Cutting calories too hard can feel like the “disciplined” thing to do if you’re trying to lose weight, but your body may not see it that way. If you restrict too much, your hormones can take the hit.
Dr. Corey Howard works with patients in Naples, Florida, and through telehealth in Park City, Utah, to restore hormone balance using a whole-body approach. He offers treatment plans at Howard Health & Wellness that may include pellet hormone therapy to help you achieve long-term metabolic health.
What Dieting Can Do to Your Hormones
When you cut calories too aggressively, your body interprets it as a threat. In response, stress hormones like cortisol rise to conserve energy. Thyroid hormone levels can also drop, slowing your metabolism and making weight loss harder.
Your hunger and satiety hormones take a hit, too. Leptin, which helps signal fullness, tends to decrease, while ghrelin, the hormone that drives hunger, increases. That’s why extreme diets often lead to intense cravings and loss of control around food.
In women, estrogen and progesterone levels may shift. In men, testosterone can decline. Over time, these changes can affect sleep, mood, focus, and muscle mass, which makes it harder to stick to your weight loss goals.
How a Balanced Approach Supports Real Progress
Fueling your body with consistent nourishment can lead to lasting benefits like:
- More stable energy: Makes it easier to cook, move, and follow through on healthy habits
- Muscle preservation: Helps maintain a stronger metabolism as you lose weight
- Fewer cravings: Appetite hormones like leptin and ghrelin stay more regulated
- Better sleep and mood: Hormonal balance supports rest and mental clarity
- Lower stress response: Reduces the metabolic slowdown that happens with extreme restriction
This is how sustainable change starts—by giving your body what it needs to work with you, not against you.
A Better Way to Support Hormone Balance
Dr. Howard evaluates your hormone levels, stress response, metabolic markers, and lifestyle habits to understand what your body needs.
For some patients, this may include pellet therapy to help maintain steady hormone levels. Others may benefit from Dr. Howard’s structured weight loss program that supports metabolic health. This can include the use of medications like semaglutide or tirzepatide, which help support sustainable progress.
Whether you’re local to Naples or working with Dr. Howard via telehealth in Park City, you don’t have to figure this out alone. Call 239-331-2285 to schedule your consultation.
