Menopause sucks

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psychnurse10304
psychnurse10304 Posts: 1 Member
in Introduce Yourself

I have hit full blown menopause and packed on 50 lbs. I lack energy, focus, the will eat well etc. I need some help!

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  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 37,108 Member

    Hello and welcome!

    I lost about 50 pounds with MFP back in 2015-16 starting at age 59, in menopause and severely hypothyroid besides (medicated for that, though). I've been maintaining a healthy weight since, now 69. I figure if a hedonistic, undisciplined aging hippie flake like me can do it, probably most any adult can, if they commit to the process. If it utterly required lots of discipline, willpower or motivation, I wouldn't have done it, because I have a very limited budget of any of those.

    My best tip will always be to make the easiest possible plan that gradually leads toward your goals, rather than jumping on the "lose weight fast" train. Weight management isn't a quick project with an end date. IMO, the true golden prize isn't losing weight, it's losing it then staying at a healthy weight forever. That's a forever endeavor. It's going to rely on finding new, reasonably happy, very practical routine habits that can continue long term. That's a different mindset. Once we reach goal weight, we get to add back a few calories to stay at that weight.

    The easy plan is going to vary individually, because we each have different preferences, strengths, challenges and lifestyles. That suggests trying things that look promising, keeping the tactics that help, discarding the ones that don't . . . but keeping up that process. The things that don't work aren't "a failure", they're a learning opportunity. No need for guilt or self-recrimination.

    It's not essential to be perfect. "Pretty good on average" is a reasonable standard to aim for, if you ask me. And it doesn't all need to happen at once. It's fine to pick one positive change, work on that until it's habitual, then pick another thing. It can be to drink one coke or other sweet beverage a day instead of two, pack a lunch once this week (twice next week, three times the following week . . .), eat an additional serving of veggies daily, something like that . . . and not all of those at once, just one. Progress, not perfection.

    If you can start making small positive changes, they add up. And discovering that you actually can make them can be empowering. I think you can do this.

    I'm cheering for you to succeed: IME, the quality of life improvement is worth far more than the effort it takes!

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