Weight loss after menopause

[J. Keith Nichols MD]

Hey Mike,

If your spouse doesn't have risk factors like high alcohol consumption, smoking, etc, then she might be a candidate for topical hormone replacement therapy cream.

I am 36 years old and for a reason that is way too long to post here, I decided I no longer want the two estrogen crashes. I don't want to be cyclical. I am on topical estrogen and testosterone cream in the morning. For each cream, I put 1mL on the inner labia. In the evening, I use progesterone cream in the same area. Since starting on this regimen, the pounds just fell off. My bone density went way up, and the statistical Z-score shows that I'm in the 92nd percentile for bone density in my age group. I just recently lost 17lb in under 2 months.

If you would like further info, I'd be happy to reply and answer any questions. I hope she can get onto HRT, it's improved my life in SO many ways! And she really needs to get on estrogen ASAP because older post-menopausal women (10 yrs+) can't handle the estrogen. But if she gets on it now, she can stay on it forever. And she must be on progesterone if she's on estrogen. They're all extremely safe hormones if you don't drink much and are a non-smoker.

Some of these statements are unfortunately part of the misinformation that continues to be propagated and it confuses patients. It's understandable where your statements come from, but let me explain the reality. Topical estrogen cream will not give you the cardiovascular protection that oral estradiol will. You will get benefits with regard to bone mineral density, but the number one killer of women is cardiovascular disease and topical estrogen. Will not give you the protection that oral estradiol will provide. Oral estradiol has never caused harm in any randomized controlled trial. It was oral Premarin that caused harm in women that were greater than 10 years out from menopause or older than 60 years that took it. It is because Premarin is much more estrogenic than oral estradiol. There are at least 10 different estrogens in Premarin, with most of them being equine estrogens. This increased estrogenicity increased matrix metalloproteinase, which degraded the fibrous cap on the pre-existing plaques causing them to rupture leading to strokes ad PEs. This did not happen in younger women who were under age 60 or less than 10 years out for menopause. Women's health initiative was done on women that had already been through menopause. So these women that had been without their hormones for 10 years or longer already had pre-existing plaque. Estrogen provides women with cardiovascular protection, but when they go without it, cardiovascular disease becomes their number one killer. Estradiol, when given the women of any age has never caused an increase risk of stroke, heart, attack, peasbeen without their hormones for 10 years or longer already had pre-existing plaque. Estrogen provides women with cardiovascular protection, but when they go without it, cardiovascular disease becomes their number one killer. Estradiol, when given to women of any age has never caused an increased risk of stroke, heart, attack, PEs, or venous thrombosis.
Topical progesterone is essentially worthless. It literally should be malpractice for a physician to provide a woman with topical progesterone especially if she has a uterus and is on estrogen. You do not get adequate levels with transdermal progesterone. You have to have adequate progesterone levels in order to balance, the estrogen, especially on the breast and uterine tissues. There are much better ways to get it, including a sublingual troche, which gives excellent levels.
Testosterone is also an essential hormone that needs to be replaced after menopause as well

So after menopause or a total hysterectomy a woman has put into endocrine failure, or she loses her estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. They should be replaced by the methods that the medical literature shows that provides them with the greatest benefit.

[mike_g]

Hey, thanks for the replies, it's been a while since I checked on them.

I think HRT would be very useful, personally. I heard Dr Attia recently taking about HRT and the huge misunderstandings floating around out there....

She mentioned her arms the other day, she'd like to "tone" them over the next six months. I tend to think this is idle talk, for the most part. But if she is really serious, what do you suggest, starting the NLP? She's a rank novice, never lifted weights or any sports, but is about 5'7, 135# .

[SunnyGirl]

Hi Robert,

My better half is 48, easing into menopause. She doesn't train. She is fairly fit, but it's carrying a few extra pounds, in her belly and arms.

I've told her spot reduction of weight from a specific area doesn't work, and she seems generally accepting of that.

However, when I tell her it just boils down to calories and macros, she responds with "post menopause women are different, more cortisol, belly fat, etc" a seemingly bulletproof argument.

What does an expert say to this? Are post menopause women really that different? Or would it boil down to the same weight loss advice for anyone: track calories, weigh daily, see what weekly average weight is doing, and make calorie intake changes accordingly?

Every single woman is not the same but as a 51 year old woman I do not buy into the excuse AND I do not look like I buy into the excuse. It is "bulletproof" because you're a bad person if you resist this reasoning. I find that for marketing purposes this excuse sells a lot of books and gets a big following because it's what some people want to hear. No disrespect to anyone, but many of the same people who have an excuse after menopause usually had excuses before menopause.