What happens when you stop HRT?

[Ciaroscuro]

I am 55, been on sequential HRT since age 49 and continuous for the last year or so.

Family history is of heart disease rather than osteoporosis.

I have recently started statins and looks like blood pressure meds are in my near future for isolated systolic hypertension (it's not awful, between 135 and 150 mostly, disatolic in the 70s).

I am obese (94kg) and struggle to lose weight. I have maintained for the past year or so by:

Intermittent fasting: I don't eat after dinner or before lunch
I drink very little - had 3 gin and slimline tonics this week, this about typical.
I swim 3x a week, it's decent swimming not "head out of water" breaststroke, about 100 lengths a week
I go for a walk about 30-60 mins on my non- swimming days
I tried mounjaro and it didn't suit me at all, I had to stop taking it.

I have lipedema and am wondering if stopping HRT might help my weight- I gained 2 stone in my early 50s but have lost 5kg and now stuck - but I worry about my heart health.

What happens when you stop taking HRT? Is there a chance that losing the progesterone will help me shift this weight? I think the weight is contributing to my blood pressure issues. But I am aware that HRT is heart protective....

When and how does one make a decision to stop HRT?

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Could you ask your GP to refer you to a dietician to help with the weight loss as you are very overweight and have risk factors at the moment for heart disease.

It is certainly possible to lose weight and it sounds as if you've just not found a way that works for you.

If you're not losing weight on two meals a day then what you eat is still too much.

There is a saying 'You can't outrun the fork'. Food accounts for 85% of weight gain/loss.
So your exercise may be helping you not gain more but it's not helping to shift any.

Have you tried low carb- no more than 50gms a day- and the rest is protein, fruit, veg, etc?

Re. stopping HRT it depends on why you're taking it.
If you stop and symptoms come back, then you need to consider if you can do without it. I've used HRT for over 15 years, no weight gain and when I've had 2 trials of stopping for a month, my symptoms came back (mainly night sweats and insomnia.)

It's hard to say but the weight may be negating the benefits of HRT, and weight is a very big risk factor in all female cancers.So maybe ask for professional help ? I'm sure you can do this with the right support!

I don't think a dietician is going to help tbh.

I have lipedema which means that I carry weight in my legs and it is known to be diet resistant. I have been overweight since puberty and have an encyclopedic knowledge of weight management. Eating low carb helps a bit but keto isn't a great idea for lipids. I have lost weight successfully on various VLC diets over the years but it invariably comes back on.

The good news is that my trunk is less heavy than my weight would suggest. I obviously do need to lose weight! My BMI is 34.

Lipedema Foundation https://share.google/chsRa2mUBgImVHFIf

Lipedema is linked with hormones and I just wondered if stopping HRT would help. My legs are stage 2-3 lippy legs.

But no one knows how much of the lipedema is contributing to weight. And diet is still the first treatment.