2018 - The Year of " I AM "
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I'm sorry for being MIA - well, lurking, because I like to read all your posts, even if I'm not posting. It has been an odd time recently. I still feel as if I'm recovering from the flu I had in December. I lost about 7lb then, so didn't pay much attention when I gained weight afterwards, as I thought it was just the weight coming back. Well, it came back right enough and now it's brought some friends! I'm 5lb over my normal maintenance weight.
To make matters worse, there has been some body recomposition going on, and not of the good kind. I know we've talked about this before. Even before the weight gain, I seem to have been accumulating fat round my middle. I always had an hourglass type of figure, even when I was bigger, whereas now, my body seems to have forgotten what a waist is, other than a place to dump fat. It's more worrying because of my heart disease, and I'm hoping this isn't a sign of higher organ fat. The awful reality is that to get rid of it, I probably need to lose a lot more weight, rather than settling at my happy maintenance weight.
I have been ambivalent about exercise too, haven't felt up to the gym classes since the flu. I have been walking and cycling a little, but not enough. At the moment, I'm just trying to concentrate on home exercise, and thinking about giving up my gym membership (I do need to cut costs at the moment). I'm retrying the Mark Lauren women's programme "Body by You".
I hope you are all getting through the winter OK. There's light at the end of the tunnel now! We have snow here at the moment, but if I'm not having to drive in it, I kind of like it as it brightens everything up.2 -
Vail - lovely to hear from you - sometimes we all need to take a step back and focus on ourselves so no worries about being MIA... I did see your post comment on the regain and put a little note in reply.
As for the body recomp - I understand completely where you're coming from.. most especially worrisome as you said in case it's fat around the organs. Honestly at this stage of the game that for me is the more important thing too rather than the figure looking good.. I know i'll never be a "lean machine" but getting rid of the visceral fat is a huge goal.. and so is the necessity of getting serious about some form of strength training - I know its absolutely imperative at this age but I admit I'm struggling !! I remember hearing/reading somewhere that you have to get rid of the fat before building muscle and I think I've been using that as an "excuse" for not starting as I still have a ways to go with getting rid of the fat..... but I think I need to research that a bit more. The trainer who runs that "Flipping 50's" site has a lot of good info about body recomp as we age; don't know if it might help but perhaps worth checking out her website...
and I think part of it is also the winter months.. I've been fighting the February "blahs" and just so sick of winter that I think I need a mindset adjustment - spring is supposed to here soon but the weather doesn't seem to know that;
but maybe spring starting in a few days.. is a good time now for us to take a few minutes or a day or two.. and really think about what we want, and commit to set out the plan to get it.. and get cracking. Shrug off the blahs or the blues or the what ifs and do a little research to help us with whatever goal we have... spring is a time of renewal and fresh starts so perhaps a good time for a mental and physical shakeup? and dont forget to acknowledge that we hae all made wonderful changes from when we first came here.. we have come a long way and accomplsihed a lot and we need to remember that.. because moving forward its a great foundation knowing we've done well and done a LOT... and we can use it move forward and do more and get more for ourselves! we rock!!
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Hi Vailara!!! I’m sorry to hear that you feel like you’re still recovering. Have you had your blood work done lately? I wonder if your iron levels are low or something.
The whole visceral fat thing is a huge concern for me. I’ve carried a lot of my weight in my stomach area ever since my pregnancies in the late 80’s. I’ve read that it’s the hardest fat to lose....I’ve just got to work harder then.
I agree with Snoozie on the flippingfifty site. It really has been helpful. I’m struggling with getting in the strength training as well. I can’t figure out why I’m fighting it so hard. I guess I grew up hearing that cardio is the way to lose weight and weights will make you bulky. Time to rethink all that!!!
I’m so ready for Spring! We were going to go hiking again today but my mom is in the hospital and we’re going to see her then go for a walk. She’s probably moving to a rehab facility tomorrow. My dad and I went and looked for one yesterday. Hopefully she will regain her strength and be back home soon. This whole thing has just reinforced that I want to go into my golden years as strong as possible.1 -
Thank you - yes, I did have bloods done a while ago, due to some other health problems. I get them done once a year anyway because of my heart disease. All is fine, but I've been dealing with some stress and I'm convinced that can slow recovery. I definitely feel I'm on the up now, I'm really feeling this extra weight - lol! I think getting weaker makes the weight feel like even more than that is!
I'm a big fan of strength training for health, and have done various types. Yes, I did have a look at the flipping fifty site, thanks! In my view, strength/weight/resistance training (I get them mixed up) are more important for older women than anybody! I've heard that view about losing the fat first and working on the muscle later too, but I'm not a fan of it. I think it's best to do both at once, because you're naturally losing muscle anyway, so need to work to maintain it. I think the idea maybe comes from the fact that it's difficult to gain muscle if eating at a deficit. I do think it's very, very difficult for women to bulk up without steroids, so it's not a concern, especially for me being older, with less testosterone and so on!
I'm glad your mom is on the mend, Suzy, and hope the rehab works well for her and she gets home soon. I agree so much about being strong later in life.2 -
Morning Suzy/Vail ..
Suzy - i was so sorry to read your mom was in hosp - i hope she is into the rehab now and on her way to a full recovery.... and yes absolutely understand the reinforcement of getting stronger as we age!!
Vail - i watcheda video the other day on stress and how it affects us - causing overall inflammation everywhere and just in general all the icky stuff it brings.. we've always known that but i never realized the full impact of it.. i just wish someone would tell us how NOT to stress at times... !! or how to handle it better I guess... and one of the things they mentioned was that it indeed can slow recovery.. I sent the video to my friend who had the brain surgery in December cause she is frustrated at her slow recovery but is dealing with a lot of stress in her family situation too... I hope you are soon on the mend!
and Vail you are absolutely right imo about more important for us than anyone else! I honestly have to stop procrastinating and get doing SOMETHING .. anything... to bring in at least resistance training to start with.... that will be on my agenda for today!!
I just read this little nugget on the FF website too..
"You may be thinking easy weight loss isn’t even possible after 50. If you’re doing aerobic exercise – and skipping weight training – there’s a reason why weight loss seems so hard.
If you’re Flipping 50 hoping to keep it going into your 60s and 70s with a faster metabolism hop off that treadmill right now.
Aerobic training during intentional weight loss results in lean muscle loss.
That is a fast track to a slow metabolism, which means weight will return with a vengeance.
A study in Obesity comparing weight loss with no exercise, weight loss with aerobic exercise, and weight loss with resistance training found aerobic training THE most detrimental to muscle loss.
So yes, it’s true, aerobic training can make you fat.
Cycles of weight loss that includes significant muscle losses will slow metabolism. Weight regained after dieting is predictably 100% fat. Combine muscle losses during weight loss, and regain of all fat and you have a problem. Repeats of that cycle don’t bode well for a healthy metabolism. Still, there’s hope.
Women (average age of 70) lost 19% body fat when they did resistance training – the greatest fat loss among all three groups.
This study of 249 older women confirms weight training is your best friend when you’re trying to lose weight. Other studies – all included in the Fit U program research – confirm that aerobic activity + resistance training + adequate protein at the right time results in long term success, without deprivation. This is your trifecta for metabolism success (and longevity).0 -
On that note.. I went for my scheduled blood tests this morning; the whole panel, cholesterol, lipids, A1C etc.. I went meatless yesterday (so as not to repeat the pork chop for dinner before the cholesterol test incident!!); i didn't have to but I figured why not have a meatless day anyway... I see my doc next week and these results had better have improved since the ones three months ago! or i will be very gruntled...
The scale is NOT moving this month so far.. and yet another reason im thinking i need to stop yapping about the ST and start doing it! I have today off so this afternoon will commit to figuring that out and STARTING IT!
I foolishly booked a bunch of eye tests for tomorrow at 6:40 am. which means I gotta get up on my day off at 530am.... I am so used to booking an early apt with my eye doc himself (so i'm in and out before the crowds land) that I forgot for the tests I didn't have to do em at the crack of dawn... duh..... well.. they may have to figure out how to pry open my eyeballs before doing them!!!!!!! haaaaaaaaa
rock on ladies...!1 -
Good luck with the results, Snooozie! And the eye tests at that early hour!
Thanks for the info. It's interesting the point about weight gain being 100% fat - since I lost the weight recently with the flu, then regained, it definitely feels like fat. Probably 150% fat - lol! It's only about 5lb over my usual weight but clothes are tighter and there is more visual fat.
Why not start with bodyweight exercises that you can do quickly and easily at home? (I say "easily", but I mean "with effort" - lol!). I like to focus on full body exercises. I have unfortunately had to go back to modifying exercise that I could do before (e.g. pushups), but it's still good exercise. The problem I found before was with squats as my legs are fairly strong and ordinary squats don't feel like they're doing much at all, but you can look at progression to pistol squats - not that I could ever do them, but I was somewhere along the way! At the moment I'm doing squats with one leg raised on the sofa behind me, so there's more work on the supporting leg. I'm doing incline pushups, and doing "pullups" with my head under the table holding on to the edge and so on.
I googled "squat progression" and here's an example of the kind of thing I'm talking about http://www.startbodyweight.com/p/squat-progression.html . If the first one is too easy, you can find out where you are and work on that (and even hopefully progress!). It looks like my current exercise is called Bulgarian split squats.
Sorry to go, but I'm such a believer in strength/resistance training! I'm sure that better bones and muscles and hlep people live longer and have better lives! I'm annoyed at myself for having stopped recently after keeping it going all through my weight loss and maintenance before, but hoping now I'll keep going well into old age!2 -
Hi Snoozie and Vail. Just stopping by to catch up on your posts. I’m completely overwhelmed and stressed out with my mom’s situation and now my dad is staying with me because he has cataract surgery tomorrow. Oh y’all...this is so hard. I just want to cry most of the time. I’ll stop back in soon.1
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Suzy.. sent a PM... i'm so sorry you're going through such a hard time - and have no doubt its so overwhelming dealing with everything you barely have time to breathe... just know we're here anytime if you just need ... a break... and sending virtual hug!1
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Wow, it sounds like you have a lot on your plate, Suzy. I'm sorry that you are going through this. Thinking of you *hugs*1
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Still reading,
Still extremely busy,
Still too tired to reply ......
Still love all you girls!!
Still eating too much to lose.
Still not giving up though!!
Suzy sending much love and hugs your way!1 -
Hi y’all! How is everyone? It has been quite a week! My dad decided that he’s going to go back home tomorrow for a few days. His second cataract surgery is on Thursday, so he’ll be back next Wednesday for three days. It was an absolutely beautiful day here today and I wasn’t able to go out for a walk. We’re planning on hiking near home tomorrow even though it’s going to be overcast. It will be good to be outside and using those leg muscles. I already told mom that I probably won’t see her tomorrow. Why oh why do I feel so guilty about that? Ugh.
I got on the scale this morning but had already drank a couple glasses of water (because that must weigh a ton, am I right? Lol!). I was about the same, maybe down a smidge. I don’t understand that. I was sure that I’d gained a few. I’m trying really hard not to stress eat but it’s difficult.
NEVER GIVE UP!!!!
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Enjoy the hike, Suzy! It sounds like you really need it! Sometimes I think it's better when it's overcast and the light isn't getting in your eyes too much.
Water is heavy! So there could well be a loss there that didn't show on the scales. Don't laugh, but after typing this I got a jug and some kitchen scales just to check. It turns out that a pound of water in weight is about 16fl oz/450 ml. My guess is that those couple of glasses added at least a pound!2 -
Morning !!
Suzy - it's an emotional roller coaster dealing with caregiving ... way too many thoughts start swirling around in our heads while we're trying to cope - its ok to take a step back sometimes to find the balance; because it's way too easy to go the other route too where you become so caught up you just slip into giving 100% "there"... and there's nothing left for you or anyone else.. that happened to me and I didn't even notice it was happening..i was too busy just taking care of everything... its a slippery slope and a very difficult one to know where to draw the line without feeling guilty and any of the other emotions that are whirling around. I don't have the answer but know that we're here for you while you work through it! And I hope as Vail said you have a fab hike and maybe without the glare of the sun in your eyes, it will let you see a whole other perspective in nature while you're there!
and totally agree on the water.. I wasn't sure if I had to give one of those lovely little "samples" when I had my blood tests so I guzzled about 2L of water before I went.. I looked pregnant by the time I got there and of course.. didn't need it... I think I broke the speed limit getting home!
Vail - saw you lost a pound; well done! I know you're working hard to maintain so once those couple of pounds are gone you'll be rocking it still!
While i'm working on figuring out the mental barrier I have about exercising and more specifically ST, I'm a little .. gruntled... (less than disgruntled but.. a little gruntled) that I haven't lost anything this month. I think I let my "want" side lapse a little too much here and there; and although the signs I have posted have been a tremendous help I added a new one.. "my current project.. is ME".. a friend told me the other night when she retires later this year her first project is gonna be "her".. and I thought.. wow... yes.. that's how I need to think of it now for me.. so that one is going up today.. it will fit nicely in the middle cupboard door so no matter where i go into the kitchen.,, my gentle reminders about what i want for myself are there.. so up goes "MY CURRENT PROJECT.. IS ME!"
and as I still truly believe that 80% of weight loss happens in the kitchen, not in the gym, the exercise aspect for me is about STRENGTH.. not weight loss.. and i HAVE to get a handle on that. I can't seem to get past the "talk" stage and into the DO stage and i can't figure out WHY.. there's obvsiouly something either conscious or unconscious interfering .. part of me wonders if there is fear there too.. because i AM worried about injuring myself.. i have spent the past 6 months trying to figure out what is really causing the pain i have most days, the triggers, the patterns.. and maybe deep down the thought of doing something.. anything that is going to cause me more pain. is blocking me.. eating less doesn't hurt.. so that's easier for me ... but.. anywya.. there ya go... lol
i did find an interesting article on one of my sites this morning... particularly the opening line about conflicting info.. no kidding!! But it did make me think maybe I should stop worrying so much about the ST and just start to do SOMETHING to keep the parts moving while I figure it out... i'be been so focused on figuring that out I haven't been moving much otherwise. anyway.. not a bad read so am sharing... hang in there all.. the most important thing is that none of us have given up!!! We are all still putting in the work and the effort without question.. it may ebb and flow sometimes but we haven't given up.. so YAY US!!!!
There is so much conflicting information about the best way to exercise. How do you know what is best for you?
Our bodies were designed to withstand the need to make surges of speed, but not to withstand long distance running. Our ancestors would run short distances to get out of harm’s way, to chase down dinner or to help a friend in need. We were not designed to run for great distances over long periods of time.
There are many forms of exercise that bring this principle into effect, such as High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), where you work out as hard as you can for a short duration of time, potentially even for only 45 or 60 seconds (which seems like a lifetime when you’re doing as many push ups as you can!!) and then resting for the same timeframe or a little less. This kicks your metabolism into high gear, adds a significant surge of adrenaline into your body to keep up with this form of exercise and pushes your body to grow and develop muscle and improves your fitness.
The opposite form of exercise would be traditional cardio. You jump on a treadmill or hit the road for 30-60 minutes of fast walking or jogging until the time is up. Sustained movement for a long period of time, generally at the same pace and difficulty level to make your body move and cooperate. Cardio can help to lower your resting heart rate, increase your good HDL cholesterol and lower blood pressure, as well as improving circulation, blood flow and lymphatic drainage.
But cardio can also cause your body to produce higher levels of cortisol which can stimulate your appetite, increase fat storage and inhibit recovery.
How is this possible when exercising is supposed to be helping you lose weight and/or get fit?
It has to do with the hormones that are released with each type of exercise. Cardio can decrease testosterone production and HIIT can improve your growth hormone levels while lowering your insulin resistance to help regulate blood sugar and reduce fat storage.
What is the best form of exercise for me? How do I know?
The best form of exercise for you is the one that you will actually do!! The risks of a sedentary lifestyle are much worse than the risks involved with either HIIT or cardio
. Additionally, there are many other forms of exercise that offer corresponding benefits and risks, such as yoga, pilates, rebounding, kickboxing, hiking, crossfit and many others!
So talk with your health practitioner about what he/she would recommend as the best form of exercise for your personal situation and do that! Fall in love with joyful movement – find something you love to do and do it often. Or mix it up and take on different forms of exercise to keep your body guessing and working toward your optimal fitness levels. Have fun!
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I got on the scale this morning and I am down just a tiny bit, which was encouraging. Then I binged this morning on the donuts my dad bought, a handful of this and a spoonful of that. Oh well...I may just give myself a break today since we’re heading out for a walk now. The hike was a bit ambitious since the weather today is “iffy” so we’re just gonna go for a walk locally. My dear (clueless) hubby had 100 bales of pine straw delivered today. I don’t know when I’m supposed to fit in spreading all of that but it will be some good movement/exercise for me here and there.
My dad went back to his house for a few days but will be back next week for three or four nights. I’m really just enjoying the “down” time today but my husband is ready to do something.
Snoozie, I feel like I’m doing the same thing. I want to do the strength training but I really don’t want to get hurt. I’m going to bring my small hand weights into the living room and try to fit in some arm curls and such when I think of it. When I visualize myself doing strength training I’m going to the gym or getting down on the floor and doing big time exercise...maybe I need to start small, baby steps. Any lifting of weights is better than none, right?2 -
I'm sure any is good! I've done a lot of reading around the subject, and the impression I got was that the biggest benefit comes from focus on bigger muscles and whole body exercises. But I do think exercises like curls do work the whole body a little, as you are having to stand there and stabilise yourself while you do them, if you know what I mean. I have my weights in the living room all the time! Well, it's a small house, so it's either there or the bedroom. But I do think it helps to have things to hand.1
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I agree with vail - anything is better than nothing!! AND that having it right there in front of you makes it a little easier.. I start vacation tomorrow and that's first thing on the agenda.. figuring out what I'm gonna do, emptying out the little room off the living room of all the junk I put in there to get rid of lol.. and setting up the elastic band and baby weights.. its only a few feet from the living room and easily visible and like my "sitting rule" for watching TV (I get up and move at every commercial) I will make it a deal breaker for watching - use the band or the weights at least once a day if I wanna watch a show..
Saw my doc this morning for the blood test results.. everything is DOWN thank goodness.. and she used the word "awesome" about my cholesterol LOL.. of course then she said my iron is still low.. I said that's cause you made me give up steak for my cholesterol - red meat is the best source of easily absorbed iron!! ha... she did say that apparently organic grass fed beef is supposed to be not bad for your cholesterol - but super pricey of course.. I said hey if it means I can have steak again i'll pay !! but she did put me on an iron supplement for 2 months then will check it again; gave me one that's supposed to be less awful on your gut and told me to take it with vitamin c as it ups the absortion rate for iron.. I have an orange every day anyway so i'll just take it with that rather than getting another supplement for vitamin C!
But I was super happy the numbers were down... mostly the blood sugar of course.. and just reinforced for me that I DO have control over how bad the diabetes can be - its on me to make the right choices that will keep it and the resulting damage to my organs at a minimum for as long as possible. We did have the exercise move discussion.. ahem.... she point blank told me its imperative to do something. if i can't walk because it hurts, swim.. if i can't swim, walk... yada yada..
And last but not least.. asked her about the shingles vaccine.. friends of mine got it and there are commericals of course all over tv about the horrors it can leave you with.. so even tho it's not covered by my insurance i shelled out the bucks and got it.. its 2 vaccines 2 months apart so round 1 is done.. i just figured i don't need to risk that on top of everything else lol.
So all is well in snoozie world.. cept the scale isnt moving this month - admittedly mostly as a result of poor choices on my part - but seeing the numbers come down after trying hard the last 3 months has given me the extra jab of motivation (besides the jab in my arm! )
okey dokey... nuff babbling.. off to work shortly but then on vacay so that'll get me thru the night lol
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That’s such awesome news Snoozie! I’m so happy for you and proud that you did it!!! Yay!!! We’re about to hit the walking trail right now. I felt it was more important for my mental health than my physical health tonight. It has been a really rough two weeks and there’s no end in sight. At least the scale has remained steady...no gains no losses.
Happy vacay Snoozie!1 -
Hello, ladies,
Went over the post that I missed glad to come back and touch basics.
I can relate Snoozie about the scale this month. I am like a yo-yo. I lose and gain and over and over. I am slowly creeping down the scale.
Hang in there Suzy.
Will have more time next week to check in.1 -
Such great news aboutyour results, Snooozie! I'm really pleased for you! And at least the iron is easily fixed. It's so good to hear that you can improve your outcomes, and are doing so! I feel this is much more important than the scale result. Very inspiring!2
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Today I’m thankful that my kids are grown and we no longer have Easter candy in the house! However......I do have limes....and diet tonic....and gin, lots and lots of gin! It’s been a rough couple weeks. Lol!1
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Well... March is done; April is here - one quarter of the year is gone already - yikes! On the plus side tho we're getting closer to spring (even though they are calling for 10cm of snow here tomorrow...grrr lol)
I didn't lose an ounce in March; 90% because of not so good choices and too big portions and not enough movement. The other 10% .. well i dunno who to blame for that LOL.. anyway, its immaterial; getting my blood work results really pumped me up, yet i went nuts a few days after stuffing my face with all kinds of unmentionables... i'm not even gonna try to figure out the psyche behind that..
anyway - goals for April remain the same, except for adding a total commitment to them: 3 lb weight loss, more fruit and veg, meatless once a week and more movement.
I know we're down to just a few now but look forward to hearing any plans/goals/comments from those who wish to share...
Suzy - I think by now your dad has had his cataract surgery - hoping your mom is recovering ok and that those gin and tonics did the job in the interim!0 -
Snoozie, You may have not lost any weight, but you have done wonderful things for your internal system with your good blood reports!! That is much more important to me. Awesome work!!
Sorry to be MIA so much, I still read, but depression is sinking in a bit over the last few months....so I am dry when it comes to replying...
I still think you are all wonderful friends to have.
Suzy, Vailara, Milove, Susan, Snoozie
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Sounds like a great plan Snoozie! I know what you mean about the scale not moving. I’m just lucky that it didn’t go up. My stress level is off the charts. Dad’s surgeries went well. Mom’s not doing great but hopefully will figure it out and get to the point that she can go home. My sister and I are going to look for senior living places for them. They’re not going to like it but we can’t continue to give up our lives for them. A nice independent living situation would be perfect for them.
Our hike yesterday was much needed! It felt great to get out and physically exhaust myself instead of emotional exhaustion. My sister and I are going to start taking every other day “duty” with my mom...visit for just a couple hours in the afternoon instead of all day long. My dad is a whole other subject!
My goal for April is to get to the gym at least twice a week for strength training, continue the smoothies and high protein/natural carbs, gin and tonics only once a week (at least it’s diet tonic!), try to walk after dinner as much as possible! As far as the scale goes...I’d like to catch up to my missed goal of one pound a week, which would put me at eight pounds loss needed for April. That’s a lot to ask for but I’m going to keep that goal. Maybe it will provide some much needed motivation!2 -
Morning..
Gail - so lovely to see you pop in.. i'm so sorry to hear you're dealing with some issues right now; you know if you need to vent anytime. .or just talk we're here for ya.. sometimes its easier to talk to people who aren't in the situations too.. and sometimes just sharing can help ease the load.. sending hugs!
Suzy.. lmao @ the diet tonic... !! excellent "balance" choice! Its one of the hardest things when you have to deal with issues around our parents... not that my opinino matters but i think you are doing the right thing.. for you and them which helps with the emotional ouch when you know its really the best thing for them too,.. it will be rough leaving their home but if you can find the right place, they will hopefully find themselves happier too.. ! And yes.. using the hikes and or walks whether to exhaust yourself or just for your mental health vs physical benefits is a GOOD thing!! and way better than turning to fgood like i did..!! hang in there and keep us updated! kudos on the april goals; and girl i have no doubt you can hit that big one.. no doubt at all!
I read an article this morning on why post menopausal women have a hard time losing weight.. i know we've all read many .. yada yada... but i liked this one lol... so im sharing... just in case.. i particualrly liked the "piggy bank" line.. well i didnt actually LIKE it.... but.. hmmmm!!
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Since many readers are post-menopausal, this headline “why postmenopausal women can’t lose weight” has not come as a shocker to you.
If your experience has been like most of us, you know first hand that losing weight and keeping it off at this stage in your life has become “mission impossible.” Sadly, by and large, all the advice out there on dieting and losing weight does not have our age group in mind.
Allow me to introduce you to someone who totally understands our postmenopausal bodies, Dr. Laura Lefkowitz. Laura is an M.D. with honors in Obstetrics and Gynecology, Psychiatry, Internal Medicine and Radiology. It wasn’t until she was pursuing training in radiation oncology and seeing firsthand the effects of weight on women’s health, that she shifted her focus from treating disease in the traditional sense and refocused on treatment through nutrition. In preparation for her career shift, Laura attended Columbia University’s Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she studied all the various dietary theories and complimentary treatments to traditional medicine.
In other words, Dr. Laura is not just another dietician with a theory on how to lose weight. She is an expert.
An expert on women our age and our bodies, she knows why postmenopausal women can’t lose weight. As she explained in PRiME’s interview with her, she approaches nutritional needs for women by life spans or cycles. First, is the birth to puberty growth stage where the body is growing and needs more calories per body weight than in any other time in life. Next comes puberty through childbearing. The body is no longer in a growth stage and needs fewer calories but the body still has fairly strong nutritional needs as the body is constantly preparing for a potential pregnancy.
Then along comes that postmenopausal stage, whatever age that is. The body stops making estrogen, the ovaries shut down since the body doesn’t need it after we stop making babies. However, as Dr. Laura explains, “Estrogen makes us feel good. It makes us pretty. It keeps our brain sharp and our skin nice. As a result, our bodies try to hang on to some of it.”
While our body can make a little estrogen in the adrenal glands, the other place we can provide it is in our peripheral fat stores. The body tries to preserve some of the estrogen by storing fat. Our insulin levels rise so we can put on weight, anywhere from five to 20 pounds. And while our blood vessels are happy, we aren’t so happy when we look in the mirror and see the extra pounds. Those extra pounds aren’t good for our hearts, either, and they are hard on our joints.
When our life expectancy was much shorter, those extra pounds weren’t as much of a problem, but now that we are living longer and want to be active into our 70s and 80s, we have to change our diet. Our bodies don’t metabolize carbohydrates well anymore. We have an overactive response to them producing insulin and storing fat. That is why it’s hard to lose weight. We have to let go of things and adapt our behavior to our hormonal system.
So it’s not about dieting. Diets ultimately fail. You have to change your relationship to food. You now need to eat the foods your body can handle if you want to keep your weight in check.
That means not eating foods that increase insulin and eating vegetables and lean protein instead. Fruit should be consumed in moderation because of its high sugar content. Milk and milk products are a problem too. Our bodies don’t need it once we stop growing. Milk is a growth hormone. So drinking lattes and such is adding needless calories.
While Dr. Laura designs every eating regimen for the individual, she did offer some generalizations on what your diet would need to look like in order to lose weight, postmenopausal.
She recommends getting 50% of your calories from vegetables that are low in carbohydrates. Lean proteins should be roughly 25%. Healthy fats, like olive oil, avocado, etc. 15%, and that leaves only 10% for everything else–other carbs such as fruit, whole grains, oatmeal, potatoes, milk in your coffee, birthday cake and alcohol, which should only be 1% of that 10%. In other words, you can’t drink and lose weight.
Counting calories is a big waste of time. It doesn’t work. A calorie is not a calorie. You need to eat a lot of low calorie, high nutrition food, which is vegetables. Petite women are even more challenged because they have less muscle. Bigger people are working harder against gravity and need more calories. That’s why so much of the advice out there won’t work for the petite woman, especially.
Most research has been done on men and adapted to women. When asked if yo-yo dieting slows the metabolism down, Dr. Laura said yes, but that it was not irreversible. However, we need to remember that the body is genetically wired to survive. The body doesn’t care if you look good in jeans. Losing weight scares it.
You cut your calories to 400 or 500 and your body thinks there’s an ice age out there where there’s no sunlight and thus no food available and it had better conserve energy. It’s not going to expend energy making beautiful hair and nails. Its going to focus on making blood cells and beating the heart and breathing. Cutting calories that low once in a while is fine, but over and over again, the body says, “I don’t know when the next ice age is coming so I had better start storing.”
Another reason why postmenopausal women can’t lose weight is our set point and the body adapts to it. Whatever your highest weight point is, your body thinks that’s the best weight. Remember it doesn’t know when the next ice age is coming. The hormones work against you to get back to the higher weight. For example, you weigh 125 and you gain weight – going up to 135. You diet, getting your weight back down to 125, but your body is saying, “Why are we down to 125? I liked 135.” And for the next year genetics and hormones are going to fight you as they try to get back to that 135 weight.
It is why most people gain their weight back. The body is working against them. After a year, the body finally gives up and says, “Okay, I guess this is what I’m going to weigh.” But the body will always remembers that higher weight, the exception being during pregnancy because it’s an altered state.
But Dr. Laura says it’s not hopeless. If you can feed your body regularly with lots of vegetables and lean protein, you can calm down those hormones and get your metabolism working properly again. It won’t be what it once was due to age and loss of muscle mass, but it can be functioning properly. Extreme dieting also reduces muscle mass which makes you burn less fat, so if you don’t work at building that muscle back, you won’t get your metabolism back.
Your body also thinks about the future. As you get older, the body starts worrying about coming health issues. The body says, “I might need surgery and I had better have a little fat stored away. I need some pounds.” So the five pounds you gained at menopause, your body wants to put that into a piggy bank. It’s a retirement fund.
Your body also doesn’t regulate its temperature as well and a little extra weight is like a sweater to throw on when you’re wearing a tank top. A little bit of insulation keeps the organs warmer. So while 20 pounds is too much extra weight for most women, five to ten pounds may be a very good thing.
The reason postmenopausal women can’t lose weight isn’t any one thing, but with changing the way we eat, exercising more, and being patient, we can maintain a healthy weight.
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Awesome read, Snoozie! I am going to print it off for me to read more thoroughly.
Thanks for the sentiments . Having issues with new DNL. can't speak my complete mind, due to the fact my son would never believe me and I would be the hated one. It will work it's self out soon, Hope to sit down and have my "somewhat" say this evening...wish me luck at keeping my mouth shut when I need to....lol1 -
Suzy, my heart goes out to you with situation with both parents... it's such a tough decision, but one you must make, for you to have time for yourself. I'm glad you have a sister to help you out with them.
I am glad the surgery went well and sending prayers for Mom to quickly recover.
sending {{{{hugs}}}}
G1
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