Menopause and weight loss

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mskurski
mskurski Posts: 31 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
ladies, I know some of you may say TMI. But this is life and reality. When we go through the change, I am finding it harder to get these pounds off. It took me a week to get 1 pound off. There was a time, 9 yrs ago to be exact, I lost 65 lbs in 4 months w/out a lot of effort. Now I am staying w/in my diet, i excercise everyday and drink tons of water... But yet it takes a week to loose 1 lb? Anyone that is that time of life having this problem? Or is it my body punishing me Cuz I had it too easy before? Lol
Any suggestions to help get my metabolism going faster? I eat lots of protein already.
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Replies

  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
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    1 Lb in a week is great. I aim for .5 lb a week. I'm in menopause, workout a lot and have gone down 9 lbs since Feb 16 (that's with a couple of "bad" weeks in the beginning included). I also started weight training 4x/wk 2 weeks ago. My clothes are getting looser, so I try not to focus on the scale. It can deflate me if I focus on that. I found that enjoying the process is inportant, so I make it as fun as possible. Best of luck to you.
  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
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    Also, you may want to open your diary to get more help.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Losing weight has always been an effort for me. Just new to menopause, I am interested how things will change. From what I read the fat tends to congregate in the belly. I am still losing but like you, slowly.
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    uvi5 wrote: »
    Also, you may want to open your diary to get more help.

    What do you mean open diary? I thought it was? What do I do to change that?
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    Ok.. Thanks guys. Hopefully this is temp and will change in time. I am happy it's loosing, jist seems a lot more effort.
  • dianediaz
    dianediaz Posts: 53 Member
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    Well, I'll be 49 in July and I'm perimenopausal and I can tell you you're not crazy. It actually is more difficult to get weight off and keep it off. I've noticed all sorts of changes in my body as I've gotten older and how much harder it is to stay in shape.

    I will say that one thing that helps is to add strength training. As you age you lose muscle mass, which can be problematic because having more lean muscle helps to burn more calories. So by adding strength training you can add lean muscle and help out your overall metabolism. I also have noticed through personal experience that I have to be much much cleaner and stricter with my eating. By cutting out processed foods you'll make it easier for your body to maintain consistency with how it uses fuel. Increasing protein intake also helps to maintain the lean muscle mass, which, again, helps the metabolism.

    I also suggest cutting back on caffeine. As you age caffeine impacts hormones negatively and makes everything just more all over the place. Caffeine can also increase your level of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can make your body hold onto fat.

    Anyway, just some information from my own personal experience. Hope it helps. I feel like my body is a science experiment sometimes. :smiley:
  • dianediaz
    dianediaz Posts: 53 Member
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    Also, I agree that making your diary public would allow others to provide feedback. Just go to "home", then "setting", then "diary settings" and you'll see an option to make it public instead of private. I'm not a nutritionist by any stretch of the imagination, but I would be happy to review your diary and offer some thoughts.
  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
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    dianediaz wrote: »
    Well, I'll be 49 in July and I'm perimenopausal and I can tell you you're not crazy. It actually is more difficult to get weight off and keep it off. I've noticed all sorts of changes in my body as I've gotten older and how much harder it is to stay in shape.

    I will say that one thing that helps is to add strength training. As you age you lose muscle mass, which can be problematic because having more lean muscle helps to burn more calories. So by adding strength training you can add lean muscle and help out your overall metabolism. I also have noticed through personal experience that I have to be much much cleaner and stricter with my eating. By cutting out processed foods you'll make it easier for your body to maintain consistency with how it uses fuel. Increasing protein intake also helps to maintain the lean muscle mass, which, again, helps the metabolism.

    I also suggest cutting back on caffeine. As you age caffeine impacts hormones negatively and makes everything just more all over the place. Caffeine can also increase your level of cortisol, the stress hormone, which can make your body hold onto fat.

    Anyway, just some information from my own personal experience. Hope it helps. I feel like my body is a science experiment sometimes. :smiley:

    Excellent tips! "science experiment" I feel this way as well. I started strength training 2 weeks ago. I'm so happy I did :smiley:
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    By strength training, are we speaking lifting weights?
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    It's Now public. It was on just friends
  • NanBoh
    NanBoh Posts: 3 Member
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    I'm 56, post menopause, and I've lost 55 pounds since 9/2/14 (almost to goal). CICO, lower carbs , brisk walking. Nothing fancy. For too many years before this I told myself age made it too hard. Once I set my mind to it, my body followed suit. Be patient and best of luck to you.
  • uvi5
    uvi5 Posts: 710 Member
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    mskurski wrote: »
    By strength training, are we speaking lifting weights?

    For me, yes
  • shelmac
    shelmac Posts: 82 Member
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    I am taking HRT and I am losing weight very slowly. I definatley think its harder to lose now. If I do one pound a week Im chuffed. Will plod on slowly lol x
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
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    Yeah, weight control is definitely harder for me at this point. I easily controlled my weight for the first 40 years (m/l) of my life. I'm sure it's partly lifestyle, but that wouldn't explain it all. And OMG the water weight fluctuations!! It makes it very hard to even tell when/if I'm losing fat.

    I agree that strength training is important (it doesn't have to be weights, but it needs to be something) to prevent losing muscle and bone density. Aerobic exercise is also important as well as flexibility and balance. It doesn't have to hours a day, but it should be a few hours each week.

    But, it is what it is. I have to work harder at it now, so I do.
  • DaneanP
    DaneanP Posts: 433 Member
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    Harder but not impossible. I agree with the recommendations to incorporate strength training. CICO is definitely working for me. I told myself my days of losing weight were over now that I hit 50 and am definitely in the change. I'm so happy I didn't listen to myself and let the fear take over. 15 pounds down since January - and yes, I'm happy with slow and steady. Maybe it is just our mindset that needs to change. Dropping weight fast isn't the way to do it.
  • babetoto
    babetoto Posts: 3 Member
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    I am 64 and have always been small 5'3" and around 120 lbs as a young adult, but as a mature woman it is a constant struggle. Last year I found myself at 145. I lost 15 lbs for my daughters wedding in July. The loss was over an 8 month period. I did it using MFP, weights, walking, swimming and a little yoga. I only put in 30 min per day about 5 days per week and it worked for me, but seemed very slow compared to the way my body used to be. I have now gained 7 back, but am back on track. Weight loss at this stage is certainly a marathon, not a sprint. Speaking of that, I used to be a runner, but now can only walk due to hip and knee aches and pains. I don't like what my body is becoming, but I keep telling myself to consider the alternative of not being here. :'(
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
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    I am 5 years post menopause and I am actually finding it easier to lose. Yes, it is going a little slower, but I am not as hungry and I haven't been getting the cravings I used to get since I am not getting the hormone cycles any more.
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    DaneanP wrote: »
    Harder but not impossible. I agree with the recommendations to incorporate strength training. CICO is definitely working for me. I told myself my days of losing weight were over now that I hit 50 and am definitely in the change. I'm so happy I didn't listen to myself and let the fear take over. 15 pounds down since January - and yes, I'm happy with slow and steady. Maybe it is just our mindset that needs to change. Dropping weight fast isn't the way to do it.

    Please forgive me, but what is CICO?
  • Mischievous_Rascal
    Mischievous_Rascal Posts: 1,791 Member
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    mskurski wrote: »
    DaneanP wrote: »
    Harder but not impossible. I agree with the recommendations to incorporate strength training. CICO is definitely working for me. I told myself my days of losing weight were over now that I hit 50 and am definitely in the change. I'm so happy I didn't listen to myself and let the fear take over. 15 pounds down since January - and yes, I'm happy with slow and steady. Maybe it is just our mindset that needs to change. Dropping weight fast isn't the way to do it.

    Please forgive me, but what is CICO?

    Calories in, calories out. May I ask your stats? I just checked out your diary and a calorie goal of 750 is dangerously low for almost everybody. That will mess with a whole lot of things, including your hormones - which are crazy enough with menopause. And hormones play a part in how your body regulates everything, including weight loss.

  • NanBoh
    NanBoh Posts: 3 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    but I am not as hungry and I haven't been getting the cravings I used to get since I am not getting the hormone cycles any more.

    This is a great observation--being past the mood swings of TOM and the water weight gain associated, helps make it all seem smoother going, even if a little slow.

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