Is over-eating while on HRT normal?

[Fae]

I am really worried at the moment.  I've been on HRT for almost 5 months now, and I've always been a big eater, but never knew why.  For my age and height, I don't consider myself overweight but I'm feeling really nervous about over-eating. 

Today, in a 12-hour period I had a bowl of cereal and an apple for breakfast at 12pm, a bowl of goulash and an apple at 5pm, a cheeseburger and fries at 8pm, and I just gobbled down about 1/4th of a jar of pickles at 11:45pm.   

Does that sound like a lot??  I'm going to the doctors on Monday to ask him if this is normal, but this just seems like a lot of food for a 12-hour period.  I think I have high metabolism, but could it also be that my body needs more food as I go through puberty again? 

I'm also on anti-depressants, and someone told me that one of the side-effects is over-eating.  I know I'm not overweight but after I had that cheeseburger and fries I felt really fat...and disgusting.  Needless to say that isn't helping my self-esteem. 

~Fae

[Manyfaces]

Hormone issues aside, because I don't really know about that, what you've described really sounds to me like a very moderate amount of food to consume in a twelve hour period, unless you are eating huge portions.  I normally consume quite a bit more than that in a day.  I think the important thing is to make sure that what you are eating is healthy stuff (maybe try for something other than the burger and fries), and get adequate exercise.  And pickles are probably a pretty low-cal snack, although very salty and not super nutritious.

[seldom]

I am really worried at the moment.  I've been on HRT for almost 5 months now, and I've always been a big eater, but never knew why.  For my age and height, I don't consider myself overweight but I'm feeling really nervous about over-eating. 

Today, in a 12-hour period I had a bowl of cereal and an apple for breakfast at 12pm, a bowl of goulash and an apple at 5pm, a cheeseburger and fries at 8pm, and I just gobbled down about 1/4th of a jar of pickles at 11:45pm.   

Does that sound like a lot??  I'm going to the doctors on Monday to ask him if this is normal, but this just seems like a lot of food for a 12-hour period.  I think I have high metabolism, but could it also be that my body needs more food as I go through puberty again? 

I'm also on anti-depressants, and someone told me that one of the side-effects is over-eating.  I know I'm not overweight but after I had that cheeseburger and fries I felt really fat...and disgusting.  Needless to say that isn't helping my self-esteem. 

~Fae

Just don't eat the burger and fries.  I try to avoid food like that.  Its too unhealthy.

It really does not sound like you eat alot of food.  I eat more in a day (I also walk quite a bit). 

[Wendy]

I am really worried at the moment.  I've been on HRT for almost 5 months now, and I've always been a big eater, but never knew why.  For my age and height, I don't consider myself overweight but I'm feeling really nervous about over-eating. 

Fae my appetite did not decrease.  You need to maintain a healthy weight for your height and build.  Continue to eat a good balanced diet.

[Fae]

And pickles are probably a pretty low-cal snack, although very salty and not super nutritious.

I'm addicted to them, they're amazing...

I'm trying to add more fruit and veggies to my diet, but since I'm working at a mill this summer there's not much to do about the burger and fries - it's just quick food.  When I'm in school it's better because there's more healthy stuff there and I tend to stay fit because I walk around a lot (it's a sizable campus).

~Fae

[Kate]

Is over-eating while on HRT normal?

LOL, omg... are you kidding me? I keep calling myself a "shark," because I've turned into the Perfect Eating Machine. It's all I do... swim around my life and eat. I can't stop thinking about the fried rice waiting in the fridge right now. I know it's there. I've been watching the clock. Almost lunchtime... almost...

Before all this transition stuff, I certainly ate well.. but not like this. Not this insane *craving* and NEED I feel now.

You just HAD to mention food, didn't you? lol...

~Kate~

[Fae]

Is over-eating while on HRT normal?

LOL, omg... are you kidding me? I keep calling myself a "shark," because I've turned into the Perfect Eating Machine. It's all I do... swim around my life and eat. I can't stop thinking about the fried rice waiting in the fridge right now. I know it's there. I've been watching the clock. Almost lunchtime... almost...

Before all this transition stuff, I certainly ate well.. but not like this. Not this insane *craving* and NEED I feel now.

You just HAD to mention food, didn't you? lol...

~Kate~

*dies laughing*

I'm the same way Kate, it's like "food...food...food...food..."

The people at work jokingly ask if I'm pregnant because of my pickle cravings...

~Fae

[LostInTime]

When I first started HRT I lost 11 pounds. I had not realised that the other gals around me had all put on weight when I mentioned this. I was lucky to escape alive. LOL

[Keira]

In theory, estrogen doesn't increase appetite.
It is progesterone, and T, that increases appetite.

The reason some people eat more usually is linked to feeling better,
in many people, depression with low anxiety leads to not eating a lot. For those people, HRT will lead to an increase in appetite at the same time their metabolism is decreasing from loss of muscle mass mainly. The result will be an increase in weight.

Anxiety is the opposite, it tends to stimulate cortisol, which makes you eat more; so in those TS which were more anxious (my case, I had lots and lots of anxiety) than depressed, I'd expect them to lose weight if they follow their appetite.

If you add progesterone to the mix, then there's a good chance that your appetite will increase and then, unless you exercise in consequence, you will gain weight (that's part of the reason why pregnant women gain so much weight and their insane cravings).

[Kimberly]

If it means anything I do not believe my appetite has increased nor decreased. I do not, however, think how I relate to food is anywhere remotely normal so um, my results are very probably not the norm.

[Wendy]

My appetite is good but I have not increased my calories.  My weight gain was not needed.  I have stabilized by starting to exercise.

I have read a lot that P is good to lessen negative effects of E but I stopped taking P about 1 year ago.
Keira wrote, "If you add progesterone to the mix, then there's a good chance that your appetite will increase and then, unless you exercise in consequence, you will gain weight (that's part of the reason why pregnant women gain so much weight and their insane cravings)."   That is not good.

[Fae]

I'm only on estrogen and an anti-androgen, so the progesterone doesn't factor into my situation.

I do have to stop eating pickles for a while though...I think the acid from the pickles burned my tongue...it hurts *puts ice on it*

I will ask my doctor on Monday about starting a healthy food regime and stick to it.

~Fae

[Lori]

Ever heard of a "see food diet"? I see food and I eat it.

OMG, if it has cheese on it I gravitate towards it and eat like a marine with a 30 second lunch break.

Last time I went through this I gained 40 lbs, cried like a baby, and was depressed. This time I have lost some weight and I am happy as ever, and I believe it is because of the supplements I take.

A good multi-vitamin, Vitamin D, Calcium, Milk Thistle for my liver, Fish Oil capsule for depression, and Folic acid as well.

I'm not saying this will work for everyone but the reason cheese is so magnetic is because of the calcium in it, I THINK. There is no way I can prove this, but for me, taking calcium daily has curbed that craving allowing me to lose weight on HRT. I thought that was an impossiblity. I also try to ride my bike daily...I may miss a couple of days a week but I ride hard and about 10 miles at a time. I'm sure that helps with weight loss as well.

Fish Oil helps with Post Pardum Depression. With the flood of hormones I'm on I can only imagine what is going on inside. Folic acid is tied to helping depression as well so I take both Fish Oil and Folic Acid. So far, so good.

[BrandiOK]

   My endo warned me in advance about relearning eating habits on HRT.  Not so much because estrogen changes appetite but because your metabolism can slow and the potential loss of muscle mass makes it much harder to burn calories ingested. 

   I did very well until going on anti-depressants.  They say in the 'side effects' that the cases of weight gain were the same with the drug as the the placebo but I think there's a little fudging on that statistic.  While I don't feel like I'm eating anymore than I ever did I still gain weight.  To the point now that my endo is considering weaning me off the AD and trying something new. 

   As for over-eating I think that's probably due to emotional factors that are individual to each day.  I totally struggle with this problem each day.  I think my main problem is trying to overcome 'male' eating patterns.  Even though I know that I can't take in as many calories as I used to my brain doesn't want to admit it. 

   Viva la veggies!!! *sneaks up on broccoli floret..'WHACK'*  There's lunch..gotta go.

[Kate]

I also believe that food *tastes* better... or at least MORE... since I've been on estrogen.

(god, I hope a certain F2M I love doesn't read that, lol...)

But seriously, eating is like a sexual experience now... it's sensual, rich, and makes my whole body just melt.

I used to be anorexic-like through my mid-20s. I wouldn't eat much anything, and definately wouldn't try new things... ever. I've never had a hot dog, never ate a hamburger... but I ate yogurt for the first time ever this year, along with sausage and fish.

My wife held out a bite of calamari for me to try, starting the usual speech of, "just try it, you neve..." and by that point I was already eating it. I just don't CARE anymore, whatever my fear was is totally gone. I see food now as a whole new world of sensual delights to explore and appreciate.

It totally freaks out my wife, as she KNOWS what I was like.. and this was like throwing a switch, where one day I was terrified to try anything new, and now I WANT to try anything new for fear that I'm missing out on something.

~Kate~

[Krisstina]

I also believe that food *tastes* better... or at least MORE... since I've been on estrogen.


But seriously, eating is like a sexual experience now... it's sensual, rich, and makes my whole body just melt.




~Kate~

ditto