Scale not moving

Chicagoduran

This is so disappointing. Been tracking for 3 weeks m, been good with food, one pound down only!!!
Menopause sucks!

cmriverside

I found menopause to be the most liberating time of my life. I did have weight to lose, but it wasn't impossible or even that hard once I put my mind to it.

I hope you find a way to reframe your thinking.

I was able to lose 80 pounds in menopause and I've kept it off for over 15 years. It was all about the calories (just like it was when I was 25.)

I started with logging food. Everything, every day. Then I studied my FOOD diary and learned from it.

You can do that too.

Traquette

I understand the feeling, but hang in there!
3 weeks is not that long, and remember that losing slowly is actually better in the long run (but yeah, frustrating at times!)

tomcustombuilder

Give it another week or 2. If still no change or extremely slow you need to lower your weekly calorie amount and\or increase activity.

vivmom2014

I agree with @cmriverside about reframing your thinking. We tend to attract what we dwell on (at least according to an old sales maxim I"ve heard) and if you go into weight loss, at any age really, with the outlook that you'll "be good" for a while and let's get this nightmare over with...well, it's going to be a rather discouraging ride. You need to eat in a way that you can sustain for the rest of your days. That's not necessarily a negative, but it doesn't happen overnight.

Keep your favorite foods. If something is too irresistible, get it out of the house for a while. Choose a calorie goal that isn't drastic. Go from there, and know that losing weight in menopause isn't impossible. You learn the game and you play. I'm past menopause and I can tell you that the best shape of my life happened at 60.

fiddletime

Hang in there. This marathon starts with the first step, and doesn’t end.You’re at the beginning of a great run. I’ve used MFP for a decade and whenever I slip, back I go to logging. 69F. I started CrossFit 2 1/2 years ago and also am in the best shape of my life. You’ve got this- just be patient, be very honest about logging everything, and adjust as needed every month or so.

girlwithcurls2

Ohhh, the patience it takes. I re-started my journey post menopause and it has taken 5 months for me to actually wear smaller clothes again. I think in the beginning what helped me was focusing on the every day plan, and not worrying about when I get there. I will get there, but it was so discouraging at the beginning because motivation went away quite quickly, and there was no visible success. I say "visible" because every day that I worked to stay on track was success. Keep it up. You're not alone here

oakster69

I read an old weight loss mini-book written by an engineer (who thinks like me) and it made a lot of sense. He mentioned that the average body takes in 13.5 lb's per day through food, drink and moisture in the air you breath. Your calorie deficit is likely for 1 to 2 pounds a week. At two pounds per week, that is still only 4.5 oz of weight loss per day. Watching the scale for 4.5 oz per day, when your body is processing over 200 oz a day shows by the scale can stay still, or go up. Some days we retain more water, some days waste doesnt move through as quickly etc etc. Give it a bit more time.

One thing I learned is to be very accurate with your calorie counting. Document everything and measure it. Estimating is a good way to use up your deficit without knowing. Be realistic with your activity level too and the basic calorie burn that comes with that. If you have a true 500 calorie deficit, you will lose a pound a week over time.

Eager2LoseLbs

I agree, menopause sucks! I can’t eat the same foods I used to eat when I was younger. I’m on a weight loss journey too. As soon as I saw that I was stuck, I adjusted my diet and exercise daily. It’s been working so far. If I hit another plateau, I’ll probably add another workout and adjust calories to keep the deficit. Good luck!

LiveOnceBeHappy

When you say you’ve been good with your food, are you counting all of the calories you’re consuming? Are you measuring them or making an estimate? Is it possible you’re eating more than you think?

KareninCanada

Let's start by celebrating your success! You lost a pound and didn't gain - you are moving in the right direction!

Mathematically - you reduced your calorie intake by about 1200 calories a week, about 200 a day, you kept that up for three weeks and you are building better habits. (By the same math, you could have passively gained a pound in those three weeks by simply not accurately measuring your peanut butter and mayo!)

For the next three weeks try adding a 20-minute walk each day, while keeping up your better eating habits, and add an extra glass of water each day.

It's a slow journey but the time is going to pass anyway and if you take it slowly you are more likely to do it in a way that is sustainable, and less likely to struggle with excessive hunger or to mess up your metabolism.