Stubborn Weight Loss? Check your hormones

How Your Hormones Affect The Scale

Hormones are chemical messengers that travel throughout the body. Nearly every single cell in your body has a hormone receptor site. We commonly think of hormones as the chemicals that make us have male or female characteristics, but in reality, they do much more.

Hormones are particularly important in cases of stubborn weight loss when someone is not responding to normal diet and exercise recommendations.

At EmpowerMed we define this as little to no change in weight over a period of 3 months when exercising at least 3-4x per week for 30-60 minutes at a moderate intensity and eating a whole foods diet composed of enough calories to support your lean body mass.

When these conditions are met, and you are still not losing weight, it’s time to dig deeper.

Hormones are the first place to start.

There are a few key hormones to consider in the context of weight loss:

For men: testosterone

Testosterone is a complex hormone and is actually important for both men and women. However, in the context of stubborn weight loss, low testosterone is of higher concern for men as it plays many protective roles. Testosterone not only helps to reduce fat mass and grow muscle tissue, but it can protect against insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. It also supports the brain, bones, and mood in both men and women.

Additionally, testosterone goes through two metabolism pathways - one of which converts testosterone to estrogen. In men, this can have detrimental effects, of which weight gain is one.

Testosterone is most easily assessed by a simple blood draw, although salivary hormones can be a helpful baseline measurement.

When completing bloodwork, it is important to consider several different markers for an accurate assessment.

• total testosterone

• free testosterone

• sex hormone binding globulin

• estradiol

• DHT

For women: estrogens and progesterone

Estrogen and progesterone exist in a delicate balance throughout a woman’s monthly cycle. But have you ever noticed that at some points during the month you feel more “bloated” and at others, you feel more “slim”? This is because of your estrogen to progesterone ratio. The role of estrogen is tissue proliferation - meaning it has a plumping effect by making the body retain fluid (particularly in the breasts and abdomen). In contrast, progesterone has a diuretic effect on the body, helping you to release stored water. Progesterone can actually decrease the number of estrogen receptors in the body, helping to maintain water balance throughout the cycle. An imbalance in the ratio of estrogen to progesterone can result in a chronically “bloated” abdomen.

Estrogen and progesterone can be measured with bloodwork but must be drawn at separate times during the cycle.

• Estrogen must be drawn on day 3 of the menstrual cycle

• Progesterone must be drawn on day 19-21 of the menstrual cycle

At EmpowerMed, we also use the Precision Analytical DUTCH (dried urine test for comprehensive hormones) Cycle Mapping Test to obtain every-other-day samples of hormone levels for a more complete look at how estrogen and progesterone are intertwined in your body.

For everyone: thyroid and growth hormone

There are two major thyroid hormones: T3 and T4. While T4 is the most abundant in the body, T3 is the most active. Healthy amounts of thyroid hormone helps to increase blood flow, heart rate, metabolism, energy levels, cognitive abilities, and keep cholesterol levels in check. Thyroid levels tend to decline as we age, with low activity levels, and with low-calorie diets. When thyroid hormone is low, people tend to have weight gain all over or feel a sense of “puffiness”.

Thyroid hormone levels are best assessed by blood. A comprehensive assessment of your thyroid should include:

• TSH

• Total T3 and T4

• Free T3 and T4

• rT3

• Anti-TPO and anti-TG

Growth hormone is one of the major anabolic (tissue building) hormones in humans. During puberty, it helps us to develop our skin, hair, bones, and internal organs into adult-sized versions. In adults, growth hormone helps to maintain skin tone, muscle, and bone. Growth hormone also helps to repair vital tissues like the heart, liver, lungs, and neurons of the brain. Growth hormone also tends to decrease with age. Because of its muscle-building and skin-tightening effects, people with low growth hormone tend to have sagging skin, stretch marks, and abdominal obesity.

Growth hormone is more challenging to assess because levels are highest at night, so a blood draw for IGF-1, insulin-like growth factor 1, is the best way to monitor growth hormone activity during the daytime.

What You Can Do

At EmpowerMed Clinic in San Diego, we assess each of these hormones comprehensively considering optimal levels. Bloodwork is the simplest way to assess most hormones, but there are options for saliva and urine testing as well.

If you are ready to get to the root cause of stubborn weight loss, reach out to the EmpowerMed team of naturopathic doctors today. We take a collaborative approach to natural medicine, partnering with patients to help them achieve their unique health and wellness goals.

Contact us today at 760-456-7501 or use our booking link to schedule.

EmpowerMed Clinic is located just off the I-15 and Carroll Canyon within the Fitness Quest 10 Wellness Center of Scripps Ranch, San Diego County, CA. We serve the communities of North County San Diego, Poway, Rancho Bernardo, 4S Ranch, Mira Mesa, Ramona, Scripps Ranch, Santee, and more.

Written by Dr. Carleigh Golightly