Menopause

cnjg420

How does menopause cause weight gain

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theresamommyof4

I think as we age, our metabolism slows. I’m 43, so not menopausal yet, but every diet I go on gets a little harder. I used to be able to just cut simple sugars and white bread, and the weight would come off. The last diet I went on, it still pretty steadily came off, but not nearly as easily as before, and now... it’s taking forever.

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spiriteagle99

Usually people get more sedentary as they get older. If you stay active, menopause won't make it harder to lose weight. For some people, health issues may make it harder to stay active. Low thyroid, heart or lung issues, arthritis, etc. may require medical help, but with that help, you should be able to keep moving.

kimny72

cnjg420 wrote: »

How does menopause cause weight gain

Women end up gaining weight after menopause for a few reasons. Most people as they get older become more sedentary. Not only does this initially cause you to burn less calories daily, but being sedentary can eventually cause muscle loss, which also leads to fewer calories burned.

The transition to menopause also comes with hormonal changes which can mess with sleep, stress levels, hunger cues etc which can cause you to eat more and store fat on different places.

You can avoid this by taking charge - monitor your calories, prioritize activity, and focus on strength training.

GottaBurnEmAll

I lost all my weight after menopause, and there are quite a few like me knocking around these forums.

What kimny72 said is true. You're in charge of how much an effect menopause has. Weight gain is not an inevitability.

texteach66

It is true that metabolism slows down, but I think MFP takes this into account since it asks for our date of birth. Metabolism slows in both men and women as a normal part of aging, but the it slows gradually over time. Exercise helps combat this.

theresamommyof4

YepItsKriss wrote: »

Unfortunately not true as i had a woman at work in her 60's set up a MFP account and she lost weight by counting calories with no problems.

I didn’t say “impossible”, I just said “harder”. I know a lot of people, after menopause, who eat well, exercise, and literally do everything right, including counting calories on MFP, who just have a harder time than they used to. We all say, “the older we get, the harder it is”, and in my experience, it’s absolutely the truth.

My mom went from a size 16 to a size 6 in her late 50’s. She totally nailed it, but the weight didn’t just melt off. It was hard work, and it took her sticking to it.

I’m just giving my experience, and as well meaning as you are, you can’t discredit someone’s experiences based on that one person you know at work. Everyone’s body is different. Hormone imbalances absolutely can make weight loss difficult.

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middlehaitch

Menopause does not slow ones metabolism.

Our metabolism can drop slowly over time once we hit full maturity.
About 50-100 cals per decade depending on height, weight, and gender.

This is how most BMI estimators work because there is an expectation of less movement as one ages (see @kimny72's post).

If I take my stats and plug them in any TDEE calculator with my age and weight but no body fat calculation I get less calories because it assumes I have higher fat and have lost muscles.

If I add my estimated BF of 25% I get the same calories at 24 as I would at 64.

If you have your calories match your activity level (and then have a deficit) and have any medical conditions treated, losing weigh should not be anymore challenging than it is at any age.

I lost weight during menopause (54yo), I put it on when I got a car in my late 40's and my activity level dropped, not my food consumption.

A small deficit and upping my daily activity and starting to exercise (cardio and weights), meant I ended menopause the weight I was when in my 20's, but much fitter.

That was 10 years ago (64yo now), I have maintained my weight and improved my fitness level since then.

Don't let age be a deterrent when it has no need to be. Make sure you have a check up so any medical conditions can be treated, and if you have ongoing conditions use a PT or RD to help you work through them.

Cheers, h.

rheddmobile

Knock on wood, but so far I seem to be lucky -- I was menopausal even before losing an ovary (benign tumor) last year and so far, I haven't had any problems losing weight. In fact I lose a little faster than MFP calculates I should. I do think exercise becomes more important as we get older, simply because most people are less active during non-exercise time.

I had one heck of a time with low iron during perimenopause and would not have wanted to try to lose weight during that time since I could barely stand up, much less exercise. But after getting my various health issues settled, menopause itself has not been a hindrance to weight loss.

middlehaitch

You may find this thread informative.
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread/p1

Cheers, h.

CMNVA

theresamommyof4 wrote: »

YepItsKriss wrote: »

Unfortunately not true as i had a woman at work in her 60's set up a MFP account and she lost weight by counting calories with no problems.

I didn’t say “impossible”, I just said “harder”. I know a lot of people, after menopause, who eat well, exercise, and literally do everything right, including counting calories on MFP, who just have a harder time than they used to. We all say, “the older we get, the harder it is”, and in my experience, it’s absolutely the truth.

My mom went from a size 16 to a size 6 in her late 50’s. She totally nailed it, but the weight didn’t just melt off. It was hard work, and it took her sticking to it.

I’m just giving my experience, and as well meaning as you are, you can’t discredit someone’s experiences based on that one person you know at work. Everyone’s body is different. Hormone imbalances absolutely can make weight loss difficult.

I will agree with you that it's harder. I'm not sure that "menopause" itself made it harder, but it's most definitely harder than it was 20 years ago. But I am actually chalking that up to losing muscle mass (which is another term for "metabolism slowing down").

I am able to lose weight. It takes me longer and I get to eat, IMO, far less calories than I got to eat even in my 40s. For instance, I used to lose pretty reliably on 1700 calories. Now, 1700 calories is maintenance for me and, in fact, sometimes I can see myself trending upward on that so I have to go back down for a short time to 1400-1500 calories. It sucks.

My life hasn't changed much over the last 20 years. In fact, I think I'm probably more active than I was in my 30s. I have always worked a sedentary job and never had much time for regular exercise due to having children while working. Now, I'm free, I exercise at least 3 times a week, and I move more than I used to during the day. Doesn't seem to give me more calories though!! It's weird.

Anyway, I really do chalk it up to loss of muscle mass. Once you hit menopause and you don't have the estrogen, progesterone (and small amounts of testosterone) like you used to, I think loss of muscle takes a surge downward where it was a more steady loss before. I can see a huge difference in the way my muscle tone looks just after 2 years without estrogen. Menopause, for me, kicked off more of a rapid aging, than at any time before that. My friend who is right behind me with menopause is noticing the same thing.

evileen99

I think by the time menopause hits, the kids have left the home and the mom isn't running around as much as she used to, decreasing her TDEE. And as pp said, the loss of muscle mass is HUGE. You really have to hit the weights to maintain it.

CMNVA

evileen99 wrote: »

I think by the time menopause hits, the kids have left the home and the mom isn't running around as much as she used to, decreasing her TDEE. And as pp said, the loss of muscle mass is HUGE. You really have to hit the weights to maintain it.

In my case, I was much more sedentary (I think) when my kids were home. They weren't overly involved in activities, and certainly when I was in my 40s and they were high school aged, I wasn't running much. I think I was just trying to stay on top of getting dinner cooked after work and the laundry!

Now that they are mostly out of the house, I have time in the evening to go out and exercise. I know it's different for everyone, but I feel like I was less active when my kids were home.

sydnisd183

YepItsKriss wrote: »

It doesn't. Eating more calories then you burn does.

this^^

I'm 52 and started in April 2016 weighing 202 (i'm 5'6"), by December 2016 I was at 158. (I weigh 157 today btw but my lowest since I started has been 150).

I've been weight training and following an eating plan (on and off) since the early 90's. I did it on my own using a calorie count book at first, but when MFP came along I started using that. Utilizing either method produced the same results.....when I follow the calorie guidelines, I reach my goals.

(someone else's results may vary due to medical conditions, etc)