Progesterone Deficiency and Weight Loss

Loss of Progeseterone and the Estrogen-Progesterone Ratio

Beginning as early as 15 years prior to the actual cessation of menstrual periods or menopause, a progesterone deficiency begins to appear as your ovaries start decreasing their production of sex hormones.

Unlike estrogen which typically drops 40-60% during menopause, progesterone levels drop to almost zero. This results not only in low levels of progesterone, but also in an “imbalance” between these two hormones.

Both the progesterone deficiency and the estrogen - progesterone imbalance that appear during menopause have many undesirable health effects – including unintentional weight gain and difficulty losing weight.

Why A Loss of Progesterone Causes Weight Gain

• PROGESTERONE INCREASES YOUR METABOLIC RATE.
  An increased metabolic rate means you “burn” more calories at rest which, of course, helps with weight control. When your progesterone levels decline, your metabolic rate
  decreases.
  
• PROGESTERONE LOWERS INSULIN LEVELS.
  Progesterone stabilizes blood sugar and prevents the overproduction of the hormone insulin.

  Insulin is needed for sugar to get from blood stream into your body’s cells where it is used for the production of energy. But insulin also stimulates storage of fat and inhibits the body’s ability to breakdown fat and use it for energy.

  By stabilizing blood sugar levels, progesterone reduces insulin production, helping your body use and eliminate fat.

  When progesterone levels fall, insulin levels rise. High insulin levels cause your body to make fat and prevents it from breaking down fat to use as energy.
  
  

• PROGESTERONE ENHANCES THYROID HORMONE EFFECTS.
  Thyroid hormone is your body’s energy and heat regulator.

  When you develop a progesterone deficiency thyroid hormone activity declines. Low thyroid hormone activity further reduces your metabolic rate and causes fatigue.
  

• PROTESTERONE RELIEVES INSOMNIA.
  Another effect of natural progesterone, especially when taken by mouth, is that it helps people combat insomnia and improves the quality of sleep.

  Sleep enhances the production of growth hormone. Growth hormone builds muscle increases metabolic rate.

• PROGESTERONE REDUCES STRESS AND DEPRESSION.
  Natural progesterone has calming and anti-depressant effects.

  Stress inhibits weight loss by triggering emotional eating and by increasing the release of cortisol - another hormone that causes fat synthesis.

• PROGESTERONE PROMOTES FLUID BALANCE.
  Progesterone helps the body eliminate excess body fluid.

  While the weight loss that occurs as a result of improved fluid balance does not affect body fat, it does relieve swelling and bloating and makes people feel better.

  By tipping the scales in the right direction, it also helps with weight loss motivation.

  
  
  

  Natural Progesterone vs Synthetic Progesterone

  There are both synthetic and bio-identical or natural forms of progesterone and it is important to distinguish between the two.

  “Bio-identical” or natural progesterone is obtained from plants and has the same chemical structure as progesterone produced by the human body.

  Synthetic progesterone, also known as "progestin" , has a chemical structure that is different than the progesterone your body makes.

  The effects of natural progesterone are very different from the effects of progestin. This is why it is important to use only natural progesterone – not progestin.

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