Should I gain weight?

[skylar123]

so I've been really skinny my whole life (i'm 18). after 7 months of hormones i thought i would gain some weight but i actually lost some despite me eating twice as much (could that be because i lost muscle mass? idk). i weigh 130lbs at the moment and it's hard for me to gain weight. my body hasn't developed much at all except breast growth. i just started taking progesterone a week ago.

is it too early to start putting on weight? should i wait until i'm a year on hormones (or longer)?
should i even worry about this? 
 

[stephaniec]

I'd talk to your doctor

[Dani]

Thin is always in style. Be thankful for that. When I was 18, I weighed 168 pounds and 6 feet tall. Two years ago, I weighed 340 pounds. Today I weigh 230 pounds. It is much harder to take it off than put it on. We all gain weight as we age. There is no need to put on weight just for the sake if weight only.

[April_TO]

It is always helpful to gain a bit of weight as this well help your HRT regimen to re-distribute the fat. Gaining weight can have feminizing effect especially when you start with a skinny body i.e. rounder butt, breast dev, rounder cheeks. Overall, strive to be healthy and choose something with good fats i.e. nuts and avocados etch as part of your daily routine.

I hope this helps xo

so I've been really skinny my whole life (i'm 18). after 7 months of hormones i thought i would gain some weight but i actually lost some despite me eating twice as much (could that be because i lost muscle mass? idk). i weigh 130lbs at the moment and it's hard for me to gain weight. my body hasn't developed much at all except breast growth. i just started taking progesterone a week ago.

is it too early to start putting on weight? should i wait until i'm a year on hormones (or longer)?
should i even worry about this? 

[Devlyn]

so I've been really skinny my whole life (i'm 18). after 7 months of hormones i thought i would gain some weight but i actually lost some despite me eating twice as much (could that be because i lost muscle mass? idk). i weigh 130lbs at the moment and it's hard for me to gain weight. my body hasn't developed much at all except breast growth. i just started taking progesterone a week ago.

is it too early to start putting on weight? should i wait until i'm a year on hormones (or longer)?
should i even worry about this? 

No. 

Hugs, Devlyn

[KayXo]

Progesterone (I hope you are taking bio-identical) may help with putting on some weight. I don't think we necessarily put on more weight as we age, it has all to do with hormones (insulin, cortisol, estradiol, testosterone) and WHAT we eat. Healthy fats also include animal saturated fats which studies (meta-analysis) have quite conclusively shown NOT to be associated with increased health risks contrary to popular view. More fat=fat loss. Carbs=weight gain. But too many carbs can be harmful to your health short-term and long-term. Avoid refined carbs, empty calories as much as possible but on occasion, let go and enjoy!

If you are on Spiro, you may be losing extra water (salt) as well which doesn't help.

[skylar123]

Progesterone (I hope you are taking bio-identical) may help with putting on some weight. I don't think we necessarily put on more weight as we age, it has all to do with hormones (insulin, cortisol, estradiol, testosterone) and WHAT we eat. Healthy fats also include animal saturated fats which studies (meta-analysis) have quite conclusively shown NOT to be associated with increased health risks contrary to popular view. More fat=fat loss. Carbs=weight gain. But too many carbs can be harmful to your health short-term and long-term. Avoid refined carbs, empty calories as much as possible but on occasion, let go and enjoy!

If you are on Spiro, you may be losing extra water (salt) as well which doesn't help.

what's bio identical progesterone? and yes i'm on spiro

[Wednesday]

I think waiting for the 1 year mark (or at least for the 8 month mark) is a nice idea. Fat cells take about 8 months to die and then be created in a new place.

HRT itself is likely going to make you gain a bit of weight even if you don't try to. Also it melts muscle, so even if you keep the same weight, you're gonna have more fat in your body.

Keep in mind that just 1/3 of women have an hourglass shape, so your chances on this are 1 out of 3. You can end up storing the fat all over the place or even mainly in your belly. So gaining weight slowly is wise.

Also losing weight can be pretty hard once you're on HRT, so there's another reason to be cautious about it.

As April_TO said, if you do it, do it by eating healthy food. And if possible, try to do some physicial activity.

[KayXo]

what's bio identical progesterone? and yes i'm on spiro

Bio-identical progesterone is a sex hormone produced in very small amounts in man and in much higher amounts in women, especially during pregnancy. It may help with additional breast development, promote the development of structures in breast tissue not stimulated by estrogen alone. It can also enhance sleep, reduce anxiety, have an anti-depressant effect. It increases fat deposition and can increase or decrease water retention, depending on the person. It sometimes counters dryness and brittle nails. It is fairly safe. Some report positive, others negative effects from it. The only way to find out is to try it. In some, its anti-estrogenic effects are detrimental, it can also cause headaches, too much water retention, too much weight gain (especially belly) and can even cause insomnia. It can also make you constipated and increase cellulite. Your mileage may vary.

[KayXo]

Fat cells take about 8 months to die and then be created in a new place.

I read several times that fat cells after adolescence NEVER die (stay put) but may increase or decrease in size only. Whether that statement is reliable or not, I have not had the chance to verify.

Also losing weight can be pretty hard once you're on HRT, so there's another reason to be cautious about it.

It appears estradiol prevents fat from depositing in the waist area and promotes fat deposition in the glutofemoral region, face and breasts. So, adequate levels of E may increase the likelihood of having that desirable silhouette while too much progesterone may counter this since it is somewhat anti-estrogenic and has a reputation of causing increased belly fat.

And if possible, try to do some physicial activity.

I don't think physical activity does anything to promote weight loss. Instead, eating the right foods to keep insulin low, and taking adequate doses of E appear to play a much more important role.

[skylar123]

Then i guess i should wait until a year of HRT until i make any decisions

[Dani]

Skylar,

Just eat healthy, lots of vegetables, some fresh fruit and a little lean meat or other protein source.
I now eat 50% vegetables, 25% fresh fruit and the rest is a little bit of lean meat, breads or grains and a little dairy.
You will be just fine.

Those of us who are over weight need exercise to help lose the excess fat. Under weight people need to build muscle mass, not excess fat. This means a double portion of the lean meats and strength training. When you hit the weight room, do not forget the stretching exercises. In my younger days, trying to be macho, I lifted weights. Stretching helped keep my range of motion as it should be. Other weight lifters who did not stretch soon became muscle bound, that is they could lift much more than me, but were much less athletic because their range of motion was very limited.

[Devlyn]

Fat cells take about 8 months to die and then be created in a new place.

I read several times that fat cells after adolescence NEVER die (stay put) but may increase or decrease in size only. Whether that statement is reliable or not, I have not had the chance to verify.

Also losing weight can be pretty hard once you're on HRT, so there's another reason to be cautious about it.

It appears estradiol prevents fat from depositing in the waist area and promotes fat deposition in the glutofemoral region, face and breasts. So, adequate levels of E may increase the likelihood of having that desirable silhouette while too much progesterone may counter this since it is somewhat anti-estrogenic and has a reputation of causing increased belly fat.

And if possible, try to do some physicial activity.

I don't think physical activity does anything to promote weight loss. Instead, eating the right foods to keep insulin low, and taking adequate doses of E appear to play a much more important role.

Wait, what? 

[KayXo]

Read Gary Taubes and others like Peter Attia, Jeff Volek, Roberts Atkins, Stephen Phinney, Zoe Harcombe. You will be surprised. We've been told things that are not even substantiated by research.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17904936

"In contrast, advice-only and exercise-alone groups experienced minimal weight loss at any time point."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20071648

"A meta-analysis of prospective epidemiologic studies showed that there is no significant evidence for concluding that dietary saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of CHD or CVD. More data are needed to elucidate whether CVD risks are likely to be influenced by the specific nutrients used to replace saturated fat."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23674795

"Over the years, data revealed that dietary saturated fatty acids (SFAs) are not associated with CAD and other adverse health effects or at worst are weakly associated in some analyses when other contributing factors may be overlooked. Several recent analyses indicate that SFAs, particularly in dairy products and coconut oil, can improve health."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22208554

"Results and conclusions about saturated fat intake in relation to cardiovascular disease, from leading advisory committees, do not reflect the available scientific literature."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22810464

"The observational evidence does not support the hypothesis that dairy fat or high-fat dairy foods contribute to obesity or cardiometabolic risk, and suggests that high-fat dairy consumption within typical dietary patterns is inversely associated with obesity risk."

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9635993

"The harmful effect of dietary SFA and the protective effect of dietary PUFA on atherosclerosis and CVD are questioned."

[Lady_Oracle]

I was between 115-120 prehrt and I made it a goal to gain weight as soon as I started hrt and it worked beautifully, four years later I cant complain. My body looks the way I've always wanted it to For us hyper metobobism girls, its not gonna hurt if you start now since we take forever to gain a lb.

I gained about 20lbs in about 2 years and my fat redistributed amazingly well. At 1.5-2 years is when I started noticing a big difference in my thighs, hips, stomach, shoulders, etc..Then like in my third year I plateaued at 145lbs and now recently dropped about 10lbs so I'm hovering at 135. I've never looked better

I'm pretty sure its thanks to the P that I was able to actually gain weight after so many years of being a stick lol. I finally have curves. So yeah I'm sure the progesterone will help. I focused on eating lots of protein and carbs, small portions throughout the day about 4 meals, with snacks in between to meet my ridiculously fast metabolism

[Lucie]

Read Gary Taubes and others like Peter Attia, Jeff Volek, Roberts Atkins, Stephen Phinney, Zoe Harcombe. You will be surprised. We've been told things that are not even substantiated by research.

See also Nora Gedgaudas.

[Barb99]

I started HRT 9 months ago and went on a low carb diet and stopped all sugary drinks at the same time to get rid of my big belly. I'm 5'7" and weighed 146 at that time (I'm also 60 years old). After 4 months I had lost the belly and was down to 130-132. After 8 months I was down to 127-128 with out really trying. I then went back to a normal healthy diet and have been trying to maintain or gain since then but I keep losing! This morning I was at 124. I would like to start putting on some fat.
I'm on spiro and estrogen.

[Lucie]

I started HRT 9 months ago and went on a low carb diet and stopped all sugary drinks at the same time to get rid of my big belly. I'm 5'7" and weighed 146 at that time (I'm also 60 years old). After 4 months I had lost the belly and was down to 130-132. After 8 months I was down to 127-128 with out really trying. I then went back to a normal healthy diet and have been trying to maintain or gain since then but I keep losing! This morning I was at 124. I would like to start putting on some fat.
I'm on spiro and estrogen.

You have lost fat. You have to exercise and gain muscle in order to maintain or increase your weight.

[barbie]

so I've been really skinny my whole life (i'm 18). after 7 months of hormones i thought i would gain some weight but i actually lost some despite me eating twice as much (could that be because i lost muscle mass? idk). i weigh 130lbs at the moment and it's hard for me to gain weight. my body hasn't developed much at all except breast growth. i just started taking progesterone a week ago.

is it too early to start putting on weight? should i wait until i'm a year on hormones (or longer)?
should i even worry about this? 

Many factors determine the healthy range of the body weight, and age is one of them.

My weight was about 54 kg (119 lbs) when I was in my early 20s (my height is 184 cm, 6 feet). It is categorized as 'underweight' by BMI. Like me, my two sons at the late 10s also weigh less than 120 lbs, although they are a little bit taller than me. Their waist size is less than 26 inch. Although categorized as underweight, they are very healthy.

As I got old, my weight once increased up to 72 kg (159 lbs) after I married, but I decreased it again to 65 kg (143 lbs) by regular running at my late 30s. I have kept this weight during the past 15 years.

Before marriage, I usually skipped most of meals. But after marriage, my wife always tried to serve me a nice meal everyday. I was well fed, and my body weight increased so much, and I could no longer wear wear the jeans I purchased at my 20s. Now I again can wear the jeans and jackets that I wear at my 20s.

I guess you will get a substantial weight after your marriage. Do not worry about your current 'underweight'.

barbie~~