Stopping wondering about weight and actually doing something about it is always the way to go. Men also anxiously worry about their weight gain and sometimes a strict diet and even exercise is not enough to lose weight. You need a push and that can come in the shape of hormone replacement therapy. It has its benefits and its side effects. Knowing about them can help you come to the decision if you can go with HRT for treating your weight loss problems and as an added bonus you can also add some muscle. First, learn about hormonal replacement therapy and weight loss, and their connection, and then you will also get to know how to take advantage of that link. So, let’s start on it:

A Bit About Hormone Replacement Therapy

Hormone replacement therapy is a type of treatment that is used for providing synthetic hormones that your body naturally produces but cannot do anymore because of an underlying condition or simply due to aging. For women, it’s usually estrogen, which is responsible for their feminine features, and for men, it’s testosterone which basically plays the same role. The shortage of testosterone begins when men get to the ages of 40 to 50. At that time, they may feel that they don’t feel the same energy as they used to, they are losing their libido, they can’t build muscle as easily as they used to, and are losing their healthy levels of red blood cells and now it’s difficult to maintain bone density. Additionally, one thing also starts to happen: Weight gain. So, what is the link between hormone replacement and weight loss, or perhaps, a better question would be paraphrased into how hormones and weight loss could altogether warrant this.

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Hormones and Weight Loss: What’s The Connection?

If you are asking “Does HRT help with weight loss?”. Then this is the place to get that answer. What we are just about to discuss is just one of the side effects that are associated with low testosterone levels, but for the purpose of the topic, it is the most relevant. When your hormone levels start to fall below what is considered to be normal, your muscle mass also starts to fall. This directly leads to metabolism slowing down and that starts to accumulate fat in your body that sometimes even exercise or a strict diet can decrease. This is because testosterone has been positively linked to creating active metabolic reactions, which essentially can help you lose weight. This is why many choose to take hormone therapy for weight loss.

The hormones leptin and insulin, sex hormones, and growth hormones influence our appetite, metabolism), and body fat distribution. These are in turn influenced by testosterone. So when testosterone is low, the hormones described above are also significantly lower and that can lead to weight gain and in extreme cases, cause obesity (more on this later)

Use it as a Last Resort

To many, it looks like something out of a fairytale, a magic formula that will bring back the time from their heyday in high school. Many think it will make them young again and many believe it will change their lives. To be fair, this type of therapy has its benefits: More muscle mass, better sexual prowess, and extensive energy, etcetera. But it also has its side effects. This is why it is important for you to talk about taking this therapy, especially in the context of hormone replacement therapy and weight loss, with a healthcare provider first. Then you can only begin your journey of using HRT for weight loss. These side effects are:

• It can lead to a sleep disorder called sleep apnea. It is where during sleep you can suddenly stop breathing and therefore a dangerous disorder to suffer through
• Skin reactions like acne
• Benign growth of an enlarging prostate or malignant enlargement of the same thing while suffering through an already existing prostate cancer
• Overboard red blood cell production can lead to blood clots. A clot can break loose, travel through your bloodstream, and lodge in your lungs, leading to pulmonary embolism.
• Creating problems for reproduction
• Shrinkage of testicles
• Breast enlargement
• It can also increase the risk of heart disease, especially if there is a family history of it

READ MORE: Testosterone Replacement Therapy Before and After: Is It That Effective?

Why Is It Not A First Resort?

Well, aside from the side effects, which should be enough for you to step away from taking HRT for weight loss, losing weight on hormone replacement therapy itself should not be a good enough reason for you to take it as sometimes it can be dangerous for the therapy taker, especially when the one who is taking it is at the risk of developing side effects. This is a type of thing that is used when a condition like hypogonadism affects the ability of men’s bodies to produce enough testosterone or enough sperm or both.

When Does It Become Necessary When It Comes to Hormones and Weight Loss?

When obesity is becoming a problem and you have basically tried each and every avenue to lose weight then you need the best hormone replacement for weight loss. You see, obesity is a proper reason in the context of hormone replacement therapy and weight loss to get HRT. This is because obesity itself can be considered a chronic disease that can lead to much worse diseases later in life once it is prolonged. A great example is diabetes, which is frequently comorbid with obesity and can therefore lead to complications that can hinder your everyday life and change the way you usually live. Obese men tend to have testosterone levels that are roughly 30 percent lower than those in men who are average weight and HRT can change that by promoting muscle gain and suppressing the growth and spread of fat via increasing metabolism, especially if you are asking, will hormone replacement therapy help me lose weight. Even men who qualify as morbidly obese also suffer from hypogonadism and the resulting low testosterone levels and hence need the best hormone replacement for weight loss. For getting rid of obesity it becomes one of the best weight loss solutions.

READ MORE: Does Testosterone Help Lose Weight: A Comprehensive Look At The Science

Conclusion

When it comes to hormone replacement therapy and weight loss, now you know everything. You can make a decision when it comes to the HRT for weight loss because the benefits and side effects of this kind of therapy are in your knowledge. And if you need the best hormone replacement for weight loss then why don’t you try to go for Revive Men’s Health, a renowned men’s health and wellness center as they provide services that include things like anti-aging services.