The modern ways of life are often strange. You use all these technologies which are supposed to help you, to ease you in daily life, and then you spend so much time idly sitting or scrolling your way down the endless internet rabbit hole. And before you realize it, you forget to take care of yourself. I mean truly caring for your well-being; do you do that? Ask yourself this question now and again.

Philosophical dialogues are probably the last thing you’d like in a health blog, and so rants aside, I’m gonna talk more sense now. Do you, at any point in time, feel like you’re gaining too much weight that it’s not just “come on, no worries, one more slice only” anymore? Reading this means I can safely assume you’re not in the right shape, at least to some extent. Did I make you feel ashamed? Embarrassed? Stop blaming yourself. There is no point in discussing what we did because now we’ll focus on how to solve this problem. That’s how the winners think, eh?

So, you tried a lot of things. Haven’t you? Say, diet control, gym workouts, jogging, walking, and cutting down on sugars and potatoes, to name a few. And did that work? A bit, maybe. But not enough, right? And now, sometimes you feel like this extra weight is putting a heavy load on you, making it hard to move, and people are giving weird looks (they mostly do that always, though). If that’s the situation, then simple dieting or a few reps on the treadmill will not help you much. 

You need some real clinical intervention. Don’t be afraid, not at all. One statistic says that globally, almost 1 billion people (10% of the world population ) are suffering from obesity, increasing to 15% by 2025. So you’re not alone. Let’s hear what weight loss treatment you need and where this hormone replacement therapy fits.

Weight loss program and hormone replacement therapy 

Weight loss programs for serious patients often combine lifestyle modifications like food and drink control, moderate exercise, etc., with medical treatments such as hypermetabolic drugs. The extreme procedure is liposuction, basically the surgical removal of fat, but it is not generally used. 

Drugs for weight loss help by boosting metabolic processes, which include cutting down on the production of carbs and accelerating the limited breakdown in the body, i.e., limiting anabolic metabolism and hastening catabolic, aka breakdown metabolism. Most of these drugs, in some way or another, manipulate and interfere with the hormonal pathways that control our bodily metabolic orchestra. So why not use the hormones directly, especially the hypermetabolism-inducing ones? That’s where this hormone replacement therapy for weight loss comes in.

What is HRT used for weight loss programs?

Hormone replacement therapy can be manifold. It is the newest modality extensively used in many diseases that can not be otherwise treated with regular drugs.

In chronic diseases like diabetes mellitus, hypertension, atherosclerosis, arthritis, PCOS, etc., maintaining a healthy weight is nonetheless crucial. Surprisingly, most of these diseases have some association, either indirect or direct ( in diabetes and PCOS especially), to the hormone functions. So apart from the directly metabolism-inducing hormones, we also take support from the hormones that will control the disbalance caused by these disease processes. And some examples can be :

  • Insulin therapy

Insulin keeps diabetes mellitus under control by increasing the cellular glucose uptake and glucose oxidation and checking the intrinsic production of glucose from noncarbohydrate sources.

  • Growth hormone replacement therapy

Growth hormone almost counteracts insulin hormone in many aspects. This mainly accelerates protein production and energy generation.

  • Semaglutide therapy 

Another highly effective antidiabetic drug that controls the blood sugar level and helps patients slow down the progression of the diabetes mellitus disease process that can cause morbid obesity.

  • Leptin 

It is the satiety hormone and is mainly triggered by food intake. Especially since it makes us feel full after we have taken enough fatty foods, it is vital to prevent overeating.

  • Thyroid hormones

The thyroid hormone works in synergy with growth hormones, which induce fast metabolism everywhere. In hyperthyroidism, patients are frail and wasted due to the excessive breakdown of metabolites. In hypothyroidism, patients are often idle and obese and need thyroid hormone supplements.

  • Artificial estrogen-progesterone therapy 

These mainly help to keep natural estrogen-progesterone levels in check. Highly effective in treating PCOS.

How safe is it to lose weight with HRT?

Weight loss with HRT is a long journey indeed. And before you embark, you might feel concerned regarding the side effects. Well, let’s take a look at a few things.

  • Slow but steady

Hormones take time to work. They are not your paracetamol or anti-allergic that can provide quick, short-standing relief. When given artificially, hormones will slowly manipulate your internal physiology, which will last a long time. So, you have to be patient. You must complete the whole course to get the most out of it. Leaving midway will jeopardize your bodily functions and control mechanisms, which can be dangerous.

  • Play by the book.

Don’t ever self-medicate. Be it injections or oral pills, take as much as your doctor prescribes, only at the directed frequency. Don’t be greedy. Don’t expect to get a toned physique in 7 days. It doesn’t work that way.

Bending the rules and abusing drugs can be a risky play.

  • Bad patches

As with every long-term treatment, HRT also has some inevitable side effects, rather than implications ( like pigmentation,.rashes, pimples, change in sleep and bowel habits, etc.) that are bound to happen in between. But these are often transient; if you hold still, they’ll go away in no time. Don’t chicken out. It’ll be worth the effort.

So now you know there is no such excuse to justify not going for a weight loss program with HRT. Contact your clinic and book that appointment today!