Menopause and weight loss

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pennie29
pennie29 Posts: 7 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I think menopause effects even dieting , who has some advice. Walking 2 -3 miles a day doing bleachers daily .
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  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    MFP has a menopause group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group
  • pennie29
    pennie29 Posts: 7 Member
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    Thank you
  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    This is the most weight I've ever lost - and I'm done with menopause. So...I don't think that excuse is gonna work.
  • pennie29
    pennie29 Posts: 7 Member
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    Advice not criticism was asked for not making excuses . I just know my body is working diff that it used to be . Maybe I shouldn't have made a post
  • goldthistime
    goldthistime Posts: 3,214 Member
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    pennie29 wrote: »
    Advice not criticism was asked for not making excuses . I just know my body is working diff that it used to be . Maybe I shouldn't have made a post

    Mine is too. I'm not sure exactly what it is. Maybe I have less tolerance for feeling hungry. But it's much harder to drop weight than it has ever been in the past.

  • vivmom2014
    vivmom2014 Posts: 1,647 Member
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    No, I don't mean it as criticism at all. It just sorta galls me that menopause is "sold" to women as a giant drag... everything dries up and slows down, yada yada. I bought into that for a while, but then I just decided not to. A whole lot of it is mental.

    As long as you eat at a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight. It will work. Adding exercise to earn more calories (and just feel great) is a worthwhile pursuit.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    pennie29 wrote: »
    I think menopause effects even dieting , who has some advice. Walking 2 -3 miles a day doing bleachers daily .

    I lost my 44 pounds while in menopause (doctor confirmed) and had no trouble at all. I weighed and logged everything I was eating, as well as exercise, and made sure I stayed in a calorie deficit most of the time.

    You can exercise all you want, but if you are not eating at a calorie you will not lose weight.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
    edited August 2015
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    vivmom2014 wrote: »
    No, I don't mean it as criticism at all. It just sorta galls me that menopause is "sold" to women as a giant drag... everything dries up and slows down, yada yada. I bought into that for a while, but then I just decided not to. A whole lot of it is mental.

    As long as you eat at a calorie deficit, you'll lose weight.

    ^This. I'm 47 and have Hashimoto's (autoimmune thyroid disease). You can do this.

    Set your goal to .5 lb. for every 25 lbs. you're overweight, and learn to log everything you eat & drink accurately & honestly. Logging works.
    SLLRunner wrote: »
    You can exercise all you want, but if you are not eating at a deficit you will not lose weight.

    ^This. Exercise for fitness; log to lose weight.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    edited August 2015
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    I am 5 years post menopause and this is the easiest time I have ever had losing weight. Yes, it is coming off a little slower but I no longer have the hormones cycling through my body with the accompanying weight fluctuations and cravings. Yay for menopause!

    I also love being in that stage of life where I am too old to need sanitary protection but too young to need incontinence protection. One aisle at the store I need never go down!

    58841349.png
  • suruda
    suruda Posts: 1,233 Member
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    I think at this age (51) I have to be super careful with my eating. Log every ounce and bite and stay under my calories for the day. Where I spend those calories makes a difference too...lean proteins, fruits and veggies do best for me. I love to exercise but I won't lose a pound without tracking what I eat.
  • madkcole
    madkcole Posts: 110 Member
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    Pennie- Everyone is different. I think menopause can affect the rate at which you can lose weight. It took me a full month of weighing, measuring and counting every calorie that went into my mouth before I saw the scale move. I think what helped me was increasing my water intake and choosing healthier carbs such as vegetables. Medications may be a factor too.
  • madkcole
    madkcole Posts: 110 Member
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    suruda wrote: »
    I think at this age (51) I have to be super careful with my eating. Log every ounce and bite and stay under my calories for the day. Where I spend those calories makes a difference too...lean proteins, fruits and veggies do best for me. I love to exercise but I won't lose a pound without tracking what I eat.

    Well said!
  • madkcole
    madkcole Posts: 110 Member
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    One more thing. Another thing that helped me was eating less salty foods. Women have a tendency to retain water and for me the older I get the more I battle that. Good luck to you. Keep on keeping on!
  • rosebette
    rosebette Posts: 1,659 Member
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    Menopause does slow down the metabolism. You can lose weight and be fit, but you must be more mindful about everything you eat because your body doesn't burn calories as quickly it did when you were younger. I've been able to maintain a decent weight, but in my younger days, I could drop 5 lbs. by giving up dessert for a week. Now, I can eat dessert only once a week, and then I might see a gain.
  • daniwilford
    daniwilford Posts: 1,030 Member
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    Menopause effects the body in many ways that can make weight loss more difficult, with sleep disturbances and slowing metabolism. It also has some real benefits like no water weight gains with TOM. In the end it all comes down to CICO and I am living proof that it works in menopause and the calculations predicting weight loss have been very accurate.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited August 2015
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    rosebette wrote: »
    Menopause does slow down the metabolism. You can lose weight and be fit, but you must be more mindful about everything you eat because your body doesn't burn calories as quickly it did when you were younger. I've been able to maintain a decent weight, but in my younger days, I could drop 5 lbs. by giving up dessert for a week. Now, I can eat dessert only once a week, and then I might see a gain.

    My experience has been very different. Losing weight during menopause was the easiest it's ever been for me, and as a youngster I was obese and giving up desert for a week did me no good because I'd replace those calories with something else. It's so easy to maintain now, too. :)
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 27,996 Member
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    earlnabby wrote: »
    I am 5 years post menopause and this is the easiest time I have ever had losing weight. Yes, it is coming off a little slower but I no longer have the hormones cycling through my body with the accompanying weight fluctuations and cravings. Yay for menopause!

    I also love being in that stage of life where I am too old to need sanitary protection but too young to need incontinence protection. One aisle at the store I need never go down!

    58841349.png

    LMAO!

  • middlehaitch
    middlehaitch Posts: 8,487 Member
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    Pennie29,
    Great that you are working your heart and lungs.
    As well as your walking do try to get in a bit of resistance/strength training, body weight exercises are good, your bones and muscles will thank you. Heavy lifting can be explored too.

    Also, as we age we can easily lose our balance, mobility and flexibility, posture can go bye bye too, see if doing something like aqua fit or Zumba is something that you like. I have found these are fun and help with maintaining good functional movements.
    Belly dancing is the greatest!

    For weight loss, calorie counting on MFP is as simple as it gets, and it works.

    I have only lost weight once and that was during menopause so I have no comparison.
    It was 30 lb, from the top of my BMI scale to the bottom.
    It was slow, that was because I am small, so not a lot of calories to play with, not because I was menopausal.
    I also, the slug that I was, decided I better get up and move. Use those muscles and bones, lungs and heart before I lose them.

    By the end of a year I was back to my pre 50's weight of 105lb, but slimmer and stronger than I had been, probably since my mid 20's, and have continued to be so into my 60's.

    With regards to metabolism slowing;
    At 55yo and 130lb my bmr was 1123
    At 62yo and 100lb my bmr is 980.

    Ooh, big difference ( 143), well not really, if I put my today's stats in but as a 55yo it comes out as 1010, a difference of 40 cal over 6 years.
    I think we have so many things going on, mental and physical changes, at that time, choosing to lose weight is an added stressor, and that is what makes it difficult. ( health and any other problems aside)
    JMHO and experience.

    Cheers, h.
  • scolaris
    scolaris Posts: 2,145 Member
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    Great to hear of others success losing during and post menopause! I am about 2 years post now. Taking it slow. I'm in no hurry & it was gained gradually. Have about 50 lbs to lose.
  • GraceCamD
    GraceCamD Posts: 128 Member
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    Pennie, just curious, did you just join now (tonight?) just wondering, because maybe getting some friends on here to talk to would help you.....I have a sluugish/non working at all almost thyroid function and was still able to lose weight, also could not exercise for a year due to back surgury and still lost 25lbs. You can do whatever you put your mind to.

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