HRT Weight Gain?

[heatherrose]

I am coming up on six months on HRT and have gained eighteen pounds,
with no real changes in diet or exercize level. When I started RLT
in Jan. '06, I did my own variation of the "Atkins Diet" and lost close to
sixty pounds. Overall, I am happy with the results of the HRT,
thus far (my "Horizons" are broadening and "Things" are sprouting all over)
but I am concerned with my recent weight gain. I understand that
for fat to be redistributed there has to be fat availible to redistibute. I don't
really want to go on a diet, to lose the weight I've gained
because I am afraid of losing some of my developments.
What have Y'all done to find a happy medium.

Always Love,
Heather Rose

[Valerie Elizabeth]

Well, I didn't answer because it has only been a 25 days since I started HRT, however, in that time, I did drop about 5 pounds.

[Hypatia]

I didn't notice any change in my weight resulting from HRT at the beginning. For the first 2 years I was on oral E. It had less effect for me than injections.

But since I began taking delestrogen injections last year, I seem to have developed mad cravings for fatty/salty/protein/carb food as well as chocolate. Starr and I have been comparing notes on estrogen and food cravings, she from a PMS perspective and I from an HRT perspective. Somehow my weight balances out even when I binge on cravings for feta, frittatas, and fries. I eat healthy, plenty of whole grains and vegetables, which probably helps keep my weight in balance. I'm a lacto-ovo vegetarian. I suspect to some extent my (vegetarian) protein cravings result from a need to grow more girly tissue.

But if the high-calorie episodes got out of hand, and especially if one isn't eating a healthy balanced diet, I can easily see how one would pack on the pounds.

[Kristen]

I don't believe you are required to have pre-existing fat so that it will all magically redistribute with the introduction of hormones. I am 6 months now and my weight has stayed exactly the same. However, I am putting on fat in the right places and loosing muscle mass as well. All of this, while exercising daily and with little change in my diet. The hormones work without there being pre-existing fat by changing the way food is metabolized and stored in the body.

[Janet_Girl]

I lose weight when I began, but now I am starting to gain again.  And It seems to be in the right places.     At 10 months it is stable for now.

Pizza, beer and Trucking don't mix, Sis.   Switch to more salads and lighter foods.  No Junk food.  It isn't easy with your profession, but it can be done.

Love Ya, Hon
Janet

[Hypatia]

I agree, Kristen, and in fact I bet one's girly fat redistribution would be even more effective if you had less guy-fat to begin with. If Keira pops into this thread, she'll teach us about how you have to eliminate all abdominal fat for the redistribution to work. But then no one else has a body like Keira's. She's one of a kind. I believe she knows what she's talking about and I try to apply her somatic principles the best I can, but I'm just not built like her.

[heatherrose]

I don't believe you are required to have pre-existing fat so that it will all magically redistribute with the introduction of hormones.

I understand that the fat doesn't just slide from your gut
to your hips and chest what I'm saying is, "I don't want
to diet and restrict my caloric intake, thus limiting calores
needed to produce fat in all the desired places.

Some of the weight that I have gained has produced the
desired results. As I said I lost almost sixty pounds,
I guess I could have lost another twenty but I was comfortable
with what I lost and kept it off, up until I started HRT.
The places that I have regained the weight are differrent
(my thighs, butt, hips and of course chest)

I don't eat junk food (on occasion I have but it is not the norm)
and I DON'T drink soda. I eat alot of fruit and veggies and
white meats (chicken, pork and fish). I drink water, coffee, juice,
some milk and I have been known to have an adult beverage or
.....................six, right Janet?

I do need to get more exercise, when I drove a flatbed
trailer-truck getting enough exercise was never an
issue. Now my driving job is more sedintary. I guess I
need a motivational speaker to follow me around.

Always Love,
Heather Rose

[Suzy]

After one year and two months, I have gained about 5 pounds that do not want to come back off.  Of course, some of that is added volume, you know where.  So I don't see major problems and I have to watch my weight very carefully because of health concerns.

Kristi

[Ashley315]

steadily loosing weight but sadly don't seem to be loosing muscle.  God I hate that stuff... muscle is just so... gross.

[heatherrose]

God I hate that stuff... muscle is just so... gross.

No, sweety this is gross muscle.



http://thebeautybrains.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/muscles.jpg

Jake Grimm posted it on another thread.

[Ashley315]

yeah it is..  but i still don't like the amount I have.   

[gothique11]

Um, I lost and gained weight. *shrugs*

I lost a ton of weight at the start. Then I gained a bit. And then, I lost a bunch more before having SRS (2 yrs on hrt)... but after SRS I seemed to gain some more weight. I'm not over weight or anything, but I've gained a few.

[Maddie Secutura]

I've been on estrogen for 2 weeks now which is way too early to see any noticeable physical changes.  Of course I have a 5 lb uncertainty in my weight but it stays neatly within the range of 160-165 whenever i measure.  I want to take off about 30 lbs of that and hopefully estrogen and antiandrogens will make it easier to lose muscle (which is the major contributor).  How long does it usually take HRT to affect one's weight like that? 

[placeholdername]

I've been on estrogen for 2 weeks now which is way too early to see any noticeable physical changes.  Of course I have a 5 lb uncertainty in my weight but it stays neatly within the range of 160-165 whenever i measure.  I want to take off about 30 lbs of that and hopefully estrogen and antiandrogens will make it easier to lose muscle (which is the major contributor).  How long does it usually take HRT to affect one's weight like that?

30 lbs is a lot.... how tall are you?

[FairyGirl]

30 lbs is a lot.... how tall are you?

I was going to ask the same thing!

I have lost about 5 lb. in the 5 1/2 weeks I've been on HRT.  I am down to near 148 lbs, which for my height of 5'11" is fairly slender. My diet hasn't changed but I think I'll try to gain back a pound or two a this point. I was pretty sure it would take longer, but I swear I can already see the beginnings of a female waistline. Maybe I'm just seeing things? I definitely have some little boobies going on now that weren't there before. My SO has this theory that since I didn't have all that much body fat to begin with, maybe it's easier to notice it moving around? sort of like the difference between shoveling snow in Minnesota and shoveling snow in Tennessee- there's just a lot less to move around, so any at all is more noticeable. My mom and sister both have large (D+) breasts, so I'm hopeful in that department.

[almost,angie]

I went from 170 to 228 in a year on hormones. I work out I eat healthy and vegan.Now I`m down to two small meals a day and I`m still full all the time. Nothing seems to be working for me. I have stopped hormones by the way, I find transition just tooooooo frustraiting. All my waight is on my belly . Nothing is on my hips.

[Ashley315]

Steadily loosing but that is because I run like crazy.

BTW, fat does not "relocate" on it's own.. What you have in "male" areas will not just shift to "female" areas.  You have to loose it in those places and hormones will make you gain it in the right places.

[FairyGirl]

yeah I was wondering about that, but it makes sense. They always talk about body fat "migrating" like it had wings or something.  I lost over 60 lbs last year (using weight watchers online) for health reasons as well as preparing to go on hrt. Oh well gives me a good excuse to go have a milkshake now lol   

[Maddie Secutura]

30 lbs is a lot.... how tall are you?

I'm 5'7", between 160 and 165 lbs.  Does 135 lbs really sound too light for someone my height?  Most of the weight would have to come from muscle loss.

[placeholdername]

I'm 5'7", between 160 and 165 lbs.  Does 135 lbs really sound too light for someone my height?  Most of the weight would have to come from muscle loss.

135 is fine, I was worried you were taller.  I'm 5'8" verging on 5'9" at times, and usually around 135 myself.

I guess I'm kind of lucky in the HRT department (or will be) since I currently don't really have fat in the male OR female locations, so hopefully HRT will just pack it in where it's supposed to go.