Will natural progesterone finally help me lose some of this weight?
Hormone imbalance can often contribute to unslightly and unhealthy weight gain, particularly around the tummy, hips and thighs. And to add insult to injury, by simply being overweight you’re body is converting that extra body fat into a form of estrogen called estradiol that will further compound your estrogen dominance.
Certainly, there’s an inseparable connection between fat and estrogen. And the good news is that progesterone - our body’s ‘natural’ anti-estrogen - will help your body convert fat into energy.
A natural diuretic, progesterone will further assist weight loss by regulating sodium imbalance within the body, correcting fluid retention and helping you eliminate excess fluid from the body. However, it may initially exacerbate estrogen dominance symptoms which can have the appearance of weight increase which is usually only temporary.
Some women actually stop using their progesterone cream after they gain a little weight thinking, incorrectly, that progesterone is the culprit. They failed to understand the other factors that contribute to weight gain once progesterone is introduced.
But correcting female sex hormone imbalance is only part of the picture. We need to focus squarely on optimal metabolic health.
So what is metabolic health? Well, Dr Lowe defines metabolic health in this way: A state in which the chemical processes in our cells are sufficient to provide us with at least two things: (1) resistance to sickness and disease, and (2) the vigor, stamina, and well-being needed to fully engage in all aspects of life.
Metabolic rehabilitaton is a process in which a patient gets control of, or eliminate, all the factors that are impeding her metabolism.
Here are the nine most common factors that cause hypometabolism. It’s important to remember that the first one can cause or influence many of the others.
- Under-regulation by thyroid hormone
- Too little cortisol
- Sex hormone imbalance
- Nutritional deficiencies
- Unhealthy diet
- Chemical contaminants
- Low physical fitness
- Untreated physical problems
- Troublesome drugs
You can see from this list that adding progesterone may or may not assist in weight loss despite resolving female sex hormone imbalance. We have to consider the ‘whole’ picture that is you.
Some pretty straight-forward tests ordered by your doctor can better determine what’s going on with your body, and from there he or she can suggest an appropriate course of treatment. This may include thyroid hormone therapy in combination with bio-identical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT).
