Fat stores estrogen. It also creates
estrogen. That's why fat men take on such a feminine look and why
fat women have a higher incidence of breast cancer.
In the twenty years I've been on hormones, I've had occasion to be on a
diet more than once. I've discovered a few things that might be of
interest.
When I diet, the fat dissolves and releases extra estrogen into my
system. As we all know, estrogen has both physical and
mental/emotional effects. Though I keep my hormone doses steady,
the extra estrogen causes such physical effects as tender breasts
and water retention, and such mental/emotional effects as become a
little less focused and an increased sense of general well being.
This is also accompanied by a more feminine sense of self in an
emotional context.
In fact, if I want to stay in a more logical state of mind, I have to
lower my hormone regimen to compensate for the extra levels from the
fat. Or, I can just keep the levels steady and ride the high.
If you are on high enough doses of estrogen as a regular regimen, you
may not notice any difference when losing weight. But for me, at
age 56, I try to keep my dosages at the minimum level necessary to keep
the positive physical effects going and maintain a healthy mental
balance. So, I use the "estrogen boost" as a reward for
a good day's dieting. If I get hungry enough between meals, fat
dissolves, I feel great, and it encourages me to keep losing weight.
Melanie Anne Phillips
