Hormone Replacement and Weight Loss?

dogluvr3

49-year-old exercise junkie looking for feedback from any women who've experienced sudden weight gain with the wonderful "change."

SanteMulberry

One of the things that happens as a woman approaches menopause (thus the new designation "peri-menopause") is that she stops ovulating and ovulation is the source of a woman's natural progesterone supply. While estrogen is a "fat hoarder" (that is, it wants to make us fat by making our cells more resistant to thyroid hormone) progesterone is its balance as it enhances the sensitivity of our cells to thyroid hormone. I suspect this is why many women struggle with weight gain on the birth control pill---because that's how the pill works---it shuts down ovulation. No ovulation, no pregnancy. There is an added complication in the xenoestrogens that are pollutants in our environment. There are many chemicals that, when taken into the body, act like estrogen--some of them are very potently estrogenic. Consequently, because of the b.c. pill and because of xenoestrogens, many women become estrogen dominant. The only way to combat estrogen dominance is with bio-identical progesterone (NO synthetic progestins, PLEASE) The only reason why synthetic progestins are used by the pharmaceutical companies is because they can be patented whereas, bio-identical (that is, identical to a woman's natural progesterone) cannot be patented. There are over-the-counter bio-identical progesterone creams available. An alternative is to use an herb like Chasteberry (also called Vitex) which promotes progesterone production. Here's a link to Dr. John Lee's website who was a pioneer in the field of supplying natural progesterone to menopausal (and peri-menopausal) women. There is a lot of information there. http://www.johnleemd.com/index.html

The website gives a list of those companies whose products are recommended.

p.s. Heavy lifting does a lot to rev up a flagging metabolism. Too much cardio in menopausal women can be counter-productive in that it reduces muscle mass (because it is "catabolic"--that is it breaks down something in the body). In younger women, what is likely to be broken down is fat, but in older women, often what is broken down is muscle because, remember a woman becomes more estrogen dominant as she approaches menopause (because of the loss of ovulation and thus progesterone) and estrogen LOVES to hang onto body fat. So heavy lifting and natural progesterone supplementation may be all that you need to get your body back into "fightin' " shape.

dogluvr3

Thanks! I have read his web site did try an over-the-counter progesterone cream with poor results.

Some background on me...I do lift, and have for 29 years. Five days of lifting, split routine; six days of cardio. Eat a VERY clean diet, six small meals consisting of lean protein and complex carbs. No sugar. No sodas. No white anything. This has always kept me in great shape. My weight never fluctuated beyond five pounds. I was in the best shape of my life at 47, complete with a six-pack and figure-competition body. Then suddenly I started noticing body composition changes. Fat started creeping onto my always-flat midsection. I started getting slight love handles. The more I ramped up the exercise and cleaned up the diet, the more fat appeared. Now, 1.5 years later, I have gained 18 pounds. I cannot lose a single ounce, no matter what I do.

dogluvr3

That was news to me about cardio and older women, though!!!

supermodelchic

I have been using bio-indentials for 4 years , I am 49 with a similar background as yours, I have a prescription with progestorone 60mg's, estriadol 1.5mg's, and 4mg's of testosterone, I started this because my sex drive took a dump LOL and the testosterone brought me back to life, I do well on this mixture and hope it continues to do well by me, no side affects , no weight gain, no hair on my chin ect...find someone who specializes in this , I believe in keeping your hormones , where they were a decade ago , not what they are right now, goodluck

sphira

I'm in the same situation now. I started noticing changes last year but doctors told me I was too young (41) but the hot flashes were out of control in January, got blood work done which confirmed I am post menopausal at age 42! I gained about 12 pound the last year. I joined MFP Jan. 7 and to date only lost 2 pounds which I lost the first week. Nothing since then. The doctor has me on low low estrogen BC pill. This helped the hot flashes, I was getting up 15-20 times a night. I know going on BC is not the best option but I needed relief from the hot flashes ASAP! Will read above link and make changes within the next few months. As far as exercising I was doing JM30DS and lifting 3 times a week, not one ounce came off. Now just heavy lifting 3 times a week. Gave up on cardio as it didn't seem to help at all. I just don't know what to do.

SanteMulberry

Sounds like you are doing a lot of the right things but there are a couple of things that I'm thinking about. Have you had your thyroid levels checked? Many women will go hypothyroid as they approach the menopause (I have seen estimates as high as 40%).

The other is diet. Are you eating a lot of fruit? The reason why I ask, is that there is a respected researcher at the health sciences center at the University of Colorado (he is head of the renal division there) who has written a new book for a popular audience, based on his research into Type II Diabetes and its effect on cardiovascular and renal disease. The name of the book is, "The Fat Switch". He says that fat accumulation is a very normal mammalian response to the intake of excessive fructose. That all animals search for as much fructose as they can get in order to add fat--such as black bears gorging on massive quantities of wild blueberries at the end of summer and getting VERY fat for the winter hibernation.

As humans, our biggest source of fructose is from table sugar (i.e. sucrose which is 50% fructose--and high fructose corn syrup is even worse) and this acts as a "trigger" to tell our bodies to "start storing fat for the winter." But even large amounts of fruit (especially in the absence of sufficient protein and especially in the absence of fat) will do the same thing. Too much fruit can wreak metabolic havoc because of the fructose. (Researchers announced recently that high fructose consumption through drinking soda sweetened with high fructose corn syrup has been linked to pancreatic cancer.) Steve Jobs was a "fruitarian" for many years (he even named his company Apple Inc. after his favorite fruit). As you likely know, Steve Jobs died of pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic problems ride side by side with liver problems and it is in the liver where too much fructose has the biggest impact. Other sugars, like glucose are absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the intestines and no metabolic harm is apparent. Not so with fructose. Fructose is metabolized in the liver where it is acted on by a very specific enzyme called fructokinase. When we have lots of fructose in our diet, our fructokinase levels will also be very high and that produces additional metabolic problems. This sets off a metabolic cascade that includes high uric acid levels (which is a particular problem in the area of renal disease). Dr. Johnson feels that the epidemic of fatty liver, obesity, Type II diabetes, gouty arthritis, and renal disease can be attributed to our consumption of sugar but it is the fructose portion that has him most concerned because of the metabolic effects. In order to "reset" my fructokinase level, I recently went on a fast from fructose for a couple of weeks---amazing how much more energy I had. I now keep my fructose consumption down to 15 grams or less per day.

SanteMulberry

I have been using bio-indentials for 4 years , I am 49 with a similar background as yours, I have a prescription with progestorone 60mg's, estriadol 1.5mg's, and 4mg's of testosterone, I started this because my sex drive took a dump LOL and the testosterone brought me back to life, I do well on this mixture and hope it continues to do well by me, no side affects , no weight gain, no hair on my chin ect...find someone who specializes in this , I believe in keeping your hormones , where they were a decade ago , not what they are right now, goodluck

Yes, testosterone supplementation is often helpful for women as they approach the menopause as it will help them to build muscle and rev up the sex drive.

sphira

Very interesting about fruit. I usually eat 1-2 fruits a day. I don't not use white sugar or artificial sweetener at all. For me I get my thyroid checked 2 times a year because of family history. Mine was normal. I will need to look into getting some testosterone as my sex drive has taken a nose dive. Thank you so much for the links and info.

dogluvr3

Thanks, Supermodel and Around. I am trying to gather all the information I can before a doctor's appointment this Thursday.

Aroundthe mulb, I limit my fruit to mostly berries before lunch. Occasionally I will have grapefruit in the afternoon. Never eat fruit after dinner. My thyroid was said to have been "borderline" at my last bloodwork check in November. I'm reading more and more about how the levels for a subnormal reading are changing and what I should ask the doctor about. It's just NOT normal to gain 18 pounds in a year and a half and not be able to lose an ounce.

Supermodel, it sounds like we are/were in quite similar situations. I do have a friend who started treating with compounded testosterone and said it changed her life. She said she immediately noticed her clothes fitting better in her midsection and her sex drive improved dramatically. (I won't mind that, either...I won't go into that aspect here, but let's say I went from the top of the world to the bottom of the ravine.)

Sphira, I went through the hot flashes back in the summer/fall. Not sure why they ceased, but I'm just happy they have for now!!! Please keep us posted on what you find out!

sphira

When you get your thyroid check there is a more complex test which is better than the general test. I'm not sure of the exact name but make sure to ask your doctor. Good luck and let us know what you find out.

SanteMulberry

Very interesting about fruit. I usually eat 1-2 fruits a day. I don't not use white sugar or artificial sweetener at all. For me I get my thyroid checked 2 times a year because of family history. Mine was normal. I will need to look into getting some testosterone as my sex drive has taken a nose dive. Thank you so much for the links and info.

You may also want to check out the Thyroid forums here. The ladies over there are very up-to-date and knowledgeable. One of the things they have been talking about recently is the ignorance that many G.P.s have about the new standards for thyroid hormones. One of the problems is that there are many individuals who have adequate levels of T4 hormones but they are not converting it to T3 which leaves them essentially hypothyroid. If only T4 levels are checked, they may miss the inadequate T3 levels. Also, there are new much lower standards for TSH (when T4 is low, TSH will be high). Many women feel much more comfortable at lower TSH levels.

SanteMulberry

Thanks, Supermodel and Around. I am trying to gather all the information I can before a doctor's appointment this Thursday.

Aroundthe mulb, I limit my fruit to mostly berries before lunch. Occasionally I will have grapefruit in the afternoon. Never eat fruit after dinner. My thyroid was said to have been "borderline" at my last bloodwork check in November. I'm reading more and more about how the levels for a subnormal reading are changing and what I should ask the doctor about. It's just NOT normal to gain 18 pounds in a year and a half and not be able to lose an ounce.

Supermodel, it sounds like we are/were in quite similar situations. I do have a friend who started treating with compounded testosterone and said it changed her life. She said she immediately noticed her clothes fitting better in her midsection and her sex drive improved dramatically. (I won't mind that, either...I won't go into that aspect here, but let's say I went from the top of the world to the bottom of the ravine.)

Sphira, I went through the hot flashes back in the summer/fall. Not sure why they ceased, but I'm just happy they have for now!!! Please keep us posted on what you find out!

Thyroid is probably your answer. Ask for an endocrinology referral as they will be much more up-to-date and know the new standards.

sphira

Thanks around the mulb! I will look in forums. Everyone on my mom's side ( my grandmother, mom and aunt) and both my sister have thyroid issues. I'm the only one left standing so far.

Sabine_Stroehm

OP: You and I are so similar!
I've always been fit, I've never been overweight.
I've always exercised.
I've been eating right since my 30s.

I lift.
I run.
I eat clean. Very "slow carb".
I can't budge a pound lol.

I have hot flashes etc, and random periods.
I was using bio-identical progesterone cream (compounded)
but my doc recently asked me to try prometrium to help symptoms.
Symptoms are GONE.
But Ive gained a few LBS (water).

Best of luck finding your solution, and please, friend me if you want.

harlanJEN

No drugs for me. Peri menopause hit at 45. Can't say I gained because of it, I've always struggled with weight.

With that said ... I've lost 50+ lbs and shrunk from an 18 to an 8.

Strength training ... All the way. THE BOMB. sensible eating ..real food. I'm in tweaking bodyfat mode right now. Losing at 1800 cals with a 2200 day thrown in. 3 x week heavy lifting. Moderate walking . No cardio. Plenty of cardio benefit from my heavy lifting. Resting heart rate is 48.

Not sure this answered your question .....

Jen

sphira

No drugs for me. Peri menopause hit at 45. Can't say I gained because of it, I've always struggled with weight.

With that said ... I've lost 50+ lbs and shrunk from an 18 to an 8.

Strength training ... All the way. THE BOMB. sensible eating ..real food. I'm in tweaking bodyfat mode right now. Losing at 1800 cals with a 2200 day thrown in. 3 x week heavy lifting. Moderate walking . No cardio. Plenty of cardio benefit from my heavy lifting. Resting heart rate is 48.

Not sure this answered your question .....

Jen

How long did it take you to drop 50 pounds? For me I'm on 7 weeks without losing an ounce! I don't mind a slower pace but not to have any movement is frustrating. ????

dogluvr3

No drugs for me. Peri menopause hit at 45. Can't say I gained because of it, I've always struggled with weight.

With that said ... I've lost 50+ lbs and shrunk from an 18 to an 8.

Strength training ... All the way. THE BOMB. sensible eating ..real food. I'm in tweaking bodyfat mode right now. Losing at 1800 cals with a 2200 day thrown in. 3 x week heavy lifting. Moderate walking . No cardio. Plenty of cardio benefit from my heavy lifting. Resting heart rate is 48.

Not sure this answered your question .....

Jen

dogluvr3

I do train with weights. In the past I've done very little cardio and managed to maintain 14-16% body fat. Last year that all changed. I added cardio, added two strength training classes, tweaked the diet to include MORE veggies...still just continued to gain.

So right now I am weight training 3x week, two weight training classes at night, yoga and (starting two weeks ago) doing Insanity 6 days a week.

I do NOT want to take drugs but really am at the end of my rope. I have been trying to lose this weight the sensible way for 8 months now. Not an ounce lost. :-(

knittingbandmom

I do NOT want to take drugs but really am at the end of my rope. I have been trying to lose this weight the sensible way for 8 months now. Not an ounce lost. :-(

So, I'm a little late to this party (story of my life really lol) but I'm curious if you ended up doing anything about it? I'm also 49, work out regularly and try to eat clean (most days). I even gave up my diet coke for water last year. I've been struggling with symptoms since I was about 44/45 and am tired of messing with it. Today I went to my ob/gyn who specializes in bhrt. He took blood to get a reading on what all of my levels are and next Monday I'm going in for a bio-identical pellet implant. They send my blood results to a compounding pharmacy which in turns takes all of my hormones into account, then compounds them custom to my needs. I've done a ton of research and am so excited to finally be doing this. In the past I've tried several creams (over the counter), low dose birth control pills, different herbs and extracts, yoga, etc. etc. etc. For the last 6 months I've been on synthetic hormones prescribed by my regular doctor but I still have hot flashes, wake up soaked at 4:00 am, and pretty much want to kill anyone in my path. My weight gain is all around my middle which makes me look bad, and feel bloated. I asked my doctor if doing this would make me be a "hormone healthy 50 year old" and he said why pay for that - it will make you FEEL like a health 30 year old. I'll come back next week and give you guys my report.

Sabine_Stroehm

So, I'm a little late to this party (story of my life really lol) but I'm curious if you ended up doing anything about it? I'm also 49, work out regularly and try to eat clean (most days). I even gave up my diet coke for water last year. I've been struggling with symptoms since I was about 44/45 and am tired of messing with it. Today I went to my ob/gyn who specializes in bhrt. He took blood to get a reading on what all of my levels are and next Monday I'm going in for a bio-identical pellet implant. They send my blood results to a compounding pharmacy which in turns takes all of my hormones into account, then compounds them custom to my needs. I've done a ton of research and am so excited to finally be doing this. In the past I've tried several creams (over the counter), low dose birth control pills, different herbs and extracts, yoga, etc. etc. etc. For the last 6 months I've been on synthetic hormones prescribed by my regular doctor but I still have hot flashes, wake up soaked at 4:00 am, and pretty much want to kill anyone in my path. My weight gain is all around my middle which makes me look bad, and feel bloated. I asked my doctor if doing this would make me be a "hormone healthy 50 year old" and he said why pay for that - it will make you FEEL like a health 30 year old. I'll come back next week and give you guys my report.

Do come back. I look forward to seeing how you feel, and what the blood tests say!