Menopause and weight loss
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OP, having lost weight several times in my life, menopause definitely makes a difference for me. Perimenopause was hard because of the hormonal word swings (PMS type symptoms several times a month!). Now that I'm past that (hopefully) I think it's not necessarily harder, just different. Or maybe I'm just different. I think more about things like maintaining muscle and bone and strength, rather than just getting smaller.0
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I'm trying again. Menopause makes it harder, but I know not impossible. So I know I don't have any excuses. What I need is the motivation and the determination to stick this out. I'm so frustrated to constantly have to re-visit this issue.It's so important to stay healthy, active and strong as we get older. There's so many exciting things to do in the future and I want to be able to be an active participant. We all need support!0
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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!
Same here... have lost 48 lbs since January. No trouble at all. At first I thought being post-menopause was slowing my weight loss but then I started using MFP in February and got the eye-opener: I was eating far more than I thought.
Even if the weight comes off slower than you like, your body will thank you for the exercise and you'll feel great just by being more active. You can do this, hang in there!0 -
Something definitely changed for me. I was maintaining my loss for about a year and changed nothing (at least not on purpose! I'm sure small things have changed) when suddenly I started a slow gain that has lasted for three years. So for me I would say that likely my metabolism changed. What that means is that there is no room for error in logging either exercise or food. I am guessing that the change in metabolism was just enough to make it where my inaccuracies caused me to be overeating by just a little--like50-100 calories a day. That doesn't sound like much but over the course of a year it can mean 5-10 lbs!0
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This is right in the average range as far as everything I have read over the years. Menopause does not have as much of an effect on metabolism as people like to think it does. Yes, it does slow a little, but the actual amount for the vast majority of women is not majorly significant. The change in hormones and where they deposit your visceral fat makes a bigger impact on your overall shape change (the post menopause belly).
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I'm Definitely a victim of the menopause belly!0 -
That was my experience too @tigerblue. Now I am happily maintaining my 30 pound loss with all intentions of continuously monitoring my weight and keeping a lid on any future gains before they get out of hand again0
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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!
Amen sista!0 -
That's exactly what I was thinking too. Just like with everything our bodies/medications/activity levels/nutrition are all so different so I sure hope I'm going to have an easy time after menopause is finally established. 52 y/o with twin teen daughters & we are keeping the sanitary supply industry going strong in this house ...haha!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.
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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.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. It will work. Adding exercise to earn more calories (and just feel great) is a worthwhile pursuit.
Not always....I have an underactive, untreated thyroid and eating less and working out more doesn't make the pounds fall off. Takes me a good 6 months to lose 5lbs. If something worked for you fantastic, but it doesn't work for everyone.
The most difficult time I had was when I was pre menopausal at 48 or 49. No matter what I did or how little I ate I could not loose more than a pound! I was in Weight watchers then and even if I ate 800 or 900 calories p it made no difference! It was soul destroying! I hit menopause at 50 and gave up trying, but at 53 I discovered fasting and the 5 2. My periods had stopped for over a year, totally gone. I was delighted to find that this time my efforts were rewarded, and here I am aged 54 having lost 16 KGS. I firmly believe that hormonal changes in pre menopause prevented ANY weight loss, and I really relate to anyone going through that! But it will pass, believe me!0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »OP, having lost weight several times in my life, menopause definitely makes a difference for me. Perimenopause was hard because of the hormonal word swings (PMS type symptoms several times a month!). Now that I'm past that (hopefully) I think it's not necessarily harder, just different. Or maybe I'm just different. I think more about things like maintaining muscle and bone and strength, rather than just getting smaller.
Well said!0 -
Need2Exerc1se wrote: »vivmom2014 wrote: »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.
How rude! Saying menopause affects weight loss isn't the same as saying one can't lose weight during/after menopause. So, what excuse do you think is being made?
Didn't mean to be rude. BTW, for the record, I did not flag your post.
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I agree that it is different for all of us. I've worked hard my entire life to maintain a normal weight. I was never one of those who could eat anything and never gain. Peri-menopause started to create changes in my body (fluffy tummy???!!! what?!!) and a slower metabolism that made it harder than ever to lose unless I was eating at a deficit AND exercising faithfully. Nothing changed in my lifestyle (desk job, healthy eating, regular exercise) but I still began to gain a little each year. Seems like nothing, but a pound or three a year for 10 years adds up to ~30 pounds!
I'm fully in menopause now and also taking a medication that causes weight gain. Still, I have been able to slowly lose weight using MFP logging, eating at a deficit, and daily exercise. Only 16 pounds in 6 months, but it's happening. I've had to learn patience and perseverance!! I know that if I want to be healthy into my old age I will need to maintain good eating habits and do cardio, strength and flexibility exercise.0 -
I am 59 and 12 years post-menopausal. I have lost 45 pounds over the last year or so, 24 of them after starting MFP in mid-April. I am losing at the rate of 5.75 per month so far, although I seem to be in a bit of a slowdown right now. I log everything I eat and drink, including vitamins, and I have started incorporating walking in the last couple of weeks or so. So, it isn't fast, but it is working. You can do it!!
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!kshama2001 wrote: »LMAO!
I was going to let this pass, as I always do when I see comments like this, but this time, in a thread about being post-menopausal, I want to say something. You ladies should count yourselves lucky that you don't suffer from incontinence. Some of us aren't as lucky. I started needing protection about five years ago, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it is not unusual for women of our age and younger to also need protection. You won't ever know if your friends or family members use protection because of these type of comments. They will never be able to tell anybody about it because it is such a commonplace thing for people to make jokes about, but each time they hear one of these comments they will feel embarrassment, shame and set apart from other "normal" people. It would be lovely if people, especially older women, would try to keep this in mind when a comment such as this comes to mind, and realize that it there is a very distinct possibility that you are making fun of somebody within your midst. If you are really lucky, it will never happen to you, but if you live long enough, incontinence may become a part of your life, and you won't find these comments nearly as funny as you do today.
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I tried to write that in a way that didn't make me sound like a b***h, and not attacking you ladies I was quoting or anybody else, but after re-reading it, I don't think I succeeded.
I really just would like to make people aware of this issue, and was hoping that this thread was a good place to do it. Sorry if I offended you ladies, that actually wasn't my intent. 0 -
I lost my weight before per-menopause. For many years, maintenance was easy. Then it got harder. Now I work to maintain. But I AM maintaining. Nothing about my eating or workout has changed much, other than upping my walking.
Menopause affects us all, but affects us slightly differently.
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LaceyBird,
Lost my weight during menopause, and have kept it of 6+ years, 62 now.
I was getting close to needing a little extra padding in the nether regions, especially when I laughed. ( I do, a lot)
A long social day would include a 'just in case' spare pair of knickers in my handbag.
Anyway, I started exercising at the same time as I started counting calories, and lo and behold strengthening my core through a variety of exercises, including doing kegels when in line at the grocery store, solved the problem.
Oddly enough drinking more helped too.
I see you have started walking now, may I, in all kindness, suggest you see if you can find time to do an exercise class that includes core strengthening. I did aqua fit as my first exercise class, it was very gentle on my new to exercise soul, and my mashed potato muscles.
I realise that exercise won't help everyone, but it is worth putting the idea out there.
Sorry for the slight hijack folks
Cheers, h.0 -
Thank you, middlehaitch, I appreciate you taking the time to give me your good advice. I have done some of what you have suggested, and have been looking into ways to strengthen my core. I have had biofeedback for it as well, and hope that perhaps it can be less of a problem some day. I am glad that you were able to eliminate your issue.
Sorry to all for the hijack.0 -
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.
Same here lost +106 pounds in 10 months
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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.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. It will work. Adding exercise to earn more calories (and just feel great) is a worthwhile pursuit.
Not always....I have an underactive, untreated thyroid and eating less and working out more doesn't make the pounds fall off. Takes me a good 6 months to lose 5lbs. If something worked for you fantastic, but it doesn't work for everyone.
The most difficult time I had was when I was pre menopausal at 48 or 49. No matter what I did or how little I ate I could not loose more than a pound! I was in Weight watchers then and even if I ate 800 or 900 calories p it made no difference! It was soul destroying! I hit menopause at 50 and gave up trying, but at 53 I discovered fasting and the 5 2. My periods had stopped for over a year, totally gone. I was delighted to find that this time my efforts were rewarded, and here I am aged 54 having lost 16 KGS. I firmly believe that hormonal changes in pre menopause prevented ANY weight loss, and I really relate to anyone going through that! But it will pass, believe me!
This is encouraging overall! Maybe if I just hang in there for a few more years. . . ,
At least I've stopped gaining!
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LaceyBirds wrote: »I am 59 and 12 years post-menopausal. I have lost 45 pounds over the last year or so, 24 of them after starting MFP in mid-April. I am losing at the rate of 5.75 per month so far, although I seem to be in a bit of a slowdown right now. I log everything I eat and drink, including vitamins, and I have started incorporating walking in the last couple of weeks or so. So, it isn't fast, but it is working. You can do it!!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!kshama2001 wrote: »LMAO!
I was going to let this pass, as I always do when I see comments like this, but this time, in a thread about being post-menopausal, I want to say something. You ladies should count yourselves lucky that you don't suffer from incontinence. Some of us aren't as lucky. I started needing protection about five years ago, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it is not unusual for women of our age and younger to also need protection. You won't ever know if your friends or family members use protection because of these type of comments. They will never be able to tell anybody about it because it is such a commonplace thing for people to make jokes about, but each time they hear one of these comments they will feel embarrassment, shame and set apart from other "normal" people. It would be lovely if people, especially older women, would try to keep this in mind when a comment such as this comes to mind, and realize that it there is a very distinct possibility that you are making fun of somebody within your midst. If you are really lucky, it will never happen to you, but if you live long enough, incontinence may become a part of your life, and you won't find these comments nearly as funny as you do today.
This has not been a problem for me, but last week when I did a run-sprint-walk workout, I had this issue every time I sprinted. NOT COOL!!!! I hope it was just because I had not gone to the restroom before the run.
Ya gotta love all the menopause fun and laugh! Or cry!! Or maybe do both at the same time, since your hormones are all over the place! I'm so tired of it for sure.
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LaceyBirds wrote: »I am 59 and 12 years post-menopausal. I have lost 45 pounds over the last year or so, 24 of them after starting MFP in mid-April. I am losing at the rate of 5.75 per month so far, although I seem to be in a bit of a slowdown right now. I log everything I eat and drink, including vitamins, and I have started incorporating walking in the last couple of weeks or so. So, it isn't fast, but it is working. You can do it!!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!kshama2001 wrote: »LMAO!
I was going to let this pass, as I always do when I see comments like this, but this time, in a thread about being post-menopausal, I want to say something. You ladies should count yourselves lucky that you don't suffer from incontinence. Some of us aren't as lucky. I started needing protection about five years ago, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it is not unusual for women of our age and younger to also need protection. You won't ever know if your friends or family members use protection because of these type of comments. They will never be able to tell anybody about it because it is such a commonplace thing for people to make jokes about, but each time they hear one of these comments they will feel embarrassment, shame and set apart from other "normal" people. It would be lovely if people, especially older women, would try to keep this in mind when a comment such as this comes to mind, and realize that it there is a very distinct possibility that you are making fun of somebody within your midst. If you are really lucky, it will never happen to you, but if you live long enough, incontinence may become a part of your life, and you won't find these comments nearly as funny as you do today.
Oh, I wasn't finding the idea of incontinence funny but rather the idea of @earlnabby being at a time in her life when she doesn't need anything in that aisle. She also wasn't making fun of people who use sanitary protection
I have a large uterine fibroid squishing my bladder so I think about my bladder all the time and have to arrange my life around it.
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kshama2001 wrote: »LaceyBirds wrote: »I am 59 and 12 years post-menopausal. I have lost 45 pounds over the last year or so, 24 of them after starting MFP in mid-April. I am losing at the rate of 5.75 per month so far, although I seem to be in a bit of a slowdown right now. I log everything I eat and drink, including vitamins, and I have started incorporating walking in the last couple of weeks or so. So, it isn't fast, but it is working. You can do it!!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!kshama2001 wrote: »LMAO!
I was going to let this pass, as I always do when I see comments like this, but this time, in a thread about being post-menopausal, I want to say something. You ladies should count yourselves lucky that you don't suffer from incontinence. Some of us aren't as lucky. I started needing protection about five years ago, and I can absolutely guarantee you that it is not unusual for women of our age and younger to also need protection. You won't ever know if your friends or family members use protection because of these type of comments. They will never be able to tell anybody about it because it is such a commonplace thing for people to make jokes about, but each time they hear one of these comments they will feel embarrassment, shame and set apart from other "normal" people. It would be lovely if people, especially older women, would try to keep this in mind when a comment such as this comes to mind, and realize that it there is a very distinct possibility that you are making fun of somebody within your midst. If you are really lucky, it will never happen to you, but if you live long enough, incontinence may become a part of your life, and you won't find these comments nearly as funny as you do today.
Oh, I wasn't finding the idea of incontinence funny but rather the idea of @earlnabby being at a time in her life when she doesn't need anything in that aisle. She also wasn't making fun of people who use sanitary protection
I have a large uterine fibroid squishing my bladder so I think about my bladder all the time and have to arrange my life around it.
There are five stages in a woman's life: diapers, no protection, sanitary protection, no protection, incontinence protection. We all know this. The length of each stage is different for each woman. We laugh at ourselves as sisters. Just as we laugh about some of the weird things that happen during out periods, we laugh about the things that happen as far as incontinence goes, and those of us who don't need protection yet know that the time is coming. I am just enjoying the respite before it happens.
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