Before we delve into the use of HGH therapy for weight loss, it is essential to understand that human growth hormone therapy is not a diet program. Some people inadvertently mistake HGH injections for the HCG shots that accompany the very low-calorie HCG Diet protocol. These hormones are not the same and cannot be used interchangeably.
People who are overweight tend to have lower than normal growth hormone levels. Obesity risk increases as HGH secretion declines. Growth hormone deficiency can be due to many reasons, including a tumor or injury of the pituitary gland or hypothalamus. Treatment with surgery or radiation to the brain can also lead to HGH decline. Because there is a natural decrease in growth hormone production with age, getting older is another contributing factor to HGH deficiency.
In addition to growth hormone-releasing hormone (GHRH), other factors that increase HGH production include fasting, low blood sugar levels, and high protein meals. Ensuring adequate levels of growth hormone is crucial because HGH stimulates metabolic actions, helping the body process the food consumed into energy.
Growth hormone deficient adults typically have perturbations in lipid metabolism, body composition, and cardiovascular risk profile. Metabolic syndrome risk increases, often due to changes in blood pressure, cholesterol, insulin, triglycerides, and fat accumulation. Weight loss is one of the best ways to help increase HGH production.
However, there is some misconception about the use of HGH treatment for weight loss. Many adults who receive human growth hormone therapy find that although their body fat mass declines, there is little change in the numbers on the scale. That is due to the natural increase in lean muscle mass that accompanies HGH increase.
Although the use of HGH therapy for weight loss is not part of a diet program, balancing growth hormone levels can result in the loss of body fat.
How Does HGH Influence Weight and Metabolism?
Growth hormone deficiency often results in enlarged fat depots resulting from higher fat cell volume. The HGH effect on weight loss is often a reduction in abdominal fat accumulation, which is also the most dangerous type of fat in the body.
The first relationship between HGH and weight loss is that of growth hormone’s metabolic effects. HGH stimulates the breakdown of triglycerides (stored fat) for the use of energy. Growth hormone stimulates protein synthesis in the muscles, helping to increase lean body mass (muscle) which burns calories at a higher rate.
The next influence of HGH therapy for weight loss is through growth hormone’s action on lipoprotein lipase (LPL) and hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL). These enzymes help regulate lipolysis and lipogenesis. Lipolysis is the breakdown of triglycerides into free fatty acids (FFAs). Lipogenesis is the accumulation of fat.
Although LPL helps break down the triglycerides, it results in the release of free fatty acids into the bloodstream for the fat cells to take in. HGH inhibits the uptake of FFAs by the cells that store fat (adipocytes) and promotes the body’s use of the free fatty acids for energy.
HGH therapy helps stimulate the metabolism, breaking down triglycerides for the body to use as energy.
How Quickly Does HGH Work for Weight Loss?
Unlike the HCG Diet which can lead to the loss of up to 30 pounds in 30 days (or more for some people), HGH weight loss before after starting treatment for growth hormone deficiency is not that fast. Most people will not even notice any change in abdominal fat until the second or third month of treatment. Even then, the changes are minimal.
That does not mean that human growth hormone therapy is not working. Remember, there are multiple symptoms associated with HGH deficiency, not just weight gain. Providing the body with an increase in HGH helps to support brain functions, cell regeneration, immunity, and libido, as well as metabolism.
One study of women between the ages of 59 and 79 found that 12 weeks of exercise, diet, and HGH therapy brought about the biggest change in truncal fat loss. The modest caloric restriction was only 500 calories less than what their bodies required for weight maintenance. Exercise consisted of 3 days of walking and 2 days of resistance training each week.
One of the problems we sometimes see with the use of HGH therapy for weight loss is that an initial decline in pounds can stir a person to decrease food consumption. That can have the opposite effect and reduce HGH weight loss. In one study that showed how losing weight stimulated growth hormone production, it also discovered that GH promotes neuroendocrine adaptations when food deprivation is present.
The researchers in the study discovered that growth hormone receptors in the hypothalamus activate agouti-related protein (AgRP) neurons that increase AGRP production. The result of this action is an increase in appetite and reduced energy metabolism and expenditure. Growth hormone helps the body hold onto its fat stores when food intake declines.
So, unlike the HCG Diet which requires people to adhere to a 500 to 700 calorie-a-day diet, losing weight with HGH necessitates proper caloric intake.
HGH is not a quick weight loss program, it takes a few months before most people start to see a decline in abdominal fat retention.
How Much Weight Can I Lose with HGH Therapy?
The other aspect of using HGH therapy for weight loss is the question of how much weight a person can expect to lose. Over the course of six months, the average adult can expect to lose anywhere from 8 to 14 percent of body fat. However, there can also be a similar gain in lean muscle, negating the effects on the scale.
For most people who are overweight, there is still an average weight loss on HGH even though they are gaining some lean muscle. The body is also taking on a more physically toned appearance.
To improve the benefits of HGH therapy if weight loss is one of the desired results, it is best to follow these guidelines:
- Increase intake of heart-healthy fats such as extra virgin olive and coconut oils. Nuts, seeds, avocados, and grassfed butter are also excellent sources of high-quality dietary fat that the body needs to help burn stored fat. Yes, you must consume healthy fat to help lose fat.
- Limit the consumption of processed foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, and refined carbohydrates that will hinder weight loss.
- Decrease caloric intake slightly – taking in about 500 calories a day less than what is required to maintain current weight.
- Try intermittent fasting – consuming all food during a six to eight-hour window each day.
- Consume lean protein, vegetables, and fruit as part of a healthy diet.
- Get between 7 and 9 hours of sleep each night to maximize growth hormone functions.
- Reduce stress levels to keep growth hormone high and cortisol levels low.
- Engage in thirty minutes of high-intensity interval training 3 times per week.
By following these steps, you should be able to maximize the weight you lose while using HGH therapy to combat growth hormone deficiency.
The average person will see a loss of about 8 to 14 percent of body fat over six months of HGH therapy.
Will My Doctor Prescribe HGH for Weight Loss?
As we stated at the start of this report, doctors do not prescribe HGH weight loss injections as a dietary aid. HGH is not the same thing as HCG injections. The only way to get human growth hormone therapy is if an actual deficiency of this essential chemical is present.
Additionally, there is no reason to take HGH if the body is not deficient. Growth hormone stimulates many crucial functions in the body but increasing its levels higher than normal will not enhance any of these actions. If HGH levels become elevated, they will not improve benefits. Instead, they will have the opposite effect, often contributing to unwanted and potentially dangerous side effects. Studies have also shown that high doses of HGH did not increase the burning of visceral fat.
However, if a person is growth hormone deficient, then the use of HGH therapy for weight loss along with the natural balancing of one’s hormone levels will occur. Just remember, at the same time that HGH stimulates weight loss, it also increases lean muscle mass which negates some of the lost pounds.
If weight loss is more the goal than muscle building, then engaging in high-intensity interval training rather than resistance training will help stimulate caloric burning without promoting increased muscle mass.
The best HGH for weight loss is injectable human growth hormone – the only real form of HGH available for sale today. You will need a doctor’s prescription following the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency. To learn more about how to get HGH therapy, and whether it can help you lose weight, please contact RX Hormone medical clinic for a free consultation.