There is no easy answer, but rebalancing the hormones, exercise routine and diet can help to increase your metabolic rate, which will ensure fat is burned more efficiently. Reducing overall stress in your life can help too, because stress can cause increased amounts of cortisol to be released.
Another reason why some women may appear to gain weight occurs when background anxiety, with reduced appetite, keeps weight a little lower than it would be naturally. This anxiety is often reversed by the positive impact of HRT, which in turn can increase appetite and weight over time.
Some women resist taking HRT for fear of weight gain but there is no scientific evidence that HRT causes weight gain. A very small group of women may develop fluid retention with HRT (up to 10lbs in a month) but generally it is mild and will balance out in a month or two.
There also appears to be a redistribution of fat mass at the time of the menopause, with an increase in the waist-to-hip ratio. Although it is a common belief that HRT inevitably causes weight gain, available evidence suggests that this is not true.
Can HRT make you gain weight? This is a common misconception – but the good news is, HRT does not cause weight gain! If you find that your weight is changing rapidly or if you're struggling to lose or gain weight, it's worth checking in with your doctor.
There's little evidence that most types of HRT make you put on weight. You may gain some weight during the menopause and as you get older, but this often happens whether you take HRT or not. Exercising regularly and eating a balanced diet should help you to manage your weight.
You may feel bloated and uncomfortable like having trapped wind. This can be due to the progesterone and usually settles with time.
High Estrogen, Low Progesterone
This is where your body produces more estrogen and less progesterone. Estrogen can encourage water retention, which may lead to chronic bloating. Bloating caused by water retention may be different than bloating caused by gas retention.
Immediate results are what we all want, but the benefits of HRT take a little time. While many people notice improvements in sleep or mood within weeks of starting HRT, changes like improved muscle mass or fat loss can take at least three to six months.
Dr Newson says “Many women are concerned that they will put on weight when they begin taking HRT. However, having oestrogen through the skin as a gel or patch with micronised progesterone does not usually lead to weight gain.
Current menopausal hormone therapy (MHT) is associated with reduced total and visceral adiposity, but the effect is small and disappears when therapy is discontinued, according to a cross-sectional study of about 1,500 postmenopausal women 50 to 80 years of age.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has profound metabolic effects which impact on the cardiovascular system. These effects include changes in lipids and lipoproteins, glucose and insulin metabolism, haemostatic factors, inflammatory markers and body composition, as well as changes in vascular function and remodelling.
Bloating, or swelling due to a buildup of fluid in the tissues can cause weight gain. This may be due to menstruation, heart or kidney failure, preeclampsia, or medicines you take. A rapid weight gain may be a sign of dangerous fluid retention. If you quit smoking, you might gain weight.
Weight gain and fluctuations in weight can happen for a variety of reasons. Many people progressively gain weight as they age or make changes to their lifestyle. However, fast weight gain can be a sign of an underlying health condition, such as a problem with the thyroid, kidneys, or heart.
Estrogen promotes the storage of fat for healthy reproductive years. When estrogen is balanced, the right amount of fat helps carry out female reproductive functions. However, when there's too little or too much estrogen, weight gain often results.
Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can affect weight loss in women. In addition to having less abdominal fat, the same study found that women undergoing HRT were almost one whole point lower on the body mass index (BMI) scale, and they had nearly 3 pounds less of fat mass.
Quick Read Do you gain weight during menopause? Most people gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight in the first two years of menopause. This is due to slower metabolism and lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise.
When will menopausal weight gain stop? The number on the scale won't keep going up and up. It does stabilize. But in perimenopause and those initial few years after the final menstrual cycle, we see the most pronounced amount of weight gain, which can have serious implications to health and overall wellbeing.
Hormone replacement therapy for weight loss
Bioidentical hormones are preferred because they're tailored to have the same molecular structure and biological effect as the hormones produced by your body. Research shows that bioidentical hormones may be safer and rarely cause side effects.
Progesterone side effects likely do not include weight gain. However, changes in hormone levels throughout your cycle can affect your appetite and make it feel as though you may be gaining weight. During the first half of your cycle, estrogen inhibits food intake and your hunger levels may be lower than normal.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, proper sleep, and stress modification can help with managing and reversing hormonal weight gain and decreasing the associated health risks that may result if it is not addressed.
You may notice physical symptoms get better first, for example, at the correct dose of estrogen, hot flushes and night sweats are often much better after 4-6 weeks. However psychological symptoms, such as low mood or anxiety, can take a few more months to improve.
How long HRT takes to work. It usually takes a few weeks before you feel the benefits of HRT. It can take up to 3 months to feel the full effects.