Menopause - midsection

goblvic

I am at that dreaded point that I've heard so much about. I have cut down on carbs and sugars along with alcohol consumption. I have not eliminated them completely but I have made drastic improvement. I am also exercising (mostly walking) 4-5 times a week. I am seeing very little success. Does anyone have other ideas of things to try?

DemoraFairy

Well, considering you're on a calorie counting website, the first question is going to be have you tried counting your calories?

HSDramamom

I've been there for the last couple of years...ugh. Somehow it snuck up on me and I got so mad at myself that I was not keeping a check on my weight while the pounds crept on. I used to weigh myself fairly regularly to keep a check on my weight, but for some reason I abandoned doing that for a long enough period of time so that when I finally stepped on the scale again, I was flabbergasted!!!! Never had I put on weight in my waist...my thighs had typically been my problem area.

I first thought cutting back on some of the "bad foods" would help...NOT. I then tried (and tried again!) low carb eating, as that had been my "go to" weight loss method from years back. It did not work this time.

The good news is that keeping a food journal showed me much more clearly how the calories were adding up. I finally lost 11-12 pounds from mid-Februray through the end of May and a lot of it was lost from my upper waist area. I still have another 18 pounds I want to lose...much of it in my lower waist area. I got lazy in my food journaling over the last month, so I've been stagnant, but with the start of a new month, I'm going to again be more dedicated to the proven food journaling. It's kind of a pain and tedious, but it worked! I'll have to keep reminding myself of that.

Another thing that motivated me was when someone mentioned to me the mantra that is often heard but I think rarely believed, "80% of weight loss is about your diet, 20% is about your exercise." So that's why I hadn't had much success with losing weight even when I had been walking regularly--and I wasn't strolling...I was pumping my arms and legs with fast walking, but the weight was not budging then. Watching my calorie intake opened my eyes a lot.

goblvic

Thank you for your input. I do log everything (and have for years). Although, until the last month I must admit, I had gotten lazy. I have cut alot and have seen little success. I think part of the frustration I feel is it has been very easy for me to lose weight in the past. Menopause has changed that drastically as that is not longer the case. My patience is being tested. I guess I can look at it as a good thing because it will force healthy eating as a way of life for me at ALL times.

islandgirl3333

Just a suggestion get your thyroid checked. That was my problem. Once my thyroid was properly regulated I was able to loose weight again after/during menopause