Your Hormones Could Be Keeping You from Losing Weight

Have you hit a plateau in your weight loss? Perhaps you are trying to eat right and get exercise in, but the weight just is not coming off. There are many reasons why this can happen. However, a primary and often-overlooked cause is related to your hormones. Hormones are chemicals that move through your body telling your organs how and when to focus. If they are not balanced, though, they send the wrong signals, causing limited results to efforts such as weight loss.

Is it your thyroid?

One of the most common causes for this is the thyroid's dysfunction. This is a small glandular organ located right at the base of the neck. If you have hypothyroidism, also known as low-thyroid function, this can cause an improper amount of thyroid hormone entering the body. And, in some cases, that can cause your weight loss or your weight gain.

Why does this happen?

Hormone imbalances can occur for many reasons. The primary cause is a poor diet. If your diet is not rich in nutrients, your thyroid function may be lacking. This may be due to a lack of zinc, omega 3 fats, selenium and iodine, or others. For other people, this hormone imbalance occurs as a result of a gluten intolerance.

What can be done about poor thyroid function?

There are numerous steps that you can take, both in your doctor’s office and outside of it, to get your hormones in a better balance in your body. A good place to start is with testing. Your thyroid function is checked through a blood test. We look at TSH, free T3 and T4 to determine how much is present in your bloodstream. Then, through that test as well as a nutritional deficiency test, it becomes possible to start making adjustments to improve the balance.

This may be done through hormone replacement treatment as well as the use of thyroid medications or replacements. Of course, it is important for your doctors to know that your thyroid is healthy and then to work closely with you to ensure there are no other health ailments causing your condition.

How can you lose weight with a hormone imbalance?

While the primary goal will be to help you balance your hormones through diet, exercise, and supplemental treatment, there are some ways you can get back on track to lose weight. Your doctor will make specific recommendations for your needs. However, you can expect this to include the following:

• Weight loss medications may help some people begin to see the pounds start to come off.
• Intravenous nutritional therapy may help those who have a significant deficiency that could be causing the imbalance.
• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can begin to work to stimulate your natural hormone production while also filling in the gaps right now.
• Exercise and activity planning will be important. Even in weight as a result of an imbalance, it is possible to see improvements in weight loss through proper exercise.
• Nutritional supplements, including clinical-grade products, can be helpful for many people.

In nearly all situations, it is important for you to take the first step and schedule a consultation with our team. At Balance Hormone Center, we can provide you with the information and resources you need to turn the page on your health. For many people, hormones are the cause of a lack of weight loss even when trying, and our treatment can help you start to change that.

Unsure of what your next step is? Let us help you!

When you contact our team, we can schedule a consultation and bloodwork to gain more insight into your hormone health. If there is a concern, we can give you the tools and treatments you need to get back on track to achieving your weight loss goals. Contact the Balance Hormone Center now or request an appointment with us online.