Hi I'm New and Upset

grandma107

I went to a new "female" doctor yesterday. I am 52 years old and had an early menopause. Anyway, I exercise very regularly, both pilates and Zumba but don't seem to loose weight. Granted I am toned and have lost inches, but not weight. I normally don't pay attention to the scale but of course when you go to the doctor they put you on the scale for added depression. I know I am overweight but I also have researched and women who are menopausal have a hard time loosing weight. When I said this to my new doctor, she proceeded to tell me how she is 62 and weighs 120 pounds. I wanted to follow up with ....yeah but you are also a lot shorter than I am ..... but I kept my cool. I did not find it very polite to compare myself to her. She seemed to be a very thorough doctor but her bedside manner leaves something to be desired. In any event, she told me to start counting my calories so here I am. I am not a social media person, I don't have a Facebook or Twitter page so me going on this is a big deal for me. Is there anyone out there who is menopausal and struggles with weight loss? I appreciate your time reading this. Blessing to everyone who struggles with this. BTW my goal I to loose about 22 pounds.

MaryT9277

Hi, please don't be disheartened sounds like your doing all the right things, remember muscle weighs more than fat so the fact that you have lost inches it really positive. Its not always about what the scales say. Keep with what you are doing and you will start to see some weight loss. By using this site you may find your eating more calories than you think so adjust that and fill up on veg and you will be fine. Good luck xx

gretch4mykids

Hi grandma!! I'm a new grandma! I'm 55 years old and have 35 lbs. to lose. That doctor was rude! You're on the right track by logging your food, you will be amazed how fast the calories add up. At the same time, you will learn BEFORE YOU EAT IT, what's OK to eat and what you should stay away from. I was surprised how much better my second day was compared to my first. I became wiser overnight! It sounds like you've been active so I wouldn't worry too much about the numbers on the scale. Take your measurements and compare those. As far as menopause goes, I don't know much about it (other than no more periods!). I have no symptoms but I am expecting difficulty in losing this weight because of my slower metabolism. Good luck and again, take your measurements and compare them a few weeks from now.

jgnatca

Doctors can be such ditzes. They are also between a rock and a hard place. They are criticized for not bringing up weight because this is a health issue if resolved makes such a difference! And then if they do bring it up, they can be such dweebs about it. My doctor thought I must be doing something wrong, like drinking too much juice. No, sorry, not that simple. On the other hand he did refer me to the bariatric unit, so I am ever grateful to him for that.

I have been pari-menopausal for years, and I believe I am eleven months away from being fully menopausal. Through the bariatric program I have lost ninety pounds so far. I lost my first thirty with the help of a dietitian and calorie counting, so it can be done.

The exercise you are doing is great. I bet you feel stronger and healthier for it.

I suggest you get used to calorie counting here on MFP for a few weeks, just the logging part. Sometimes the simple act of tracking will point to areas in your daily diet that could use improving.

After a couple weeks of tracking, look at your habits and choose something to change that will, say, reduce your daily calories. Weigh yourself in a couple weeks to see if the changes had the effect you wanted. Repeat.

gerrielips

Your doc sounds like she was bragging a bit...but despite her comments, don't beat yourself up...it is harder to lose weight when you're menopausal. Has she checked your thyroid levels...blood sugar? Maybe there are some other factors going on? The beauty of MFP is the journaling so you can see where the calories, carbs, etc. are coming from and make alternative choices once you learn about options. The support from other followers of MFP is also invaluable - not everything someone else is doing is going to work for you, but reading some of the comments from others gives you insights you may not have had before. Stick with it...don't expect overnight results and you'll be fine. (Can you tell I'm also talking to myself?!?)
- p.s. I became menopausal after a hysterectomy in my late 40's - I'm 66 now. I've been struggling with my weight since the surgery.

RaspberryTickleChicken

While your physician may lack tact she is among the few I've heard who actually is bold enough to bring up weight with patients (because it is such a sensitive subject) so kudos to her but not her lack of bedside manner.

In regards to losing weight, as others have mentioned, don't be sadden by the rather unprofessional comparison imho. Instead, see it as a challenge & motivator. If you are successful think how awesome & satisfying you will feel at the next annual?

You sound active enough, HOWEVER the fact of weight loss is about 80% what & how much we consume - not so much the level of activity. Exercise helps to keep the heart healthy & glucose in check but if weight loss is the focus then you have to look at what you're fueling your body with and how much of it.

For Example:
If you are burning 250 calories in pilates OR 400 calories in zumba but you go home and have 2500 calories worth of food, there will be no weight loss if not actual weight gain. Even if you live at the gym it is highly improbable to 'out-gym' poor eating choices - especially as we get older.

And you may be VERY surprised with how much or what you are actually consuming - I know I was. The first 2 wks it was a bit of a nasty shock because I was under the impression that I was already eating 'healthy.'

SO I guess, I'd recommend to start off this journey not on a down note with your doctor's comment. Do this for you because you are worth the work that lies ahead!

Best of luck to you!

sewan86

Hi I went through the menopause 2yrs ago at 27. Cutting a long story short, for 6yrs the doc said I was depressed until my period finally stopped. In this time my weight gradually increased. Since getting on the right hrt I've lost 1.5stone and have another 2.5 to go. It's really hard to lose it but it is achievable. I'll send u a friend request. We're all in this together!

My_Butt

grandma107 wrote: »

I went to a new "female" doctor yesterday. I am 52 years old and had an early menopause. Anyway, I exercise very regularly, both pilates and Zumba but don't seem to loose weight. Granted I am toned and have lost inches, but not weight. I normally don't pay attention to the scale but of course when you go to the doctor they put you on the scale for added depression. I know I am overweight but I also have researched and women who are menopausal have a hard time loosing weight. When I said this to my new doctor, she proceeded to tell me how she is 62 and weighs 120 pounds. I wanted to follow up with ....yeah but you are also a lot shorter than I am ..... but I kept my cool. I did not find it very polite to compare myself to her. She seemed to be a very thorough doctor but her bedside manner leaves something to be desired. In any event, she told me to start counting my calories so here I am. I am not a social media person, I don't have a Facebook or Twitter page so me going on this is a big deal for me. Is there anyone out there who is menopausal and struggles with weight loss? I appreciate your time reading this. Blessing to everyone who struggles with this. BTW my goal I to loose about 22 pounds.

When I was 14 I developed 2 heart conditions that made me pass out during a track and field practice. When I went to my pediatrician, he told my mom I was overweight and that's why I have trouble running. I had competed in track for years, won medals for being a good athlete, had a normal BMI, and he had the nerve to say I was overweight before running any tests on my heart.
If you're doctor isn't a nutritionist, they should limit the advice they give you.

Zgal53

I also just went too my female doctor. I am going thru menopause at this time, I am 54. The weight seems to pile on faster than usual. I have back issues and have had two surgerys lower L5/S1 area of my back. I have too take it easy when exercising. I started a blog on the site which will help each morning. I will exercise, have breakfast and than sit down and write on my blog how I am doing. I am looking for any suggestions from the ones that have lost and how they did it.

Here we go on this incredible journey. Stay in touch and add me too your friends list!

MarciBkonTrk

First of all kudos to the fact that you are exercising regularly, are toned, and have lost inches. You are developing good habits and your body is responding. I pay more attention to the inches lost than I do the scale. I have heard people say "muscle weighs more than fat!" Which is an absolute fallacy as a pound is a pound is a pound. But a pound of muscle is so much smaller than a pound of fat...



I went into menopause very early. I was only 32 and had to have a hysterectomy. Long story too! My surgeon left my ovaries but warned me that if one part of the reproductive system is gone or malfunctions then the whole system could be affected. I didn't experience it right away but about a year after I started having symptoms of menopause. At that time it didn't affect my weight. I'm now 51 years old and periodically experience symptoms. And I have found it harder to lose weight but I believe that persistence will pay off. I work on this everyday now because I know that I have to make this a lifestyle change. It's not a temporary once I hit my goal I can go back to my old eating habits.

Now on to your physician. Yes, it is a good thing that she discussed weight with you. It's the way she did it. I am a nurse and I know how doctors can be but her behavior was unprofessional. Doctors take an oath, "First, do no harm." Making you feel bad about your weight is causing harm. It's already put up a wall between you and her. So I say, put it in high gear and when go back to her (if you go back to her), you'll have the last laugh!!!

And I agree with the others who have advised you to log everything you eat. I lost a lot of weight and weighed/measured/logged everything I ate and drank. When I stopped doing that I gained some weight back. In January I made a commitment to myself to get back down to my ideal weight range. When I first started I used a log sheet that accounted for every minute of the day. This was before MFP had a phone app. I logged every single morsel I ate and everything I did physically and sedentary (even sleeping). Wow was that a shock. I too thought "Oh I am eating so healthy and getting in some good physical activity." When I compared the calories in versus the calories out, I did not have much of a deficit and some days actually had more going in than coming out. When you become aware of everything you are eating and your physical activity you will be able to get a better handle on losing weight and making every day a deficit day. If you want me to send you the log sheet, let me know and I will.

Good luck with your journey and stay in touch here. There are some really great people on this site who will cheer you on and offer good advice. I believe that the more support you have the better you will do.