The Relationship Between Progesterone And Weight Gain (Or Loss)

Symptoms Of Progesterone Weight Gain

Low progesterone levels can lead to stubborn weight gain and interfere with different parts of your systemic health, including mental and sexual health. If you have any of the following symptoms, low progesterone may be to blame:

• Irregular periods
• Abnormal PMS symptoms
• Low libido
• Hot flashes
• Acne
• Migraines
• Frequent headaches
• Mood swings
• Anxiety, depression
• Irritability
• Trouble sleeping
• Infertility

Check out my high-quality Brain-Adrenal Balancer supplement that supports both mental health and hormonal health, since they’re so inextricably linked!

Symptoms Of Weight Loss Due To Progesterone

Weight loss and weight gain are both signs of too much progesterone, but you can also experience the following:

• Fatigue
• Bloating
• Water retention, swelling
• Anxiety, depression
• Low libido

In general, high progesterone levels are less common than low progesterone and are usually the result of hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or birth control pills. Also, if you have polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), you may produce less progesterone but require more of it. (7, 8)

Can You Lose Weight While Taking Progesterone?

If low progesterone levels are contributing to high body weight, taking progesterone supplements may help reduce fat cells and overall weight.

However, consult your healthcare provider about testing before starting any new supplement. Doing HRT when your levels are normal can lead to hormonal imbalance, excess fat storage, and a slew of unsavory symptoms.

Read More: Common Types Of Hormone Imbalances

Testing Your Levels

Because your unique levels of progesterone strongly influence whether you need to take progesterone supplements for healthy weight management, testing your progesterone levels is the first step to knowing if you need additional progesterone.

A healthcare professional will start diagnosing you by establishing a comprehensive health history and asking about potential root causes of abnormal progesterone levels. An imbalance of progesterone can be caused by chronic stress, age, lack of ovulation, thyroid hormone problems, and nutrient deficiencies.

Blood, saliva, and urine labs can test progesterone levels. In functional medicine diagnostics, we prefer saliva testing. Testing your saliva provides a more precise picture of hormone levels over a longer period of time. It can also measure the ratio of progesterone to estrogen, which is important for overall hormone balance.

Blood tests can be useful to measure progesterone levels during a specific point in the menstrual cycle, while urine tests can measure overall hormone metabolites.

Progesterone levels fluctuate throughout menstruation, so testing at the appropriate time is crucial for accurate results. A functional medicine practitioner can help determine the best testing method and timing based on an individual's unique needs and symptoms.

LISTEN: Hormone Hacks + Menstrual Cycle Balance (Ask Me Anything)

Synthetic Vs. Bioidentical

I’m a functional doctor, so I have to mention the benefits of bioidentical hormones over synthetic hormones.

Man-made synthetic progesterone may not match the hormones in your body, while bioidentical progesterone sourced from nature should better meld with your current biochemistry, promoting whole-body wellness and reducing potential synthetic progesterone side effects.

Mainstream evidence is limited that the effects of progesterone are different when using synthetic versus bioidentical hormone therapy. But it stands to reason that supplementing deficient hormones with exogenous hormones that match what’s already in your body is preferable for a more natural approach to hormone health.

Tips For Supporting Hormone Health

Thankfully, there are ways to naturally promote healthy progesterone levels. While you may need more targeted support, you can easily implement these tips into your daily routine without a complete lifestyle overhaul.

1. Eat More Healthy Fats

Increase your dietary fat intake if you are struggling with losing weight. It might seem like the opposite of what you should do, right? But that couldn’t be further from the truth. Marketing fat as fattening is the greatest marketing stunt from the carb and sugar industry.

See, cholesterol is responsible for synthesizing pregnenolone for your body to produce progesterone. Recent studies have found that regular consumption of healthy fats can help increase progesterone levels and in turn, help put you on the path to a healthy weight. (9, 10)

2. Supplements

There are several dietary supplements that can support your journey to healthy progesterone levels, including:

• Magnesium: Studies have found that adequate magnesium levels are necessary to keep estrogen levels in check to avoid low progesterone due to estrogen dominance. (11)
• Vitamin B6: This vitamin is necessary for estrogen metabolism and keeping progesterone levels in check. (12)
• Vitamin C: Studies have found that supplementing with Vitamin C was able to increase progesterone levels by 77%. (13)
• Chaste tree berry: A popular supplement for balancing progesterone, chasteberry has been shown to boost low progesterone production. (14)

3. Alleviate Stress

Chronic stress and high cortisol levels can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones in the body, including inhibiting progesterone production.

Incorporating stress reduction techniques such as meditation, yoga, going outside, and breathwork can help lower stress levels and support healthy hormone balance.

4. Daily Movement

Regular exercise has been shown to help regulate hormone levels, including progesterone, and offers a bunch of other overall well-being benefits.

If you are new to exercising regularly, I recommend starting off slow with 30 minutes of low-impact movement a day, like walking or yoga.

5. Get Adequate Sleep

Sleep is essential for your body’s hormone production. Aim to get 7-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep every night, which should improve your overall wellness and support healthy progesterone production.

READ NOW: The Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Sleep, According To A Functional Medicine Doctor 

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