Why Losing Weight Is Harder With Age - Plus What You Can Do About It

Weight loss is more of a challenge as we age for biological reasons. The human body refuses to stay static, it’s constantly changing. A major driver of that change has to do with our hormones. Horome therapy for weight loss can be a powerful tool for both men and women trying to lose weight.

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How Hormones Affect Weight Loss

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The way that your body functions revolves in many ways around the levels of various hormones within it. These levels naturally decline as the years pass by. Men begin to see a decline in testosterone in their forties. On the other side of the gender spectrum, women start to see a decline in estrogen in their forties as well. Then both sexes see declines in parathyroid hormones, calcitonin, DHEA, and progesterone. Though there’s nothing inherently negative about these changes, they do cause a cascade of very real changes in the way the body functions. A major area that we see manifest is in the area of weight loss.

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‍Hormone therapy combined with weight loss can be a match made in heaven.  As hormone levels fall out of balance, the body loses the ability to effectively regulate processes that control weight. These changes result in a slowing metabolism, a reduction in energy for exercise, an increase in abdominal fat, and in general a harder time regulating weight than has been previously the case. Female hormone imbalance, as well as male hormone imbalance, can be major contributors to problems with weight.

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Hormone Therapy Weight Loss – Hormones That Affect Weight Gain

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Hormone imbalance symptoms vary somewhat from one individual to another, but for the most part they’re static. The major players for  hormone therapy weight loss are these eight hormones.

• Insulin – Everyone knows that insulin plays a role in regulating sugar levels in the body. Insulin also regulates fat
• DHEA – Metabolism is in part controlled by DHEA, and low levels of this hormone can promote weight gain. It prevents fat storage and decreases cravings for fats.
• Progesterone – A sex hormone, progesterone make it possible for the body to convert fat stores into usable energy. For women in particular, an imbalance of progesterone can contribute to overeating.
• Human Growth Hormone (HGH) – Where progesterone converts fat into energy, HGH converts it into muscle. Not only that, HGH slows the production of fat and lowers the amount of body fat both just under the skin and deep within the body.
• Testosterone – Another sex hormone, testosterone is produced by both men and women. In the case of weight loss, it slows the storage of fat, especially in the abdomen. Sugar gravings and insulin resistance can be tied to low levels of testosterone.
• Estrone – A form of estrogen, low levels of estrone can cause women to have trouble with sugar cravings and can cause increases in appetite.

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These are just a few of the hormones for weight management, and determining the right mix for an individuals needs is something that doctor would need to decide. A hormone imbalance test can be extremely helpful in determining what the right course of treatment is for an individual.

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According to a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine published in 2011, changes in hormone levels occur as a result of weight loss and persist in the body for at least a year, even if the weight is regained. These can wreak havoc with the ability of the body to lose weight in the future, indicating that yo-yo dieting can result in long term hormonal changes.

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Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Help with Weight Loss

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Both men and women can make life easier in terms of losing weight by balancing out hormone levels through bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. The right balance of hormones within the body can erase many of the negative effects that both men and women see with age related hormone decline.

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Through hormone replacement therapy, it’s possible to right the ship and get weight back under control. Replenishing those lost hormones can effectively reverse the many of the effects of that decline for many individuals. Bioidentical hormone replacement uses hormones that are created with the same molecular structure as the hormones naturally produced by the body. More effective and with fewer side effects than other forms of hormone replacement, bioidentical hormone replacement offers a wide range of benefits.

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Coupled with a healthy diet and a workable exercise plan, hormone replacement can support healthy weight loss.  Hormone therapy for weight loss can make life much easier for both men and women.

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‍Have you found that hormone replacement therapy has worked to help you solve an issue with weight loss? Please tell us about it in the comments!

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‍References

Beneficial effect of hormone replacement therapy on weight loss in obese menopausal women.

Weight Loss Resolutions Often Require More Than “Eat Less, Exercise More”.

Photo credit: Tanvir Sajib via Foter.com / CC BY

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