Unlocking Weight Loss: Mastering Seven Hormones for Success

Dr. Sarah Gottfried unveils her personal struggles and the long journey she has traveled since age 15 to achieve stable weight management through mastering seven hormones.

Her approach is detailed in her book, 'The Hormonal Balance Diet,' and she claims no other diet she tried throughout her life matched this one. "I was overweight all my life," she notes. "Since I was 15, I tried almost every diet: low-salt, Mediterranean, low-carb, low-fat, high-fat, and more. After realizing nothing helped, I even started starving myself, but it only made me more frustrated and did not help maintain weight in the long run."

Into adulthood, until age 40, even as a doctor, she struggled with her weight.

"The peak was at 25, right before my wedding," she recalls. "I knew I had to fit into a wedding dress and needed a diet. I starved myself and did lose some weight, but gained nearly all of it back during our honeymoon."

At 40, as a practicing doctor, she realized she couldn’t continue like this. "I started reading and researching dozens of scientific articles on weight loss for men and women, and suddenly it clicked—my problem might be hormonal balance. I couldn't think of anything else because nothing I had done worked before. As a doctor, I saw firsthand that many individuals who achieved hormonal balance attained stable weight, so I decided to look into it and investigate."

Not only did she explore and research, but she also became the 'guinea pig' for her groundbreaking method. "I learned everything on myself and realized I could eat in a way that would keep my hormones in check and prevent weight gain. I suddenly realized my hormones were my best friends."

On her book's cover, Dr. Gottfried makes a bold promise that anyone who follows her method can expect to lose 15 pounds in 21 days if they strictly adhere to it without deviation.

"Mastering the seven hormones I lay out in my book is the best way to maintain your weight without unnecessary struggles," she assures, adding that this diet also eliminates cravings for carbs and sweets. "In the past, I suffered from mood swings because I was always hungry and restless. Today, that no longer exists because my hormones are balanced."

So what does she recommend for balancing hormones, and which hormones are we addressing?

It’s all about seven key hormones she identifies as the most 'problematic': estrogen, insulin, leptin, cortisol, thyroid, testosterone, and growth hormone. "When our body's hormones are unbalanced, one of the first signs is weight gain."

Here's a brief overview of her strategy:

For the first three days, Dr. Gottfried suggests cutting out meat and alcohol, although chicken and fish are acceptable. "It’s beneficial to add eggs, lentils, and unsalted nuts to your diet. These days focus on regulating estrogen levels."

From day four to six, you need to eliminate all forms of sugar, including foods containing sugar (yes, this means checking product labels for sugar content). These days focus on balancing insulin levels.

On days seven to nine, you must give up all types of fruit. These days are crucial for regulating leptin, a hormone that, when unbalanced, can cause overeating even when full.

From days ten to twelve, the hardest for coffee lovers, caffeine must be avoided, excluding chocolate, coffee, and tea. These days focus on balancing cortisol levels, often leading to 'emotional eating.'

Days 13-15 require abstaining from grains containing gluten. These days balance your thyroid, which, when unbalanced, makes weight loss nearly impossible.

Days 16-18 require giving up all dairy products, which can increase inflammation risk, putting the body in a 'defense mode' that makes weight loss difficult. These days balance growth hormone levels, best paired with eating lots of green vegetables.

On days 19-21, embrace a healthy lifestyle by avoiding toxic environments. Steer clear of environments with Bisphenol A, known to impede weight loss. During this time (and ideally throughout the diet), avoid microwaving food, drinking hot beverages from plastic, or using cosmetics containing Bisphenol.

What happens after 21 days according to Dr. Gottfried?

After 21 days, you can eat anything following these guidelines:

1. Consume 5-10 cups of lightly cooked vegetables daily (half should be raw).

2. Eat sufficient proteins to avoid empty carbohydrates.

3. Daily intake of healthy fats, like olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, and avocado.

4. Monitor your body's triglyceride levels through blood tests. If they're too high, it indicates excessive consumption of empty carbs, and it’s time to reduce them significantly, starting with balancing hormones.