HRT Weight gain, actually cried this morning

[Gemzee]

I know the official line is HRT doesn’t cause weight gain, but I’m honestly in tears.

In 2023 I lost nearly 2 stone with diet and exercise, kept it off for 2 years (I was 40). I’ve had peri symptoms for 3 years, and in May finally started HRT. Progesterone tablets bloated me so I had the coil fitted instead – that helped the bloat, but since then my weight has crept up, boobs up a size too.

I’ve upped workouts (cardio + resistance 6 days a week, plus walking), no change to diet (healthy weekdays, wine/carbs at weekends like always). Despite this, I’m now over a stone heavier than last year – 3lbs in just the last 5 weeks (in which I've switched up my exercise routine!).

I feel like what’s the point? I’m doing more than ever but still gaining.

I could obviously completely cut out wine and not eat carbs at the weekend, so I guess if this is the choice I'd be miserable but I'm miserable now.

Should I come off HRT, will the weight even come off if I do? Thanks for reading.

(Ps: I have an underactive thyroid and take levothyroxine but dr says results normal in Feb so no test required till next year).

You can't just 'check' for those without a referral if you have symptoms.

Check means getting a referral, scans and tests. Not doing your own checking. I think that's obvious.

Hate to say it but i put on a load of weight on HRT. Did low dose Mounjaro for 3 months and lost 2 stones. Im keeping the weight off microdosing, walking and counting calories.

The minera coil made me put on stones, GP kept saying it couldn't possibly but it bloody well did. I was as big as a house so that had to go. Luckily I'm able to have just oestrogen now so no more problems.

Yep, put on weight with HRT, at an astonishing rate! My GP said this is not uncommon.
i came off, on again and gained weight, now off and staying off.
i used sage tablets from Avogel for night sweats, were really good.
other symptoms were joint pain but that seems related to eating wheat actually, and now night sweats and insomnia seem to have passed by themselves.
im 49, still regular periods.

I had a mirena coil years ago then a hysterectomy at 39, i have been on oestrogen patch ever since (16 years) and not never noticed any weight gain

I put on over a stone with HRT. I finally removed the mirena and stopped HRT after 5 years and have lost a stone in a few months. My breasts are back to a relatively unmatronly size so yes I definitely put on weight with HRT.

The mirena coil is often used as the progesterone element of HRT and lots of women have no problem with it. I only put on about two pounds with a Mirena and that seemed to be water retention.

Only thing I’d suggest is that you look at what you’re eating. Make sure it’s all cooked fresh, so no UPFs, sweeteners etc and quite rightly, keep a close eye on the carbs. I find brown rice & oats to be the best ones for me - no wheat.

Progesterone can make you hungry too
Also even if it s water retention and not fat it still makes you look and feel awful.

I am 50 and in peri (still have regular periods) and not on any hrt but my maintenance calories is about 1500 ish. If I ate 2000 calories for two days every week, I’d be 1000 calories per week over my maintenance and every month I would gain a pound.
Unfortunately I have to eat pretty much my maintenance every day of the week and if I eat more one day I pull it back the rest of the week

Weight training helps enormously, if you have build muscle youll burn calories in your sleep

I understood you were only on the Mirena coil, not as part of a combo.

I’m not a doctor but I had the coil fitted and put on unbelievable amounts of weight. GP said it wasn’t down to coil. I insisted on having it removed and weight fell off. Good luck.

You don’t have to count calories and weigh food. Just skip the odd meal or do intermittent fasting. If you’ve had a big breakfast, skip lunch. If you’ve snacked on biscuits in the afternoon, have a wholesome soup for dinner. Do more walking and less driving.

Am quite alarmed by these tales. Weight gain has been one of my peri symptoms and I haven't been to the doctor's yet let alone started any HRT! I feel vain and shallow for saying it, but it's the most troubling thing so far. It's so dispiriting, I don't feel healthy and I don't like the disappearing waistline. Have always had massive boobs but it's getting ridiculous! I know exercise will help but it's tricky to find the time, especially when you're tired from poor sleep. Sorry for moaning, just seems that whatever I do it's only going to get worse!

OP, I hear you! There are too many women stating weight gain for me to not believe it. For me it feels more menopause related than HRT. But something def switched and very quickly. I’m a daily tracker 🤣. This is my weight in 2022 and 2023. The only thing that changed was mid July I started mounjaro. Privately. Had to lie about my weight. And I don’t care!! Frickin game changer.

I had weight gain in menopause but it reduced when I went on HRT - it’s funny how it affects people differently.

I had success with weight training and actually cutting cardio… heavy weights build muscle which helps.

Rather than swinging from 1000 to 2000 calories at the weekend (1000 is too low for anyone). Find a level you can mainly stick with and increase protein and fibre and yes no UPFs (you may do this already).

Walking I find is sufficient cardio these days and better for weight loss as it’s low stress on the body.

It just takes time to build the muscle then find your calorie maintenance. Mine is around 1600 but I don’t strictly calorie count I just make sure I eat healthily and less snacks.

Oh and last meal quite early - around 6.30pm and then I don’t eat again until breakfast around 8am. Fasting more than this doesn’t work for me but everyone is individual. I need a decent, protein heavy breakfast.

Off to the bloody gym right now to lift weights after having walked about 5 miles yesterday. It's so hard losing weight post menopause.

Can’t comment on the hrt side of things, ( i can’t have it) however I put on 4 stone during peri. I’ve just lost it with Mounjaro , which also fixed my joint pain, brain fog, lack of motivation, low mood, everything really . What I’m trying to say is menopause often causes significant weight gain by itself. So if your taking hrt at the same time it would be easy to blame that?

I am not at a BMI that qualifies me for Mounjaro, before anyone suggests that, and I think OP might not be either? I don't want to take it unless medically supervised.

HRT definitely made me gain weight. I had to use Mounjaro to lose four stone to get back to normal.

A lot of people gain weight with progesterone and some women have horrible symptoms of depression too. Progesterone is a vile hormone IMO! I just had to take a week of norethisterone tablets and I gained 2kg (no, that isn't a typo), but now I've finished them the weight is coming off again, so I'm guessing it was water weight. IME the advice that HRT doesn't cause weight gain is incorrect, but in my case I think it was bloating/water.