The second pillar of successful weight loss is to know your hormone levels This is a very important aspect of weight management and metabolism. We don't know enough about this but we know some hormones that affect it, namely thyroid, DHEA, testosterone and estrogen.
Let's start with women. It is important to know their blood levels of all these hormones, especially if they are in menopausal age range. When estrogen levels drop in menopause, this leads to fat deposition especially around the belly. Aging women also often have thyroid problems, with low free T3 levels definitely slowing metabolism. I have seen many women of all ages with thyroid problems associated with weight gain. However, thyroid replacement by itself is not enough to restart the metabolism and cause weight loss. Prolonged stress in your life may reduce your thyroid function also.
In men we need to know their testosterone levels because low levels affects their ability to build muscle instead of fat. Also as men age they may produce more estrogen from their fat cells using aromatase. Blockers for aromatase can reduce estrogen and enhance the positive benefits from testosterone.
In both sexes DHEA can be low and this slows metabolism and promotes fat storage. DHEA can be easily measured in your blood and then easily adjusted with supplements. There are a number of studies showing DHEA supplementation can help fat metabolism and weight. Do not take DHEA blindly without blood testing first.
I use an infrared fat measuring device in my office to assess body fat as this can tell you how much fat you must lose to regain youthful healthy fat levels. Other fat measuring devices are not as accurate as this technique.
drBob
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