We all know that an appropriate weight is critical for overall health. Despite that, achieving a healthy weight can be extremely difficult (having successfully worked with the HCG diet for a number of years), secondary to various eating disorders, some genetics, lifestyle and hormonal imbalance. What most folks don't know is that an undetected hormone imbalance (I test for this with a Saliva Test with results back in a week) can be a deterrent and a contributor to unhealthy weight. Women with a hidden (sex) hormone imbalance frequently find that they can't lose weight as easily as they used to or they now have immovable belly fat they never had before. This can occur at any age although primarily during perimenopause and menopause when the progesterone to estrogen ratio gets out of balance resulting in "estrogen dominance." In men, as testosterone and dhea levels go down, it is not unusual to see men with belly fat and "breasts" due to the conversion of testosterone to estrogen. Related imbalances of cortisol (adrenals) and insulin in both sexes can impair thyroid function and raise risks for metabolic syndrome and diabetes. The following are endocrine/hormone imbalances that impact weight:
Estrogen (estrogen dominance)/progesterone: Weight gain in hips and thighs, water retention, low thyroid, sluggish metabolism
Testosterone/DHEA: decreased lean muscle with increased body fat, decreased metabolic rate and abdominal obesity.
Cortisol (adrenals and sensitive to physical and emotional stress also tested through saliva along with the sex hormones). belly fat, increased appetite, sugar cravings, impaired thyroid metabolism.
Vitamin D3 deficiency (extremely common and one of the things I test for via blood work): Hyper insulinemia, belly (visceral-around organs) fat storage.
TSH elevated (suggests hypothyroidism-see thyroid blog): hypothyroidism, low metabolic rate, difficulty losing weight, obesity
Fasting insulin elevated: insulin resistance, abdominal obesity
The Saliva Test is easy and results are quick - call me to order kit