The Weight is Over: How Hormone Optimization Can Help You Battle the Bulge

by Michael Setareh August 31, 2022

Looking to whittle your middle and suspect hormonal imbalance may be contributing to your unwanted weight gain? Send pounds packing with the help of hormone optimization.

Hormonal imbalances don’t always plague those going dealing with the life-changing effects of menopause or andropause. Younger individuals have been known to suffer the rare incidence of hormonal imbalance, as well. Optimally balanced hormone levels not only keep our body’s physiological processes operating like a well-oiled machine, they also make us feel and look good. When we suddenly don’t feel “right,” suffer from poor sleep quality, become irritable, have a disinterest in sex, or find we’re packing on the pounds, specifically in the belly, hormones may be to blame.

What is Hormone Optimization?
Hormone optimization is the process of evaluating whether the body’s current hormone levels are below the healthy threshold for optimal performance. If it’s determined the body isn’t producing enough hormones as it should, then a plan to improve hormone production will be developed. In some cases, lifestyle changes are implemented, other times hormone replacement therapy is suggested, and most of the time, a combination of the two is required to get levels up to speed. Here are just a few of the ways to optimize hormone levels without hormone replacement therapy or invasive treatments:

Getting 7-9 hours of consistent, quality sleep per night
Cutting back on the white stuff (simple sugars and starches)
Moving more by incorporating 30 minutes of daily exercise into your day
Practicing intermittent fasting or the ketogenic diet

Hormone Optimization v. BHRT
Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) refers to the administering of bioidentical hormones in those suffering from the effects of menopause or andropause and is meant to replace crucial hormones the body is no longer producing in adequate quantities. Hormone optimization, on the other hand, refers to taking hormones to optimize levels leading to improved health, well-being, and quality of life. Hormones are chemically produced messengers that intrinsically help facilitate all the body’s critical physiological processes, such as metabolism, hunger, fullness, sex drive, sleep, and more. Because hormones play such a significant role in relation to appetite and hunger, they also play a significant role in controlling body weight. The nine hormones responsible for weight stability are:

Insulin – storage hormone produced by pancreas
Leptin – alerts the brain that “fullness” has been achieved
Ghrelin – opposite of leptin; this is the “hunger” hormone
Cortisol – produced by the adrenal glands, cortisol is the stress hormone that triggers heart rate and energy levels
Estrogen – the female sex hormone needed to stabilize weight gain; excessively high or low estrogen levels can trigger obesity and give rise to common chronic diseases; low estrogen levels are commonly associated with increased belly fat
Neuropeptide Y – produced in the brain and nervous system and prompts appetite/hunger and decreases energy expenditure when fasting or under stress
Glucagon-like peptide 1 – produced in the gut when nutrients enter your intestines, this hormone help to keep blood sugar levels stable, making you feel fuller - longer
Cholecystokinin – fullness hormone produced in the gut and vital to energy production, protein synthesis, digestion, and release of leptin
Peptide YY – gut hormone responsible for decreasing appetite; may be lower in those struggling with obesity, thus leading to overeating

Striking the Perfect Balance
If you believe your hormones may be at unhealthy levels and contributing to your sudden weight gain, we invite you to call our office in beautiful Newport Beach to set-up a one-on-one appointment with leading hormone specialist, Dr. Setareh, to evaluate your current hormone levels and conduct a complete hormone optimization. truMD curates tailor-made treatment plans designed specifically for each patient’s individual needs. There is no one-size-fits-all blueprint, as all treatment plans are determined following Dr. Setareh’s proprietary 360-degree assessment. Because bioidentical hormones mimic the same chemical makeup as the hormones naturally produced by the body, patients enjoy better, long-lasting results without the unwanted side effects of traditional HRT or other invasive treatments. Once cocktail and dosage are determined by a comprehensive lab following the 360-degree evaluation, the bioidentical hormones are strategically inserted via a tiny, inconspicuous incision at the hip area in under a few, short minutes, with life-changing effects lasting up to 4 months before another dosage is required. truMD does all the work to help strike the perfect balance amongst all your hormones without the worry of messy creams, self-injecting, stitches, or dreaded downtime. Bioidentical hormones are plant-derived and shown to be safer and more efficacious than traditional hormones derived from pregnant mare urine. Come in and feel the difference!