If you are interested in how my doctor visit went this morning, or if you’re interested in how hormone imbalances relate to weight loss, read on. If you find both topics utterly boring, you can skip this post!
As some of you know, our doctor put my husband on Atkins on March 15, 2009, and I decided to join him in the adventure! I have extreme difficulty losing weight, and when I tried Atkins in 2000, I gained weight and stopped after a few weeks.
Since starting again, I have only lost 1.5 pounds in 17 days. Although it’s been frustrating, I’ve been sticking with it. I went back to the doctor today to hear the results of my blood and saliva tests. Here are those results and the consequences of each:
1. My progesterone to estrogen ratio should be 200 to 1. Mine is 33 to 1. Due to that, I will continue to gain weight and have an uncomfortable menopause
2. My testosterone should be 55. Mine is 17. Due to that, I will continue to gain weight and lose muscle mass, and no amount of weight lifting will help me build the muscle I need.
3. My thyroid is low because of the progesterone deficiency. Due to that, I will continue to gain weight and have a basal body temperature of 96-97.
4. My cortisol is high. Due to that, I will continue to gain weight, especially in my abdomen. (I used to be pear shaped, now I’m apple shaped.)
5. My body fat should be 23-25%. In 2007, I had 38% body fat. Two years later, I now have 43% body fat. I am 2 pounds heavier now, so that means I have lost 6 pounds of muscle and gained 8 pounds of fat in the past two years. Not good!
6. Because I was able to bring in my Fitday Nutrition Report, it was recognized that, even eating right and taking supplements, I am deficient in Vitamin D, Calcium, Mangnesium and Potassium.
Here is the treatment prescribed by my doctor:
1. Natural bioidentical progesterone replacement therapy, in the form of pills and topical cream, for the rest of my life.
2. Natural bioidentical testosterone replacement therapy, in the form of a pellet surgically placed in the fat of my butt, once every 4-5 months for the rest of my life. That was done today. Ouch! (Not really that painful - I’m just a big baby!)
3. No treatment for the functionally low thyroid. As progesterone improves, thyroid function will return to normal.
4. No treatment for the high cortisol. As hormone levels improve, so will the cortisol level.
5. Start Vitamin D, Calcium, Magnesium and Potassium supplements.
And here’s what my doctor says should be the results of the therapy:
In the next month, I will gain 1.5 to 3 pounds on the scale, but that will be muscle. My measurements will go down even as my weight on the scale goes up. As the months go on, I will gain 10 total pounds of muscle and I will lose 35 pounds of fat. My weight on the scale will decrease by 25 pounds, and I will be a normal weight of 125. Of course, I will continue to eat properly (Atkins, of course!) and exercise. And I’ll have the nice little bonus of little or no menopause symptoms.
My response to all this? I’m ecstatic! I feel like I have been given a whole new lease on life! I feel like I want to go to all the people who didn’t believe that I wasn’t overeating and say, “In your face!”
If you have any reason to believe your inability to lose weight might have to do with an imbalance of your hormones, please see your doctor. I suggest you see one who prescribes natural, bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.
I’ll keep you posted on my progress! And thanks again to all the wonderful people on this Forum who have helped and advised and encouraged me on my path!
Oh, I forgot! The swelling in in face, hands and feet will go away! Yay! Another thing I forgot! My doctor says that Atkins is a perfect companion to my therapy and they will work well together.
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