There is some school saying that eating more does jumpstart the metabolism and that low calorie diets just make the body adjust to the lower amount taken in per day.

Weight gain / loss for me is mostly related to my mental well being. If I am too worried / stressed out / depressed I tend to shed pounds. Maybe too much on your mind?

The other question is at what weight you feel good. I need to be at the upper end of the normal BMI to feel right. Even though I would love to get rid of my belly, I know that losing more weight makes me cranky.

As long as you are not rapidly losing weight (several pounds a week which could point to some other health issue), you are healthy and you are not getting underweight not sure I would worry much.

Quote from: Angélique LaCava on May 07, 2017, 10:39:33 AM
i just thought about it, when I only ate a bag a chips and just dinner each day I gained weight, but yet once I started eating a lot I lost weight. Could I have increased my metabolism  by eating a lot?

I don't know how I missed that. I am sorry.

I would consider those levels to be low, but not dangerously so. I'd like to see them above 300 while you go through puberty, but those levels are hard to obtain and maintain without pellets or injections. Also, sub cutaneous fat seems to come on a few years into transition and I suspect may be helped with progesterone.

Did you get your T levels taken, and do you remember what they were?

Quote from: Tori on May 08, 2017, 08:53:29 PM
I don't know how I missed that. I am sorry.

I would consider those levels to be low, but not dangerously so. I'd like to see them above 300 while you go through puberty, but those levels are hard to obtain and maintain without pellets or injections. Also, sub cutaneous fat seems to come on a few years into transition and I suspect may be helped with progesterone.

Did you get your T levels taken, and do you remember what they were?

My doctor told me that was normal levels for a woman my age so idk, I don't think she wants me over 200.
I'm on progesterone and my progesterone levels are 0.4
My testosterone levels are 9

Groovy.

Well, your doctor is running on slightly old information, but it sounds like they are doing a pretty good job, considering the type of care we can sometimes get.

Your T is a bit lower than I would like, 30-50 seems to be my sweet zone.

You know I hate Spiro but finding a doctor willing to raise your E so you can suppress T without an anti androgen can be an annoyance.

But yeah, I don't see any red flags with that regimen. Besides Spiro which really messed with me.

Ugh... I kind of hate to say it but if you want to gain weight, be less healthy. :p

I am only half joking.

I'm an actor. Have gained and lost weight for roles. It can be done.

You'll get this worked out. Remember puberty takes years. The day to day stuff can sometimes seem like you are going backwards. You aren't unique in that. We all go through it in one way or another. In six months from now, your body will be just that much further along.

I'm only just having another growth spurt up top and getting junk in my trunk like, 3 1/2 years in.

Hormones are weird.

Quote from: Angélique LaCava on May 08, 2017, 09:05:33 PM
I'm on progesterone and my progesterone levels are 0.4

Your levels are so low because you are not taking progesterone but medroxyprogesterone acetate which doesn't raise progesterone levels.

Quote from: KayXo on May 10, 2017, 08:39:47 AM
Your levels are so low because you are not taking progesterone but medroxyprogesterone acetate which doesn't raise progesterone levels.

whether they are low or not they are still working how I want because my boobs are completely round and my boobs were the reason I started progesterone. Those levels were when I was on a low dose of progesterone, since then she's raised my progesterone.

But if you are taking medroxyprogesterone acetate, measuring progesterone levels is pointless and you should state that you are specifically taking medroxyprogesterone acetate since this is not progesterone, there are significant differences between both. You may be misleading others by saying you take progesterone.

Indeed, MPA (medroxyprogesterone acetate) will have more or less similar effects on boobs as it triggers progesterone receptors but it also appears to increase the risk of breast cancer, clotting compared to progesterone which doesn't.

Quote from: KayXo on May 10, 2017, 04:43:18 PM
But if you are taking medroxyprogesterone acetate, measuring progesterone levels is pointless and you should state that you are specifically taking medroxyprogesterone acetate since this is not progesterone, there are significant differences between both. You may be misleading others by saying you take progesterone.

Indeed, MPA (medroxyprogesterone acetate) will have more or less similar effects on boobs as it triggers progesterone receptors but it also appears to increase the risk of breast cancer, clotting compared to progesterone which doesn't.

every doctor I've asked said progesterone is  Progesterone. They said the only difference is  Some people prefer one over the other. I'm sure if they've asked their doctor they would say the same thing.

When I told my doctor i wanted to start progesterone she wrote me that prescription so obviously medically it's considered progesterone.

If you are taking medroxyprogesterone acetate, you are not taking progesterone as there are molecular differences between both and different effects on the body with both. However, they are both progestogens. Please refer to studies, the scientific jargon and you will understand what I mean. Doctors who prescribe these hormones should know the differences between them or else something is not right.

I'm sorry if I'm being annoying but I think this is an important point not to overlook and this is why I'm insisting so much.

Quote from: KayXo on May 10, 2017, 05:15:12 PM
If you are taking medroxyprogesterone acetate, you are not taking progesterone as there are molecular differences between both and different effects on the body with both. However, they are both progestogens. Please refer to studies, the scientific jargon and you will understand what I mean. Doctors who prescribe these hormones should know the differences between them or else something is not right.

I'm sorry if I'm being annoying but I think this is an important point not to overlook and this is why I'm insisting so much.

im sorry, didn't realize you went to school for medicine.


In my opinion I think a doctor would know more about a medication. I read everything about medrpxyprpgesterone online and all of it is opinion based.

I'm not having any bad effects, I'm honestly feeling great since starting it.

One of the things we like to do most is over analyze. Trying to find the slightest imperfection.  Angelique, based on your pictures you really don't have much to worry about.  Sodas at 160 calories per. (I was drinking up to a half gallon a day.  That's 640 empty calories. Breads and pastas are others that are calorie laden. Then there is fried anything. And who does not like McDonald's frys. Having said that. In order to satisfy your curiosity you should make an appointment with a dietician.

Quote from: Angélique LaCava on May 10, 2017, 05:31:43 PM
im sorry, didn't realize you went to school for medicine.

I didn't. You need simply understand and know that the molecular structure of one is not the same as the other and as a consequence, effects can be vastly different on the body. For instance, MPA partly activates androgen receptor (the reason it opposes estrogen's beneficial effects on lipids like HDL) while progesterone doesn't. MPA has significant glucocorticoid activity (researchers speculate this is why it increases the risk of clotting and breast cancer risk) in contrast to progesterone which has very weak activity. Progesterone exerts anti-mineralocorticoid activity while MPA doesn't. Progesterone metabolizes to sedative neurosteroids while MPA doesn't.

You can read all about this in studies in journals.

QuoteIn my opinion I think a doctor would know more about a medication.

They should. But, in practice, not always as I have realized. They are not gods, they can't know EVERYTHING so if we, the patients, can help, then why not?

QuoteI read everything about medrpxyprpgesterone online and all of it is opinion based.

Findings in the large and randomized WHI study where ciswomen given medroxyprogesterone were more likely to have breast cancer, more likely to have cardiovascular complications aren't opinions.

QuoteI'm not having any bad effects, I'm honestly feeling great since starting it.

Good but some effects take months to years to manifest.

Quote from: KayXo on May 11, 2017, 09:19:17 AM

You can read all about this in studies in journals.

KayXo,

Not everyone here is a research scientist.  Many people do NOT know one medical journal from another, which ones are good references and others not so good.

Yes, we have the internet and good BASIC information is available through this medium.

I have been a practicing Pharmacist for over 40 years, working retail and hospital pharmacies. When talking to non-medical patients, I often have to simplify my statements. Quoting studies in medical journals often goes over most peoples head. I had to keep information simple and straight forward in order to achieve a useful level of understanding by the patient. When talking to a patient i have never seen before, I have about 15 seconds to asses their ability to understand the purpose and side effects of their medications. I try to be practical in my approach. A little bit of understanding is better than Nada.