AIBU Endocrinologists are the real solution to weight loss?

[noyodo]

Gastric sleeves and even Gastric By pass result in gaining back the weight within 5 years.

AIBU to think the only real solution is to see an endocrinologist to see what is causing/driving weight gain?

For instance belly fat due to menopause is la biological process so that you lose your waist to show men that you are no longer fertile. Hence, it is hormonal it driven weight gain.

Well it could be, if you have some hormones which are seriously out of whack. If you have - for example - a very underactive thyroid that can make losing weight very hard. But I would say that as someone who does have a very underactive thyroid then you would be experiencing problems other than weight gain.

There are some people who gain weight for hormonal reasons. There are also plenty of people who gain weight because they eat more than they need to. Endocrinologists can’t help with that.

Not everyone gains weight during menopause.

As someone who has had a thyroid problem (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, an underachieve thyroid) since I was 21 (now 49) I found that over the years all the endos I saw were pretty shit. Most of them were overweight themselves and also stuck rigidly to TSH levels and that anything below 5 was normal when most people find that a level of 1-2 is optimal and also need additional levels looking at (not just TSH). So many years ago I gave up seeing endos and monitor my thyroid meds myself by asking for the results and self medicating. I have managed to stay on top of it this way. That said, if there is a new breed of switched on endos who look at all your hormones I would absolutely be very keen to meet them! Maybe I should look into it again as I have been self managing for years.

Well it’s part of it. I have an under active thyroid, went to see endocrinologist who agreed it needed treatment when the GP said it was fine 😏

However, I think that post menopause you have to change everything. I went on a low carb diet and lost 20 kilos, it dropped off me. Previously calorie counting and exercise worked but post menopause it worked no more.

I also had to give up wine and beer which is basically sugar which turns to fat.

@Mercurial123 Most do statistically. Even my skinny friends have grown out of proportion big bellies.

Yes agreed. I have an under active thyroid and the backward healthcare system in this country don't measure hormones properly to treat it.

Lots of friends go back to Poland to get treatment as they say the NHS is dire.

And/or a sustainable diet and exercise.

@Freetodowhatiwant How do you monitor it yourself? I would like to do that!

@Outliers Yes for sure, but ask a person with PCOS and other hormonal conditions about the frustrating experience of trying to do what works for the average Jo and getting nowhere!

Of course. Hence "and".

I’m under endocrinology and I assure you they’re shit. Not all. But most endos.

yep my weight gain is purely hormonal. definitely

ignore the crunching noise of cookies being eaten. that's not me

@TheWeatherOutsideIs

At this point I think it is worth going abroad to countries that deal with things properly. For instance, the treatment did under-active thyroid (if it's diagnosed at all!) is substandard.

I think if all attempts to lose weight through good diet (and not just the NHS’s promotion of “good” diet which is nutritional nonsense) and exercise have failed, hormonal conditions are worth exploring. But two thirds of the U.K. population are overweight or obese. They can’t all have hormonal imbalances, and it’s daft pretending it’s pure blind coincidence that the population’s weight has increased exponent over a generation which first saw cheap junk food become plentiful and our lives become far more sedentary.

@readymealeater Better keep out of the cookie jar then! Ha!

It might be the solution for some, but not for everyone.

I'm menopausal with a very underactive thyroid and I haven't gained any weight.

But obviously others do.

I have gained weight as I eat too much and do too little exercise... my reasons are for this are multifactorial but fundamentally that , as is the case for most people... .... an endocrinologist can do bugger all about it

What @Freetodowhatiwant said.

All the endos I ever saw were fixated on labs not on how I was feeling.

Keto is the only thing that works for me. I have Hashimotos and absolutely need to eat max of 2
meals a day. My metabolism is slow because of the Hashis.

It’s far far easier to eat less on keto. It happens naturally. I lost 8 stone and heading into my 8th year with it off. It can be done.

Do people in the UK have more hormonal issues/weight gain caused by medication/under active thyroids than people in other countries?

America, UK and Australia (and a few others) have the highest levels of obesity and we also eat the worst diets, overly processed and food freely available.

Coincidence?

I immediately lost some weight when I didn't sit in an office and drive for approx 13 hours a day. Perhaps due to some stress relief too. So I get the multi factorial reasons.

A lot of weight gain during perimenopause and post menopause can be helped with hormone supplementation.

Progesterone is a key hormone for weight equilibrium and levels drop drastically during menopause.

During menopause you ironically become both oestrogen deficient and oestrogen dominant because of dwindling progesterone levels. Then if your sex binding hormone globin levels are high weight loss will be very hard. Some women also thrive with a bit of testosterone. Thinks like DHEA to help boost cortisol are also appropriate for some of us especially with long standing thyroid issues who tend to have lower levels and low cortisol.

I believe the majority of women would experience better health overall with bio-identical hormone supplementation or HRT. Unfortunately, due to longstanding misogyny within the current health system you have to educate yourself to get it. Endocrinology should be useful, but is particularly riddled with misogyny in the UK going by the negative experiences I hear from women.

Fortunately there are some good women clinics that specialise in female hormones, although they are private.

There are tests like the DUTCH hormone tests, and DUTCH practitioners for an indepth look at hormones including cortisol. I unfortunately cannot afford to go to one, but that is what I would do if I had the funds.

I'm post menopausal, have PCOS and an under active thyroid (treated) ... tbh I think normal advice re healthy eating (modern ideas) and exercise do work. The tricky thing is to actually follow the advice! I've recently don the Zoë trial which was quite useful in understanding my responses to carbs.

I'm a bit overweight but never more than that.

Otoh DH has hashimoto's and he's prediabetic (his dm had T2) and does find it harder though the Zoe trial and now using a CGM quite a bit of the time is helping him shed weight.

@DysonSphere very useful information. I agree educating yourself is mandatory , as there is so little help.

Can lead to serious consequences too with recent events with women of that age.