The biological timer that hangs over women is no joke. There are many changes that occur in a female body when they hit menopause and one of those changes includes hormone imbalance. The levels of estrogen start to drop during menopause which in turn causes females to gain body fat. This drop in estrogen causes belly fat to accumulate especially in the lower abdomen. This can be the reason why you feel like you are gaining belly fat even if you are not gaining weight. In this blog we will discuss how hormone replacement can help in weight loss.
Why is Belly Fat such a Big Deal?
Belly fat is not as simple as you think because there are two types of belly fat which are-
- Subcutaneous fat
- Visceral fat
The subcutaneous fat is located below the skin whereas the visceral fat surrounds the internal organs deep inside your abdomen. But there is one major difference that separates both of these types by a far margin.
And the difference is that subcutaneous fat only has cosmetic concerns but visceral fat causes far more dangerous conditions. Like:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Abnormal cholesterol
- Heart diseases
- High blood pressure
- Breathing problems
- Increased risk of premature death
- Cardiovascular diseases
How do hormones play a role in weight loss?
Hormones play a very important role in various biological functions that occur in our body and metabolism is one of those functions. With aging comes instability in the hormonal balance of the body which affects the body in a bad way.
For example hormones like progesterone, parathyroid hormone, and calcitonin all help in the process of weight loss. But when their levels drop, the metabolism process of our body also slows down, which causes an increase in abdominal fat and the feeling of being tired due to a lack of energy.
List of hormones that play a crucial role in weight loss
Your body needs to have a proper balance of these hormones to maintain healthy body weight.
- Estrone– is a minor female sex hormone that regulates appetite and sugar cravings in females.
- Progesterone– this hormone plays a vital role in females, and it helps to convert body fat into energy oftentimes its imbalance causes women to overeat which leads to weight gain.
- DHEA– this hormone boosts the metabolism and induces fat loss by preventing fat storage and controlling the appetite.
- Testosterone– it helps to inhibit fat storage and a drop in its levels can cause insulin resistance.
- Human Growth Hormone (HGH)– growth hormone is a very important hormone because it helps to convert body fat into muscle mass and inhibits the production of both kinds of fats.
- Insulin– other than glucose absorption it helps to regulate fat metabolism.
Conditions that can cause hormonal imbalance.
- Puberty
- Pregnancy
- Certain medications
- Menopause
- Stress
- Steroid use
- Damage to the endocrine gland
- Autoimmune conditions
- Tumors or another kind of growth
Lifestyles changes that can help to trim fat effectively.
- Eating healthy diet
- Reducing/ replacing sugary beverages with healthy drinks
- Regular physical activity
- Eating meals in adequate portion size
- Proper management of stress
- Getting quality sleep
- Quitting smoking and other related tobacco products
- Proper management of chronic diseases
How hormone therapy helps with weight loss?
The main cause of hormone imbalance in most women happens when they hit menopause. Due to menopause women experience an increase in belly fat and muscle loss.
And the hard part is losing weight when all of these changes are going on inside your body. But that doesn’t mean you have to deal with the hormonal imbalance for the rest of your life especially after hitting menopause. Here are some of the ways hormone replacement help with weight loss:
- Perfectly timed hormone replacement therapy
In a study, it was found that women who took hormone replacement therapy had lower levels of visceral fat than those who never had this treatment. Along with that, it was seen that over years use of hormone therapy helped to prevent the weight gain that comes with age.
- Helps to lower the insulin resistance.
Insulin resistance is often associated with an increase in abdominal fat. Hormone therapy can help to lower the risk of getting abdominal fat and heart diseases.
- Increase metabolism.
Fast metabolism plays an important role in weight loss and having a perfect balance of hormones is necessary for that. Hormone therapy can help to reverse the hormone imbalance and maintain it in an optimal state.
- Control over appetite
Study shows that hormonal imbalance can cause an increase in one’s appetite which leads to weight gain. But Tustin doctors can help you restore that imbalance and gain control over your appetite.
Conclusion
The gist of it all is that gaining weight after hitting menopause is normal, but that doesn’t mean one has to live with the issue for the rest of their life. Hormone imbalance is reversible & all you need is to take healthy lifestyle decisions and the helping hand of advanced medicine. And, if still that doesn’t work then you can try for hormone replacement for weight loss.
Hi, I’m the Founder and Developer of Paramedics World, a blog truly devoted to Paramedics. I am a Medical Lab Tech, a Web Developer and Bibliophiliac. My greatest hobby is to teach and motivate other peoples to do whatever they wanna do in life.