Hormone pellets and weight loss: Do they go hand in hand?

April 16. 2021

As we age, weight often seems to creep upon us. We usually connect the unwanted weight gain with specific changes in our lifestyles. For instance, we become less active and mess up our eating habits; we’re slowing down our busy schedules, etc. These occurrences are partially responsible for weight gain as we age, but let’s not forget about hormone deficiency. You’re probably familiar with it, as we tend to associate it to certain stages of life: perimenopause, menopause, and andropause. 

However, a hormonal imbalance can occur at any point of your life, in both men and women. If you’re struggling to lose weight even though you’re following a healthy lifestyle, it might be time to consider some additional tools that can trigger your weight loss. Apart from using lipotropic injections for weight loss, hormone replacement therapy is becoming more popular due to its positive effects on our hormonal balance. More and more research is being conducted on the subject, so we decided to explain the connection between hormone pellets and weight loss.

What are hormone pellets?

First of all, let’s see what hormones are and what they are responsible for. Hormones are special chemicals made by glands. They act as messengers, telling different parts of your body how and when to work. They significantly impact your brain and sexual function, the breakdown of food, growth, etc. If hormones are out of balance, several symptoms in your body can occur.

On the other hand, hormone pellets are human-made bioidentical hormones; therefore, they’re pretty similar to the ones naturally made by your body. Hormones that are most commonly matched are estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone, used for treating hormonal disbalance in men and women. They can be found pre-made by a drug company or custom-made by a pharmacist.

What is hormone pellet therapy?

Hormone pellet therapy is essentially a treatment that involves an injection of custom-compounded hormones. Although the bioidentical hormones can be given in other forms (such as patches, pills, gels, creams, etc.), the most effective way is to get them injected by a specialist, who will also determine your dose.

During your hormone treatment, you’ll be watched closely by a doctor. It’s important to know that this therapy should only be prescribed to people who have hormone deficiency; therefore, you’ll need to check your hormone levels before starting it. Because the pellets contain the pure hormone, they should be delivered to the correct part of your body and the exact dosage. Instead of metabolizing these hormones through your liver or stomach, your body will pick up the necessary amount by the surrounding blood flow. This constant stream of hormones prevents the “roller coaster” effect that some people experience while undergoing different hormone therapies. Once injected, these pellets will last somewhere between three and six months. There’s no need to remove them because they’ll naturally dissolve in your bloodstream.

The connection between hormone pellets and weight loss

The connection between sex hormones and weight gain is quite complex, and scientists weren’t sure until recently whether the weight gain causes hormones to decrease or vice versa. However, it’s now clear that sex hormone production naturally declines over the years in both men and women as we age. This occurrence triggers different symptoms, such as weight gain, fatigue, decreased muscle mass, etc.

Long-term testosterone therapy in forms of hormone pellets can bring several benefits to men with a testosterone deficiency. For instance, you can witness sustained and significant weight loss, waist circumference reduction, and overall body composition improvement. These improvements are attributed to increased energy utilization, improved mitochondrial and cardio-metabolic function, and enhanced physical activity. Additionally, this therapy has also been linked to a reduced risk of heart attack, stroke, and death.

When it comes to women, the decline and fluctuations of estrogen that occur during perimenopause and menopause are indeed linked to the weight gain that often occurs at this period of life. That’s why we advise women to consider taking hormone pellets therapy to get rid of stubborn weight. Increased estrogen levels are linked to a lower Body Mass Index, as well as Fat Mass Index. Finally, a new hormonal balance will also impact other symptoms of menopause since it prevents hot flashes, stabilizes mood, regulates your energy, improves bone density, etc.

However, it’s important to mention that hormone pellets do not provide a quick weight loss, and they should only be used by people with an existing hormonal imbalance. Lastly, the therapy by itself won’t do wonders, which is why it’s essential to combine it with a healthy diet and physical activity. That way, you’ll have long-term results and sustained weight loss.

Is this therapy safe?

Hormone pellet injections are safe if they’re delivered by an experienced professional. Determining the correct dose of hormones is not an easy task, so checking your hormone levels during the therapy is extremely important. People often associate hormone therapies with weight gain. If you get a more significant dose than needed, you may experience water retention, which is often mistaken for weight gain. If you notice symptoms such as fatigue, acne, headaches, bloating, mood swings, or anything unusual, you should immediately notify the practitioner who injected you with the hormones. Symptoms may appear when the dosage isn’t correct, and they disappear when your body adjusts to the new level of hormones. 

Final thoughts

If you feel like you’ve reached a weight loss plateau and find it hard to lose another pound, it may be a sign that your hormone levels are decreasing. Thankfully, you can balance them and boost your weight loss by taking hormone pellets therapy. However, we strongly advise you not to take hormones by yourself. Instead, contact our weight loss clinic Chicago to schedule your consultation with one of our weight loss specialists. Remember that every individual is different, and hormone pellets do not provide weight loss for everyone, so it’s crucial to take a thorough medical examination before starting the therapy.

Author

Nurse Walton

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Chanay received her Practical Nurse licensure and went to work in clinical specialties such as Home Health, Assisted Living, Long-Term Care and Dialysis Centers. Through this work, she realized the importance of diet, nutrition and weight loss among her patients. This led her to open A Better Weigh, Inc. Medical Weight Loss Center in 2009.