenopause and menopause, the body makes less estrogen. This can lead to more fat gain and make insulin work less well. 

For some women, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) may help reduce fat gain and help keep muscle. However, MHT is not meant for weight loss or diabetes prevention. Talk to a Visana Health provider to learn more about personalized options.

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3. Thyroid hormones

The thyroid is a butterfly-shaped gland in your neck. It helps control metabolism, growth, energy, and body temperature. If thyroid function slows down too much, you might notice changes like weight gain, puffiness, irregular periods, or fatigue. You might also notice changes in your hair and nails, like dry or thinning hair and weakened nails. 

If your thyroid makes too much hormone, you might notice weight loss, a fast heart rate, anxiety, sweating, or shakiness.  If you think that your symptoms could be thyroid related, talk to your provider to get a full check-up.

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4. Cortisol 

Cortisol is the body’s stress hormone. It changes throughout the day — rising in the morning to help you wake up and falling at night so you can sleep. Ongoing stress can keep cortisol levels high, which can cause poor sleep. It can also increase cravings, especially for sugary foods, and slow down metabolism.

Over time, high cortisol can make insulin work less well. It can also lead to muscle loss. This can make weight management more challenging. Below, we share tips to help manage stress and keep your body healthy.

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Why body composition changes with age

As we age, it’s natural to lose muscle and gain fat. Muscle burns more energy than fat. So losing muscle slows down your metabolism. This is why weight gain is common in midlife, even when your diet and habits haven’t changed.

Not all fat affects health in the same way. The pinchable fat found just under the skin is generally less harmful. Fat deep inside your belly is called visceral fat. Visceral fat grows around your organs. It can raise your risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Hormonal changes, such as reduced insulin sensitivity, can make it easier for deep belly fat to build up in midlife. 

The good news is that supporting hormone balance and keeping your muscles strong can limit this process. Strength training helps insulin work better, lowers stress, and helps your body use energy more effectively. This helps the body adjust more smoothly as it ages.

Rather than focusing on the number on the scale, a more helpful goal is building muscle, reducing visceral fat, and supporting long-term metabolic health through lifestyle changes.

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Toolkit of lifestyle changes 

The good news is that you can help your hormones get back into balance with small, steady changes. Here are some most effective lifestyle tips for building realistic habits to support your metabolic health.

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Eat protein, especially in the morning

Protein helps manage stress hormones and supports muscle and bone strength. It’s important to get protein (eggs, nuts, Greek yogurt, or lean meats) in every meal, especially breakfast. 

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Add healthy fats to your diet

Low-fat products are often packed with hidden sugars to make up for the flavor. Stick to whole, healthy fats like olive oil and avocado. They keep you full longer and support hormonal balance.

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Eat before you caffeinate

Sipping coffee on an empty stomach can spike your stress hormone levels. This can make it harder for your body to manage blood sugar. Try having a small bite of food before your morning coffee to keep your metabolism steady.

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Avoid sugary drinks

Even natural sugars like honey and maple syrup can cause problems if you have too much. Fruit juices, whether they are cold-pressed, fresh, or packaged, should be replaced with whole fruits which have fiber. This helps keep your blood sugar steady and keep your cells sensitive to insulin.

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Try strength training

Keeping muscle and bone strong can help your cells respond better to insulin. Simple resistance exercises like squats, lunges, toe touches, or lunges can help keep muscle mass. Remember: the more muscle you have, the better your metabolism becomes.  

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Focus on getting quality sleep

Sleep isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Poor sleep changes the hormones that tell you when you're hungry or full. 

To help you get quality sleep we suggest sticking to a consistent bedtime, keeping your bedroom cool and dark, and trying to disconnect from screens an hour before bed. For more on how to get better sleep, refer to our blog Sleep & Hormones. 

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Build stress management habits

Long term, stress can get in the way of weight management and hormone balance. Some simple techniques that can help reduce stress include breathing exercises, mediation, yoga, pilates, talk therapy, or even just intentionally reducing your screen time. 

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Maintaining self-compassion

For too long, women have been taught to judge and worry about changes in their bodies. But bodies are meant to change with age. This means they are adapting, not failing. Shifts in hormones and metabolism are a natural part of life, and they deserve understanding, not shame.

If you’re working to support your metabolic health, take a steady, compassionate approach. Focus on small, meaningful wins — sleeping more soundly, feeling stronger during everyday movement, having more stable energy or focus. By supporting your hormones through lifestyle habits, you’re not chasing perfection. You are building a strong base to stay healthy and strong at every stage of life.

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Visana Health can support your journey

Nurturing metabolic health is a lifelong journey — and you don’t need to go through it alone. At Visana, our providers are experts in whole person care that is focused on achieving long lasting results. 

When you book an appointment with Visana, here’s what you can expect. You’ll get an appointment quickly with a provider who will listen compassionately and connect the dots between your symptoms, lifestyle, and goals. From the very first visit you’ll receive a personalized, actionable care plan. 

Your treatment will start with lifestyle and behavioral changes. Working together, you and your provider can see if medication would support your journey — if so, it will be just one piece of a broader plan that includes nutritional support, resistance training, mental health and lifestyle support. Our care philosophy is rooted in long-lasting solutions that empower you to take control of your health. Book an appointment today to get started.

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Further reading:

Metabolism regulating medications like GLP-1s have gotten lots of attention recently. If you’re curious for an expert perspective on these medications, see our article on if a GLP-1 is right for you.

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