Tests before losing weight through diet
There is a saying: “Beauty requires sacrifice.”
In fact, beauty does not require sacrifice, but careful attention to your health. Striving for the ideal of beauty, we must not forget that excess weight can be the result not of bad habits, but of serious diseases such as diabetes. Therefore, taking a sugar test before starting to lose weight would be a good idea. If you have tried many times to lose weight with the help of a specially selected diet and exercise, but have not achieved results, then it’s time to go to the doctor. When there are hormonal imbalances in the body, no diet or gym will help you lose weight. To rule out serious diseases of the thyroid and pancreas, it is worth taking a thyroid test and checking sex hormones, after which you can decide on the optimal weight loss program.
Why get tested before starting a diet and what tests to get before losing weight
Many will be surprised: why take tests before starting a diet? Take it and lose weight. But the point is that any slowdown in the process of getting rid of fat has a complex reason behind it. By taking tests before losing weight through a diet, a person not only checks his health, but also finds out the individual characteristics of his metabolism.
Too much weight loss or an incorrectly selected diet can lead to a slowdown in the fat burning process, or even reverse weight gain. Hormonal imbalances can ruin all efforts. To prevent this from happening, you need to know what tests to take before losing weight.
To begin with, this is, of course, a general blood test; with its help, deviations in the level of leukocytes, red blood cells, ESR and hemoglobin are detected. A biochemical blood test and hormone analysis can identify more specific causes of disturbances in the hormonal and immune systems.
Tests for losing weight
Tests are mandatory primarily for those who begin losing weight at the age of 30, are burdened with 10 or more extra pounds, or (regardless of age) suffer from chronic diseases or suspect they have them. For example, he gets tired often and quickly, suffers from headaches and shortness of breath.
There are only three studies on the list of mandatory ones. They will help to find out whether there is a hormonal reason for excess weight (for example, with hypothyroidism, diet and fitness do not work; to lose weight, you need to undergo hormonal therapy). In addition, based on the test results, the doctor will be able to select the correct physical activity.
Thyroid analysis
The thyroid gland is responsible for the rate of metabolism; disturbances in its functioning can lead to the formation of excess weight. Thyroid analysis is carried out by taking the following types of tests:
- tests for hormones TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone of the pituitary gland), T3, T4 (thyroid hormones), C-peptide;
- ATPO autoantibody test.
These hormones are responsible for a person’s overall energy level and the rate of fat burning in his body. Their deficiency leads to slow metabolism and obesity.
Losing weight: recommended tests
As an advertisement
The weight loss formula has long been known, and there is nothing original about it. To reduce body weight, you only need to achieve a certain difference between the calories that enter the body from food and the calories that are used as energy.
A balance in favor of the calories you eat will lead to the appearance of fat deposits. Conversely, if physical activity burns more calories than it takes in, excess weight will begin to fall off.
Here, however, there is a “technical” problem - how to monitor the energy balance? But in reality this is also a fairly easily resolved issue. You just need to get used to counting calories in portions. By comparing the amount received with the approximate energy consumption per day, you can figure out what exactly and in what quantity you need to eat. Plus, as mentioned, exercise also burns calories. Diet and sport, like two wings, will lift a person to the heights of health and beauty.
And if not? What if, despite all your efforts, you still remain overweight? In this case, it makes sense to check whether the hormonal balance is in order. This is an important condition for effective weight loss. There is an accurate tool for checking - laboratory tests. With their help, you can find out whether there are any internal brakes in the body that prevent you from losing weight.
There are many hormones in the human body, and they perform different functions. In the fight for a slim figure, several groups of hormones are important. By the way, monitoring their levels is recommended not only for those who have some painful symptoms.
Thyroid functions
You should start by checking the organ, on which a lot in the body depends. The thyroid gland is one of the main elements of the human endocrine system. It regulates metabolism, and if excess weight does not want to go away, you should first pay attention to it.
Hypothyroidism, i.e. a lack of thyroid hormones, will make all attempts to lose weight pointless. It is extremely difficult to reduce the percentage of fat in this pathological condition.
Together with thyroid hormones, the level of TSH, a pituitary hormone involved in the functioning of the thyroid gland, is usually checked. Elevated TSH levels indicate that the body has to work harder to maintain thyroid function. With high TSH, losing weight is also not easy.
Tests to be taken:
[08-113] T3 (triiodothyronine), [08-115] T4 (thyroxine), [08-118] TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). But in general, the studies necessary in this case are usually included in the “Comprehensive laboratory examination of the thyroid gland” complex.
Essential Vitamin D
Vitamin D is also important in losing weight. It is believed that high levels of this vitamin help get rid of fat deposits in the waist area. There are several forms of vitamin D that can be detected in the blood.
The level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D is usually determined due to its high concentration and long half-life. There are studies showing that increasing 25-hydroxyvitamin D by 1 ng/ml promotes the loss of 2 kg of excess weight.
Normal vitamin D levels are a predictor of success on a low-calorie diet. Accordingly, with an insufficient amount of this substance in the body, diets are unlikely to lead to success.
Tests to be taken:
[06-106] Vitamin D.
Stress hormone - cortisol
Cortisol protects the body from stress, regulates blood pressure, and is involved in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. It is sometimes called the stress hormone. Its increase is observed with prolonged nervous tension and lack of sleep.
Elevated cortisol levels do not bode well. From a dietary perspective, abnormal cortisol levels will make it difficult to lose belly fat.
Tests to be taken:
[08-030] Cortisol.
Sugar and insulin levels
Excess insulin is more likely to lead to weight gain than weight loss. This is one of those hormones that bodybuilders take specifically to become bigger. Endocrine disorders, which are signaled by altered insulin levels, will not only prevent you from normalizing your weight, but can turn the diet into a dangerous test for the body.
High blood sugar may indicate prediabetes. Prediabetes is a condition in which there are no external signs of diabetes yet, but problems with metabolism already exist. These problems can only be recognized through analysis.
It is estimated that within 10 years, half of people with prediabetes will develop diabetes, which is often accompanied by obesity. The disease must be stopped at the prediabetic stage. For those who seriously engage in weight loss, prediabetes will not develop into diabetes.
Tests to be taken:
[08-026] Insulin, [06-014] Glycated hemoglobin, [06-015] Plasma glucose.
Sex hormones
An imbalance of sex hormones is a factor that has a devastating effect on any weight loss plans. Low testosterone in men and high progesterone in women will stall the fight against fat. A lack of estradiol provokes overeating, which is unlikely to have a good effect on the fight against excess weight.
Also a serious condition is polycystic ovary syndrome in women, which causes increased testosterone and insulin. One of the complications of the syndrome is obesity./p>
Tests to be taken:
[08-117] Total testosterone, [08-112] Progesterone, [08-120] Estradiol.
Only a doctor can correctly interpret the results of all these studies. If tests show hormonal imbalances, the doctor will prescribe appropriate treatment. Without such treatment, attempts to lose weight will remain unsuccessful and will only bring disappointment.
Moving towards success in any business requires not only determination, but also a thoughtful, systematic approach. Losing weight is one of those goals that sometimes seems too difficult to achieve. Modern medicine will help cope with these difficulties. The main thing is to remain determined and not give up.
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There are contraindications. Specialist consultation is required.
Sugar analysis
Diabetes is a very serious disease that affects metabolic processes, leading to obesity. To rule out diabetes, you should do a sugar test before losing weight through a diet. Insulin insensitivity, characteristic of diabetes, leads to the rapid formation of a fat layer in the body.
The sugar test can be taken either as a full-fledged laboratory analysis or as a rapid test using a glucometer. If diabetes is suspected, the doctor will prescribe additional tests, such as a glycated hemoglobin test.
Confidence in the future: check-up for women after 40 years
The children have grown up, the house is settled and equipped. For many women, turning 40 is a milestone that finally allows them to do what they had previously put off - career advancement, travel and taking care of themselves. To implement these plans, you need energy, youth, beauty and good health. How to support him?
Not a single pathological process occurs in the body without it being reflected in the blood. Laboratory tests can check for many markers of inflammation, cardiovascular changes, weakening of bones, and the appearance of tumors.
You can contact your therapist and get directions for blood tests, and then come for another appointment. Perhaps it is more organizationally convenient to first pass a set of tests, and then go to the appointment with the results ready. Thus, you save both time and money: after all, a set of tests costs less than the same tests separately. In addition, if tests clearly indicate problems with the liver, cardiovascular system or reproductive organs, you will be able to immediately make an appointment with a specialist rather than a general practitioner.
Age of responsibility
40-49 years is a crucial period for women's health. At this time, the levels of female sex hormones (estrogen and progesterone) change significantly. The reproductive system begins to prepare for the transition to rest mode during menopause, which normally occurs between 45-55 years. Powerful changes in such important hormones affect the entire body. Therefore, starting from the age of 40, it is so important to do a check-up once a year.
The “Here and Now” set of laboratory tests includes 21 blood test parameters, which are most informative for women 40-49 years old.
Clinical blood test with leukocyte formula and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) reflect the inflammatory and immune status of the body. These tests can determine whether there are signs of a bacterial or viral infection, hidden allergies, or anemia.
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase, total bilirubin, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase are indicators that allow you to assess the condition of the liver and gallbladder. Based on their meaning and, most importantly, their relationship, one can see the beginning of bile outflow disorders, chronic hepatitis, and other damage to the hepatobiliary system. In combination with other parameters, the risks of other diseases are also assessed.
Total bilirubin in combination with a clinical blood test allows you to see the cause of anemia.
The AST/ALT ratio shows whether there is damage to the heart muscle.
Alkaline phosphatase, total calcium, inorganic phosphorus - these indicators reflect the exchange of calcium and phosphorus, and the condition of bone tissue.
Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) regulates the functioning of the thyroid gland. Thyroid diseases are quite common among women. The TSH level will show how the thyroid gland is working, even before obvious symptoms of its deficiency or hyperfunction appear.
Total vitamin D (25-OH vitamin D, calciferol) is known to be essential for strong bones and muscles. Moreover, it is also necessary for the production of immune system cells and reduces the risk of autoimmune and cancer diseases. Its level in the blood needs to be monitored if you live in an area where there are few sunny days and often have to wear clothes that cover your arms and legs, you are overweight or have intestinal diseases.
Diversity of maturity
A set of laboratory tests “Without unnecessary problems” was compiled specifically for women 50-65 years old. It includes 27 indicators: those that we described above as part of the complex for women 40-49 years old, and several more.
Ultrasensitive C-reactive protein is a sign of initial damage to the walls of blood vessels (the onset of atherosclerosis). Before menopause, the walls of blood vessels are protected from this by the female hormones estrogen, so atherosclerosis is more typical for men. Therefore, with a decrease in ovarian function, it is important to monitor signs of inflammation of the vascular walls.
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) is an important tumor marker. It can increase not only with cancer, but also with other chronic diseases. In combination with other data, it allows one to suspect hepatitis and cirrhosis, pancreatitis, ulcerative colitis, bronchitis and some other diseases. In the presence of tumors, the degree of increase is proportional to the mass of the tumor tissue.
Antigen CA 125 is known as a marker of ovarian cancer. At the same time, its slight increase may also indicate inflammatory diseases in the liver, pancreas, lungs, and pelvic organs.
Carry out a planned check-up, take timely measures to prevent the development of diseases and do not waste money and nerves on emergency treatment!
Unnoticeable deficit
When can the problem of fatigue, hair loss, acne, decreased immunity and other pathologies be solved by correcting the “iron” status? Why does iron deficiency occur even in those who eat meat? And who is at increased risk of hidden iron deficiency?
"Special conditions"
In modern society, it would seem that there should not be a problem of iron deficiency. After all, access to iron-rich foods is not limited. And, among other things, various nutritional supplements and complexes can compensate for nutritional errors.
Under such conditions, even adherents of a vegetarian diet can quite easily balance their vitamin and mineral status. Not to mention meat “lovers”.
However, in practice it turns out that hidden iron deficiency is almost universal. And most of all - among women and children.
The whole point is that:
- the only “effective” source of iron is red meat, seafood (especially shellfish) and fish, where the element is presented in heme form, in high concentrations and is absorbed by 17-22%, regardless of associated dietary factors.
That is, for example, an average serving of beef (200 g), containing 2.6 mg of iron per 100 g of product, will “give” the body a maximum of 1.144 mg of the microelement. Despite the fact that the daily norm even for men is 10-15 mg, and for menstruating women – 20-30 mg. And this does not take into account the presence of chronic diseases, which will be discussed below.
Pork and chicken can no longer boast of even such “wealth”. And in popular “iron” by-products (for example, liver) the microelement is contained in a deposited form (ferritin), the bioavailability of which is an order of magnitude lower;
- iron of plant “origin” is generally an extremely “capricious” element, the digestibility of which barely reaches 1-3%, and also requires a number of conditions.
In particular, such a nutrient needs proteins and acids (gastric juice, vitamin C and others) for absorption, as well as calcium (in moderate dosages) and vitamin B12.
But phosphates in eggs, cheese and milk, as well as oxalates, phytates, tannins and polyphenols in black tea, coffee, legumes, cereals, leafy vegetables and some other products completely bind iron, preventing absorption.
Therefore, getting the required “dose” of dietary iron from plant foods is quite difficult if there are problems with absorption in the intestines, no matter how many “apples and buckwheat” are contained in the diet. And “animal” sources, as already noted, are not all suitable.
This means that even a seemingly balanced diet may be insufficient in iron. And “coffee lovers” and tea lovers are artificially creating the preconditions for an “iron” deficiency.
"Iron consumers"
The following can significantly increase “iron” dietary errors and create conditions for iron deficiency:
- chronic diseases of the stomach and intestines (malabsorption),
- liver damage (impaired storage of ferritin),
- heavy menstruation, “undermining” ulcers and hemorrhoids (loss of iron in the blood),
- the presence of chronic inflammatory and oncological processes (increased iron consumption for inflammation and/or tumor cell growth),
- period of active growth (consumption for cell division),
- high physical (expense for the synthesis of muscle myoglobin and energy production) and mental stress (expense for the synthesis of some neurotransmitters and energy),
- stress,
- as well as rickets and osteoporosis (iron is redistributed from the depot to the bones as compensation for the lack of calcium salts).
As you can see, the list of “iron consumers” is particularly diverse, which, for the most part, explains the colossal frequency of iron deficiency conditions among the population.
Signs and tests
The signs of latent iron deficiency, in nature, are no different from those of anemia:
- fatigue,
- headache,
- dyspnea,
- decreased memory and attention,
- muscle weakness,
- decreased immunity,
- hair loss,
- dry skin and acne
- and some other problems.
However, the severity of these symptoms is still somewhat weaker. And, as a rule, it is noted at any one “level”.
For example, in children, the most noticeable problems are learning difficulties and the frequent incidence of acute respiratory viral infections (more than 3-4 times a year). Whereas in adults, and especially women, the condition of the skin and hair, and increased fatigue.
At the same time, when trying to exclude iron deficiency, normal blood hemoglobin and iron levels can be misleading. At the same time, at the cellular level, the microelement is already critically lacking.
The thing is that the level of iron itself in the blood remains normal for a long time, because, in case of its deficiency, the microelement enters the blood from the “storage” (ferritin of the liver and muscles) and is distributed to the most “needing” cells, while others - “ suffer hardships."
And hidden iron deficiency can only be detected using a blood test for ferritin, with simultaneous determination of the level of transferrin (iron transport protein).
Transferrin, at the same time, serves as an “insurance” indicator, increasing exclusively against the background of iron deficiency.
Whereas the ferritin level may be “falsely” normal if iron deficiency develops against the background of an acute inflammatory process.
