Hormones “Normal” But You Still Feel Off? The Real Issue May Be Your Metabolism

Hormones “Normal” But You Still Feel Off? The Real Issue May Be Your Metabolism
By Dr. Riobé, OB-GYN + Integrative Physician

Have you ever been told your hormones are “normal”… but you still feel off?

Your energy is low.
Your mood feels unstable.
You’re craving food (especially at night).
Your midsection feels inflamed or puffy.
Your sleep is light or inconsistent.
And no matter what you do, your body doesn’t seem to respond.

If that’s you, I want you to know something important:

A lot of women don’t have “hormone problems” on paper.
What they actually have is an unstable metabolism.

And when metabolism becomes unstable, your hormones fluctuate more intensely—sometimes so quickly that blood work can’t capture it.

Let’s break this down in a way that finally makes sense.

Why “Normal Labs” Don’t Always Mean You’re Fine
Blood work is valuable. I’m a physician, and I believe in data and testing.

Sometimes ruling out major conditions is just as important as finding something.
Blood work helps us screen for:
• thyroid disease
• autoimmune conditions
• infections
• major hormonal disorders

But here’s what most women aren’t told:

Blood work is a snapshot in time.

It measures what’s floating around in your bloodstream at that moment.
It doesn’t always show what’s happening deeper inside your cells—where hormones are actually responding and adapting.

And because women’s hormones naturally fluctuate (monthly cycles, life stages, stress, sleep, diet), it’s very possible to feel significant symptoms even when the lab numbers appear “normal.”

The missing piece is often the metabolic environment inside the body.

Hormones and Metabolism Are Inseparable
One of the most important concepts I teach is this:

Hormones and metabolism are inseparable.

Hormones are not just “levels.”
They act more like blueprints and instruction manuals.

They influence your:
• appetite and cravings
• mood and emotional stability
• energy production
• fat storage
• inflammation
• sleep quality

They also operate in feedback loops.

That means hormones don’t just drive metabolism—they also respond to metabolism.

So when your metabolism becomes unstable, your hormones shift to compensate.
And that compensation is often what creates the symptoms you feel.

When Women Say “My Hormones Are Off,” What They’re Often Describing
When women tell me “my hormones feel off,” what they usually mean is:

“My system feels unstable.”

It may show up as:
• unpredictable appetite (too low or too high)
• inconsistent sleep (trouble falling asleep, waking up often)
• irritability with no clear trigger
• anxiety that seems to come out of nowhere
• energy crashes during the day
• feeling worse after naps—even when exhausted
• cravings that feel loud and relentless

And again, this is why women get so frustrated.
They do the responsible thing: they go to the doctor, they get labs, and they’re told everything is fine.

But they don’t feel fine.

That disconnect is real—and it’s not in your head.

The Better Question to Ask (Instead of “What’s Wrong With My Hormones?”)
Here’s the shift I want you to make:

Instead of asking:
“What’s wrong with my hormones?”

Ask:
“What is my metabolism adapting to that is forcing my hormones to fluctuate?”

Because hormones don’t fluctuate randomly.
They fluctuate to help you adapt and survive.

Sometimes those adaptations help you function.
And sometimes the adaptation itself creates symptoms—because the body is compensating under stress.

Let’s talk about the biggest metabolic drivers that create “hormone symptoms.”

1. Blood Sugar Instability: When Crashes Feel Like Hormone Imbalance
   One of the most common metabolic patterns I see is blood sugar dysregulation.

Even in younger women.
Even in women who “eat healthy.”

Signs of blood sugar instability can include:
• feeling shaky or anxious if you miss a meal
• irritability when hungry
• needing caffeine to focus or function
• energy crashes mid-day
• cravings that hit hardest at night
• inconsistent appetite (ravenous or not hungry at all)

Here’s why this matters:

Blood sugar patterns influence hormone patterns.

When blood sugar drops too low, your body senses threat.
To protect you, it raises cortisol to bring your blood sugar back up.

That creates a rollercoaster:
crash → cortisol surge → temporary boost → crash again → cravings again

And it can feel like:
“I’m moody.”
“I’m anxious.”
“My hormones are off.”
“I can’t control my appetite.”

But what’s happening underneath is metabolic instability.

Why Calorie Restriction Can Backfire in This Pattern
When women feel unstable, they often try to “fix it” by eating less.

But if your body already feels metabolically threatened, restriction can push you deeper into survival mode.

Your nervous system and brain can interpret high cortisol signals as danger—even if there’s no danger in the room.

Your body doesn’t need a lion to be chasing you.
It just needs the chemistry of threat.

And when the chemistry stays elevated long enough, the system becomes chronically dysregulated.

2. Thyroid Signaling: The Metabolism Controller Most Women Overlook
   Your thyroid plays a critical role in metabolic function.

It influences:
• energy production
• temperature regulation
• digestion
• immune resilience
• fluid balance
• body composition
• cholesterol metabolism
• mood stability

Many women have “normal” thyroid labs, but the numbers are not optimal for their body.

Or the conversion from stored thyroid hormone (T4) to active thyroid hormone (T3) may be less efficient.

Symptoms of low thyroid signaling can look like:
• fatigue
• weight gain
• increased inflammation
• frequent colds
• sleep disruption
• low mood
• elevated cholesterol

Again, this can still happen even if your labs don’t cross into a “diagnosis.”

3. Estrogen + Progesterone: It’s Not Just the Level—It’s the Regulation
   Estrogen and progesterone influence nearly every system in the body.

Estrogen alone has hundreds of functions related to:
• brain health
• breast health
• mood regulation
• inflammation
• metabolism

But here’s something many women don’t realize:

Hormone symptoms aren’t always because levels are too high or too low.
They can also happen because hormones aren’t being broken down and eliminated properly.

Your body has to:

1. make hormones
2. metabolize them (break them down)
3. eliminate them (clear them out)

If that clearance process is sluggish, hormones can recirculate in forms that trigger symptoms such as:
• irritability
• breast tenderness
• inflammation
• stubborn weight changes

Your gut and liver function matter here.
So do nutrient deficiencies and toxic burden.

The Real Solution: Stabilize Metabolism First
Here’s the core truth I want you to walk away with:

The goal isn’t to chase hormone numbers.
The goal is to stabilize your metabolism.

When metabolism stabilizes:
• hormones don’t have to compensate as much
• fluctuations become smoother and less intense
• energy becomes more consistent
• cravings quiet down
• sleep improves
• mood stabilizes
• inflammation begins to shift

This is why I developed my Dynamic Metabolic Typing system and the 4 Pillars of Wellness:
Eat. Move. Rest. Detox.

Because when you apply the right strategy to the right metabolic pattern, your body stops feeling unpredictable.

Dynamic Metabolic Typing: Why “One Size Fits All” Backfires
One woman may do well with intermittent fasting.
Another woman will crash and burn from it.

One woman may thrive on intense workouts.
Another will feel worse and more depleted.

One woman may feel best on raw foods.
Another needs warming, cooked meals to feel stable.

That’s not failure.
That’s physiology.

Your metabolism has a pattern.
And when you understand your pattern, you stop doing random trial-and-error strategies that don’t match your body.

Take the Free Dynamic Metabolic Type Quiz
If you feel like you’ve been doing everything “right” but your body still isn’t responding, your next step is simple:

Take my free Dynamic Metabolic Type Quiz.

It takes just a few minutes and helps you identify your metabolic pattern so you can finally apply the right strategy for your body.

Click here to take the quiz

Final Thoughts
If your labs are “normal” but you don’t feel normal, you are not imagining it.

Your body may be adapting to metabolic instability—and your hormones may be compensating in ways that create very real symptoms.

The answer isn’t more guessing.
The answer is stabilizing your metabolism from the inside out.

If this post helped you, share it with a woman you love.

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