![](png/phone-icon.png)
With January 1 just around the corner, it's time to resolve to get into better shape in the New Year.
Diet-to-Go makes the weight losss part of the equation a no-brainer, but what about the shaping up part?
Luckily for me -- and you -- I have an in with the doctor who co-wrote From Belly Fat to Belly Flat (HCI).
And Dr. CW Randolph Jr. was happy to answer a few questions and give us the insights we need to look trimmer and feel better after age 30!
Diet-to-Go: My resolution for January is to eat better and to lose my belly -- what is the best belly-flattening approach for the 30-plus crowd?
DR. RANDOLPH: Recognize that, after about the age of 35, weight gain is no longer just about how many calories you consume or how much you exercise.
At a cellular level, age-related hormone shifts -- specifically a condition called estrogen dominance -- can cause you to pack on those pounds around the belly, butt, hips and thighs.
If you really want to lose and keep those unwanted pounds off for good, you need to understand and address your underlying condition of hormone imbalance.
DTG: I know you are an expert on hormones -- what happens to our body as we age? And can't we simply stay fit through diet and exercise?
DR. RANDOLPH: In your early to mid-30's progesterone levels start to drop and they decline 120X more rapidly than estrogen levels. An imbalance between estrogen and progesterone level predisposes the body to create more body fat.
Even worse, your extra body fat will actually produce even more estrogen putting you in a double whammy of weight gain.
DTG: How exactly does an out-of-whack hormone count affect us?
DR. RANDOLPH: In addition to packing on those unwanted pounds, unbalanced estrogen levels increase your risk of several chronic diseases including metabolic syndrome, breast cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
DTG: Isn't there a danger with using a man-made substance to improve my health?
DR. RANDOLPH: Synthetic hormone drugs, such as the popularly-prescribed Premarin and Prempro family of products, have been shown to be very dangerous, increasing a woman's risk of breast cancer, blood clotting, stroke and even Alzheimer's disease. That is because these synthetic hormones have a very different molecular structure than the ones produced by the ovaries.
DTG: I have a class reunion next spring -- so, how quickly can I expect to see my belly shrink if I follow your "Belly Fat to Belly Flat" plan?
DR. RANDOLPH: Most people begin to see and feel a difference in their bodies in 2-3 weeks with a loss of between 6 and 10 pounds per month.
DTG: If I use your plan and your products, can I then eat and drink whatever I want and still look good?
DR. RANDOLPH: No, this isn't fairy dust. Our plan works best for persons who eat a healthy diet and exercise but, no matter how hard they try, have not been able to budge those last 10 to 20 to 40 pounds hanging around their middle.
DTG: What is the best body-shaping Christmas gift I can give my wife without having her slap me for being insensitive?
DR. RANDOLPH: The book, FROM BELLY FAT TO BELLY FLAT, and the Belly Flat Value Pack that includes over-the-counter bioidentical progesterone cream and vitamins and supplements proven to support long-term overall hormone balance.
ABOUT DR. RANDOLPH
C.W. Randolph, Jr., M.D., one of the nation's leading bioidentical hormone physician experts, has treated thousands of women and men with hormone imbalances for more than a decade. A graduate of Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Dr. Randolph is board-certified by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology as well as the American Board of Holistic Medicine. As the co-founder of The Natural Hormone Institute, Dr. Randolph continues to be a frequent speaker for medical and consumer health organizations across the country. He is the co-author of the best-selling books, From Hormone HELL to Hormone WELL, From Belly FAT to Belly FLAT, and In the Mood Again.
Author: John McGran