Is HRT stopping me lose weight?

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Hi everyone - I posted this in weight loss but actually on reflection it probably sits better here.

I'm 40, had my first baby in December 2019, and I've been back on HRT for the last three months (oestrogel, utrogestan and testosterone) which I take due to premature ovarian failure and early menopause (baby was donor egg IVF).

I've got about a stone to lose to get back to my "happy" weight. For the last two months I've been running 6-8km three times a week, and on two other days I've been going on hour-long brisk walks (covering about 5kms). I've been religiously sticking to 1200 calories per day - calorie-counted on MyFitnessPal, so I'm not deluded about portion size or calorie content and I'm quite clued-up when it comes to nutrition. I fast from 8pm to 1pm.

And yet . . . I've not lost a single pound. My legs look a little more toned, but not massively so. Why am I not losing weight? My gut feeling is that it's the HRT - has anyone else struggled with losing weight on HRT? I think eating any less would be really unhealthy and I certainly wouldn't have the energy to go running! I'm gutted

I’d you had a baby a few months ago your not in menopause you ha e to stop having periods for a year ( no pregnancy) befor being classed as in menopause as you had a baby 8 months ago then who on earth gave you HRT I’m 51 nearly and not on any HRT doctor told me I’m not menopausal

Eating 1200 calories is way too low your busy is holding fat as panicked by you starving yourself

Eat 1600 140 grams healthly carbs a day 110 grams protein and healthy fats

Your eating way too low and shouldn’t be in hrt Yet

@meme70 the original poster has primary ovarian failure and I imagine the medic that gave her HRT knows what they are doing...

Donor egg baby, @meme70.

@meme70 which I take due to premature ovarian failure and early menopause (baby was donor egg IVF).

post meno. the only way I can lose weight is low carb. So two eggs for breakfast any which way. fish and salad for lunch, dinner any meat lots of veg and a baked potato. Supper fruit and yoghurt. I did have the odd glass of wine some days. Even then the loss was not dramatic but it did go down slowly.

Yep, me too @justasking111

Max carbs for me are 2-3 oat cakes in a day and/ or 1 slice bread (it's seeded, gluten-free.)

I don't do potatoes, rice or pasta, as a rule and if I do, I cut out the other carbs above.

I'm not on a diet but am small framed and since lockdown have been far less active- doing plenty of walking and some weights - but normally I'd be rushing round town in a day as well.

Late to this thread but I've been thinking the same thing....

I went on HRT (Mirena and Oestrogel) in January (age 47), immediately gained a few lbs, then a few more over lockdown (which is to be expected as my daily activity went down despite exercising daily - weights/HIIT/running) - what's unusual is how hard it is to lose weight now.

Full disclosure, I'm a nutritionist (so I'm aware of the science behind weight loss) and have never had an issue with maintaining my weight, so this makes no sense to me logically and it's frustrating!! :)

It looks like my BMR has shifted downwards so that I'm maintaining at a level about 300kcal a day less than I was before, while being heavier by about half a stone. Daily activities are back to normal and I'm running as well as doing weights to help get into a deficit. Yet nothing is shifting. To start losing I have to drop kcal intake to a level that's very uncomfortable! OTOH I don't want to give up my HRT as I feel vaguely normal for the first time in years....

The only other time I've taken external hormones was in my late 20s when I went on the OCP - however, I came off it after two months as I'd gained half a stone and my boobs grew by 3 cup sizes! The weight dropped off when I stopped taking the pill.

I understand your frustration OP!

Have you had your thyroid checked (sorry I've not read the whole thread)?

@Tsmummy08 I can only speak from personal experience which is in 12 years of HRT ( gel and Utrogestan) I've not put on weight and I'm now mid 60s.

There is no evidence at all in research that shows weight gain- thousands of women in the research and all the medical evidence says no proof of weight gain.

One possible factor is the change in metabolic rate at this age for both sexes, and it may be that.

Certainly now I can't over eat or indulge at all without the pounds piling on compared to in my 30s and 40s.

Some women gain a little bit of weight at first with HRT but this is often because their boobs get a big bigger (but not THAT much bigger!) but on the whole HRT should be beneficial because a) it means women feel better and can exercise more and b) it does help the levels of lipids ( good/bad ratio) and reduce the risk of diabetes, so better insulin levels.

There ARE however some women who say that the Mirena coil (used for anything not just HRT) causes weight gain because it's a steady drip drip of progesterone which can increase weight so if you keep putting weight on it's worth thinking of ditching that and trying another type such as Utrogestan.

Thanks for your response @JinglingHellsBells, yes I'm aware of the research on weight and HRT... interesting about the Mirena though - I've always had a flat stomach but it has been noticeably rounder since having the Mirena done - in a bloaty rather than wobbly way!

It's the "change in metabolic rate" at middle age which is what's got me stumped as the usual reasons given are hormonal change (well I'm dealing with that via HRT), and decline in muscle mass (I've got higher muscle mass than 2-3 years ago, so that's not it).

I'm currently trying to dig into any other reasons with some colleagues but I'm wondering whether it could be a decline in testosterone as the Mirena could have shut down my sputtering ovaries once and for all or lower HGH due to ageing. Who knows... it sucks either way because I'm so bloody hungry all the time trying to eat at a level that will allow me to drop some weight! Grrrrr