Featuring Mary Martin, MD, FACOG
Dr. Martin is a board-certified physician with Evolve Telemedicine and a fellow of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecology and the Reproductive Health Research Institute. She has been helping patients improve their hormone health for over 35 years
Maybe you’ve tried keto, intermittent fasting, countless supplements, and even other hormone treatments. Each time, you started with hope, saw some initial progress, then watched it plateau or reverse. The conflicting advice is vague or exhausting: “Eat less, move more” versus “It’s all about hormones” versus “Just tell your doctor to prescribe you what worked for me.”
What if the real answer isn’t about going all-in on a single approach, but understanding how fully customized, multi-pronged strategies work together over time to unlock results that previously seemed impossible?
Long-Term Relationship, Long-Term Results
If you’re feeling frustrated that a recent strategy isn’t the complete solution you hoped for, you’re not alone. Many patients seek BHRT after experiencing multiple setbacks and frustrations, hoping a new treatment plan will finally resolve all of their weight struggles or other symptoms.
When physicians then discuss the role of nutrition, movement, and stress management tactics alongside treatment, it can feel disappointing or even insulting—like being asked to do more work when you’re already exhausted from trying everything.
But here’s what we’ve learned: the most successful patients are those who treat their wellness plan like any other healthy relationship; as a long-term commitment with its own unique needs, shifting dynamics, and chemistry for success. With that in mind, let’s take a deeper look at how hormone and lifestyle balance work together for lasting wellness.
When Previous Weight Loss Efforts Have Failed
First, let’s acknowledge something important: your previous attempts at weight loss weren’t failures because you lacked willpower or didn’t try hard enough.
“Let’s look at the five common causes of hormone dysfunction: insulin, prolactin, cortisol, thyroid, and adrenal disorders” says Dr. Mary Martin, a board-certified physician with Evolve Telemedicine. “Of these, insulin has the strongest correlation to weight gain, and is the common denominator for the other endocrine problems.”
According to Dr. Martin, insulin drives hunger and causes the body to store fat, which all humans need for survival. The problem occurs when excess insulin results in excess cortisol, excess prolactin, hypothyroidism and interferes with adrenal function; when this happens, your body is thrown out of order and may actively fight against weight loss efforts in order to maintain fat storage.
Two Sides of the Weight Management Equation
On the flip side, relying on hormone therapy or medications alone to solve weight challenges often leads to disappointment. While these treatments can be transformative, they work by restoring your body’s ability to respond normally to healthy inputs; they don’t replace the need for those inputs.
Think of it this way: if your car’s engine is broken, fixing it won’t automatically take you where you want to go. You still need to put it in drive and steer. Hormone therapy fixes the “engine” of your metabolism, but you still need to provide direction through nutrition and movement.
To see long-term results, we need to balance both sides of the wellness equation.
Hormones and Lifestyle: Creating Breakthroughs Through Positive Feedback Loops
Here’s the good news: when you crack the code of your body’s individual chemistry and build a framework for your hormones and healthy habits to work together, you can create a positive feedback loop that outperforms previous attempts.
Let’s take a look at the individual phases that make up a positive feedback loop.
Phase 1: Lay the Hormone Health Foundation
When we address underlying hormonal imbalances through BHRT or other treatments, we often see changes like:
- Insulin sensitivity improves, making your body more responsive to dietary changes
- Cortisol patterns normalize, reducing stress-driven cravings and belly fat storage
- Thyroid function optimizes, increasing your metabolic rate
- Sleep quality improves, supporting appetite regulation and recovery
Phase 2: Strike While the Iron’s Hot With Positive Habit Building
With hormonal balance improving, the same lifestyle efforts that previously felt impossible or ineffective may become more manageable and productive:
- The same caloric intake that once maintained your weight now supports weight loss
- Exercise recovery improves dramatically, allowing for more consistent activity
- Cravings for processed foods diminish while satisfaction from nutritious meals increases
- Stress management techniques become more effective at preventing emotional eating
Phase 3: Nurture the Positive Feedback Loop for Sustained Success
This is where the magic happens: as healthy habits support hormonal balance, and balanced hormones make healthy habits easier, the cycle becomes self-reinforcing rather than self-defeating.
And now that we’ve reversed the momentum from negative to positive, we can just keep feeding the fire.
How Discovering Your Individual Hormone Profile Changes Everything
This is where Evolve’s approach differs fundamentally from generic advice you’ve encountered before. We’re not asking you to follow another one-size-fits-all plan that may or may not work for your unique biochemistry.
“Honestly, life-changing,” says Jessica, an Evolve patient. “I’ve seen more progress in my health in the last year than in my previous five years with my own regular GP.
Personalized Baseline Understanding
Your comprehensive hormone panel reveals exactly which systems need support:
- Is insulin resistance making carbohydrate metabolism difficult?
- Are elevated cortisol levels making stress management crucial for weight loss?
- Is low testosterone affecting your ability to build and maintain muscle?
- Are thyroid issues slowing your metabolism despite other efforts?
Tailored Guidance and Strategy
Based on your specific hormone profile, we can provide targeted guidance that actually applies to your situation.
- If insulin resistance is present, we might recommend specific meal timing strategies alongside medication
- If cortisol is elevated, stress management becomes a medical necessity, not just a “nice to have”
- If testosterone is low, strength training becomes particularly important for maintaining muscle during weight loss
These are just a few common examples, but a truly expert care team will have countless tools and techniques at their disposal to arrive at a practical game plan for your specific lifestyle and needs.
Realistic Timeline Expectations
Understanding your hormone profile also helps set realistic expectations. “Some hormonal disorders, such as thyroid and prolactin, are corrected within 4-6 weeks,” says Dr. Martin. “Others, such as hyperinsulinemia and insulin resistance take more time: as weight decreases, insulin sensitivity increases.”
The Partnership Approach: What This Looks Like in Practice
At Evolve, we’re not asking you to become a fitness influencer or nutrition expert overnight. We’re asking you to partner with us in a way that maximizes your treatment outcomes.
What We Handle
- Comprehensive hormone testing and analysis
- Fully customized treatment protocols with precise dosing
- Regular monitoring and adjustments
- Expert medical guidance on supplement interactions and timing
- Ongoing support and responsiveness from your dedicated care coordinator
What We Explore Together
- Nutrition strategies that work with your hormone profile and lifestyle
- Movement approaches that support rather than stress your system
- Stress management techniques that fit your personality and schedule
- Sleep optimization strategies that enhance treatment effectiveness
What This Isn’t
This isn’t about perfection or radical lifestyle overhauls. It’s about making informed, sustainable changes that amplify your treatment results.
Managing Expectations While Maintaining Hope
We understand that being told “lifestyle matters” can feel discouraging when you’ve already tried so many approaches. But here’s what makes this different:
You’re Not Starting from Zero
Every healthy habit you attempt while your hormones are balanced will be exponentially more effective than your previous efforts. You’re not repeating the same strategies that didn’t work—you’re using them with a completely different biological foundation.
You’re Not Doing This Alone
Unlike previous attempts where you may have relied on generic online advice or one-size-fits-all programs, you now have a medical team that understands all of the pieces of your specific hormonal puzzle and can guide you accordingly.
Small Changes, Amplified Results
When hormones are working properly, small lifestyle adjustments create disproportionately large results. You don’t need to completely overhaul your life; you’re simply making targeted changes that work synergistically with your treatment.
Your Next Steps: Building Your Integrated Success Plan
If you’re ready to move beyond the cycle of multiple attempts and conflicting advice, here’s how we approach the integration of hormone therapy and lifestyle optimization:
- Complete Hormonal Assessment: Understanding your unique biochemical baseline
- Personalized Treatment Protocol: Addressing specific imbalances with targeted therapy
- Collaborative Planning: Developing lifestyle strategies that complement your treatment
- Regular Monitoring: Adjusting both treatment and recommendations based on your progress
- Ongoing Support: Ensuring you never feel alone in this journey
The goal isn’t perfection; it’s sustainable progress that honors both the science of hormonal health and the reality of your daily life.
And remember: you’re not looking for a quick fix, and you’re not lazy or impatient. You’re looking for a solution that finally works because you’re tired of approaches that ignore the complex, interconnected nature of weight and hormonal health.
At Evolve Telemedicine, we’re ready to help you discover what happens when expert hormone care meets tailored lifestyle guidance. Be prepared for honest conversations about your health along the way. Your body wants to be healthy—sometimes it just needs the right support to remember how.
NEXT: Understanding Menopause and Belly Fat: Your Guide to Taking Control
