Losing Weight on HRT

Many women on HRT are interested in losing weight, but there's a common conception that hormone replacement therapy actually causes weight gain and makes losing weight on HRT impossible.

About HRT and Weight Gain

Hormone replacement therapy is a common remedy for menopausal symptoms. It is often used to treat hot flashes, irregular menstruation and other problems associated with perimenopause or menopause, and is sometimes prescribed after menopause to reduce the risk of developing osteoporosis.

It is thought that HRT can help protect against dementia and may prevent heart disease in some women. Many who use HRT consider it a lifesaver, but many also complain that they gain a lot of weight, or find losing weight on HRT nearly impossible.

But health experts say it's not the HRT that is to blame for weight gain as women hit menopause—it's really just the body's metabolism slowing down as you age. Along with this, the hormone replacement drugs can cause depression or increase appetite, so users of hormones may need to be extra-vigilant not to gain excess weight when on the therapy.

Ideas for Losing Weight on HRT

Whether or not HRT is the problem, you need to look at the other aspects of your life that might be affecting your ability to lose weight. One big thing that happens to women around menopause is the dip in metabolism.

While a woman's metabolism begins slowing down in their 30s, by the time she hits age 50 her metabolism might be down as much as 15 percent from when she was younger. That makes a big difference and can affect the ability to lose weight.

Eating foods that increase your metabolism can help to give your body a boost, but experts say the most important thing you can do to increase metabolism after menopause is to exercise.

Getting regular exercise is not only important if you are trying to lose weight. It also helps prevent health problems down the line, from heart disease to osteoporosis. No matter where you are in life, it still holds true that the more calories you burn relative to the number of calories you consume, the more likely you will be to lose weight.

Choosing the Right Foods Post Menopause

Even gentle exercise can help women lose weight while on HRT.

Exercise is not the only part of the equation for losing weight on HRT. Eating right is still important. If you haven't eaten the healthiest diet for most of your life, now is the time to start treating yourself better by choosing healthier foods. That means lean protein instead of fatty choices, more fruits and vegetables and more whole grains. Some women find they are more sensitive to carbohydrates as they age, if that's the case, you may want to follow a lower-carb diet or eliminate processed grains from your diet.

There are many other health tips that may help you lose, or at least not gain, weight while on HRT, such as eliminating coffee, getting your thyroid checked, and looking for other food intolerances that may be giving you trouble.

The most important thing you can do in terms of your diet is to get back to basics (or go to basics for the first time) by eating closer to what we've all been taught is the healthiest diet: one with lots of produce, few processed foods, lots of beans and healthy protein, along with regular exercise.

Menopause is a time when many women start to turn back to themselves. Most women who are mothers put their own lives and dreams on hold while they are raising families, and the changes of menopause make them realize they need to be paying attention to themselves.

This means pampering yourself with things that feel good to your soul, and taking care of your body in a way that you might never have before. To ease the transition of menopause and make sure you come out healthy on the other side, these changes are vital.