No matter how many salads I ate, no matter how many yoga classes I attended, the numbers on the scale refused to budge," Dhara thought to herself. She blamed her eating habits for her stubborn weight gain until a visit to her doctor revealed the real culprit: hormonal imbalance. Like Dhara, many people struggle with weight issues because of hormonal imbalances rather than their lifestyles. These signs can be identified early, and the real cause could then be diagnosed and remedied.

Weight issues are not the result of diet and exercise. Hormones also affect metabolism and hunger and the rate in which fat is stored. According to this chiropractor and acupuncturist, Dr Pranav Vyas based in Chicago suburbs, took to social platform TikTok and shared five signs that hormones could be ruining the fat-loss game:

1. Difficulty Losing Weight Despite Effort

You have tried all of the fad diets, exercise routines, and counted calories but no movement in scale. It may be hormonal imbalance.

Some of the main hormones that significantly affect weight loss include insulin which is associated with regulation of blood sugar level and cortisol, which is your stress hormone. High cortisol enhances activity of hunger and appetite and keeps metabolism from working effectively. No dieting will be enough to get you off those excess pounds with such a hormonal imbalance.

2. Stubborn Midsection Fat

Well if you happen to have a "beer belly" or "muffin top" that refuses to budge, hormones may be a part of the problem. For men: Decreased testosterone leads to increased fat accumulation around the center of the abdomen. Fat tissue itself makes things worse because the body converts testosterone into estrogen from the fat cells. For women: Menopause typically brings about a decline in estrogen, redistribution of fat to the center of the body.

These hormonal imbalances make it incredibly difficult to lose belly fat through dieting or exercise alone.

3. Weight Gain in Hips, Thighs, or Buttocks

If your weight is piling on the lower body, estrogen might be the cause. For example, it has been noted that as women advance toward menopause, their estrogen levels become low, leading to noticeable changes in the distribution of fats. Weight gain in those areas may also be associated with the other manifestations of menopause like flashes of heat or mood swings.

4. Loss of Muscles and Flabbiness

Are your work out making you flabber rather than strong? To date, while exercising regularly, loss of muscle can be linked with hormonal imbalances. Stress elevates levels of cortisol, which contributes to the degradation of muscle tissue. Low testosterone and estrogen contribute to low muscle mass. This impacts metabolism and helps in weight gain.

Minimal body muscles make your body burn less calories hence gaining weight is hard as well.

5. Increased Appetite

Be to blame ghrelin, the "hunger hormone"

Ghrelin signals your brain to feed, although it can stimulate overeating at high levels. This may cause:

- Calorie restriction

- Poor sleep

- Certain diseases such as metabolic syndrome

Might you regain weight after weight loss even when you have decreased considerably? It is possible due to the reason that even when you have lost substantial weight, increased ghrelin levels will make it difficult to retain the weight lost and lead to cycles of weight regain.

What to Do Next?

If these symptoms ring any bells, it is time to see a doctor. Hormonal imbalance can be controlled by:

• Lifestyle modifications (stress management, good sleep).
• Medical treatment in the form of hormone therapy or medicines.
• Nutrition change harmonized with proper hormonal balance.

4 Effective Exercises to Help Manage Hormonal Weight Gain

Strength Training: Focus on weightlifting or bodyweight exercises like squats, lunges, and push-ups to build muscle. Muscle burns more calories, boosting metabolism and reducing fat storage, especially around the midsection.

HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Alternate between short bursts of intense activity and rest to burn fat more efficiently and increase metabolism.

Yoga: Poses like Downward Dog and Warrior help reduce stress, balancing cortisol levels, which can aid in weight management and muscle retention.

Cardio: Activities like brisk walking, running, or cycling can improve overall fat loss, supporting hormonal balance and helping reduce weight.

We often assume that having a “normal weight” automatically means being healthy. While body weight is an important parameter, it represents only a small part of overall health. True health is far more complex than what a number on the weighing scale can convey.

Understanding The Limitations Of BMI

Body Mass Index (BMI) is widely used to classify individuals based on their weight relative to height. However, it does not differentiate between fat and muscle. As a result, someone may fall within the normal BMI range yet still have high body fat and low muscle mass, a condition known as “normal weight obesity.” Such individuals may appear healthy but remain at risk for metabolic disorders.

Why Is Body Composition Important?

Body composition analysis offers deeper insight by evaluating fat, muscle mass, and their distribution in the body. A combination of low muscle mass and excess body fat, especially around internal organs, can increase disease risk, even when overall weight appears normal.

The role of fat distribution:

All body fat is not the same. Where fat is stored matters significantly. The waist-to-height ratio is now considered a more reliable indicator than BMI, as it reflects fat distribution. A ratio above 0.5 is associated with a higher risk of conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and even increased mortality.

Looking beyond numbers:

Health cannot be defined by numbers alone. Factors like physical activity, nutrition, stress levels, and sleep quality play an equally critical role. Even individuals with a normal weight can experience poor metabolic health due to inadequate sleep or chronic stress.

The bigger perspective:

Good health is not just about appearance or weight, it is the result of multiple factors working together. It reflects a balance between internal processes and external lifestyle choices.

In essence, being of normal weight does not necessarily mean being healthy. To truly stay well, it is important to look beyond weight and consider the broader picture of health.

Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Doncic is set to fly to Europe to seek specialized treatment on his Grade 2 left hamstring strain, according to a media report.

Doncic suffered the injury during Thursday's 134-96 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Though Grade 2 hamstring strains typically involve a monthlong recovery process, Doncic is motivated to return to theLakers' lineup during the playoffs -- which is a shared goal for Austin Reaves, who is out because of a Grade 2 left oblique muscle injury, the basketball player’s agent Bill Duffy told ESPN.

What Is A Hamstring Strain

Hamstring muscles power a player’s acceleration. Sudden bursts of speed without adequate flexibility or strength can cause a strain. It can be a pull, a partial tear, or a complete tear.

Symptoms include:

• Sudden Sharp Pain
• Physical Sensations
• Physical Changes
• Reduced Mobility

Prevention includes stretching, foam rolling, and strengthening exercises like deadlifts, leg curls, and bridges.

Hamstring strains are graded according to their severity. A grade 1 strain is mild and usually heals readily; a grade 3 strain is a complete tear of the muscle that may take months to heal.

Also read: For How Long Should You Be Able To Hold A Plank In Your 20s?

What Are The Common Injuries In Basketball?

Basketball players are more likely to get hurt during matches than during training, with risks coming from tackling, sprinting, twisting, jumping, or even repeating the same movements until fatigue sets in. Collisions, poor conditioning, or re-injuring a previously weakened area can also contribute.

Sprained Ankle

Quick changes of direction and uneven surfaces make ankle sprains one of the most common basketball injuries. This happens when the ankle rolls inward or outward, overstretching the ligaments.

Protect, Optimal loading, Ice, Compression, Elevation, and avoid HARM factors: Heat, Alcohol, Running, Massage, in the first three days.

Groin Strain

Twisting, kicking, or rapid directional changes can strain the inner thigh muscles, also known as adductors.

Prevention is through regular stretching and strengthening exercises such as side lunges and adductor side bridges.

ACL Injury

The anterior cruciate ligament is critical for knee stability. Injuries often occur when the lower leg stays planted while the upper leg twists, during tackles, or awkward landings.

Mild sprains may heal with physiotherapy, but severe tears often require surgery. Persistent swelling or pain should be checked by a professional.

Preventing Basketball Injuries

• Strengthen lower limbs with exercises like squats, lunges, and calf raises.
• Warm up with dynamic stretches and sport-specific drills.
• Cool down after matches to aid recovery.
• Wear proper gear, including fitted boots and shin guards.
• Stay hydrated, eat well, and rest between games.

As weight-loss injections like Mounjaro and Wegovy are becoming increasingly accessible, a growing number of individuals are using them for both health benefits and body toning.

While there are various health-related side effects linked to these, one emerging effect is a surge in divorce rates.

According to experts, after slimming down, partners are on the lookout for new love. The weight loss jabs are doubling the risk of divorce, the Telegraph reported.

Divorce rates from fat jabs are set to soar in the future, Professor Per-Arne Svensson, from the University of Gothenburg, was quoted as saying.

“What we see, for instance, in divorces is that it occurs after a couple of years after you started your treatment,” he added.

What Studies Are Saying

A 2018 study led by Swedish researchers from the Karolinska Institutet and University of Gothenburg showed that men and women who lost a substantial amount of weight after weight-loss surgery, also known as bariatric surgery, are more likely to divorce or have their relationships end than those who don’t undergo surgery.

Prof Svensson, who led the 2018 research, found that patients with a gastric band were almost 50pc more likely to get divorced within six years.

In the study of 12,531 married patients, 14.4pc divorced during this period compared with 8.2pc among the wider population. The research suggests the chance of divorce is significantly higher among patients who have experienced rapid weight loss.

Another study led by researchers from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, US, showed that adults who are not married and get weight-loss surgery are more than twice as likely to get married within five years. Likewise, adults who are married and get bariatric surgery are more than twice as likely to get divorced.

Although the studies are focused on people who had been fitted with gastric bands, known as bariatric surgery, the rise of weight-loss drugs will trigger an even larger divorce trend in the future, the report said.

Also read: Lehengas, Diets & Now Mounjaro: The New Must-Have For Indian Brides?

Svensson said, “very similar mechanisms could occur with Ozempic [and other GLP-1 receptor agonists] as with surgery, concerning changes in relationships. Within the newest weight loss drugs, Mounjaro, for instance, we would have weight losses that are not as big as with bariatric surgery, but they are significant enough. So I still believe that these mechanisms could occur.”

Rising Divorce Rates: Weight Loss Jabs Empowering Individuals

The report stated that a reason for the rising divorce rates among people who use weight loss jabs is that these are boosting the confidence of individuals to come out of unhealthy relationships.

“It could also be that you have a person who is stuck in a bad relationship, but doesn’t have the self-confidence to break it off because they feel ‘who would like to date them, if not their current spouse’, " said Prof Svensson.

Read more: India To Strictly Inspect GLP-1 Drugs To Curb Misuse: Govt Flags Risks Amid Weight-loss Hype

“It’s not that losing a large amount of weight is ending healthy marriages. It’s probably more than for the person losing weight and feeling better about themselves; it may be empowering them to leave an unhealthy relationship,” added David Sarwer, the director of the Center for Obesity Research in Philadelphia, US.

Sarwer said if the high cost of slimming drugs falls even further, it will lead to a greater shedding of bad relationships.

There will probably be “a subset of people who, as they’re feeling better about themselves,” find it becomes “a motivational catalyst to move on from what would otherwise be an unhealthy relationship”, he said.