Susan's Place Transgender Resources

Community Conversation => Transitioning => Hormone replacement therapy => Topic started by: mechakitty on August 02, 2011, 12:39:56 PM

Title: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: mechakitty on August 02, 2011, 12:39:56 PM
Is this normal?

Okay, so, I've read on Wikipedia and heard from some that people tend to gain weight on HRT. I have done the opposite. When I started, I was 155 pounds. It's now two months as of today, and my weight is now 143.5 pounds. Wut? I'm going to evaporate by Christmas.

I have seen some MTFs lose weight as well, although they tend to be more active. I'm semi-active. I go hiking once every other week, and I walk the dog. I also tend to eat slightly less than healthy on average. I mean, I do eat a lot of salad and greens, but I also succumb to fast food cravings here and there.

Is this all due to HRT, or am I eating healthier than I realize?
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: LilKittyCatZoey on August 02, 2011, 12:42:56 PM
I am also going down in 2 months i have lost 3 kgs
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: BunnyBee on August 02, 2011, 12:58:26 PM
I gained about 30 lbs in the first couple years o.o.  I think I went a little chocolate & ice cream crazy lol.  Now I'm still about 15-20 lbs heavier than I started.  I find it much more difficult to be disciplined with my eating for some reason.

So count yourselves lucky I guess :).
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Ann Onymous on August 02, 2011, 02:07:45 PM
It is almost always a YMMV thing.  Years ago when I started HRT, I stayed between roughly 119-125lbs and was there even several years post-op.  But in my mid-30's, I slowed down and spent more time behind a desk...the weight crept up.  I went through a few new wardrobes as I slowly increased in the size clothing I needed...until I reached a point where I said 'enough' and hit the gym (I was NOT buying anything larger than the 12 I was already less than thrilled with having in the closet).

I was never one who has eaten in a manner considered to be 'healthy.'  Admittedly, in the past few months, I have scaled back on some of the junk I was eating...but the loss of weight since June is because I was more active.  Even after picking up roughly three pounds when I was out of town for a week and away from the gym for another week, that weight soon fell off after I returned to the gym. 

None of the gain or loss is anything I can attribute to HRT or surgery though...otherwise I would have expected to see some losses or gains in my mid-20's. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Annah on August 02, 2011, 02:29:02 PM
Quote from: mechakitty on August 02, 2011, 12:39:56 PM
Is this normal?

Okay, so, I've read on Wikipedia and heard from some that people tend to gain weight on HRT. I have done the opposite. When I started, I was 155 pounds. It's now two months as of today, and my weight is now 143.5 pounds. Wut? I'm going to evaporate by Christmas.

I have seen some MTFs lose weight as well, although they tend to be more active. I'm semi-active. I go hiking once every other week, and I walk the dog. I also tend to eat slightly less than healthy on average. I mean, I do eat a lot of salad and greens, but I also succumb to fast food cravings here and there.

Is this all due to HRT, or am I eating healthier than I realize?

I have lost 200 pounds since transitioning, but on HRT, my weightloss struggled more greatly as opposed to pre hrt (I had started dieting about 7 months pre hrt). I had to lower my caloric intake from 1700 to 1100 in order to continue the weightloss on hrt.
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Rabbit on August 02, 2011, 08:02:13 PM
At first my weight was going down (because i was watching things more)... but, the last month I have started wayyy overeating. The thing is, my weight hasn't gone up much (a couple pounds, but still within the normal wiggle room it does).

I look fatter though! So... I don't really have a clue what the hormones are doing ... I think I should pull in the diet either way though haha.
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: JungianZoe on August 02, 2011, 08:19:30 PM
I also think it's YMMV.  My metabolism was lightning fast before HRT and is still lightning fast.  I had to consume 4000 to 5000 calories a day to gain 25 pounds over the last four months.  That was simply so I could reach the bottom of my healthy weight range for my height.

My current weight can be maintained with about 2500 calories a day, but I'm not sure how much of that is related to the amount of foot-tapping I do because I'm a drummer who can't stop even away from her kit. :laugh:
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: purplevelvet on August 02, 2011, 08:28:39 PM
Quote from: LilKittyCatZoey on August 02, 2011, 12:42:56 PM
I am also going down in 2 months i have lost 3 kgs
wow..I have to run almost everyday to make that happen..otherwise I seem to be gaining rather rapidly :( Still got a loooong way to go.
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: mechakitty on August 02, 2011, 10:55:02 PM
Yeah, okay, I must be waaaay more active than I realized.  :laugh:

I shouldn't be so afraid of calories like I have been. I thought I'd balloon up on HRT, but it looks like my crazy Speed Racer metabolism is still intact. I guess it goes to show how different everyone reacts to HRT, and how hard it is to predict with any certainty what will happen given any particular person.
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Sianna on August 03, 2011, 12:21:59 PM
My weight stayed about the same, but i gained about 5kg prior to starting HRT due to stress and i just can't get rid of them again...
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Ann Onymous on August 03, 2011, 12:31:25 PM
Quote from: Sianna on August 03, 2011, 12:21:59 PM
My weight stayed about the same, but i gained about 5kg prior to starting HRT due to stress and i just can't get rid of them again...

cardio...lots and lots of cardio. 

Serious, that has been the majority of the work I have done across the past two months.  Usually about an hour per session spread across treadmill, bike and elliptical machines...and it has been enough in two months to drop more than the 5kg you are describing. 
Title: Re: Losing Weight on HRT
Post by: Sianna on August 05, 2011, 04:47:32 AM
Quote from: Ann Onymous on August 03, 2011, 12:31:25 PM
cardio...lots and lots of cardio. 

Serious, that has been the majority of the work I have done across the past two months.  Usually about an hour per session spread across treadmill, bike and elliptical machines...and it has been enough in two months to drop more than the 5kg you are describing.

Thanks for the tip. I'll look into that :)