Diet for Someone on Estrogen Therapy Because of Weight Gain

According to the medical site Medline Plus, estrogen therapy, commonly known as hormone replacement therapy, is a procedure whereby artificial hormones are injected or otherwise introduced into the body to augment natural production, alleviating the side effects of hormone deficiencies due to menopause or other factors, including weight gain, hot flashes and a reduction in bone density. To make the most of your time on estrogen therapy for weight loss, you will want to adhere to a healthy diet--allowing your body to take full advantage of the extra estrogen by normalizing your weight as swiftly as possible.

Estrogen Therapy Diet

• Follow a low-fat, natural diet to make the most of your estrogen therapy treatment, helping your body to lose weight naturally. Consume a diet that is rich in fresh fruits, whole grains and vegetables, limiting your consumption of unhealthy items such as sugars, alcohol, processed foods and other empty calories, as these will only serve to inhibit your weight loss efforts. Be sure to pad your diet with ample amounts of lean protein, including low-fat meat, seafood and poultry, along with the inclusion of moderate amounts of soy. According to the natural health Web site HolisticOnline, soy can help to increase estrogen levels in the body, giving you an extra boost above and beyond that provided by hormone replacement therapy. Thus, you should strive to eat items containing soy protein at least two or three times per week. Sample items include tofu, mizo, soybeans and soy sauce. Limit your intake of fat to no more than 25 to 30 percent of your total daily calories, making an effort to only consume fat from natural sources like oils, nuts, seeds, fruits such as coconuts and avocados.

Weight Tracking

• Remember that the ultimate goal is to lose weight, so aim to drop one or two pounds per week by operating in a slight caloric deficit. This means consuming roughly 300 to 400 fewer calories per day than you are burning. In order to track this, you will need to track your overall caloric consumption by keeping a food log throughout the day, writing down the foods that you eat along with the calories contained therein. A food scale might also be helpful to weigh difficult to judge portions of food such as raw meats and other items that do not come in a conventional serving size. Attempt to eat roughly the same number of calories every day to make adjustments easier, and cut your daily calories further (by another 200 or so) when your weight loss plateaus.