Hungry Hormones for Weight loss in Women over 30: The Real Culprits Behind Your Cravings, Belly Fat, and Why You Can’t Stop Scoffing Biscuits.

Let’s talk about hungry hormones for weight loss in women over 30. Not the sexy kind. Not the teenage angst kind.The hungry kind. The ones that whisper “more chips” when you’ve already unbuttoned your jeans.

If you’ve ever thought “Why the hell am I still hungry?”, or “Why can’t I lose weight even though I’ve eaten 1 leaf and sniffed a rice cake?”, then congratulations — your hormones might be mugging you off.

Let’s break down the science of hunger hormones (without putting you to sleep), the cheeky ways they sabotage your weight loss, and — most importantly — how to fight back and win.

Trying to find out why you can't stop eating.

🤯 The Big Players in the Hormonal Hunger Games

1. Ghrelin – The Growling Gremlin

✅ Nickname: “The Hunger Hormone”

✅ When it shows up: When your stomach is empty.

✅ What it does: Screams at your brain to eat. Anything. Everything. Preferably carbs.

Imagine a tiny gremlin living in your gut with a megaphone yelling “FEED ME NOW!” every few hours. That’s ghrelin. It's the reason you’re suddenly raiding the fridge after swearing you were “totally fine” five minutes ago.

Problem: Ghrelin levels shoot up when you’re dieting, especially when your calorie intake is too low. It’s your body’s way of stopping you from losing weight. Rude.

Fix it:

• Eat protein with every meal – it keeps you fuller longer and suppresses ghrelin.

• Don’t skip meals – skipping makes ghrelin throw a tantrum.

• Get enough sleep – sleep deprivation increases ghrelin (which is why late-night snacks feel like survival).

2. Leptin – The Fullness Failsafe (When It Works)

✅ Nickname: “The Satiety Hormone”

✅ When it shows up: After you’ve eaten

✅ What it does: Tells your brain, “All good down here. Stop eating now.”

Leptin is meant to keep you from becoming a human Hoover. But here’s the catch – the more body fat you have, the more leptin your fat cells release… and the less your brain listens. That’s called leptin resistance.

Problem: You’ve got plenty of leptin shouting “We’re full!” but your brain has noise-cancelling headphones on. So you keep eating.

Fix it:

• Lose weight gradually – crash diets screw with leptin.

• Avoid ultra-processed junk – it increases inflammation and worsens leptin resistance.

• Get enough omega-3s (salmon, walnuts, flaxseed) – they help reduce inflammation.

• Sleep more (yes, again!) – poor sleep = leptin dysfunction.

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3. Insulin – The Sugar Traffic Cop

✅ Nickname: “The Fat Storage Manager”

✅ When it shows up: Every time you eat carbs

✅ What it does: Manages blood sugar, stores energy, builds fat if you overdo it

Insulin’s job is noble — clearing sugar from your blood. But if you're eating too many refined carbs (think: white bread, sweets, cereal bars pretending to be healthy), your body starts pumping insulin constantly.

Over time, your cells stop responding to it (hello, insulin resistance), which means more fat storage, more hunger, and a ticket to Type 2 Town.

Problem: You’re always hungry even after meals, gaining weight even on “healthy” foods, and your energy crashes like a toddler post-sugar rush.

Fix it:

• Choose complex carbs: brown rice, oats, quinoa, sweet potato.

• Add protein and fibre to every meal to slow the sugar rush.

• Strength training: helps your body use insulin better.

• Cut the snacks – especially the mindless grazing. Let insulin chill.

4. Cortisol – The Stress Munchie Enabler

✅ Nickname: “The Stress Hormone”

✅ When it shows up: During stress, poor sleep, overtraining, or calorie restriction

✅ What it does: Tells your body to hold onto fat (especially belly fat), makes you crave sugar and fat.

Cortisol is that annoying mate who says “Treat yourself” every time you’re upset. It jacks up when you're stressed, then signals you to eat… and eat… and eat some more. All while slowing down fat burning.

Problem: You’re not overeating because you’re weak — your body’s just trying to cope with stress and survive a fake apocalypse.

Fix it:

• Manage stress: walks, music, baths, breathing, swearing creatively.

• Don’t overtrain – exercise is good, but 6 spin classes a week on 1200 calories is just asking for a cortisol meltdown.

• Get 7–8 hours of sleep (noticing a pattern yet?)

• Eat enough. Chronic under-eating triggers cortisol to go full drama queen.

5. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) – Carb Craver Supreme

✅ Nickname: “The Carboholic Hormone”

✅ When it shows up: When you’re fasting, stressed, or sleep-deprived

✅ What it does: Triggers a craving for ALL THE CARBS

NPY is the silent saboteur. It's like an invisible hand guiding you towards the breadbasket or biscuit tin. It's especially high after long periods without food — or extreme dieting.

Problem: You eat a healthy breakfast, skip lunch, and by 5pm you're face-deep in a family-size pasta bake.

Fix it:

• Don’t fast for too long — especially if it makes you ravenous.

• Eat balanced meals regularly.

• Protein, fibre, and fats = NPY’s natural enemies.

6. Orexin – The Energy Juggler

✅ Nickname: “The Wakeful Appetite Booster”

✅ What it does: Regulates arousal, wakefulness, and… appetite

Orexin’s job is to keep you awake and alert.

Problem is, when you’re sleep-deprived, your orexin goes rogue and drives up hunger like you’re preparing for hibernation.

Problem: Burning the midnight oil (or bingeing Netflix) leads to 2am snack attacks and foggy-headed munchies.

Fix it:

• Consistent sleep schedule. Go to bed like an adult.

• Limit caffeine late in the day. Orexin needs its downtime too.

🔥 How to Fight Back (Like a Hormonal Ninja)

Let’s face it – willpower isn’t enough. You’ve got hormones doing backflips in your bloodstream, and unless you take a strategic approach, you’ll keep falling into the eat-sleep-repeat trap.

Here’s your battle plan:

✅ 1. Prioritise Protein

• 25–30g per meal.

• Keeps ghrelin low, insulin stable, leptin happy.

• Great sources: chicken, turkey, tofu (if you’re into it), protein shakes, Greek yogurt, eggs.

✅ 2. Eat Like a Human, Not a Hamster

• Regular meals. Don’t let yourself starve — it only makes things worse.

• No 1200-calorie madness unless you're a toddler.

✅ 3. Sleep is a Weapon

• Less than 6 hours? Expect cravings, low energy, weight gain.

• Treat sleep like your best fat-loss supplement.

✅ 4. Limit Ultra-Processed Junk

• Your hormones don’t know what to do with chemicals, additives, and fake food.

• Whole foods reduce inflammation and improve insulin & leptin sensitivity.

✅ 5. Strength Train Like a Beast

• Lifting weights improves insulin response, reduces cortisol, and builds muscle (which burns more calories even while watching Netflix).

✅ 6. Manage Your Stress, Don’t Marry It

• Meditation’s not just for hippies.

• Walks, baths, journaling, hobbies — all reduce cortisol and keep hunger hormones in check.

✅ 7. Hydrate, Mate

• Mild dehydration mimics hunger.

• Next time you’re craving snacks, chug some water first — it might be all you need.

😈 Bonus Hormonal Gremlins Worth Mentioning

• Estrogen & Progesterone: Monthly hormone shifts in women increase hunger and cravings (especially before menstruation). If you feel like eating a doughnut, a block of chocolate, and a slice of lasagne simultaneously — you’re not broken. You’re just hormonal.

• Thyroid Hormones (T3 & T4): If these are out of whack (due to stress, under-eating, or medical issues), your metabolism tanks. If weight loss seems impossible despite doing everything “right” — speak to your GP.

🎯 Final Thoughts: It’s Not Just About Willpower

If you’ve been blaming yourself for lack of discipline or thinking you just “love food too much,” give yourself a break.

Your hormones are ancient, primal, and programmed to keep you alive, not help you get shredded for Ibiza.

Understanding the science behind hunger helps you fight smarter, not harder. Control your environment. Master your sleep. Eat properly. Lift some weights. Laugh often.

And remember — if you’re hungry after a full roast dinner and half a dessert… maybe it’s not you. Maybe it’s just ghrelin, that cheeky little gremlin, back at it again.

Now go forth, eat with purpose, and outsmart those hormonal saboteurs.

And maybe, just maybe, keep the biscuits on the top shelf. Out of sight, out of stomach.

Have a great day,

Dave.