How much do hormones REALLY affect weight loss?
siobhanathomson
Posts: 8 Member
I have an underactive thyroid, and a recent blood test showed up with low progesterone levels. And ever since New Years, my weight loss has been atrociously bad. I've been blaming it on my hormones, but really, how much do they actually affect weight loss?
I have looked it up, but I myself can't find any concrete numbers (good or bad), so if anybody else has any other information, that would be very helpful.
I have looked it up, but I myself can't find any concrete numbers (good or bad), so if anybody else has any other information, that would be very helpful.
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Replies
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Hormones and medical conditions usually only affect the CO portion of the CICO formula. For someone with underactive thyroid, untreated, your calories out are lower than a person with a normally functioning thyroid of your same gender, height, weight, and age. You burn less to stay alive as a direct result of the lower thyroid hormone in your system. Progesterone levels shouldn't affect the CO portion of CICO. They may affect how you feel (make you sad and not motivated to move much), but they have no direct connection to how many calories you burn existing or moving.
CICO= Calories In/ Calories Out.
CI= how many calories you eat
CO= how many calories you burn just existing (running your organs, digesting, autonomic nervous system stuff) and getting up and moving about.0 -
And is that impact the equivalent of a pounds worth of weight per week, for example? Or a billionth of a pounds worth of weight? I understand it varies from person to person but generally speaking...
Any links would be appreciated. I've never actually seen it put so clearly like that (so thanks!) and I was beginning to think it was because it made you so tired you wanted to eat more, that's why you put on weight!0 -
siobhanathomson wrote: »And is that impact the equivalent of a pounds worth of weight per week, for example? Or a billionth of a pounds worth of weight? I understand it varies from person to person but generally speaking...
Any links would be appreciated. I've never actually seen it put so clearly like that (so thanks!) and I was beginning to think it was because it made you so tired you wanted to eat more, that's why you put on weight!
I don't think there's anything URL-wise I have on hand that can help you. What is usually recommended, if you think your CO is incorrect due to medical factors, is the tried and true process of elimination. If you are eating 1500 calories, and your logging is perfect so you know it can't be that, then you drop a hundred of those calories for 4-6 weeks, measure your weight loss, and see if that works. If 1400 ain't doing it, you drop to 1300. Etc and so on until the desired result is achieved.
The impact, I'm afraid, is going to be so individual to you, that you will not likely find numbers listed anywhere you can go on. The factors are too personal. How low is your thyroid hormone. How much have you been eating that hasn't resulted in weight loss, how long have you been doing so, etc. No number, especially put in terms of poundage per week loss, is going to apply to you individually, you're going to have to play with it.
That being said, most people on here with medical conditions don't find that they have to eat very much lower than, say, any random short woman does to lose weight. Perhaps you'd get some more specific information if you posited your question in the low-thyroid group. They can also offer support in ways those of us without medical conditions cannot.
https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/100934-hypothyroid-group0 -
I think I was doing better on 1200 calories/ day on MFP, but I was always hungry so I put my limit up to 1600 after Xmas. So thank you for the above info; I was genuinely beginning to think I might actually just be making excuses!0
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Why would you have progesterone assayed? It is a hormone produced by a specific and temporary structure in the ovary, the corpus luteum, for a few days after ovulation. At this specific time of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels should be high. After the corpus luteum regresses (if you are not pregnant), which is normal, progesterone should be negligible.
So - I wonder if you should double check which hormones were insufficient because very low progesterone is normal. Maybe you misunderstood something and getting your correct info will be helpful to you.0 -
Why would you have progesterone assayed? It is a hormone produced by a specific and temporary structure in the ovary, the corpus luteum, for a few days after ovulation. At this specific time of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels should be high. After the corpus luteum regresses (if you are not pregnant), which is normal, progesterone should be negligible.
So - I wonder if you should double check which hormones were insufficient because very low progesterone is normal. Maybe you misunderstood something and getting your correct info will be helpful to you.
According to my GP, my progesterone levels were not high enough on Day 22 of my cycle, which I believe falls into the "specific time" you speak of. He has actually turned the appointment I booked with him into a hospital visit, so he obviously thinks there's something wrong.
I have read in several places that low progesterone can cause hypothyroid symptoms, including slower metabolism, so that's why I mentioned it.0 -
It can be responsible for a downshift in BMR of 200-400 cals per day (at most) but you can offset a large part of that by how active you are.0
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siobhanathomson wrote: »Why would you have progesterone assayed? It is a hormone produced by a specific and temporary structure in the ovary, the corpus luteum, for a few days after ovulation. At this specific time of the menstrual cycle, progesterone levels should be high. After the corpus luteum regresses (if you are not pregnant), which is normal, progesterone should be negligible.
So - I wonder if you should double check which hormones were insufficient because very low progesterone is normal. Maybe you misunderstood something and getting your correct info will be helpful to you.
According to my GP, my progesterone levels were not high enough on Day 22 of my cycle, which I believe falls into the "specific time" you speak of. He has actually turned the appointment I booked with him into a hospital visit, so he obviously thinks there's something wrong.
I have read in several places that low progesterone can cause hypothyroid symptoms, including slower metabolism, so that's why I mentioned it.
that would depend on when you ovulated - it is good that you have been referred to specialists though because this is not an area a generalist should really comment on - unless they have a specific interest in gynae / reproduction tbh
too many people seem to believe that women ovulate 14 days before their period starts - or they put it slap bang in the middle of the cycle - that's an average hence their are people who ovulate before / after that specific point
As for the OP - are you on thyroid meds - an unmedicated thyroid condition can make it difficult to lose weight
and in general I think hormones affect water weight, which affects scale weight and can give you an emotional side-sweep if you're not understanding what you're seeing. They can also affect willpower and cravings.
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An untreated underactive thyroid can cause significant weight gain, but it will not be the only symptom. If you are hypothyroid you need to address this regardless of weight issues. In the meantime, keep trying to stick to a reasonable calorie goal, but be prepared that weight loss might be slow or even not happening at all, especially if you also lack the energy to be physically active.0
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Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.0
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Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.
Maybe in-lab measurements, reality is that long term, untreated hypo leads to reduced organ function and LBM loss hence an overall larger effect.0 -
Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.
I read that article too - think it said the same for PECOS too?
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Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.
According to my endocrinologist, changes in metabolism because of hypothyroidism are responsible for a few extra kilos. However, feeling constantly sleepy and with no energy to do pretty much anything will inevitably lead to weight gain.0 -
Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.
According to my endocrinologist, changes in metabolism because of hypothyroidism are responsible for a few extra kilos. However, feeling constantly sleepy and with no energy to do pretty much anything will inevitably lead to weight gain.
That's kind of what I mean. Additional water weight and a reduced BMR can only be blamed for a few kilo extra. The rest is to blame on ones own eating habit due to a generally reduced healthy and active life style and part on less activity. However, if you are already sedentary, which I suppose most people here are, then doing even less than that won't reduce activity too much more. If you come from very active to sedentary however, the effect can be very dramatic.0 -
Hell_Flower wrote: »Can't provide articles at the moment, but I read a while ago that an underactive thyroid should not be associated with more than a 4% reduction in BMR. If one continues to eat as before then this would be associated with a weight gain until equilibrium of CI and CO is reached again. Additional water weight also plays a role in the onset of an underactive thyroid, but generally the problem really seems to be lacking energy, feeling uncomfortable, being a bit more hungry, which all in the end might lead to weight gain.
I read that article too - think it said the same for PECOS too?
Whut? I talk about: a) articles published in respectable research mags, and admittedly less reputable research not published in English but handed out to patients by an endocrinologist, which proper referencing though.0 -
siobhanathomson wrote: »I have an underactive thyroid, and a recent blood test showed up with low progesterone levels. And ever since New Years, my weight loss has been atrociously bad. I've been blaming it on my hormones, but really, how much do they actually affect weight loss?
I have looked it up, but I myself can't find any concrete numbers (good or bad), so if anybody else has any other information, that would be very helpful.
Dr Eric Berg has a book called " The 7 Principals of Fat Loss" he gives 4 different eating & training suggestions for "Liver Body Type" "Thyroid Body Type" and two other body types. He speaks in simple language about hormones and how the body responds.0 -
siobhanathomson wrote: »I have an underactive thyroid, and a recent blood test showed up with low progesterone levels. And ever since New Years, my weight loss has been atrociously bad. I've been blaming it on my hormones, but really, how much do they actually affect weight loss?
I have looked it up, but I myself can't find any concrete numbers (good or bad), so if anybody else has any other information, that would be very helpful.
Dr Eric Berg has a book called " The 7 Principals of Fat Loss" he gives 4 different eating & training suggestions for "Liver Body Type" "Thyroid Body Type" and two other body types. He speaks in simple language about hormones and how the body responds.
Sounds like completely made up to sell books. Does he offer any sources on his claims?0 -
stevencloser wrote: »siobhanathomson wrote: »I have an underactive thyroid, and a recent blood test showed up with low progesterone levels. And ever since New Years, my weight loss has been atrociously bad. I've been blaming it on my hormones, but really, how much do they actually affect weight loss?
I have looked it up, but I myself can't find any concrete numbers (good or bad), so if anybody else has any other information, that would be very helpful.
Dr Eric Berg has a book called " The 7 Principals of Fat Loss" he gives 4 different eating & training suggestions for "Liver Body Type" "Thyroid Body Type" and two other body types. He speaks in simple language about hormones and how the body responds.
Sounds like completely made up to sell books. Does he offer any sources on his claims?
Yea he uses a lot of references. Of course any one could get the book from the library....only cost would be "time educating oneself"0 -
I can't say how progesterone affects weight loss, but taking the bioidentical progesterone Prometrium has had a number of positive effects on my ovaries and uterus. I sleep better with it as well.0
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