Menopause issues

DJBO65

Any of you ladies know of any tips to aid weight loss through menopause.
I am really struggling and could do with some support from people who have been in a similar situation. I eat fairly healthy, don't restrict calories usually have around 1,500 a day. I have an active job and i enjoy walking. I do have hypothyroidism too, but i am on medication and my TSH levels are fine. I am sure that my hormones really do have an impact on my weight loss, as i am finding it really difficult to lose weight.
I need to lose around 30 pounds to be a healthy weight. I am averaging about a pound every couple of weeks or none at all, which makes me feel really frustrated!
Any advice from anyone going through this and what works for you would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance

cmriverside

usually have around 1,500 a day

"Usually" and "around" - there's your problem.


If I didn't have good data, I couldn't adjust my strategy. Get your logging of food and exercise as accurate and consistently AT 1500 (PLUS more on exercise days) and then see how it goes.

I lost 80 pounds while going through menopause and being hypo (with meds, so under control). It's about good data for me. I want to eat as much as I can but not too much so I have to keep accurate records.

BarbaraHelen2013

Agree with the above but depending on your height 1500 may still be too much to allow you to lose any weight.

Having said that - you could do the 1500 accurately for 6 weeks or so and see what happens to your weight then figure out an appropriate calorie goal from there.

Or you could enter your height, weight, age etc into the MFP setup and select a sensible rate of loss (with 30lbs to lose you’d be ok at half a pound a week I think). That should give you a less arbitrary place to start.

Dogmom1978

Usually 1500... are you weighing your foods? You need accurate info about how much you eat vs how much you burn so that you KNOW you are eating in a deficit.

nanastaci2020

1 pound every couple of weeks is good.

You may just need to fine tune your logging. Aim for total accuracy. Weigh all solids, measure liquids. Use the recipe builder instead of pulling up 'recipes' in the database that probably do not match the specifics of the dish you make. Avoid bites/licks/tastes while cooking. (That is hard, I know!) Plan out your days, if it helps, to make sure you have both nutritional needs & satiety covered.

I had been losing 2-4 pounds per month, and it looks like this month I'll be less. I'm at .5 pounds total lost since August 30. It is easy to get frustrated. Instead, I can look back and see accomplishments made such as I'm getting more regular with some body weight strength training. And over the past 3 months I have increased my total daily activity a good bit, going from ~2000 steps a day to an average of 11000 steps a day. I can also look back on the past few weeks and understand why my results are minimal. I had a weekend of travel where I did not think about calories, and ate over maintenance for 2 days. And I discovered an error in one of my recipes, where I failed to include a major ingredient. So several times when I ate that dish (I do batch cooking) my calories were logged lower than reality.

So look back and find some things to be proud of, and look forward at things you can do to improve your logging.

DJBO65

Dogmom1978 wrote: »

Usually 1500... are you weighing your foods? You need accurate info about how much you eat vs how much you burn so that you KNOW you are eating in a deficit.

Yes I am weighing foods, I try to stay under the 1500 or on higher calorie burn days i have more calories. I always have a deficit of 500 or above as I am quite active even at work. I use my Fitbit all the time and I am not one for sitting around I like to be on the go. Before going through the menopause I was able to lose weight easier.

charmmeth

I sympathise: I am also in menopause and having put on a lot of weight after Easter am aiming to lose 30 lbs. Like you I was finding it harder to lose but since coming back to mfp in May I have had a steady loss of 2kg per month, though I expect it will be less this month as I get closer to my goal. Apart from logging food and realising that i was eating meals that were helthy but far higher calories than I realised (bacon and avocado sandwich was my standard lunch at the beginning of lock down...) for me there have been two ahah moments. One was realising that I need my exercise to be more intense and more focused than when I was losing weight pre-menopause. I was swimming a mile several times each week, admittedly without tracking my food, but not shifting the spare tyre. A rowing machine, working with weights, and higher intensity have helped (Bodyfit by Amy is my go-to place for workouts). The other was when I realised that I currently need to pay more attention to macros. My fat intake was too high and carbs too low. Altering that balance has helped me (this may be different for you). But in the end it is the calorie-counting that matters.

PS There is a menopause group on here, though it is not very active. I will see if I can find it again.

charmmeth

And here is the group: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group.

DJBO65

charmmeth wrote: »

I sympathise: I am also in menopause and having put on a lot of weight after Easter am aiming to lose 30 lbs. Like you I was finding it harder to lose but since coming back to mfp in May I have had a steady loss of 2kg per month, though I expect it will be less this month as I get closer to my goal. Apart from logging food and realising that i was eating meals that were helthy but far higher calories than I realised (bacon and avocado sandwich was my standard lunch at the beginning of lock down...) for me there have been two ahah moments. One was realising that I need my exercise to be more intense and more focused than when I was losing weight pre-menopause. I was swimming a mile several times each week, admittedly without tracking my food, but not shifting the spare tyre. A rowing machine, working with weights, and higher intensity have helped (Bodyfit by Amy is my go-to place for workouts). The other was when I realised that I currently need to pay more attention to macros. My fat intake was too high and carbs too low. Altering that balance has helped me (this may be different for you). But in the end it is the calorie-counting that matters.

PS There is a menopause group on here, though it is not very active. I will see if I can find it again.

Thank you charmmeth ☺

DJBO65

Thank you for all your advice and comments.