Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Help with Weight Loss?

With the onset of menopause, many women experience unexpected weight gain. They’ve been healthy for years, but suddenly discover a little extra belly fat. That’s frustrating enough, but even worse is that the extra pounds won’t go away. It seems like no matter how much they diet or exercise, the scale won’t go back down. Weight gain after menopause is so upsetting because it feels outside your control — like someone else has taken over.

That “someone” is your hormones. These mysterious chemicals have been helping your body stay healthy for years. But with the onset of menopause it seems like they go rogue.

That’s where many women turn to hormone replacement therapy. For decades this treatment has helped women balance their hormones and manage the symptoms of menopause. But can hormone replacement therapy help with weight loss?

In this post, we’ll answer that question. We’ll define hormone replacement therapy and explain how it impacts your weight.

What is Hormone Replacement Therapy?

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is a treatment plan used to regulate your body’s hormone levels.

Hormones are your body’s chemical messengers. They are created by your endocrine glands and then travel through your bloodstream to your organs and tissues. In the process, they affect many biological functions. Small changes in hormone levels can have a massive impact on your body’s growth and development, metabolism, energy level, mood, body temperature, libido, cognitive function, and reproductive health.

While hormone levels do fluctuate with age, imbalances are most common in midlife — especially with the onset of menopause in women. That’s why many people use hormone replacement therapy to offset the symptoms of menopause (such as hot flashes, night sweats, and vaginal discomfort).

What Hormones Does Hormone Replacement Therapy Help?

When thinking of hormone therapy, most people consider the three main sex hormones — estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. These three hormones are responsible for most of the changes observed in menopause. And so it makes sense that therapies will typically prioritize balancing them.

However, the best hormone replacement therapy looks beyond these three. It also accounts for thyroid hormones and cortisol.

Since your hormones work together, it is important that they are all balanced. This “no-blinders” approach is the best way to get the results you’re looking for.

Can Hormone Replacement Therapy Help with Weight Loss?

Hormones play a big role in determining your weight. Remember, they control important functions like metabolism and muscle development. That’s why when your hormones are imbalanced (like during menopause), you may find yourself accumulating a few extra pounds. No matter how hard you exercise, it may be difficult to lose weight if your hormones are fighting against you.

What Hormones Impact Weight Loss?

Your thyroid hormone is the master of your metabolism. By looking at it, your body gauges how quickly it should break down food. This set point determines how long you’ll hold onto macronutrients. As you might guess, it is difficult to lose weight if your body is slow to break down food. 

But thyroid hormones aren’t the only ones impacting weight loss. Testosterone is also important for energy, vitality, and metabolism. It increases your basal metabolic rate (the amount of calories you burn through rest). This helps you build lean muscle mass and sets the stage for weight loss.

Meanwhile, estrogen can determine where your body holds fat. In menopause, fat often shifts from your gluteal femoral region (butt and thighs) to your abdomen. As abdominal weight increases, so does insulin, increasing weight gain and the chance of other problems. To avoid this vicious cycle, your estrogen levels can’t be too low or too high. 

Setting the Stage for Weight Loss

For these reasons, hormonal balance is incredibly important to weight loss. If your hormones aren’t cooperating, it’s very difficult to even get started.

It’s for that reason that yes, hormone replacement therapy can help you lose weight.

But it’s important to remember this isn’t a magic pill to drop unwanted pounds. Instead, hormone replacement therapy can set the stage for weight loss. It will prepare your body to respond to a healthy lifestyle. Then, when you diet and exercise your hormones will work with you, not against you.

Consult a Physician to See if Hormone Replacement Therapy Can Help You

If you’re interested in hormone replacement therapy, begin by consulting a doctor. They will be able to assess your hormone levels and recommend a treatment plan. 

With your hormones in check, and a healthy diet and exercise routine, you’ll be ready to look and feel your best.