Menopause

peggieblack60

I have recently been seeing suggestions for dietary changes with menopause that may help with the constitutional symptoms, such as night sweats, brain-fog, and weight gain.
Is there a macro change that you would recommend?
Thank you!

AnnPT77

Did you mean this question for "Ask the RD"? There was a special thread to ask those questions.

I'm just a regular menopausal woman who lost weight (6+ years ago, using MFP, and have stayed at a healthy weight since).

IMO, the best strategy is to get good overall nutrition: Enough protein, enough healthy fats, plenty of varied, colorful veggies and fruits for fiber and micronutrients. That fosters good health, which goes some way to minimizing symptoms. (Regular cardiovascular and strength exercise won't hurt, either.)

Losing weight at a sensibly gradual place would be a good idea, too, IMO: Fast loss places added physical stress on the body, and that can aggravate brain fog, sleep issues, etc. If your current body weight is so high that it creates an acute health risk in itself, talk with your doctor about a referral to a registered dietitian for personalized help with losing fast more safely, and maybe for doctor monitoring via blood tests and such to avoid nutritional/health problems.

Lately, it seems like menopause and menopause symptoms have been a marketing ploy for diet and exercise plans. I think they're gaming us, frankly. I don't personally think menopause is all that special. I went into menopause hard-stop at age 45, triggered by chemotherapy, then took drugs for over seven years to wipe other (non-ovary) estrogen out of my body, creating a sort of hyper-menopause. It didn't change my ability to lose weight. Some of the symptoms declined with time, but I think some improved with improved eating, exercise, sleep, and stress management habits. YMMV.

Best wishes - you can reach your goals!