Recently, 56 year old working mother of two presented to my office with a frustrated frown…  she couldn’t fit into an outfit she had her heart set on wearing to  her daughter’s wedding coming up this summer.

“It used to be so easy,”  she told me, her frown increasing.  “I could just exercise more or quit eating ice cream or quit drinking wine and the weight would fall off, but since menopause all that has changed.  I don’t have the energy for exercise anymore.  I’m not sleeping as well as I used to.  I wake up all hours of the night, and then I’m tired the next morning and too exhausted to do anything when I get home from work.”

“I used to like to exercise, but now… forget about it.  And food cravings… especially for the wrong things… I go for carbs or comfort foods just to get my energy up.   But that never works for long.  Within an hour, I’m craving more….frustrated, and more depressed.   What can we do?”

“Fitting into that new outfit or improving your body image are just two of the reasons you might want to optimize your weight.”  I told her.  “How would you like to lose the weight and, at the same time, add healthy years to your life.”

She narrowed her eyebrows.  “How so?”  She questioned.

” A  large, multicohort study, recently printed in JAMA Internal Medicine, attempted  to find out which lifestyle and factor combinations are associated with the most years of chronic disease.”  I explained to her.  “Its findings establish that body weight and a few other key factors are closely tied to staying healthier for longer.”

“OK, sound’s good.”  She responded with a more hopeful smile.  “Where do we start?”

I sent her to the lab for a simple blood test of her metabolism and hormones.  Her lab tests demonstrated no major metabolic problems, which was a good sign, but her hormones were a mess.  “If we don’t get your hormones back into balance, losing weight will be as hard as stopping a freight train with your little finger,”  I said.

Her adrenal and thyroid hormones were sluggish, explaining her exhaustion and sluggish metabolism (poor fat burning).  And,  her ovarian hormones revealed that she had gone through menopause, causing a loss in her feminine features plus a long list of other problems.  

I prescribed natural thyroid, natural adrenal adaptogens and pregnenolone which increased her energy and fat burning.   Rebalancing  progesterone improved restful sleep within a week.  Adding feel-good and brain boosting hormones like natural, bio-identical estrogens, and sex and firm body improving hormones like testosterone and DHEA were icing on the cake.

The last time I saw her, she was working out with Matt, our CKC Fitness Trainer at The Renewal Point.  A smile crossed her face….  “I’ve lost 30 pounds,” she announced, proudly. “It’s all working.”

Three ways  balancing bio-identical hormones can help you lose weight:

  • Improves energy
  • Improves sleep
  • Improves metabolism (fat burning)

With over 30 years of experience and numerous board certifications and credentials, Dr. Watts, MD, ND, MSNM is an expert in the science and art of Integrative and Functional Medicine, including Personalized Weight Loss.  Genetics and natural bio-identical hormone balancing can be critical components to successful and long-term weight loss, bringing about remarkable improvements in many aspects of life. Due to the sensitive nature of genetics and hormone balancing, it is imperative that you work in partnership with an experienced professional and program.

For more information on Bio-identical Hormone Balancing and Weight Loss: https://www.therenewalpoint.com/education/blog/why-does-long-term-weight-loss-seem-impossible-as-we-age/