Hi doctor,I am 59 years old. I had a hysterectomy before 20 years. Now, I am having difficulty losing weight. I am afraid of following the strict diet as I suffer from osteoporosis. I do not take medicine but take calcium, vitamin D and magnesium supplement. I am eating clean but not able to lose weight.I did a thyroid test and it is good according to the range. I have also performed a hormone test but the result is very strange maybe you can help me to understand from what I am deficient. Here are my result, E2 66.4 pg/ml, progesterone 0.81 ng/ml and total testosterone 0.25 ng/ml. Please help me.
Hi. Once you cross 50 years, your body is into menopause. So, even the remaining ovarian female hormones start falling. When you have a hysterectomy, they remove the uterus and blood flow to ovaries also reduced, so ovary which was supposed to work till the 50s may stop at 45 or so. By this time you start putting on weight, and your calcium level starts lowering, as you have lost the protection of estrogen hormone from ovaries. Once lost calcium cannot be regained. Now let us get to what we can do. Active aging is advised. It means to try to be as busy as possible. At least walk for 30-45 minutes per day, if possible longer. Never stop any work which you have usually been doing. You may not be able to restart again. Try to keep your mind and body busy with whatever you like, such as painting, singing, playing, etc. There are certain yogas for elderly and those with osteoarthritis. Never overdo. Try to increase gradually. Before and after the exercise have some heat at the joints of pain like a heating pad or dip in the warm water with two handfuls of salt in it. This will relax the joints, and you can move better. Now about diet, have a well-balanced diet. Avoid junk food, red meat, sweets as far as possible. Have plenty of fruits and vegetables, oats, corn flakes and milk daily after removing the cream. Having anything which is raw is safe. Avoid fried items, chocolates, and snacks between meals. Never do fasting. This will only make you weaker and lose the necessary nutrients. Never try to lose weight with medicines. These medicines also deprive you of many vitamins and proteins and lower your immunity, cause hair fall and unhealthy skin. Do not unnecessarily spoil your head with the hormone tests. You are fine. If you had started weight reduction at a younger age, you could have just maintained it. It is not late; you can still do it. Just tell yourself that you are healthy and just improve health the way I have mentioned. Keep having calcium medications; they will not allow a further fall in calcium. All the best.