Getting rid of excessive belly fat while keeping my hair

by Denny
(Tampa, Florida)

Although I've lost 94 pounds and am now at 146 pounds, I look like I'm 9 months pregnant!! I've been losing everywhere but my stomach. Does this mean I'm estrogren dominant?

I had an ooferectomy (ovaries and uterus removed) due to endometrial cancer. I wasn't a candidate for hormone replacement therapy because of varicose veins and a chance of blood clots.

I heard that someone in my situation should be taking progesterone creme. So I started on 20 mg (metered pump) of natural progesterone twice a day of Progesta-Care by Life-flo. I'm also taking DIM to help balance out my hormones. What do you think about taking DIM with the yam creme?

Regarding the Progesterone creme, I'm concerned about the dosage. It may not be enough to overcome the androgen effect. I've already lost a lot of hair and I'm beginning to get a lot of cravings which I haven't experienced in the past 6 months.

I wonder if the absorption rate of the natural yam is more potent than that of a synthetic progesterone which would account for the low dosage of 20 mg.

Please advise.

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Getting rid of excessive belly fat while keeping my hair

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Nov 26, 2011
 I thought I was healthy and normal
by: Anonymous

Does anyone have any suggestions.....I exercise and try and eat right but my belly feels so bloated all the time and my hair at the top of my head is very thin.
Nov 26, 2011
 You'll Be Fine!
by: CamperKat

First off, congratulations on that incredible weight loss!! 94 lbs. is a HUGE amount of weight to lose--that is 40% of your body weight, which is just remarkable.

I have lost 47 lbs. in the past year, and I can tell you that I, too, have some belly fat that just isn't going away--but I have not been able to exercise, so that has something to do with it. You don't say if you exercise or not. Secondly, women keep belly fat like "white on rice"...it's the last fat to go, per Mother Nature. Various nutritionists/MDs etc. will tell you different things about how to get rid of overall body fat, but they will almost all tell you that the only way to lose belly fat is to not consume excessive amounts of carbohydrates, even the "complex" ones that some say are good for you, like whole grains. Basically to lose belly fat, one should only consume the carbs that come in vegetables or fruits, and avoid crackers, all cereal grains (even the "good for you" oatmeal) bread (except for an occasional sourdough bread, which is basically fermented and therefore is processed differently than whole grain bread). Load up on veggies and fruits to get your filled up feeling--and try Chia powder--the sprouted kind made by Navitas (on Amazon) which is filling, loaded with fiber, protein and is carb-neutral--add 3 TBs to 6 oz. of warm almond milk splashed with vanilla, let it puff up and absorb the milk--and you have a thick, delicious smoothie that is full of calcium and other goodies.

RE: progesterone cream, the Progesta-Care brand you are using is good, although it does have some estrogenic preservatives in it--but you are not using enough, as you suspected. 40mg per day will do nothing but stimulate an estrogen response, and make you feel crappy--hence your hair loss and cravings. I had the same problem. Immediately up your dosage to at least 100mg per day. I use 120 mg per day, split over 3 doses because my body needs dosing more frequently vs. the 2x per day. Read more throughout this website, as Wray Whyte repeatedly advises people to up their dose. Do not worry about using too much--you can't. The worst thing that could happen is that you might get sleepy--and most of us have trouble sleeping anyway. But by using just 40mg, you are in a continuous estrogen-dominance cycle, so you are correct in thinking your dose is too low.

...out of room, will continue on 2nd posting...
Nov 26, 2011
 Part 2, You'll Be Fine!
by: CamperKat

RE: synthetic progesterone vs. natural yam...you are confused here. The only synthetic is "progestin", a man-made hormone creation that is molecularly similar to natural progesterone that is created to be different so the medication can be patented. You see, you can't patent a natural hormone or ingredient. Only real, bio-identical natural progesterone can be called progesterone--the fake stuff is "progestin". All bio-identical progesterone is synthesized from soybeans or from yam--yes, this process involves some laboratory magic, but the end result is progesterone that is identical to human progesterone and which your body recognizes as genuine. Wild yam cream is not progesterone cream--it is just yam cream. You must process the yam to make it into progesterone cream. The progesterone in Progesta-Care, Dr. John Lee's cream, Source Naturals, Emerita's Progest--and Natpro, which is sold here--is all bio-identical progesterone cream. One or two of these products may additionally have yam cream in them as an ingredient, but they all have USP progesterone cream, too.

RE: absorption...I have explained that you are already using natural progesterone cream, but the reason they suggest the 20mg per dose is because that is what Dr. John Lee suggested in his books WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT BREAST CANCER and WHAT YOUR DOCTOR MAY NOT TELL YOU ABOUT MENOPAUSE. But he passed 9 years ago, and there has been much study and progress since then--much of it by Wray Whyte, who makes Natpro and who is gracious enough to run this Q&A website. You need much more cream than what Dr. Lee suggested, but these other manufacturers still only suggest what he did. Natpro has twice the amount of progesterone as the creams I mentioned--so using 1/4 teaspoon gives you 40mg per dose, vs. the others which give you just 20mg per 1/4 teaspoon. Wray makes Natpro with the higher percentage of progesterone because she knows that we actually require higher amounts than what Dr. Lee stated.

Hope this is of help, and continued good luck to you.
Nov 26, 2011
 Getting rid of excessive belly fat while keeping my hair
by: Wray

Hi Denny The progestins are more potent than progesterone. The low dosage is the one normally recommended. I find it's far too low to have much effect, and recommend 100-200mg/day, more if symptoms are severe. 20-40mg/day is enough to stimulate oestrogen in most women, but not enough to make progesterone the dominant hormone. Abdominal fat is caused in part by testosterone, see here and here. Removing the ovaries removes our major source of progesterone, but fat cells continue to make oestrogen. I suggest you increase the amount of progesterone you're using, but please read our page on Oestrogen Dominance first. Oestrogen is broken down into 2 principle metabolites, 2-hydroxyestrone (2-OHE1) and 16-alpha hydroxyestrone (16alpha-OHE1). 16alpha-OHE1 is regarded as a potent oestrogen, whereas 2-OHE1 is a weak oestrogen. DIM increases levels of 2-OHE1, by doing so it also increases the ratio of 2-OHE1:16alpha-OHE1. This increased ratio is associated with a lower risk for breast cancer, see here. Other studies have found a protective role too. Any natural substance which reduces the potency of oestrogen is to my mind worth taking. Please have a vitamin D test done, a lack of this nutrient causes weight gain and hair loss. For more info on testing etc see the Vitamin D Council, GrassrootsHealth Birmingham Hospital and Vitamin D Links websites. Blood levels should be 70-100ng/ml or 175-250nmol/L and not the 30ng/ml or 75nmol/L most labs and doctors regard as adequate. And the minimum daily dose should be 5000iu's per day, although the latest research indicates it should be 10,000iu's per day, see here. Take care Wray
Nov 28, 2011
 Testosterone levels
by: Anonymous

So Wray, how can you lower testosterone levels?
Nov 30, 2011
 Testosterone levels
by: Wray

Hi there Progesterone lowers testosterone levels, as it increases SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin), see here. The amounts used in the study were very high, but they used oral progesterone, which is not the best Delivery system. With low levels of SHBG free testosterone rises, this is the metabolically active hormone. If it's bound to SHBG it becomes inactive. Fructose, sucrose and glucose cause SHBG to drop by 80, 50 and 40% respectively, see here. It's essential to avoid all sugars, including those hidden in grains, legumes and sweet starchy fruit and veggies. Just as CamperKat says. Take care Wray
Dec 01, 2011
 You'll Be Fine!
by: Wray

Wow CamperKat! A wonderful explanation, thank you for sparing the time to do it, it really helps me and others too. Take care Wray

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