Hormones

[STEPHF954 2]

How important are hormones for weight loss? Should I focus on balancing my hormones first before I focus on weight loss or can I do both at the same time?

[Arabesque 7,467]

That’s probably a conversation with your surgeon. And it depends upon what hormones you are talking about. There are many hormones produced through out your body that have roles to play that are not related to your weight directly or indirectly. For most of us it is our weight that causes our hormones to be unbalanced, unless there is a medical condition like diabetes, over/under active thyroid, etc, so losing weight will help to balance out your hormones.

Most hormone diets will advise you to lose weight by adopting a low processed whole foods diet, high in Protein & be more active. This is what yiur post surgical plan will look like anyway. They often say manage stress & sleep more - both will be helped by losing weight.

The surgery will reduce the amount of the hunger hormone ghrelin that is produced (it’s removed with your tummy) but your brain does eventually compensate by stimulating other areas of the body that produces hunger hormones (motilin in your intestines) & your hunger does return. The surgery will also give your metabolism a boost (but you have to keep it burning otherwise you’ll lose some of it’s effectiveness).

Dietary changes will also help to better regulate your hunger & satiety hormones. There is evidence to show a diet of high processed food will increase the production of your hunger hormone & reduce production of the hormone that tells you you’ve had enough.

Estrogen is stored in fat so as you lose weight you’ll first get a oestrogen surge & you may notice changes with your menstrual cycle & it can make you more fertile. It’s temporary. Your cycle stabilises once you get close to your goal as your weight stabilises. Though you may notice you don’t have as many issues or symptoms with your cycle. And may help stabilise your weight a little too. Losing weight will also help reduce any diabetes issues you may have & better regulate your body uses insulin.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Arabesque