Putting The Pieces Together
The obvious answer to weight loss is reducing calorie intake and exercising more. But if you have maxed out your capacity to diet and exercise without seeing the desired results or have hormone-related symptoms that interfere with your ability to make healthy lifestyle changes, its time to do more. For many, the answer could be hormone replacement therapy .
For women experiencing menopause or perimenopause, HRT under the guidance of a hormone health specialist can be life-changing. Researchers have found strong evidence that estrogen or combined estrogen-progesterone replacement therapy may help to prevent menopause-related changes in body composition and the associated metabolic consequences. Additionally, many women find that HRT alleviates symptoms that interfere with weight losssuch as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and mood symptomsand allows them to make the choices necessary to shed unwanted pounds.
If a thyroid condition is thwarting your efforts for weight loss over 40, getting a specific and accurate diagnosis is critical. If your lab results and symptoms point to hypothyroidism, hormone therapy is the gold standard in treatment and can help you restore balance and take control of your health. A hormone specialist can devise a treatment plan tailored to your unique needs and provide nutrition and lifestyle recommendations to support greater ongoing health.
Key Takeaways About Hormonal Weight Gain
Hormones Responsible For Weight Gain In Women
by Ed Hagen | Jul 30, 2018 | Blog1, Women’s Health
Did you know that stubborn fat can be harder to lose if your hormones arent in balance? So its a great idea to get all your hormones in check first.
Which hormones? Here are the hormones youll want to get in check to ensure you can achieve the healthiest weight of your life.
1.Thyroid
The thyroid gland produces three hormones: T3, T4, and calcitonin. Togther, they regulate metabolism, sleep, heart rate, growth and brain development, among other functions.
Sometimes the thyroid doesnt produce the right quantities of these hormones, though, and it can lead to hypothyroidism.
Hypothyroid is associated with constipation, fatigue, depression, slow heart rate, and other symptoms. However, it is also related to weight gain, as your metabolism slows down due to the hormone deficit.
2.Leptin
When your body is 100% healthy, leptin signals that you are full and should stop eating.
But when we overeat foods that are high in sugar or processed foods, the oversupply of fructose is converted into fat, and it gets deposited in the liver, belly and other areas of the body.
That is a problem because fat cells can also secret leptin, desensitizing the body to it and causing the brain to ignore the signal to stop eating. This vicious circle can lead to high levels of weight gain.
3.Insulin
4.Estrogen
Estrogen levels that are too high or too low can cause weight gain.
5.Cortisol
6.Progesterone
7.Ghrelin
8.Testosterone
9.Melatonin
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How Does The Stress Hormone Cortisol Sabotage Weight Loss
How is this overproduction of cortisol related to weight gain? First of all, heightened cortisol is linked to overeating. Ever notice how you eat when youre stressed? A study published in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology found that higher than normal cortisol levels were linked to overeating and weight gain. Another study links elevated cortisol levels to an increase in belly fat.
Are There Preventative Steps Or Measures To Avoid Hormonal Weight Gain
Seeking early evaluation with an endocrinologist so the appropriate interventions can be started sooner will help with minimizing and possibly reversing hormonal weight gain. Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.
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Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Affect Weight Loss In Women
In addition to having less abdominal fat, the same study found that women undergoing HRT were almost one whole point lower on the body mass index scale, and they had nearly 3 pounds less of fat mass.
In other research, estrogen has shown signs of controlling body weight. And yet, more evidence suggests estrogen hormone therapy increases a womans resting metabolic rate, which may help slow weight gain.
Stillwatching what you eat and exercising go a long way in helping you manage your weight during and after HRT. Healthy habits can help reduce the other symptoms of menopause, so grab a friend and take a walkjust get moving!
How Hormones Affect Womens Weight Loss
Both women and men are affected by hormones in their weight loss journeys. For instance, leptin and ghrelin affect us in similar ways as they regulate weight gain and appetite. Cortisol is another hormone that regulates stress, which can lead to changes in appetite as a response. While studies from Columbia Universitys obstetrics and gynecology program show that obesity is triggered by socioeconomic, behavioral, and medical factors too, there is no doubt that female sex hormones estrogen and progesterone play an essential role in weight gain and loss. These hormones are responsible for the regulation of appetite, eating behaviors, and energy metabolism in women. The balance of these hormones can have an impact on fat loss and overall health.
Hormone fluctuations during the menstrual cycle are also responsible for weight gain and loss. Many women experience cravings during the luteal phase of their cycle and so consume more calories in the days leading up to their period. This is why starting diets or losing weight may be more manageable during the follicular phase. It is here that the effects of progesterone on the thyroid hormone tend to reduce a womans appetite. Given the effect of these specific hormones on women, knowing how to control them can aid in successful weight loss.
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Can An Endocrinologist Help With Weight Loss
An endocrinologist can very often help you reverse weight gain that is associated with hormonal imbalances. Potentially useful interventions include lifestyle changes such as exercise, diet modification, or stress management, as well as treatments such as testosterone or thyroid hormone replacement. Medications may be able to help with weight gain-related symptoms such as increased appetite, or to moderate excessive hormone levels.
Hormone Levels Drop When Obese Women Lose Weight
Journal of Clinical OncologyReduced-Calorie Dietary Weight Loss, Exercise, and Sex Hormones in Postmenopausal Women: Randomized Controlled Trial
- Low calorie diet group . The women ate 1,200 to 2,000 calories each day and less than 30% of the calories came from fat. The women in the diet-only group also occasionally met one-on-one with a dietitian, attended weekly dietitian-led group meetings, and kept daily food logs.
- Moderate to vigorous intensity exercise group . The women did 45 minutes of moderate to vigorous intensity aerobic exercise , 5 days per week for a total of 225 minutes of exercise per week. Some of the exercise was done in monitored workouts.
- Diet-plus-exercise group. The women followed both the low calorie diet AND did 225 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week.
- Control group .
- estrone levels dropped 9.6% in the diet-only group and 11.1% in the diet-plus-exercise group
- estradiol levels dropped 16.2% in the diet-only group and 20.3% in the diet-plus-exercise group
- free estradiol levels dropped 21.4% in the diet-only group and 26.0% in the diet-plus-exercise group
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How To Manage Hormone Imbalances You Cant Control
Sometimes, even if youre doing everything right and trying to keep your hormones in balance, you may still need additional support from a skilled medical professional. At SynergenX, we specialize in helping you overcome symptoms of hormone imbalance using an individualized approach to hormone replacement therapy and weight loss in women. Its time to do whats right and best for your health, energy, weight, and self-confidence. Call SynergenX at or fill out an online form to schedule an appointment. Its your first step toward being healthy, inside and out.
Do You Ever Find Yourself Saying This
- No matter how much I exercise or eat right, I cant lose this excess weight.
- As Ive been getting older, my metabolism has slowed and I keep gaining weight.
- Once I lose the weight, the fat comes right back to me.
If you can relate to the above, you may be suffering from a hormonal imbalance.
As a Nurse Practitioner, and a Doctor with experience in weight management and bioidentical hormone therapy, I can tell you firsthand that your weight affects your hormones and, on the flipside, your hormones affect your weight. So, which came first? The chicken or the egg? Its kind of hard to tell, but there are things you can do to help both at the same time and lead to a leaner body and put your hormones back into balance. Even if youre going through menopause, you can help relieve hot flashes, weight gain, and other symptoms of menopause by changing your diet.
First, its helpful to know what hormones are, what role they have in the body, and what the major players are.
So, what are hormones? And how to balance your hormones to lose weight? Hormones are chemical messengers that are made in the body and are responsible for almost every bodily function. We cant survive without them! Without hormones, we would never experience hunger and may possibly starve to death. Without hormones, we wouldnt be able to make babies and mankind would end. Crazy, isnt it?
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What Is Hormone Replacement Therapy
Hormone replacement therapy is a treatment plan used to regulate your bodys hormone levels.
Hormones are your bodys chemical messengers. They are created by your endocrine glands and then travel through your bloodstream to your organs and tissues. In the process, they affect many biological functions. Small changes in hormone levels can have a massive impact on your bodys growth and development, metabolism, energy level, mood, body temperature, libido, cognitive function, and reproductive health.
While hormone levels do fluctuate with age, imbalances are most common in midlife especially with the onset of menopause in women. Thats why many people use hormone replacement therapy to offset the symptoms of menopause .
Get Help Shedding Those Extra Pounds
As women age, it can be even more difficult shedding those extra pounds. A healthy diet, exercise and the proper amount of sleep all help, but there are also environmental factors that can alter your hormone balance. The Ageless and Wellness Medical Center is here to help!
Dr. Randolph, author of the bestselling weight loss book, From Belly Fat to Belly Flat offers many services and options to reach your weight loss goals. From customized prescriptions to the energizing and fat burning Lipo B12 shots to a full range of pharmaceutical-grade supplements that target specific weight loss concerns, youll find your answer here.
Dr. Randolph can diagnose your hormone balance and suggest the proper supplements to help. Come visit the Medical Center in Jacksonville, FL. If you cant make it to Florida, check out the hormone balance test kit and Shape Up Pack at the Online Wellness Store. Get the help you need today!
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The Latest Thinking On How Things Like Testosterone And Estrogen Imbalances May Or May Not Add Pounds
by Janis Jibrin, AARP, August 6, 2020
En español | If you’re like most Americans age 50-plus, your waistline is six centimeters wider than it was in your 20s or 30s, and the numbers on your scale reflect this, too. We can all tick off the reasons: genetic predisposition, supersized portions, too much sitting and not enough moving. But there’s another theory circulating through the weight-loss world: hormonal imbalance. And balancing those hormones is the promise behind books like The Hormone Fix, diet programs such as BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers and countless dietary supplements like Female Balance or DIM, a compound marketed to men as a testosterone protector.”
To suss out whether your hormones are colluding with your fat cells, first a little Hormones 101. Made by our bodies, these chemical messengers have wide-ranging effects: controlling growth, developing sex organs, directing blood sugar levels and, yes, influencing body weight, body fat and muscle mass.
Levels of certain hormones change with age and they can occasionally cause weight gain, says Kenneth Burman, M.D., director of endocrinology at MedStar Washington Hospital Center and professor of medicine at Georgetown University, both in Washington, D.C. But, he says, For the vast majority of people who are overweight or have obesity, hormones are not main the cause.
Weight Management For Women
Weight loss research shows that the average person will add one to two pounds around their abdomen each year between the ages of 35 and 55 without changing their eating or exercise habits.
Physiologically, these are the same years when progesterone levels begin to decline in women and testosterone production begins to drop in men. Midsection weight gain those stubborn pounds stuck around your belly, butt, thighs, and hips is just one signal of an underlying hormone level imbalance.
Even worse, fat cells produce even more estrogen, placing you in a no-win cycle of increasing estrogen dominance. If left unrecognized and untreated, those pounds around your middle can increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, thyroid disorders, certain types of cancer, dementia, and early mortality.
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Hormones Increase Weight In Women
Have you tried to lose weight, but all have gone in vain? Your hormones might be responsible for this. Women face hormonal imbalances, weakness and slow metabolism at several stages of their lives. This may be due to PMS, pregnancy, menopause and stress. Many researchers find it associated with hunger, weight loss, metabolism and female hormone complexity.
Setting The Stage For Weight Loss
For these reasons, hormonal balance is incredibly important to weight loss. If your hormones arent cooperating, its very difficult to even get started.
Its for that reason that yes, hormone replacement therapy can help you lose weight.
But its important to remember this isnt a magic pill to drop unwanted pounds. Instead, hormone replacement therapy can set the stage for weight loss. It will prepare your body to respond to a healthy lifestyle. Then, when you diet and exercise your hormones will work with you, not against you.
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Health & Wellnessthe Calories In Calories Out Concept Is ‘tragically Flawed’ New Research Suggests
“When I was in my 40s, I went on a ketogenic diet with my husband,” Gottfried said. “He lost 20 pounds. I gained weight.”
Gottfried added that it also is important to have a method that is specifically targeted to women, instead of treating all genders the same when it comes to weight loss.
“There’s a bias when it comes to the research,” said Gottfried. “We’re completely different, we’re not just men with breasts. We’ve got completely different hormone levels, so we have to eat in a way that helps those hormones.”
52-year-old Anu French, a mother of two, said that during the pandemic she dealt with weight gain and the onset of menopause. She was diagnosed with prediabetes and high cholesterol, and she wanted to lose weight. French said that with Gottfried’s protocol, she lost 40 pounds in three months and maintained the weight loss for a year.
Hormones And Weight Gain: How To Fix The Hormones That Control Your Weight
Did you know that your weight is directly related to your hormones? This is a fact many of us forget as we travel along the often slow and frustrating road to weight loss. To maintain a weight thats healthy for our unique bodily makeup, a delicate balance of hormones is required. If certain hormones are off-kilter, weight gain often results.
In order to lose weight and keep it off we must understand the intricate inner workings of our many hormones. Once we understand the relationship between hormones and weight gain, we can take the proper steps to balance these hormones and lose weight in a sustainable, healthy way.
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Getting To Know Ghrelin
You can think of ghrelin as your hunger hormone. Like leptin, it communicates with the brain in this case, telling your brain to eat. Every time your stomach becomes empty, it naturally releases ghrelin into your bloodstream. Ghrelin levels are lowest just after youve finished a meal. Theyre at their highest when the stomach is empty and youre ready for your next meal. This scenario is normal when a person is healthy and maintaining optimal weight.
An overweight person, on the other hand, will find that like the other hormones weve explored ghrelin levels are typically out of whack. In healthy individuals, ghrelin levels decrease in a way that satiates them and signals their brains to stop eating. But in obese individuals, ghrelin levels dont decrease enough after eating, which fails to send the brain the signal it needs to stop eating and feel satisfied.
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Hormones And Weight Gain What Causes Menopause Weight Gain
Department of Health and Human Menopwuse. Concentrate on foods rich in fiber and essential nutrients that help to regulate bowel function thus aiding the body in releasing used no longer needed Estrogen. Increasing water and salt with salt or broth would be helpful maybe. Experts recommend stopping hormone therapy for weight loss abruptly or gradually. Hormone replacement therapy weight loss is connected with the endocrine system that is responsible for hormone production.
Levels of this hormone decrease during hormones and weight loss after menopause causing the loss of muscle mass and hence result in lower metabolism. Men also produce it, albeit in smaller amounts. To increase the rate of your metabolism, try incorporating one to two high-intensity interval training HIIT workouts into your weekly workout regimen. The increase of hormones that are responsible for the fat-to-energy transformation help to reduce belly fat and control the situation with floating. Department of Agriculture. She assists women going through hormonal changes and want to live each day with confidence and enthusiasm.
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