I can't take it Anymore!!!

Hello I am desperate for some info. I had a hysterectomy 6 months ago, I just turned 29, everything was removed, I had/have endo./adhesions. I am on HRT called estertest I belive that is the correct spelling. Heres my problem: I have been jogging for 3 weeks straight daily also daily: crunches 100-200, many other cardio exercises/toning exercises. I am eating 800 calories a day (hungry all the time due to low cal/fat and exersise) I am 5ft tall and weigh 135 lbs. (this is overweight) I weighed this amount even before the hysterectomy though was not doing anything about it. Though I weigh the same my belly is sooo big I can't take it I look like crap. In the three straight weeks of going mad I have NOT LOST ONE pound I want to cry, it has never been like this before for me. I quit soda. I just don't know what else to do...starve? Stop eating? What is the deal here ladies Does my body think it is a "grandma" already? I don't get this, getting ready to stop exersising and eat like a piglet as it doesn't matter I will weigh/look the same. Months ago before diet/exercise I quit the HRT's for 3 weeks and finally went back on after I got to the point I could not form thoughts anymore yes to the point where I couln't prepare a meal for the family I didn't know what to do. So I must take the HRTS. Anyone out there who went through this and solved it or has ideas please reply back I guess I don't know too much but I do know I should have lost at least one oz. by now.

I'm so sorry you are feeling so bad! But I had my surgery a month before you and I am in the same situation. I will lose a pound or two and then they come back. I work out a lot and watch my diet, too.

But seriously, I think you are not eating enough. When you go that low your metabolism goes into starvation mode and slows way down so you can't lose anything! Even at 5' you should probably be eating at least 1200 calories, IMHO. Good luck. I have a scary feeling that the belly is just part of the experience. I hate it.

Thanks for responding, at least I know I am not the only one having this problem. I see what your saying about the low cal intake though if I eat anymore the results are worse. I'm going to try to take another type of hormone maybe estratest is not for me. After that if there are no results, I am getting plastic surgery. Can't live like this. Thanks for your support!

Hi Jessica, and

We're happy you joined the Hyster Sisters community. I have taken Estratest since my surgery a year-and-a-half ago, and during that time I have lost over 25 pounds. I lost weight by reducing my daily caloric intake and by walking three miles a day.

Don't give up on dieting and exercising! You need to be a little patient. If you're like me, it can take months to notice any results. Also, my abdomen was swollen for nearly a year. It took a while for the "swelly belly" to gradually go away.

I hope that you will continue practicing healthy eating habits and regular physical activity. I think you will start to see some positive results if you keep at it.

Best Wishes and Many s to You!

Thank you for your message! Boy this site is really great. Now I see you have listed other medications besides estratest. Do you or anyone out there feel that I should only be on estratest is that enough after a total hysterectomy, is this the protocol? I have felt swollen in my belly that is true. I won't stop exercising I will give it more, just never saw anything like this, 3 weeks of jogging/cardio and not one pound lost. I have heard about women loosing weight after hyst. and have just thought I am the other group of women who gain. I surely will keep at it after reading your message. Thanks so much!

You might find these articles interesting and helpful: Weight and HRT and Weight and Menopause.

For something fun, check out the forum of this site called Hysteritaville -- the Safari Resort and Fitness Center. There's a lot of good information there as well. Plus, there's a daily thread in the B.E.S.T. section. B.E.S.T. stands for Better Eaters Support Team. It's a great place to read and post!

Some women do find that the estrogen in Estratest isn't enough and do supplement it with an additional estrogen. Are you on Estratest FS (full strength which is 1.25mg estrogen) or HS (half strength which is 0.625)?

You can check the Books We Recommend category in our Resources Database. There are a couple of diet books there that might be of interest.

Good luck!

s

While I didn't gain weight after the hyst, I couldn't lose an ounce either. It was very frustrating and no matter what I did the weight would not budge. After awhile, I'd lose a few pounds and they would come right back. Not to mention the fact that I noticed my hips were getting bigger and my waist expanded. This without gaining any weight.

Finally after about a year or so, I think my body finally adjusted to this stuff called menopause. Gradually my waist and hips seem to shift back, although not totally, to its former positions and I was able to shed some of the extra pounds I had put on before the hyst.

The articles Donna pointed you to are very informative and helpful. I think for me, the weight was more of my body adjusting, if it continues it may be from a hormonal imbalance, whether it be from too much or too little. Either way can cause weight gain. It's not always necessarily from the hormones themselves. I think that's a common misconception about weight gain and menopause.

You may also want to check in with the doc as unexplained weight gain can sometimes be a sign of a thyroid imbalance.

Another factor to take in consideration is mucsle weighs 3x's more than fat and the more your working out turning fat cells into mucsle you won't see it on the scale. I would do the cardo, in moderation, and keep the diet steady 6 meals a day, carbs earlier in the day for energy, late and it stores in fat cells. Check out Muscle and fitness and I found their dieting methods to do wonders. Every thing will run faster and your body will be sensitive to the muscle building because of the testostrone in the estratest. I don't know how your frame was to begin with wether you will put on muscle here or there more. Me, I had to watch not to let my leg muscles get to big and worked my back more. You look into the basics of body building,( and you don't have to want to look like the next Ms. Olympia ) and you'll learn a lot about scupting the body, Good Luck, The weight gain is good on the scales is not so bad as long as you are gaining muscle..KIM

Thank you both for your replies! I can't belive the support system here, it's great. I can talk to my friends and they are more than willing to listen though they have not had hysterectomies so they have little to no answers, but here is different. Just reading the replies here has made such a difference truely. I do notice I look somewhat better in my clothing even though I am not loosing any weight that has been my only motivation to continue diet/exercise. After reading your replies though I am even more hopeful. Seems a lot of you had the same senerio but in time it all balanced out. I suppose when I did my research before the hysterectomy, reading about side effects I took them lightly and recovery is a lot longer than I planned for. I don't know what dose I am on with estratest I will have to call the pharmacy to know, it don't say on my bottle. I am pretty sure it is a low dose because of the endo. I remember the doc. saying that. I am starting from here on out with the 6 meals a day and see how that works out. I have noticed my belly, when say I lay on my side it is not "hanging" as badly, so that is good news. Making a appointment asap to discuss my HRT with the doc. I value all your replies here, I am understanding more and more about all this. I didn't do a whole lot of research before the surgery I was just relived when the doc. asked to do one as I was desperate to end my symptoms of endo/adhesions which by the way I still have the pain. I knew I had a good chance of that but was thrilled to think the periods would cease as they were unbearable, and he coulnd't surpress them forever unless the hysterectomy was done. I'm going to stop looking at the scale so much and take out the measuring tape and compare results that way. I will look into what the store has here at this site also. Thanks ladies your awesome!