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Is It Your Hormones? How HRT Helps Break Through Stubborn Weight Gain
At Alevizos Medical, respected board-certified integrative medicine physician Dr. John Alevizos is a hormone therapy specialist serving patients in Irvine, California.
Taking a whole-person approach, Dr. Alevizos uncovers hormone imbalances and creates personalized hormone replacement therapy (HRT) plans for women and men. HRT can not only help you overcome stubborn weight gain but also enhance how you feel and function in every aspect of your life.
Here’s how hormones are connected to weight and how HRT can help.
What hormones have to do with weight gain
Hormones are chemical messengers. They play a role in appetite level, calorie burning, fat storage, and energy levels.
When your hormones are imbalanced, which often occurs during menopause or andropause (male menopause), your body may retain weight. Other factors, like stress, diet, and physical activity level, can influence hormones (and weight) too.
Studies show that hormones and obesity are bidirectionally linked. When hormones are imbalanced, you’re more likely to accumulate extra fat. When you carry extra weight, those extra pounds affect how hormones function, which can lead to additional weight gain.
Hormones linked to stubborn weight gain
Many different hormones can influence your weight.
- Low testosterone can reduce muscle mass and slow metabolism
- An estrogen imbalance may increase fat storage around the midsection
- Thyroid dysfunction can slow down how efficiently your body burns calories
- Insulin resistance affects how your body processes sugar and stores fat
- Elevated cortisol from long-term stress can also encourage weight gain
Whether one or several hormones contribute, the bottom line is that you may need to stabilize your hormones to stabilize your weight.
How HRT can support weight loss
HRT works by restoring hormone levels to a healthier range, which helps your metabolism function as intended.
HRT can make weight loss easier by regulating your appetite, boosting your energy, and promoting faster fat burning. In addition, HRT can support the growth and maintenance of lean muscle mass, which helps maintain long-term weight control.
Ultimately, HRT can work alongside good habits and, in some cases, other weight-loss tools, such as GLP-1 injections, to help you reach a healthy, sustainable weight. A recent study published in Menopause supports this approach. It found that postmenopausal women using semaglutide along with HRT lost more weight than those using semaglutide alone.
At Alevizos Medical, Dr. Alevizos can help you succeed with a customized HRT plan. After a comprehensive hormone assessment, he designs a plan for your body.
Often, patients choose pellet therapy, in which Dr. Alevizos places tiny rice-sized pellets under the skin. These hormones, tailored to your body’s needs, are released steadily over several months to help rapidly return levels to normal and make weight management easier.
If you’re frustrated with your weight loss efforts so far and suspect hormones may be holding you back, call Alevizos Medical at 949-916-3600 to book your HRT consultation in Irvine.
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