Menopause and weight loss

Just curious!!! Doe's going through Menopause make it harder to lose weight??

Yep. The loss of progesterone which is released mostly during a woman's ovulatory phase, goes when ovulation goes (it usually well precedes menopause). Progesterone makes the body's cells more sensitive to thyroid hormone so it is our friend in terms of avoiding fat gain and losing excess fat. Estrogen, on the other hand, continues on longer and is even released by our fat cells if the ovaries are removed, Estrogen is a "fat hoarder" (thus the rounded shape of women) and it makes a woman's body less sensitive to thyroid hormone. Not a happy circumstance---but there it is. :grumble:

p.s. There are bio-identical progesterone creams that are available over-the-counter that many women have found to be helpful during the "menopause years" (45 to 55).

I'm 60 & had a late menopause. Since then (in the last year) I've lost 60-odd of the surplus pounds that have been accumulating for decades.This is the first time I've stuck to a diet / healthy eating regime - ever! (For long enough to make it work, anyhow).To me, it's all in your head - MFP is the best tool ever for weight loss and helps, but if your head & heart aren't in it, it's not going to work whatever age you are. If your head and your heart are going for it, it doesn't matter what your age is, you will lose weight.

There are no studies looking at bioidentical vs. traditional hormone therapy. The jury is still out on whether it's better and/or safer for you.

This is from Harvard:

Many women assume that “natural” hormones would be better or safer — but the term “natural” is open to interpretation.

Any product whose principal ingredient has an animal, plant, or mineral source is technically natural. It doesn’t matter whether the substance is ground, put into capsules, and sold over the counter — or extracted in a laboratory, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, and made available only by prescription. For example, the soy plant is the source of supplements that some women take to ease menopausal symptoms; it’s also used, along with yams, to make the estrogen in the FDA-approved hormone drug Estrace.

But unlike Estrace, soy supplements aren’t regulated and haven’t been rigorously tested in humans, so we don’t know whether they’re safe or effective. There’s some evidence that certain soy components may actually stimulate breast tumor growth. So “natural” doesn’t necessarily equal “safe” — and may simply be a euphemism for "unregulated."

The interest in a more natural approach to hormone therapy has focused attention on bioidentical hormones — hormones that are identical in molecular structure to the hormones women make in their bodies. They’re not found in this form in nature but are made, or synthesized, from a plant chemical extracted from yams and soy. Bioidentical estrogens are 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and estriol. (Estradiol is the form of estrogen that decreases at menopause.) Bioidentical progesterone is simply progesterone. It’s micronized (finely ground) in the laboratory for better absorption in the body.

Bioidentical hormone therapy is often called “natural hormone therapy” because bioidentical hormones act in the body just like the hormones we produce. But here again, that tricky word natural muddies the waters. Pregnant mares’ urine is natural, but Premarin is not bioidentical, at least not to human estrogen. The same goes for Cenestin, which is made from plants but is not bioidentical.

Technically, the body can’t distinguish bioidentical hormones from the ones your ovaries produce. On a blood test, your total estradiol reflects the bioidentical estradiol you’ve taken as well as the estradiol your body makes. On the other hand, Premarin is metabolized into various forms of estrogen that aren’t measured by standard laboratory tests. Proponents of bioidentical hormones say that one advantage of bioidentical estrogen over Premarin is that estrogen levels can be monitored more precisely and treatment individualized accordingly. Skeptics counter that it hardly matters, because no one knows exactly what hormone levels to aim for, and symptoms, not levels, should be treated and monitored.

Bioidentical estradiol in pill form is converted in the liver to estrone, a weaker bioidentical estrogen. But given in a patch, it enters the bloodstream as bioidentical estradiol. Creams, gels, and lotions applied to the legs or arms can also deliver bioidentical estradiol directly to the bloodstream, although it’s uncertain how much is absorbed.

Are bioidenticals safer? No one knows. Studies have shown they can help relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness, but as yet, few large studies have investigated the differences among the various hormones and methods of administration. More research is needed to further understand these differences and compare the risks and benefits.

Women taking bioidentical estrogen who have a uterus must still take an FDA-approved progestin or micronized progesterone to prevent endometrial cancer. So-called natural, plant-derived progesterone creams sold over the counter contain too little of the hormone to be effective. And yam extract creams don’t help because your body cannot convert them into progesterone.

There are no studies looking at bioidentical vs. traditional hormone therapy. The jury is still out on whether it's better and/or safer for you.

This is from Harvard:

Many women assume that “natural” hormones would be better or safer — but the term “natural” is open to interpretation.

Any product whose principal ingredient has an animal, plant, or mineral source is technically natural. It doesn’t matter whether the substance is ground, put into capsules, and sold over the counter — or extracted in a laboratory, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, and made available only by prescription. For example, the soy plant is the source of supplements that some women take to ease menopausal symptoms; it’s also used, along with yams, to make the estrogen in the FDA-approved hormone drug Estrace.

But unlike Estrace, soy supplements aren’t regulated and haven’t been rigorously tested in humans, so we don’t know whether they’re safe or effective. There’s some evidence that certain soy components may actually stimulate breast tumor growth. So “natural” doesn’t necessarily equal “safe” — and may simply be a euphemism for "unregulated."

The interest in a more natural approach to hormone therapy has focused attention on bioidentical hormones — hormones that are identical in molecular structure to the hormones women make in their bodies. They’re not found in this form in nature but are made, or synthesized, from a plant chemical extracted from yams and soy. Bioidentical estrogens are 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and estriol. (Estradiol is the form of estrogen that decreases at menopause.) Bioidentical progesterone is simply progesterone. It’s micronized (finely ground) in the laboratory for better absorption in the body.

Bioidentical hormone therapy is often called “natural hormone therapy” because bioidentical hormones act in the body just like the hormones we produce. But here again, that tricky word natural muddies the waters. Pregnant mares’ urine is natural, but Premarin is not bioidentical, at least not to human estrogen. The same goes for Cenestin, which is made from plants but is not bioidentical.

Technically, the body can’t distinguish bioidentical hormones from the ones your ovaries produce. On a blood test, your total estradiol reflects the bioidentical estradiol you’ve taken as well as the estradiol your body makes. On the other hand, Premarin is metabolized into various forms of estrogen that aren’t measured by standard laboratory tests. Proponents of bioidentical hormones say that one advantage of bioidentical estrogen over Premarin is that estrogen levels can be monitored more precisely and treatment individualized accordingly. Skeptics counter that it hardly matters, because no one knows exactly what hormone levels to aim for, and symptoms, not levels, should be treated and monitored.

Bioidentical estradiol in pill form is converted in the liver to estrone, a weaker bioidentical estrogen. But given in a patch, it enters the bloodstream as bioidentical estradiol. Creams, gels, and lotions applied to the legs or arms can also deliver bioidentical estradiol directly to the bloodstream, although it’s uncertain how much is absorbed.

Are bioidenticals safer? No one knows. Studies have shown they can help relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness, but as yet, few large studies have investigated the differences among the various hormones and methods of administration. More research is needed to further understand these differences and compare the risks and benefits.

Women taking bioidentical estrogen who have a uterus must still take an FDA-approved progestin or micronized progesterone to prevent endometrial cancer. So-called natural, plant-derived progesterone creams sold over the counter contain too little of the hormone to be effective. And yam extract creams don’t help because your body cannot convert them into progesterone.

I would disagree with the statement that bio-identical hormone creams that are sold over the counter are ineffective. I've tested them on myself (and there are better and worse ones). I use Kokoro but there are others that are equally effective like Emerita. They need to be administered vaginally (and inside the labia) though, rather than on other skin areas. They do an excellent job of countering vaginal dryness and they have a lot of other pleasant characteristics as well. I do not take any estrogen products. Natural progesterone actually has a protective effect against breast cancer and endometrial cancer. Just a little progesterone cream is all you need to keep the hot flashes and dryness away. The yam creams are ineffective. Google Dr. John Lee---he was a pioneer of using natural progesterone cream for women.

Even if you OD on natural progesterone cream, the only effect you would have is a little giddiness. Progesterone is a mood lifter (just like estrogen can be a mood-downer). I personally feel that the epidemic of depression is the result of having inadequate levels of magnesium and progesterone because of inadequate diet (magnesium) and the effect of xenoestrogens in our environment. Xenoestrogens are environmental chemical pollutants that act like estrogen in the human body. It is the most likely cause of declining sperm rates in men.

There are no studies looking at bioidentical vs. traditional hormone therapy. The jury is still out on whether it's better and/or safer for you.

This is from Harvard:

Many women assume that “natural” hormones would be better or safer — but the term “natural” is open to interpretation.

Any product whose principal ingredient has an animal, plant, or mineral source is technically natural. It doesn’t matter whether the substance is ground, put into capsules, and sold over the counter — or extracted in a laboratory, manufactured by a pharmaceutical company, and made available only by prescription. For example, the soy plant is the source of supplements that some women take to ease menopausal symptoms; it’s also used, along with yams, to make the estrogen in the FDA-approved hormone drug Estrace.

But unlike Estrace, soy supplements aren’t regulated and haven’t been rigorously tested in humans, so we don’t know whether they’re safe or effective. There’s some evidence that certain soy components may actually stimulate breast tumor growth. So “natural” doesn’t necessarily equal “safe” — and may simply be a euphemism for "unregulated."

The interest in a more natural approach to hormone therapy has focused attention on bioidentical hormones — hormones that are identical in molecular structure to the hormones women make in their bodies. They’re not found in this form in nature but are made, or synthesized, from a plant chemical extracted from yams and soy. Bioidentical estrogens are 17 beta-estradiol, estrone, and estriol. (Estradiol is the form of estrogen that decreases at menopause.) Bioidentical progesterone is simply progesterone. It’s micronized (finely ground) in the laboratory for better absorption in the body.

Bioidentical hormone therapy is often called “natural hormone therapy” because bioidentical hormones act in the body just like the hormones we produce. But here again, that tricky word natural muddies the waters. Pregnant mares’ urine is natural, but Premarin is not bioidentical, at least not to human estrogen. The same goes for Cenestin, which is made from plants but is not bioidentical.

Technically, the body can’t distinguish bioidentical hormones from the ones your ovaries produce. On a blood test, your total estradiol reflects the bioidentical estradiol you’ve taken as well as the estradiol your body makes. On the other hand, Premarin is metabolized into various forms of estrogen that aren’t measured by standard laboratory tests. Proponents of bioidentical hormones say that one advantage of bioidentical estrogen over Premarin is that estrogen levels can be monitored more precisely and treatment individualized accordingly. Skeptics counter that it hardly matters, because no one knows exactly what hormone levels to aim for, and symptoms, not levels, should be treated and monitored.

Bioidentical estradiol in pill form is converted in the liver to estrone, a weaker bioidentical estrogen. But given in a patch, it enters the bloodstream as bioidentical estradiol. Creams, gels, and lotions applied to the legs or arms can also deliver bioidentical estradiol directly to the bloodstream, although it’s uncertain how much is absorbed.

Are bioidenticals safer? No one knows. Studies have shown they can help relieve hot flashes and vaginal dryness, but as yet, few large studies have investigated the differences among the various hormones and methods of administration. More research is needed to further understand these differences and compare the risks and benefits.

Women taking bioidentical estrogen who have a uterus must still take an FDA-approved progestin or micronized progesterone to prevent endometrial cancer. So-called natural, plant-derived progesterone creams sold over the counter contain too little of the hormone to be effective. And yam extract creams don’t help because your body cannot convert them into progesterone.

I don't want to start an S---storm so I won't comment except to say that Harvard Med is in thrall to Big Pharma.

I had a complete hysterectomy five years ago and chose not to take any hormones. Instead of starting hormone therapy right away, I told my doc I wanted to see how I did without them. I didn't feel much different than before the hysterectomy, so I decided not to add something to my body that may or may not be harmful.

If I were you, I'd read up on all the various hormones available, chat with others who have made the choice to take them or not, then discuss the pros and cons with your doctor.

A good place to get user info about hormones is: http://www.hystersisters.com/

I've been through (early) menopuase. I gained a few pounds, and a spare tire around my middle! :bigsmile:
Menopause does make it harder to lose weight. It isn't impossible though, just harder! I just had to up my excersising and watch my calorie intake. I love MFP for that.
I do not take any harmones. My doctor agrees with not taking them.
I have accepted that the older I get, the less I should eat, and the more I need to excersise!

Same. It is much harder to lose the weight, so I'm paying more attention to getting fit. Focusing on the measuring tape more than the scale. Tried hormone therapy early on and my period returned. Noooo way! I was done with that, so I quit taking it and it's all been good.

bump

Yes. It's definitely harder. I've never been overweight (officially) but did lose 20-25LBS once in my 30s. I was able to easily maintain my new lower weight for about 12 years. The last two I've had to watch what I eat MUCH MORE CAREFULLY, and up my exercise, and the scale has still crept up a few ticks.

It's harder, definitely. But it can be done. And I believe the more balanced your hormones, the better you feel, and the more likely you can do it.