Weight not moving

melissaanntaylor6429

Hi I am 46 and really struggling with weight loss, I know the menopause has a lot to do with it I am just seeking some advice, I stick to my calories and go walking 2-3 times a week to up my step goal

tomcustombuilder

If no scale movement in 4 weeks then your weekly calories are too high. Hormones can affect hunger signals which can lead to increased eating.

dliverman293

Have your hormones checked that is what I have been finding

AnnPT77

Menopause is a big factor in marketing and the blogosphere lately, but I think that's over-hyped, honestly. I feel like most of the people preaching that menopause is doom are trying to make money from us, either by selling us their diets, exercise programs, or supplements; or by using our eyeballs to make ad revenue.

I'm not some blithe 20-something saying this from pure theory, either: I'm a 68 year old woman who's been in menopause since age 45. I was put there quickly by chemotherapy for breast cancer, then took anti-estrogen drugs for 7.5 years thereafter. In some ways, those drugs create a sort of hyper-menopausal state.

Yes, menopause may have certain side effects, some of them can cause fatigue or water retention, etc. But I think the bigger deal is that as we age, our lifestyles tend to become less physically active, and we lose muscle mass (and general fitness) unless we've been working hard and steadily to keep it.

I don't know about you, but in my 20s or so, I had more physical jobs, used public transit (or walking/biking) more, had more physical hobbies, didn't have as much discretionary income to hire services so did a lot of DIY projects to make a nice home, etc. I didn't have children, but a lot of women are also chasing toddlers earlier in life. That activity level gradually and subtly declined over a long time.

All those factors add up, and therefore we tend to burn hundreds fewer calories daily than we did when younger, plus maybe have slightly more indulgent lifestyles (more restaurant meals or rich meals, say).

Those things, being less active, becoming less fit, maybe being more indulgent . . . those are things we personally can control and reverse. Menopause per se we can't change. Some women can take hormone replacement therapy, maybe counter some of the side effects. I can't do that, because of my history of estrogen-fed cancer.

Nonetheless, when I committed to change my habits in order to lose weight, I found that I could do it, if I got serious about reversing some of the factors I mentioned above. I don't think "menopause makes it so hard" is a self-empowering mindset, for me anyway. (BTW, in addition to being menopausal, I'm severely hypothyroid, though properly medicated for it. That wasn't an insurmountable barrier, either, even though that's another thing the blogosphere tends to claim is weight loss doom).

Honestly, I think the answer is adopting a calorie goal that leads to a sensibly moderate weight loss rate, being patient and persistent, and ideally doing some enjoyable exercise that gradually increases over time so that it's always just a manageably bit challenging. ("Lose weight fast" is a trap.) Bonus points if a person get overall good nutrition - adequate protein, healthy fats, veggies and fruits - because that can help keep energy level high and appetite manageable.

Just my opinions, though . . . from the perspective of a woman who was overweight/obese for around 30 years, lost from class 1 obese to healthy weight in just under a year, and who's now heading into year 8 of maintaining a healthy weight.

Speaking of which: Being at a healthy weight has been a huge quality of life improvement for me, very much worth the effort.

I hope that for everyone, including you!