If you’ve struggled with unwanted weight, you’re certainly not the only one, but you may still feel alone on the path forward. Especially if you’ve tried diets and weight loss plans to no avail, you’re probably seeing a lonely path of discouragement. But that’s not your only option—there is hope if you know where to look.
Seeking out a medical practitioner who takes an integrative approach to care can help you make the lifestyle changes you need to start a healthy, positive weight loss journey. And if hormonal issues play a role in your weight loss efforts, they can take the time to ensure they are addressed from the inside out with innovative treatments like hormone replacement therapy for weight loss.
All of our bodies are different, and we deserve solutions that are tailored to our unique needs. That’s largely why weight loss trends fall short. Why keep reaching for these one-size-fits-all programs? It’s time to find an approach and a practitioner who will consider your challenges, the things your body really wants, and the health goals that are most important to you.
Why Weight Loss Can Be Complicated
It’s true that weight loss can be complicated and that you deserve compassion in the process. But what makes it complicated? Why is weight loss not as simple as ads and quick-results programs make it seem?
Because the challenges of weight gain and loss are so dependent on an individual’s underlying health status, it’s difficult to answer these questions in a general sense. But calling it complicated certainly doesn’t mean that weight loss is impossible. In fact, by understanding and narrowing in on the many details that make you and your body unique, we open up the possibilities for real health and body balance.
One of those possibilities is exploring hormone imbalances that may hinder your weight loss efforts. By addressing these imbalances, you may open doors to healing that diet and exercise alone have not been able to.
Symptoms of Hormone Imbalances That May Impact Weight Loss
If your endocrine system is not functioning optimally, it’s as if your body experiences an internal communication breakdown. An enormous range of critical body functions may be affected, including your metabolism, digestion, circulation, overall energy, immunity, sexual health, cognition, and concentration. And because your body’s natural homeostasis is compromised under these conditions, it becomes much more difficult to cope with stress and other challenges. These factors can all affect your ability to lose weight.
Hormonal imbalances can be triggered by a wide variety of variables, including environmental, genetic, stress-induced, or illnesses-related factors. Even certain medications can disrupt healthy hormone levels. And the hormones affected may include testosterone, estrogen, cortisol, insulin, and thyroid hormones.
While men and women may experience some hormone imbalances differently, these are common symptoms to look for regardless of your sex:
- Fatigue
- Sluggishness
- Trouble sleeping
- Appetite
- Food cravings
- Irritability
- Brain fog
- Unsettling moods
- Depression
Whether your difficulty with losing weight is a direct effect of a hormone imbalance or not, all these symptoms can undoubtedly make weight loss harder. Especially when we’re not feeling like ourselves and we don’t have the mental or physical energy to make meaningful lifestyle changes, progress can seem elusive. After a while, discouragement easily creeps in to burden you with weight of a different kind.
How Can Hormone Replacement Support Weight Loss?
People of all ages, genders, and walks of life may experience weight loss struggles. One of the best ways to overcome the hurdles and see real results is to visit an integrative medicine practitioner who can help you address the bigger picture. They will work with you to understand your unique needs, assess critical biomarkers to identify any hormone imbalances, and create a comprehensive plan to help you achieve your health goals. This plan will almost certainly include nutrition strategies and exercise, but it might also include supplements and medications to bring your body to a more resilient state. If hormones are determined to play a part in your weight loss challenges, hormone replacement therapy (HRT) may be one of the best ways to help you feel better, mind and body.
While the exact impact of HRT will depend on your baseline hormone levels, symptoms, and treatment strategy, there is a growing body of evidence that hormone therapies may have a significant impact on weight and weight loss efforts. For example, in a study on 1500 women in Switzerland, menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) was closely associated with healthier body mass index scores. Researchers found that current users of MHT had an average BMI of 24.9 whereas women who had never used MHT before had an average BMI of 25.8. Another study by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine found that long-term testosterone therapy can influence significant and lasting weight loss in obese men by reducing BMI and waist circumference while improving their body composition and energy overall. These changes were attributed to both biochemical and behavioral changes spurred by the hormone therapy.
When you visit a qualified practitioner to determine the cause of your weight loss challenges, you are opening the door to a better path toward health and wellness. With the right care, you can move forward with renewed energy and confidence as you take the next steps on your weight loss journey.
BodyLogicMD can guide your journey toward a healthy weight and a healthy life. Practitioners within the BodyLogicMD network specialize in hormonal health and integrative medicine to provide a comprehensive approach to overall wellness. If your weight loss struggles are hormone-related, they will use the most cutting-edge therapies and lifestyle supports available to help you address your symptoms and enhance your ability to shed unwanted pounds. Get started on a customized treatment plan designed to fit your needs and help you reach optimal wellness—contact a local practitioner to schedule your first appointment or take the BodyLogicMD Hormone Balance Quiz today.
Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. All content on this website is for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent diseases.
Charlotte is a patient care coordinator specializing in bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. She is committed to helping patients who struggle with the symptoms of hormonal change and imbalance explore their treatment options and develop effective strategies to optimize wellness.