postmenopausal WITHOUT severe symptoms

dcdickerson2

I am 60 years young and lucky to NOT have many problems with menopause. I have OCCASIONAL mild hot flashes - I still get a little hot at night and have to throw the covers off, but do not lay in a pool of sweat - my mood seems pretty stable, I still sleep at night (except last night when I decided I could drink several cups of coffee at 9pm and didn't go to sleep until 4:30am!... and I thought caffeine didn't effect me!) and I have never felt the need to take hormones.

What I DO have is a great deal of trouble keeping the weight off that I took almost two years to lose. I lost 50 lbs and was at my goal last Christmas. This Christmas I weight 12 lbs more. I have been desperate to try to knock it back down ever since I hit an extra 5, but they just seem to relentlessly creep back on - about a pound a month. I understand the principles of weight loss, but can't seem to fit in enough exercise and restrict food consumption enough to create that deficit. I lose a lb or two and gain back a lb or three. It is driving me crazy to try to be SO good ALL the time. And when I slip, it seems to take several days to get back to being "good" again. Mind you, I eat a fairly healthy set of base foods. Night time is my boogie-man time. I can ruin a perfectly reasonable day with night snacks instead of going to bed and going to sleep. I think it doesn't help that I've been out of work for 9 months and can't seem to find a job. I've decided to earn an LPN certification, which is expensive, but will hopefully get me working again.

Any helpful, motivational, practical tips, tricks and anti-slips to get me through the holidays? I could use some fresh ideas!

sweatymary

I'm glad that you seem to be escaping most menopausal problems :-D

I understand completely ruining a good day with the night time munchies as I do it too! Unfortunately there is no magic wand or easy route, weight gain as a result of the menopause seems to be the hardest weight to lose, and it really is will power! Log absolutely EVERYTHING you eat and try to increase your exercise if you can, doesn't have to be by a lot as every little helps. Good luck :-D x

dcdickerson2

Hey, thanks for the response - I've been out of town without internet access. Yes, logging helps, but I've been logging for years - first as a general thing, then because I was in Weight Watchers, and now just because it seems to be the only thing that truly curbs my roving eye for the nummy extra anything - extra serving, extra snack, extra dessert, even the extra piece of fruit. I just get so tired of being so accountable every second. It doesn't take much to throw my success off - in fact, the past year has been a slow slide back up the scale. I do know what I need to do, but why can't there be a magic wand to help me JUST DO IT!?! Any tips for indoor exercise to up the activity level a little? When it is 35-40 degrees out and rainy, outdoor exercise just isn't going to happen with any regularity!! That includes going out to a gym, so I'm looking to increase my activity here at home. By the way, if that is you in your pic, you're lookin' good! How much have you lost? Are you keeping it off?

debs6

Try to have low calorie munchies if you tend to get night time munchies- and see if you can create a calorie deficit that is completed in the evening to allow for a bit of eating. If I am inclined to eat I will sometimes have a cup of green tea and if that doesn't help I might have two squares of dark(70%) chocolate that I let just melt in my mouth slowly.

As for exercise in the home - how about buying an exercise DVD. I have the 30 day shred -and do that every few days interspersed with walking on days it is suitable outside. It might be worth sussing out what DVDs people find useful. Even things like spending some time walking up and down stairs - or just on and off a step in your home- this will certainly build up your cardio and compensate for a bit of nibbling.

Good luck
Debbie