Estrogen Weight Gain

Can someone tell me what is estrogen weight gain. Would appreciate some help?
(August 1, 2011)

If the level of estrogen increases in the body, it directly affects the weight of a woman. So estrogen can be directly responsible for weight gain. Estrogen is also the hormone in the female body responsible for ovulation. It is the reason women can produce eggs and these eggs fertilize with sperm to form a baby.

Estrogen can increase due to many reasons including birth control pills and menopause.


Birth control pills add to the existing hormone in the body and increase the woman’s appetite. This, in turn, leads to weight gain. In the case of menopause, hormonal fluctuations lead to an increase in appetite and eventual weight gain. During menopause, the body rapidly produces lesser hormones to stop ovulation. Most bodies try to compensate in some way to make up for the lesser estrogen. This can lead to a slower metabolism and some weight changes.

Does bioidentical progesterone result in weight increase?

The onset of menopause or the surgical removal of the uterus in women causes hormonal imbalance and calls for hormone replace therapy (HRT). Symptoms are weight gain (due to water retention), fatigue, body aches, loss of skin elasticity and muscle tone, decreased libido, and mood swings. Estrogen and progesterone, both female hormones, are responsible for proper functioning of the female body. An imbalance of either hormone tilts the estrogen/progesterone equation.

Bioidentical progesterone made from natural herbal products is the same as the naturally occurring hormones in our body. Low progesterone tips the balance in estogen’s favour, leading to ‘estrogen dominance’. Symptoms include improper thyroid function, weight gain and loss of hair. Local application of clinically prescribed bioidentical progesterone (also called the ‘happy hormone’) will rectify the hormonal imbalance. Research shows bioidentical progesterone cream does not induce weight gain.

On the contrary, bioidentical progesterone cream induces weight loss.  Women on natural bioidentical progesterone cream experience a weight gain in the initial couple of months. This is because of increased levels of estrogen which results in water retention. Once the optimum estrogen-progesterone ratio is maintained, the body gradually starts responding to the treatment. Progesterone induces weight loss as it is responsible for burning calories easily.

Does estrogen replacement cause weight gain?

Does natural progesterone cause weight gain?

Can Low Estrogen Cause Weight Gain?

Physical and medical fatigue, dry skin and vagina, hot flashes, and joint pains are common symptoms of menopause. Some women may experience weight gain caused by low estrogen levels. This is because of the slow metabolism and limited physical activity, and, contrary to common belief, not due to ageing or lifestyle. Hormones are responsible for these bodily changes. The fat cells are the repository of estrogen in our body. The body depends on the fat to offset the decrease in estrogen levels at menopause.

As a side effect, the production of ‘male hormone’ increases, leading to male traits wherein body fat from the buttocks and thighs shifts position and accumulates around the waist. Not only do low estrogen and weight gain go hand in hand, this also leads to heart problems. Low collagen leads to drier skin, sagging tissue, and loose muscle tone. Low estrogen manifests as mood swings due to the changes of endorphins and serotonin levels in the brain. Increase in serotonin levels make the body crave for high calorie foods, resulting in more body flab.

Medical studies show there is a connection between low estrogen and weight loss. Women who are on a diet to lose weight should do so only after a thorough clinical test.