The Importance of Hormone Balance for Women in Medical Weight Loss

Hormone Balance and Weight Loss, Where’s the Evidence?

Going back to basics, when consulting a medical specialist on how you can lose a few inches or trim down a few pant sizes, you may have been told “Calories out has to exceed calories in”, excess calories consumed get converted to fat storage for future use by the body, simply eat less, and burn more energy and you’ll lose weight, right?

What this doesn’t account for is your ability to exercise, or burn additional calories, your metabolism, hormonal balance, dietary habits, and your body's efficiency with fat storage. Those with joint injuries, back pain, knee pain, or other conditions that can make it difficult if not impossible to go for a 30-minute jog, or complete a 50-minute high-intensity training routine, 5-days a week. Not to mention the nagging of work or family obligations that compete for your free time to exercise consistently.

Researchers have long been testing novel ways to help with weight loss by altering the hormonal signals our body uses to trigger appetite, fat absorption, and fat storage, along with ways to increase your basal metabolic rate. FDA-approved pills for weight loss usually offer only modest benefits, which include significant risks, and often see rebound weight gain once the medication has been discontinued.

Multiple other medications have been withdrawn from the market because of significant side effects or lack of effectiveness.

Obesity is a true epidemic in this country, impacts the quality of life, and decreases life expectancy. Obesity also carries its inherent risk of developing diabetes and all of its associated complications including heart disease and hypertension. So where does testosterone fit into this equation?

Testosterone is a steroidal hormone produced by both men and women, although women produce about one-tenth the amount that men do. Testosterone is the hormone responsible for increased muscle mass, bone density, and body hair. Low testosterone levels in either men or women, can have negative effects on health such as depression, low sex drive, and obesity.

The evidence lies with the multiple androgenic effects of testosterone itself, which exerts the effect on muscle, bone, joints, tendons, ligaments, and additional hormonal pathways within the body that help to direct the use of fat stores and maintain lean muscle mass.

Additional researchers have shown that achieving physiologically normal levels of testosterone, in previously deficient subjects, and maintaining that level for the long term allows for significant, progressive, sustained weight loss without relapse or rebound weight gain. Decreased obesity, improved blood pressure, fasting glucose, and cholesterol, testosterone supplementation aids the body in decreasing inflammation, improving erectile function, and vigor while reducing fatigue.

These changes all contribute to an overall improvement in the quality of life. Now, the evidence is there, through established practices like Joi Women’s Wellness, it is now easier than ever to find out if low testosterone is the contributing factor to your weight loss issues. Ask yourself the question, “Do I want a better quality of life?”

Jason Leep MD

Joi Women’s Wellness Medical Consultant