Female Hormones and Weight Gain

Calling all chubby cougars. Here’s weight loss help! Everything you need to know about female hormones and weight gain.

Recently, I got invited to a cougar-themed birthday party. The birthday girl was turning 40 and wanted to celebrate her finally qualifying for the club that has more fun (the cougar club–what else?) by forcing all her friends to wear animal prints and behave very badly.

So far, so good, right?

Except for when I arrived and scoped out the “jungle scene,” I couldn’t help but notice that most of the cougars were, well, on the chubby side.

Okay, they were fat.

Now before you go and flip out about that word, let me just say, it’s not about being a certain shape, as in a size zero. I’m nowhere close to that and never want to be. It’s about being in shape, whatever your shape may be. You know–fit, tight, a nice package, with nothing that could flap around in a strong wind. Put that in a bowl and you’ll have every cub in a hundred mile radius lapping it up.

So, what had happened to these gals (and guys)?

I can’t speak for the guys but I’ve got a pretty good idea about what happens for the gals. Blame it on hormones–specifically, estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. When you hit your forties, they just aren’t working in your favor anymore.

What’s a cougar to do? Why talk to a doctor, of course. But not just any doctor—someone who specializes in hormones and the haywire they can cause.

Luckily, I didn’t have to go far to find one. Dr Eric Honing of BodyLogicMD specializes in hormone balancing, anti-aging and regenerative medicine using bioidentical hormones. Most of his practice is women over forty. I called him up and asked him if he could help slim a chubby cat. He kindly obliged, sympathetic, as he is, to the fact that weight is a huge issue for women.

I’ve summarized what he told me here:

WHEN PROGESTERONE DROPS: Starting in the thirties, women begin to experience the effects of so called “estrogen dominance.” This happens when progesterone levels drop and results in weight being put on around belly and thighs. There are other symptoms, too, including: loss of energy, anxiety, depression, irritability, edema, drop in libido, and poor sleeping. “At this stage,”
says Dr Honing, “We focus on restoring levels of progesterone using bioidentical hormone in capsule or cream form. It’s very effective.”

WHEN ESTROGEN DROPS: As women get closer to menopause, they begin to experience a drop in estrogen, bringing symptoms, such as, hot flashes, loss of skin elasticity, increased skin wrinkling, poor memory, low libido, and increased urinary tract infections. Estrogen also helps keep brain serotonin levels up (similar to antidepressants, which also increase serotonin levels). When serotonin drops, it triggers sugar cravings. “At this stage,” says Dr Honing, “We’re monitoring to restore estrogen.”

WHEN TESTOSTERONE DROPS: Testosterone is also important for regulating weight. It helps reduce body fat, and build muscle mass and tone. It also increases libido and improves mood. Testosterone starts dropping in the thirties so it’s important to restore this hormone, too.

Progesterone, testosterone, and estrogen are just the beginning. Dr Honing explained that it’s also important to check the adrenal glands and the thyroid gland. The adrenals make DHEA and cortisol. DHEA affects weight because half of the testosterone our body makes comes from DHEA. Cortisol also affects weight: if it’s too high due to, say, a stressful lifestyle, it causes weight gain. If it’s too low due to, say, burn out (adrenal exhaustion), the body has a hard time shedding excess weight no matter how much you diet or exercise. Restoring progesterone levels and taking adrenal supplements help rebuild the adrenals, as does reducing stress and exercising.

Dr Honing also assesses thyroid levels and checks for insulin resistance. Insulin resistance increases the ratio of fat to muscle. It’s related to a diet high in refined carbohydrates, smoking, and high alcohol consumption.

So let’s say you find a Dr Honing in your area and you fix all your hormones, what can you expect? Will the weight just drop off?

Nothing is that simple. “We look at everything—fitness, supplements, diet, stress, and hormones, says Dr Honing, “Because one thing can affect everything else.” The great thing about restoring balance, he adds, is that it pays dividends on every level of your life. And the weight loss? “You can expect to restore your normal body weight,” says Dr Honing, “And for some women who have not had good balance throughout their lives, the weight may drop even lower.”

Word of caution. This isn’t a one size fits all approach. Hormone levels need to customized to your exact needs. Then you need to monitor that. My advice? Find a good doctor, someone who specializes in this stuff. It doesn’t hurt if he’s good looking, too (have you seen Dr Honing’s picture?).

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