Have you tried everything to lose weight? You’ve dieted, you exercise, you’re eating less and nothing seems to help? It might not be you; it might be your hormones wrecking havoc on all your hard work.
Scientists say that nutrition is 70% of your health, exercise and lifestyle account for about 25%, and the hormones only for about 5%, but when that 5% is out of balance, the other 95% cannot do its job. For those with a hormone imbalance, it’s likely that you experience a number of symptoms like unexplained weight gain or weight lose, stubborn belly fat, loss of muscles mass, cravings, mood swings, poor sleep patterns and exhaustion.
Hormones help to keep your metabolism in sync with the rest of your body by helping it to burn calories or store fat when needed. Further, when your hormones are irregular, many experience excessive hunger with low energy. Hormones are also known to increase cortisol which encourages fat retention and loss of muscle mass when things like testosterone and insulin levels are off. Hormone imbalances in adrenals, thyroid, and pancreas tend to lead to more junk food cravings, cravings for things that are salty or sweet along with erratic mood swings. When everything else is irregular, it’s no surprise that sleep patterns and energy levels would also be off.
These hormones are typically the ones to become imbalanced:
Testosterone: Though typically thought of as the male hormone, women also produce it. When levels become too low, fat storage is encouraged in your body.
Estradiol: Can help drive glucose into cells and promote insulin secretion, which is important for weight loss as too much insulin can make you feel tired and hungry
Progesterone: Helps balance insulin and blood glucose levels, has been shown to decrease triglycerides.
DHEA: When low can cause estrogen, progesterone, testosterone to be low and cortisol can soar, imbalances can lead to increased stored fat
Human Growth Hormone (HGH): This hormone converts body fat into muscle mass while also reducing production of body fat.
Insulin: This one is well known for assisting the liver to function properly while also controlling blood glucose levels.
Incretin: This hormone works to make sure that insulin is responding properly to your body’s needs.
Therefore, it’s easy to see that when these hormones are out of balance with each other that our body will often have trouble functioning often meaning weight gain. There are, however, some ways to encourage your hormones back into balance. Some easy fixes that are known include increasing protein intakes and reducing sugar and carbohydrates, but when it comes to long term change, the best way to help your body is bioidentical hormone therapy replacement. While it isn’t for everyone, the doctors, like those at Premier Age Management and Medical Weight Loss Clinic, can work with you to come up with a comprehensive program that combines the bioidentical hormones with lifestyle changes like a new diet and comprehensive exercise plan.
During your consultation at Premier Age Management, they will run tests to figure out which hormones are out of sync with the rest of your body and come up with a plan that will help to correct the imbalance and restore your body’s ability to lose weight on its own. Many people find that they have more energy and end up with major changes to their body shape as they store less fat and increase their muscle mass.
Call Premier Age Management at 615-649-9600, visit them in Brentwood at 229 Ward Circle, Suite A-23 or online at premiernashville.com to learn more about hormone therapy and if its right for you.
