Tips for keeping weight off as you age

tomcustombuilder

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

I don't disagree with the majority of posters here, however, an underlying cause to some of the common issues women face in middle age is hormones. When all the things that "have always worked" suddenly stop working.
Hormones and perimenopause can seriously screw with your body, and OP, you're right in that age range. There are a lot of symptoms of peri that directly lead to weight gain - some of it bloating and the like, some of it fatigue and exhaustion that lowers willpower and energy levels, which cause you to move less, not workout quite as hard as you used to, eat a bit more than you used to, cravings, etc...ya, it's "just" water weight, and yes, it's still CICO, but overlooking the underlying problem is a problem IMO.
It is a topic that has, IMO, historically (and still is, even in the medical world) underplayed, misunderstood, and not studied very well, but can have major impacts on women at this age.
It doesn't impact everyone the same either - some sail through with hardly any issues, others get completely sidelined, and a bunch of us land somewhere in the middle.
Just another factor that may be worth exploring - I would say to join a peri or menopause group specifically for more information, it is a topic generally overlooked outside of those groups.

Unless there is a calorie suplus consistently there won't be fat gain. Hormones MAY have an effect on hunger however that in turn will be related to an excess of calories.

Lietchi

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

I don't disagree with the majority of posters here, however, an underlying cause to some of the common issues women face in middle age is hormones. When all the things that "have always worked" suddenly stop working.
Hormones and perimenopause can seriously screw with your body, and OP, you're right in that age range. There are a lot of symptoms of peri that directly lead to weight gain - some of it bloating and the like, some of it fatigue and exhaustion that lowers willpower and energy levels, which cause you to move less, not workout quite as hard as you used to, eat a bit more than you used to, cravings, etc...ya, it's "just" water weight, and yes, it's still CICO, but overlooking the underlying problem is a problem IMO.
It is a topic that has, IMO, historically (and still is, even in the medical world) underplayed, misunderstood, and not studied very well, but can have major impacts on women at this age.
It doesn't impact everyone the same either - some sail through with hardly any issues, others get completely sidelined, and a bunch of us land somewhere in the middle.
Just another factor that may be worth exploring - I would say to join a peri or menopause group specifically for more information, it is a topic generally overlooked outside of those groups.

Unless there is a calorie suplus consistently there won't be fat gain. Hormones MAY have an effect on hunger however that in turn will be related to an excess of calories.

I'm feeling you missed HoneyBadger's point a bit? Excess calories, sure, but still caused by (peri)menopause if you are feeling like crap because of the effects of those hormones.

tomcustombuilder

Lietchi wrote: »

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

I don't disagree with the majority of posters here, however, an underlying cause to some of the common issues women face in middle age is hormones. When all the things that "have always worked" suddenly stop working.
Hormones and perimenopause can seriously screw with your body, and OP, you're right in that age range. There are a lot of symptoms of peri that directly lead to weight gain - some of it bloating and the like, some of it fatigue and exhaustion that lowers willpower and energy levels, which cause you to move less, not workout quite as hard as you used to, eat a bit more than you used to, cravings, etc...ya, it's "just" water weight, and yes, it's still CICO, but overlooking the underlying problem is a problem IMO.
It is a topic that has, IMO, historically (and still is, even in the medical world) underplayed, misunderstood, and not studied very well, but can have major impacts on women at this age.
It doesn't impact everyone the same either - some sail through with hardly any issues, others get completely sidelined, and a bunch of us land somewhere in the middle.
Just another factor that may be worth exploring - I would say to join a peri or menopause group specifically for more information, it is a topic generally overlooked outside of those groups.

Unless there is a calorie suplus consistently there won't be fat gain. Hormones MAY have an effect on hunger however that in turn will be related to an excess of calories.

I'm feeling you missed HoneyBadger's point a bit? Excess calories, sure, but still caused by (peri)menopause if you are feeling like crap because of the effects of those hormones.

I don’t see how feeling like crap negates CICO. It will affect NEAT so that just means lower calories are required however feeling like crap can cause your dietary choices to be less than optimal and cause calories to probably increase.

AnnPT77

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

I don't disagree with the majority of posters here, however, an underlying cause to some of the common issues women face in middle age is hormones. When all the things that "have always worked" suddenly stop working.
Hormones and perimenopause can seriously screw with your body, and OP, you're right in that age range. There are a lot of symptoms of peri that directly lead to weight gain - some of it bloating and the like, some of it fatigue and exhaustion that lowers willpower and energy levels, which cause you to move less, not workout quite as hard as you used to, eat a bit more than you used to, cravings, etc...ya, it's "just" water weight, and yes, it's still CICO, but overlooking the underlying problem is a problem IMO.
It is a topic that has, IMO, historically (and still is, even in the medical world) underplayed, misunderstood, and not studied very well, but can have major impacts on women at this age.
It doesn't impact everyone the same either - some sail through with hardly any issues, others get completely sidelined, and a bunch of us land somewhere in the middle.
Just another factor that may be worth exploring - I would say to join a peri or menopause group specifically for more information, it is a topic generally overlooked outside of those groups.

Unless there is a calorie suplus consistently there won't be fat gain. Hormones MAY have an effect on hunger however that in turn will be related to an excess of calories.

Not just an effect on hunger. That would be reasonably easy to see when calorie counting.

There can be very meaningful effects on fatigue (directly, and indirectly via sleep quality) among other issues that affect the "calories out" side of the equation. There's evidence suggesting that the hormonal changes can increase rate of muscle mass loss (plus reduce response to useful stimulus), and change distribution of body fat (in ways that are potentially easy to interpret as fat gains).

I'm one who feels that the blogosphere, publications, and marketers have given too much power to menopause per se . . . but I think it's naïve to believe it has zero effect.

Have you gone through perimenopause and menopause, Tom?

cmriverside

I agree that it's a tough time. Been there, got the weight gain right around my middle. However, I had a whole long list of really big stressors going on around the same time so it's hard to parse out which part of it was hormones and which part of it was just - life.

I guess since I lost that weight pretty easily once I made the decision to track calories, I have to believe that hormones are not the whole story. I had to change everything in my life. I lost the weight and I've kept it off, and pretty sure I'm still in menopause.

tomcustombuilder

AnnPT77 wrote: »

tomcustombuilder wrote: »

HoneyBadger302 wrote: »

I don't disagree with the majority of posters here, however, an underlying cause to some of the common issues women face in middle age is hormones. When all the things that "have always worked" suddenly stop working.
Hormones and perimenopause can seriously screw with your body, and OP, you're right in that age range. There are a lot of symptoms of peri that directly lead to weight gain - some of it bloating and the like, some of it fatigue and exhaustion that lowers willpower and energy levels, which cause you to move less, not workout quite as hard as you used to, eat a bit more than you used to, cravings, etc...ya, it's "just" water weight, and yes, it's still CICO, but overlooking the underlying problem is a problem IMO.
It is a topic that has, IMO, historically (and still is, even in the medical world) underplayed, misunderstood, and not studied very well, but can have major impacts on women at this age.
It doesn't impact everyone the same either - some sail through with hardly any issues, others get completely sidelined, and a bunch of us land somewhere in the middle.
Just another factor that may be worth exploring - I would say to join a peri or menopause group specifically for more information, it is a topic generally overlooked outside of those groups.

Unless there is a calorie suplus consistently there won't be fat gain. Hormones MAY have an effect on hunger however that in turn will be related to an excess of calories.

Not just an effect on hunger. That would be reasonably easy to see when calorie counting.

There can be very meaningful effects on fatigue (directly, and indirectly via sleep quality) among other issues that affect the "calories out" side of the equation. There's evidence suggesting that the hormonal changes can increase rate of muscle mass loss (plus reduce response to useful stimulus), and change distribution of body fat (in ways that are potentially easy to interpret as fat gains).

I'm one who feels that the blogosphere, publications, and marketers have given too much power to menopause per se . . . but I think it's naïve to believe it has zero effect.

Have you gone through perimenopause and menopause, Tom?

No, I'm in the “men can’t get pregnant, have periods or go through menopause” camp.

You are correct and in agreement that those things affect the “calories out” side of the equation. Which was the point I was making.

I watched my ex go through it and her weight gain was fluid retention.

Zero effect? Perhaps not.

springlering62

cmriverside wrote: »

…. pretty sure I'm still in menopause.

That made me spit up my ice water sniggering!