NicoleRaleigh said:

Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.

Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects:

• Testosterone: increased 35% (weight loss reduces aromatase in adipose tissue)
• Estradiol: normalized from elevated baseline
• SHBG: increased appropriately
• Free testosterone: increased 22%
• Cortisol AM: within normal limits, no significant change

My reproductive endocrinologist says the testosterone improvement alone could explain the energy and mood benefits I've experienced.

LibrarianMeg said:

Hormone panel changes on the hormone panel — relevant for anyone curious about endocrine effects: Testosterone: increased 35% (weight loss reduces…

HPA axis assessment on the hormone panel: rarely ordered but informative for understanding the stress-metabolism connection:

4-point salivary cortisol:

• Morning: 19 ng/mL → 13 ng/mL (improved)
• Noon: 7 ng/mL → 6 ng/mL
• Evening: 5 ng/mL → 2 ng/mL
• Night: 3 ng/mL → 1 ng/mL

The cortisol curve is normalizing — less flat, better diurnal variation. Reduced visceral fat = reduced cortisol overproduction. The metabolic benefits cascade into stress hormone regulation.

NicoleRaleigh said:

Total testosterone rose substantially and free testosterone barely moved, which took a while to make sense of.

Second this. The detail I would add is minor and it is already implied above.

Clinical perspective, offered as context rather than as advice.

Sex hormone labs after weight loss on the hormone panel — for the men in this thread:

Testosterone: 359 → 639 ng/dL (dramatic improvement!)
Free T: 7.4 → 14.9 ng/dL
Estradiol: 56 → 29 pg/mL
SHBG: 25 → 49 nmol/L

Visceral fat contains aromatase which converts testosterone to estrogen. As you lose visceral fat, this conversion decreases and testosterone naturally rises. I feel 10 years younger.