Weight and HRT

[kelly]

Hi my name is Kelly, I'm 34 and just starting to take the first steps in my journey towards becoming  a women. I am currently seeking a therapist and then hope to be able to start HRT. The only concern I have about starting HRT is that I am 5"11 and weight over 300lbs! I know that once I am on hormones losing weight is going t be a lot harder. So what do you think should I focus on losing weight now before starting hormones ? If so how much? Or is it ok to start now?


Thanks
Kelly

[annajasmine]

Hi Kelley,

I'm 34 today too well just turned 34 and I'm 5'8. I went on a diet about 2 week after the start of hrt September 8, 2007. I started at 292 pounds and now I'm at 177 pounds. I felt hrt made it easier for me to lose the weight. HRT does slow metabolisms down but I think it takes a while for this to happen. I was looking at 150 pounds for my leveling off my diet but now I think that might need be to lower by a few pounds. You might want consider going on a diet soon as possible because there is probably going to be some time between your therapy and hrt. Also the doctor prescribing the hrt is going to make sure you are healthy enough to get on the medications.


Good luck on your weight loss,
Anna

[kelly]

Hey Anna,

Thank you so much for your reply! Congratulations on your weight loss success. Yeah, I definitely am starting a diet. If you don't mind me asking what was your waist size then and now?

Thanks again
Kelly

[annajasmine]

In sizes clothes I got up to 48 in pants, 3x 18 or 20 in mens shirts, and a tight 22 in women sizes. I started wearing clothes that had elastic or draw string so think my waist was over 50 at one time. I'll put up a couple pictures. Now I can wear 33 or 34 pants, large in shirts, and a tight 10 in womens.

This is me at 285 I gain more after that photo.  Actually this photo doesn't show the weight but family has photos that do.


Me now. Wish I had better photos.


I still have a lot weight from my knee to my waist way more fat than I had go up the scale at 177.

I hope this helps,
Anna

Added this photo it shows where still need to lose weight.

[Mari]

hi there.... 
I wouldn't like to put you down but... you (just like me) are significantly
overweight and from what i have heared weight should be reduced to normal
before starting HRT; not only for the aesthetical purposes, but because it is
a significant risk-factor for HRT....
- - - - - - - -
and annajasmine wonderfull changes from both HRT and waight loss
your cheeks and smile are just gorgeous

[gothique11]

It is important to realize that HRT some people experience weight gain, so I would follow the suggestions to try to lose some before HRT. You'll also find while on HRT it's a lot harder to lose the fat as quickly. I found that I was losing muscle mass like crazy, but I'd still have area's, like my gut, where the fat wasn't going away as fast and it was a lot of work to zonk it out.

I was about 200lb before HRT. I walked a lot and ate good stuff and ended up around 180 when I started HRT. I continued to walk and try to eat well (yeah, I cheat sometimes) After 2 years of HRT and my recent surgery, I'm now 140lb. I just walk everywhere, and it seems to be the easiest way to do things. I walk to work, I walk to the store, I do what I can.

Eating right is a good habit to get into right now, as well as eating smaller portions. 'Cause once you've got estrogen in your system it will affect your metabolism.

--natalie

[annajasmine]

My latest post was deleted with a server problem. So I wanted to make sure I get this reply out again.

hi there.... 
I wouldn't like to put you down but... you (just like me) are significantly
overweight and from what i have heared weight should be reduced to normal
before starting HRT; not only for the aesthetical purposes, but because it is
a significant risk-factor for HRT....
- - - - - - - -
and annajasmine wonderfull changes from both HRT and waight loss
your cheeks and smile are just gorgeous

Thank you for complements and don't think hrt has affected my face much when look at my old skinny photos.

From caleybug 7/9/2008 1:56 AM
The text of the reply is shown below:

For some strange reason, I lost 30 pounds in 4 months when I started HRT. I don't know if it was all muscle ( i am sure a lot of it was). I do highly agree with Mari. It is best to get close to a normal BMI before starting hormones (this is especially true if you are a smoker)

If you do decide to start HRT, than I would suggest asking your doctor about ways to boost your metabolism. I personally take a super b-complex vitamin, and a few other things to keep my metabolism high. As I said though, be sure to ask your doctor about it, as what works for me might not work, or could be harmful on you.

I have been taking a b-complex vitamin and separate folic acid and B12 also.

by funnygrl on 7/9/2008 4:14 AM

Hi ya Kelly, I am in the same situation!!! But, I am 38 y/o and at 285 lbs right now I just got my HRT letter from my therapist and have an appointment on July 14th. I have lost a lot of weight over the past 2 years, mostly cus' of my diabetes, I used to weight...(christ ) 525 lbs.

I have had the same worries  about HRT, and I can't thank you all enough for the info!!! 

Anna I wanted to thank you too because we have the same body type and you're before and after photo's have really given me HOPE and much needed MOTIVATION!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR SHARING THOSE PHOTOS!!! 

Congratulation on your weight loss that's 240 pounds. I'm glad the picture were a motivation for you but make sure you do what your doctor says. Anyways I taking the photo down I'm uncomfortable with my appearance now.

It is important to realize that HRT some people experience weight gain, so I would follow the suggestions to try to lose some before HRT. You'll also find while on HRT it's a lot harder to lose the fat as quickly. I found that I was losing muscle mass like crazy, but I'd still have area's, like my gut, where the fat wasn't going away as fast and it was a lot of work to zonk it out.

I was about 200lb before HRT. I walked a lot and ate good stuff and ended up around 180 when I started HRT. I continued to walk and try to eat well (yeah, I cheat sometimes) After 2 years of HRT and my recent surgery, I'm now 140lb. I just walk everywhere, and it seems to be the easiest way to do things. I walk to work, I walk to the store, I do what I can.

Eating right is a good habit to get into right now, as well as eating smaller portions. 'Cause once you've got estrogen in your system it will affect your metabolism.

--natalie

Have to agree with Mari, caleybug, and natalie it is best try lose the weight before hrt because hrt has a lot of same risks as with being overweight and most people do gain weight on hrt. I'm saying It is possible to lose weight while on hrt and it help me emotionally which me to lose the weight.

Anna

[almost,angie]

 I have been on HRT for nine months now. I eat a third of what I used to, workout and walk more and went from 170 to 185.  I can`t seem to loose it.  I eat a healthy( low carb) vegan diet as well. Befor HRT I lost 35 lbs in 3 months just eating rite.

[MCMCyn]

When I had my SRS, I lost 10-11 lbs in that first month. Since then, I gained 27 lbs (so I'm +17 lbs), and i've improved my diet incredibly but still can't shake the new found weight.

[MeghanAndrews]

Hi Kelly,
I'll share my experience with you. I'm 39 and 5'5". When I was pretty sure I was going to transition, I gave myself a series of little "tests" to really see how "serious" I was about transition. I look back now and I think was I was trying to do was basically say to myself "transition is a long, arduous process" and give myself a few "smaller" tasks to see how I handled it.

In October of 2006 I weighed 186 pounds, the most I ever weighed in my life. A few years of basically eating whatever I wanted (cheeseburgers, lots and lots of candy, 3 vanilla cokes a day, etc., etc.) had packed on the pounds.

I set my goal at getting down to the 140's. I set the strictest diet for myself, one that didn't allow any sugar and was extremely calorie deficient. I am not advising you do the same diet, there are health risks involved in doing that for an extended period of time. I followed this strict diet, taking in less than 1200 calories a day, for 6 months. I noticed within a month that I had lost close to 10 pounds, just off of the lack of sugar. I threw in exercise, 45 min. - an hour a day of cardio only and noticed more weight coming off. Pretty soon I saw 169, 159, and finally in the 5th month 149...the sacred 140's!! Right where I wanted to be!

Right? Well, kind of. I got my body weight down, but something more important had happened in the process. I had achieved something extremely difficult to achieve. The actual losing 40 pounds might not sound to difficult but focusing on a diet devoid of the types of foods and especially quantities you are using to eating is torturous at times.

It boils down to this, I think anyone who has lost significant amount of weight and kept it off will tell you the same thing...IT ISN'T DIETING THAT KEEPS WEIGHT OFF, IT IS LIFESTYLE CHANGES. I am a different person now. Sure, I could go back to eating how I did, I could watch my weight balloon out of proportion, etc. but I would be miserable.

I'm on HRT for ten months now, I lost the weight I needed to before I started HRT so it was just one thing less to worry about. I know many people who started HRT AND were able to lose weight afterward. I think it just depends on how your body responds to the HRT and how diligently you apply a lifestyle change.

I'm 135 today, but I just got out of the hospital so I'm expecting that to go up a little. I'll try to stay just below 140 in the long run. Good luck to you Kelly, you can do it, just stay determined and know how important this is to your overall life plan Meghan