Sometimes people ask me how to lose weight after hormones? They solved a health problem with the help of hormonal drugs or took contraceptives, but now they cannot lose weight. That's why I decided to write an article about it. After all, in fact, many are worried about where the extra pounds come from and why, after stopping one or another hormonal drug, they cannot be lost. Are the pills really to blame?
The confusion arises from the fact that some people lose weight on hormones, while others gain weight. There are those who begin to gain weight after stopping hormones, there are those who cannot lose weight for years and blame it on hormonal drugs or contraceptives that they took in the past. How to figure it out and what to stick to? In the article I will answer these questions, and at the end of the article you will find amazing news, read to the end!
There are hormones that are most often prescribed by doctors for thyroid dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, or polycystic disease: thyroid hormones, progesterone, estrogen. Progesterone is also found in birth control pills.
High levels of estrogen promote fat deposition in adipose tissue and increase appetite.
Progesterone acts in a similar way, in addition, it also promotes fluid retention in the body.
If the thyroid gland does not produce hormones in the required quantities, the metabolism slows down, any product takes much longer to digest, and it will be difficult to lose weight. This is why many weight loss programs include medications to improve thyroid function.
To understand why women’s hormonal imbalances occur and diseases appear, I recommend that you watch this video:
Very often, after taking hormonal drugs, and even during taking them, many people note that they wake up with a “ravenous appetite”. It gets to the point where a person consumes everything and cannot get enough. Of course, there will be weight gain.
The saddest thing is that it is unlikely that you will be able to lose weight while taking hormones, so first we “get off” hormones, and then we begin to solve the problem.
Reasons for weight gain
Hormonal medications can be prescribed to treat problems with the female reproductive system, they are often used as contraceptives, and help fight diseases such as depression or thyroid dysfunction.
In women, the same medicine can cause different reactions when taken. Some do not feel any negative changes in their appearance and well-being at all, while others begin to rapidly gain weight.
“Provocateurs” of extra pounds:
- Estrogen. If you systematically take this hormone, artificially increasing its amount in the body, you can get an unpleasant “bonus” in the form of accumulation of fatty tissue and increased appetite.
- Progesterone. It is also a hormone that makes a person gain weight, just like estrogen. However, it also has another side effect - the accumulation of excess water in the body.
- Disturbances in the production of thyroid hormones. When the thyroid gland produces insufficient amounts of certain hormones, a hormonal imbalance occurs, which leads to a slowdown in metabolism. This means that the food eaten requires a lot of time to be absorbed and digested, and fat deposits are not quickly removed from the body.
In what cases can you refuse hormone therapy?
Medicine does not stand still, so you should not be afraid of replacement, stimulating or blocking therapy with hormonal drugs. The concentration of the active substance in them is minimized, very accurately calculated, and a pronounced side effect was produced by first-generation drugs, which are now practically not prescribed.
There are a number of pathologies (for example, diabetes, hypothyroidism, etc.) in which a person’s life cannot be complete without taking hormones. In other cases, such therapy is prescribed to prevent menstrual irregularities so that the disorders do not progress to breast cancer or infertility. Many people mistakenly believe that hormonal drugs accumulate in the body, so it is permissible to replace them with medicinal herbs. This is absolutely impossible to do, homeopathic remedies can only have an effect similar to hormones, but only an endocrinological drug can have a full therapeutic effect for a certain pathology.
Symptoms of failure
To understand how to lose weight after taking hormonal drugs, you need to decide what exactly they caused you to gain extra pounds. If a woman has gained weight, perhaps she is simply often stressed, does not get enough sleep, or has psychological problems.
If hormonal drugs are the cause of unsightly folds, then the following additional symptoms may be observed:
- disruption of the menstrual cycle;
- sudden mood swings, even depression;
- rapid weight gain even with a balanced diet;
- insomnia;
- fast fatiguability;
- decreased libido;
- frequent headaches and migraines;
- dryness and hair loss, fragility and brittleness of nails;
- the appearance of fibroids and myomas;
- rapid aging.
Defining the problem
If you don’t know how to lose weight after hormones, you need to use the tips that we will consider below. Be prepared for the fact that this process can take from six months to a year and a half, because complete restoration of hormonal levels is not an easy task.
To determine the cause of the problem, you need to contact your treating endocrinologist. Tell him about all the discomforts and changes in your body. The doctor can replace previously selected hormonal drugs with gentle analogues, and a diet for hormonal imbalance can also be developed for you personally.
How to lose weight after childbirth at home. Psychological factor
One of the most important components is your personal psychological attitude. How to quickly lose weight after childbirth at home if a woman is not even ready for this yet? Of course, a long period of carrying a baby is tiring, its birth is accompanied by a lot of stress, and reality itself changes after that. Postpartum depression develops on this basis. In special cases, you will need to consult a psychologist, but most mothers cope on their own.
It is important, if you are still not in the mood and the cats are scratching your soul, not to run to the refrigerator. Eating sadness is the worst way out. Not only chocolate, but also sport produces endorphins, hormones of happiness. Direct your energy in the right direction and see the result - an attractive figure and good health.
It is a mistake to think that the current reflection in the mirror is your enemy.
Love yourself! Your body has given birth to a miracle - a new life, isn't that worthy of respect?
Love yourself imperfectly, smile and enjoy life - those around you will like you more. And the baby will feel the positive mood of the mother and will be happy about it.
Start of weight loss
Once you've consulted a doctor and determined what exactly triggered the sudden weight gain, it's time to find out how to lose weight after taking hormones. We start with simple things:
- Eliminate panic. Before you lose weight after a hormonal imbalance, you need to clearly understand that nothing bad happened. With the help of a specialist and personal efforts, you will certainly be able to achieve your goal and return to your previous weight. Extra stress and frustration will only aggravate the situation, so calm is your best friend in body correction.
- We exclude diseases. Some diseases can lead to sudden weight gain, so a preliminary examination is indispensable. Be sure to see a doctor to rule out health problems.
- We refuse starvation diets. If you have already been taken off hormonal medications, then malnutrition can only cause harm. Hunger is stress for the body, during which metabolic processes can slow down, and this will only prevent us from achieving our goal.
- We do not use teas or weight loss medications on our own. In some cases, special herbal decoctions and infusions really help bring weight into order. Such collections include phytohormones that replace synthetic substances. However, only a doctor can prescribe such medications; you do not need to take them yourself; you will only worsen your own health and slow down the process of losing weight.
- We remove waste. Before you lose weight after taking hormonal medications, you need to cleanse your body of waste and toxins. These toxic substances interfere with the normal absorption of beneficial components from food and the removal of harmful compounds.
- Cleaning the lymph. The lymphatic system is also involved in metabolic processes, so it must be cleansed so that fat deposits are eliminated from the body. It can be filtered using special procedures and medications prescribed by your doctor.
- We evaluate our behavior wisely. If we eat little and only healthy food, lead an active lifestyle, but do not lose weight, it means that we are not fully honest with ourselves. Think about it: perhaps you eat only 1-2 times a day, but in large portions, like to snack before bed and abuse sugary drinks. If at least one of the points is inherent in you, then losing weight will be very difficult.
How can a nursing mother lose weight after childbirth?
A bottle-fed child under one year of age is at least 10 times more likely to be overweight than a breast-fed child of the same age. Therefore, by breastfeeding, the mother helps both herself and her baby.
According to WHO (World Health Organization) standards, the duration of breastfeeding is considered normal until the child reaches two years of age. If the child takes milk well, there are no unwanted immune or physiological reactions, development is normal, including weight gain and height, the mother needs to feed. Breastfeeding not only provides the best nutrition for the baby, but also allows the female body to properly and naturally recover after childbirth, including smooth weight loss.
During lactation, additional calories are consumed, which, at the same time, does not mean that you need to follow the popular misconception and eat for two while you are feeding. If the mother's menu is balanced, it contains all the essential nutrients, this is enough to produce milk, the quality of which will satisfy the needs of the child.
However, breastfeeding that lasts longer than recommended by WHO may be a risk factor for the mother's weight. As a rule, closer to two years, the mother feeds the child much less often than in the first months; many limit themselves to evening and night feeding only. Accordingly, the consumption of calories for milk production decreases - this can lead to the fact that a woman who is accustomed to the “nurse’s menu” will gain weight.
It is important that a young mother does not develop the need to consume more food (especially high-calorie food) in order to maintain the opportunity to breastfeed - the fact that the mother overeats will not improve the milk. Moreover, by the age of two years, the child can already eat regular food; Breastfeeding after the period prescribed by WHO makes sense to continue, in consultation with the pediatrician, for weakened children, for example, those with severe food allergies and limited choice of foods.
Adjusting the menu
How to lose weight if you only have fatty and sweet foods, processed foods, and fast food on your table all the time? Naturally, no way. When a woman has recovered from the fact that she no longer controls her appetite and diet, she urgently needs to reconsider her eating habits. To do this, you must clearly remember which foods you can eat and which you should forget about or at least reduce their quantity to a minimum.
Eliminate
- Fatty meats and poultry (lamb, pork, duck, goose).
- Everything is fried.
- Semi-finished products.
- Fast food.
- By-products (kidneys, lungs, liver, heart, skin, etc.).
- Lard and butter.
- Smoked meats, sausages, pates, stews.
- Canned food.
- Pickles and marinades.
- Store-bought sauces.
- Fatty dairy and fermented milk products, yoghurts and starter cultures with fillings, cottage cheese, sweet cheeses.
- Soft wheat pasta.
- Porridges from refined cereals (semolina, white rice, millet, all instant porridges).
- All store-bought sweets (cakes, pastries, candies, cookies, waffles).
- White bread, any yeast baked goods.
- Starchy vegetables (beets, potatoes).
- Snacks (chips, nuts, store-bought crackers with salt or sugar, etc.).
- Carbonated drinks, store-bought sweet juices, nectars.
- Alcoholic drinks.
Be sure to include
- Lean meats (chicken, veal, turkey, rabbit).
- Fish.
- Vegetable oils (olive, flaxseed, sesame, pumpkin seeds, etc.).
- Boiled, baked without fat, steamed or stewed dishes.
- Unpolished cereals (brown rice, oatmeal, buckwheat, pearl barley and barley porridge).
- Fresh vegetables.
- Greens and lettuce leaves.
- Low-fat dairy and fermented milk products (no additives or sugar).
- Fresh fruit (except banana, grapes and dates).
- Fresh berries.
- Homemade marmalade, curd desserts, mousses from fruits and berries, cookies from cereals and bran, homemade candies from seeds, nuts, honey and dried fruits.
- Nuts (preferably not roasted).
- Rye bread.
- Unsweetened compotes, decoctions and infusions of permitted herbs, green tea, coffee without milk and cream in moderate quantities.
- Still mineral water, freshly squeezed unsweetened juices.
Basic rules for losing weight after taking hormonal pills
The fair sex is recommended to reconsider the usual way of life. It is recommended to follow simple rules for losing weight:
- You need to be physically active: stop using the elevator and walk as much as possible. You can attend swimming sessions in the pool or periodically arrange cycling rides;
- It is necessary to protect yourself from worries;
- If indicated, undergo an appropriate course of treatment with antidepressants;
- It is recommended to give up alcoholic beverages and smoking.
Strict adherence to the relevant recommendations will increase the effectiveness of the diet after taking hormonal pills.
Healthy eating habits
An analysis of your eating habits will help you understand how to lose weight during hormonal imbalance. Think about how exactly you eat food, in what environment, with what thoughts, in what quantity and how often. All this affects the process of fat breakdown.
So, these eating habits should become a law for you.
- Fractional meals. Is it possible to lose weight if you eat 2 times a day? Definitely not. In order for the body to expend energy evenly and willingly, it needs to be constantly fed. Eat meals every 2-3 hours, in total you need to eat 5-6 times a day.
- Small portions. Each meal you eat should consist of a small portion so that your body has time to process and absorb the food.
- Fast carbohydrates - before lunch. Fruits and berries, desserts, honey and juices contain simple carbohydrates, which quickly turn into excess belly fat. Our body spends energy very actively before lunch, so such foods are best consumed in the first half of the day.
- More fiber and proteins. We need proteins in order to maintain muscles. If you don’t consume them, you will lose weight not only from fat. Lean meat, low-fat dairy and fermented milk products should form the basis of your diet. And so that all this is digested as quickly as possible, combine proteins with fiber, it is found in greens, vegetables and fruits.
- Healthy snacks. In addition to main meals, you should have snacks. But not sandwiches or fast food! Between meals you can eat nuts, dried fruits (except raisins, dates and figs), low-fat dairy products, berries, and fruits.
- Last meal rule. If you believe that you can’t eat after 18.00, we dare to make you happy. The last meal should be as light and easily digestible as possible; it takes place 3-4 hours before bedtime. This means that if you go to bed at 24.00, then the last snack can be taken at 20.00.
- Let's not get distracted. During the meal, do not be distracted by anything, put down the book, tablet or newspaper, fully concentrate on eating, you should feel all the tastes, chew slowly. This will help you feel full faster and avoid overeating.
- Food is a pleasure. You should even like diet food; this is the main principle of successful weight loss for people who have taken hormonal medications. There are a lot of recipes in the public domain that will help you create a varied menu for every day.
How to lose weight for a woman after 40 years. How to lose weight for a woman after 40 years
1. Avoid fad diets
Cabbage soup diet? Not worth it. Sharply restricting calories and quickly getting rid of subcutaneous fat can play a cruel joke on the hormones leptin and ghrelin, causing your appetite to increase sharply and your metabolism to slow down. The effects of such diets can last more than a year, even after you have not followed the diet for a long time.
2. Remember the golden rules of losing weight
Some things change after 40 years, but the basic rules for successful weight loss remain the same regardless of age.
You need to eat less
Even if you eat one chicken breast, rice and salad, you still need to reduce your portion sizes or you won't lose weight. Everyone's calorie needs are different, but if you're a woman and you consume 2,000 calories a day, you should aim to eat 400 to 500 fewer calories.
Lose 0.5 - 1 kg per week
Of course, diets that promise you minus 5 kg in a week sound tempting. However, losing weight slowly and steadily will help you get back into shape much more effectively, as you can develop healthy habits that will keep you slim longer.
Skipping meals will disrupt your metabolism.
When we skip breakfast or lunch, our body receives a signal to store calories instead of burning them. By skipping one of your meals, you risk that your blood sugar levels will drop, your appetite will skyrocket, and you will look for a quick source of energy in the form of sweets.
Much water
Proper drinking regimen will help balance hormonal levels and lose excess weight. Regardless of other liquids, the body should receive at least 1.5-2 liters of non-carbonated mineral water every day.
For each cup of tea or coffee, add 1 more glass of water, since these drinks remove beneficial fluid from the body.
You need to drink small sips throughout the day, so the water has time to be absorbed. Its temperature should be at room temperature so that the body does not eliminate it in transit, but allows it to perform all useful functions.
You should not drink an hour before a meal or an hour after it, as this may upset the balance of substances contained in gastric juice.
The diet after taking hormones is based on:
- 1 fractional diet (every 2-3.5 hours in small portions);
- 2 increased drinking regimen (up to 3 liters of ordinary clean water per day, the use of various diuretic drinks is not recommended);
- 3 building a diet on protein foods and low-protein foods (whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, lean meat, fish, seafood, low-fat dairy products);
- 4 limiting foods high in starch and fat (potatoes, polished white rice, semolina, instant cereals, fatty dairy products, sharp cheeses);
- 5 complete exclusion from the menu of fast food, smoked meats, fried, salty foods, marinades, industrial sauces, semi-finished products, sweets, confectionery products with margarine;
- 6 refusal of frequent snacks, unplanned tea parties and feasts.
Active lifestyle
Without movement, it will be difficult to lose weight, so you need to seriously think about what sports or physical activity you like best. Contraindications for people taking hormones are only heavy strength exercises with heavy weights. Cardiac stress is only beneficial. You don't have to spend hours at the gym.
The following exercises will help you lose weight:
- cycling;
- walking at a brisk pace;
- dancing;
- yoga;
- Pilates;
- swimming;
- water aerobics;
- tennis;
- Nordic walking, etc.
Physical activity
This section is dedicated to those who are interested in how to effectively lose weight without dieting. The most effective options for physical activity, which will not only help you lose extra pounds, but also improve your health, include running, swimming, dancing, jumping rope, cycling, skating, skiing, and rollerblading. Get yourself a healthy habit - run in the morning, for example.
It is important not to put off the event for too long; endless “I’ll start tomorrow” will never give the long-awaited results. Take your eyes off the text for a minute and think about which of the above you can do right now. Take your child for a walk, go on a bike picnic with the whole family, go to an indoor skating rink, or go to a club with your girlfriend (minimal alcohol required).
Loyal attitude towards yourself
Excess weight is a serious reason for complexes and even some diseases, so you need to fight it with all your might. However, you should not make one of the most common mistakes when losing weight - a biased attitude towards yourself. Even if you missed a workout, ate a piece of cake and spent the whole day reading a book on the couch, there is no need to scold and punish yourself. Failures can happen in any program, and a body contouring program is no exception.
Treat yourself tolerantly, but do not give in to your weaknesses once again. Wait out the day of your failures, analyze them and confidently move on towards your goal.
Complex therapy
Excess weight, which often occurs after taking hormonal pills, can lead to a number of adverse complications:
- Diseases of the digestive tract;
- Gallbladder diseases;
- Haemorrhoids;
- High blood pressure;
- Ischemic disease;
- Diabetes;
- Phlebeurysm;
- Formation of blood clots in the area of blood vessels.
In the presence of the above diseases, complex therapy aimed at eliminating the consequences of obesity is necessary. The duration of the course of treatment is determined individually.