Can Hormone Replacement Help Me Control My Weight?
By Kelly Thelen | Published on September 7, 2010 | 0 Comments
Intended to restore a healthy hormone balance, hormone replacement therapy has become a more common component of weight loss programs everywhere. Can hormone replacement help you control your weight? Absolutely, says Kelly Thelen, MSN, of Lincoln, NE weight loss clinic Healthy Essentials. In fact, she says, a hormone imbalance may be to blame for your difficulty controlling your weight in the first place.
Thelen, a nurse practitioner specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of hormone imbalances in both men and women, says that most people discount the role that hormones play in chronic obesity. “Whether or not you’re able to lose weight effectively,” Thelen says, “involves more than just the number of calories you take in or how many minutes you exercise each day.”
Hormones and Metabolism
According to Thelen, if you’ve struggled for years with your weight and have never seemed to be able to get it under control, a hormone imbalance may be to blame. There are several hormone imbalances that are known to interfere with metabolism, she says. Too much or too little estrogen, for example, can cause weight gain or difficulty losing weight. Similarly, an overabundance of progesterone or a progesterone deficiency can impact metabolism.
Do I Have a Hormone Imbalance?
“In order to most effectively prescribe a weight loss plan,” Thelen says, “we need to know everything we can about a patient’s physical condition, including hormone levels, nutritional deficiencies and more.” Before entering a weight loss program, patients at Healthy Essentials, Thelen says, are screened for a variety of factors that can affect metabolism, including hormone imbalances.
There are a number of conditions that can create or contribute to a hormone imbalance. In younger women, polycystic ovary syndrome is sometimes the cause. The aging process, of course, also changes our bodies’ production of hormones. Ironically, obesity can also cause a hormone imbalance.
“Just as adjusting your hormones can improve your ability to lose weight, losing weight will improve a hormone imbalance,” Thelen says. “But correcting your hormone imbalance before attempting to lose weight is likely to give you better, faster results.” The best way to discover whether hormones are affecting your weight, she says, is to have your hormone levels tested in a medical setting.
Correcting a Hormone Imbalance
If it is determined that you do have a hormone imbalance that is impacting your ability to lose weight, then fortunately, it can be corrected. In patients with a hormone deficiency, Thelen uses bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to restore a healthy balance. If an overabundance of a particular hormone is found, a plan can be put into place (using supplements and other hormones) to restore that hormone to normal levels.
In addition to bio-identical hormones and supplements, Thelen strongly emphasizes diet in her approach to restoring a healthy hormone balance. Many foods, she says, contain synthetic hormones that can impact metabolism and health in general. To avoid these synthetic hormones, Thelen recommends choosing whole, organic foods over processed foods.
“Any weight loss plan should take into account the factors that are affecting an individual’s ability to control food intake, take pounds off, and keep them off,” Thelen says. “Hormone testing and replacement is a good way to prepare your body for weight loss and to help you maintain the weight loss you’ve achieved for life. Plus, so many people find that they just ‘feel like themselves’ again after hormone replacement therapy.”
*Disclaimer: The information on this website is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.