Weight And Hormones

[Guest AshleeB]

I was just wondering...

well im quite overweight at the moment. Im over 250 lbs (not sure of the exact number) but i KNOW im 116 kg. so this is pretty big for a 17 year old girl...

now im not complaining coz im not sure why, but i like the size im at. im comfortable with it. but i kinda wonder if my size and weight will restrict me from beginning HRT.

I dont have that long before i start, maximum of 5 months apparently, which is plenty of time to lose weight if i have to... but i dont want to.

so my question is, will me being overweight on the scale that i am now stop me from beginning HRT untill i lose weight or will it all be ok and i can start regardless.

Its really bothered me because i dont wanna be skinny or anything but i REALLY dont wanna not be on hormones, so if i have to lose weight i will. I just dont want to unless I MUST XD

Lots of love

Ash =D

[Sally]

OK, Ash,

You can relax, weight is not a determining factor for HRT, if your health is good you will get the hormones.

I am tall but at 358 pounds when I started on HRT 5 months ago with perfect levels in all of the blood work - that is the part that matters.

Now I will tell you about the pluses and minuses for losing the weight before or after starting HRT.

The minus is it is harder to lose weight while on Estrogen so a lot of people suggest losing it first.

The plus for me was all of the fat already there that needed to be removed - as a male dieter with T the fatty tissue causing the so called man-boobs would have been the first to go but on Estrogen, that stays and the belly fat is the first to go - Yea!

So as I lose the weight my breasts seem larger much quicker and the reduction around the middle is faster.

I've lost about 30 pounds in those 20 weeks a lot at first but leveled off to about a pound a week - even through the holidays!

Good luck!

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest changeinatt]

Ashlee,

I'm with you, I"m in the same boat weightwise. I'm about 245 and 5'10. I'm working my butt off to lose the weight but my weight issues come more from having a lot of muscle....so I don't know how I'm going to get rid of all that.

All I can say is stick with a plan, and work towards your goal. I've lost about 70lbs in the last year.

[Guest sarah f]

It is hard for me to understand when someone overweight says they are ok with it. That is probably because I have always been within my weight range or under so I don't know how it feels for myself. I am 5'11" and 158 pounds right now. All I can say is if you are happy than that is all that matters. Until the doc says you have to lose weight do what make you happy.

Love,

Sarah F

[Guest OneOutOfnOne]

It is hard for me to understand when someone overweight says they are ok with it.

In a similar sort of way, I don't understand why so many people want to lose weight. I weigh 280 lbs. and I eat well, and am perfectly healthy. I'm a big girl, and wouldn't have it any other way - it just feels right, in some unexplainable fashion.

[Guest Anna_Banana]

The minus is it is harder to lose weight while on Estrogen so a lot of people suggest losing it first.

Wait, so does that mean it's easier to gain weight? Gosh, I hope so! I'm suffering from a severe form of Celiac's disease, and I only weigh 114 lbs. My doctors (yes, I've had many, many, many...) keep bouncing me back and forth between medications because they don't specifically make a "weight-gain" medication. Everyone is trying to lose weight. So if estrogen would help me gain a few pounds, I'd be ecstatic! And thank God that breast fat forms over stomach fat. I could use some up top!

.Anna

[Guest Nigh]

Wait, so does that mean it's easier to gain weight? Gosh, I hope so! I'm suffering from a severe form of Celiac's disease, and I only weigh 114 lbs. My doctors (yes, I've had many, many, many...) keep bouncing me back and forth between medications because they don't specifically make a "weight-gain" medication. Everyone is trying to lose weight. So if estrogen would help me gain a few pounds, I'd be ecstatic! And thank God that breast fat forms over stomach fat. I could use some up top!

.Anna

Yeah, it'll lower your metabolism, so it should cause weight gain. Granted you might lose whatever muscle mass you have now and that would make you lose more but...

Oh, and would it be rude to ask how tall you are? Probably would, wouldn't it?

[Guest Anna_Banana]

Yeah, it'll lower your metabolism, so it should cause weight gain. Granted you might lose whatever muscle mass you have now and that would make you lose more but...

Oh, and would it be rude to ask how tall you are? Probably would, wouldn't it?

No, it's not rude because I'm not as tall as some people. I'm about 5' 10"...maybe even 5' 9" but probably not 5' 11". As for muscle mass, I can't lose more than none! LOL, I'm all skin and bones unfortunately. I've been called morbid and grotesque more than a few times. Even when I say I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease 18 years too late people still make fun of me.

.Anna

[Guest anika]

I'm with Anna. I don't have Celiac disease or anything else that I know of, but I have always been underweight and for years have been trying to take in a lot of calories and such in order to gain a few pounds. Even though I am on HRT, I haven't been gaining weight easily, though I think I am now at my "idea" body weight if you just go by height. I still think I look too skinny.

[Guest i is Sam :-)]

You might want to try and get your BMI to under 30, since that takes you out of the obese category. Supposedly being in obese puts you at greater risk for blood clots which is something that is already put at greater risk when you start estrogen. But your doc will tell you if you're healthy or not. I'd ask him.

Anna, most anti depressants cause you to gain weight, has your doc tried you on any of those?

[Guest Nigh]

No, it's not rude because I'm not as tall as some people. I'm about 5' 10"...maybe even 5' 9" but probably not 5' 11". As for muscle mass, I can't lose more than none! LOL, I'm all skin and bones unfortunately. I've been called morbid and grotesque more than a few times. Even when I say I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease 18 years too late people still make fun of me.

.Anna

Oh okay.

I was just wondering because I'm about the same weight as you, just with a slight height difference (5'8'').

The HRT should cause some gain for you then; I've gained like 6 or so pounds in the last 5 months, and I've always had difficulty gaining weight. I don't have an autoimmune disease though, so

[Guest Anna_Banana]

You might want to try and get your BMI to under 30, since that takes you out of the obese category. Supposedly being in obese puts you at greater risk for blood clots which is something that is already put at greater risk when you start estrogen. But your doc will tell you if you're healthy or not. I'd ask him.

Anna, most anti depressants cause you to gain weight, has your doc tried you on any of those?

Yep, Paxil. We tried it for about 6 months and I gained maybe 10 lbs, but I'm currently stuck at 114.4 lbs. Just this past month I started with intense insomnia, irregular and difficult bowel movements, and depression, so he weened me off it which made those issues go away. He's not even sure if the Paxil had an effect or not because I also drink two Ensure shakes along with my high caloric diet.

.Anna