Menopause Weight Gain

Martinigirly

Does anyone know of any good websites to get more information regarding menopause weight gain and how to get it under control? I am just starting the "change" and it's very frustrating. Thanks!

EDesq

Does anyone know of any good websites to get more information regarding menopause weight gain and how to get it under control? I am just starting the "change" and it's very frustrating. Thanks!

Thinking that's an "old wives tail." I think it is more how one feels emotionally, mentally, and psychologically. Too many women here are LOSING weight and they are at the beginning, middle or end of the Change. Remember, you are not your genetics. Eat right, moderate exercise routine and keep a positive outlook, chances are you won't gain weight, AND your Journey through the "Change" should be less bumpy.

mountainmare

Be very carful to watch your weight to avoid having to lose it. I kept my weight off for the first few years after "the change" by keeping active and watching what I ate, then health problems sidelined me and I've been struggling ever sunec. The major difference is that you will tend to put weight on around the belly (I always gained in my hips before) and your metabolism will slow down as you age. The best thing--eat clean, stay active and don't let your weight get out of control. As an aside talk to your Dr about a healthy weight for your age, I was told not to go too low so that I can keep my bones strong!

Martinigirly

Thanks for the advice! In a year and a half I gained nearly 20 lbs. My diet didn't change all that much but my metabolism sure did. And you are right about the belly fat! I never had that problem until now. I am trying to start long hikes with my husband as well as lifting weights to gain some core strength. I wish these issues were touched upon at least in school, as I would be a little better prepared to deal with them as well as have treated my body alot better!!!!

lizziebeth1028

Does anyone know of any good websites to get more information regarding menopause weight gain and how to get it under control? I am just starting the "change" and it's very frustrating. Thanks!

Thinking that's an "old wives tail." I think it is more how one feels emotionally, mentally, and psychologically. Too many women here are LOSING weight and they are at the beginning, middle or end of the Change. Remember, you are not your genetics. Eat right, moderate exercise routine and keep a positive outlook, chances are you won't gain weight, AND your Journey through the "Change" should be less bumpy.

I respectfully disagree it's not an old wifes tale! Although I'm sure there are a lot of women unaffected by the hormone imbalances and changes....many of us (including me) find that maintaining your weight and losing becomes more challenging...but not impossible!!!

In my case I've maintained a healthy weight all my adult years through healthy diet and exercise. Then menopause hit and all those things that had worked for me no longer worked. Even though I weighed the same...I was losing muscle tone and getting thick around my middle. Everything was shifting around :sad:

But I find if you just tweak things here and there you can overcome this -

1 - STRENGTH TRAINING! this is huge for women at this stage in our life. If you're not doing it start. And if you're doing it already lift heavier!

2 - HIT THOSE MACROS I'm a carboholic. I admit it. It didn't effect me too much when I was younger but now I definitely need protein to support my work outs. And MFP protein guideline is set low. You should at least be hitting that plus more. DISCLAIMER - I'm not talking low carb here. Carbs are important too. Just make sure you are getting enough protein.

3 - STAYING CONSISTENT ....with a healthy diet and working out. strengthand cardio

Here's a link to a menopause group on here - http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/523-near-or-post-menopausal-group

You may find some more helpful suggestions in there.

Best wishes:flowerforyou:

Merithyn

lizziebeth nailed it. I'm 12 years into menopause, and the change caused all kinds of new challenges for me. While increasing my activity and lowering my sugar used to be enough to drop weight quickly, now I have to do twice as much to get the same results. And my waist ballooned!

The protein is important, as is the weight-training to keep you from losing bone mass. (The first five years of menopause is where women lose 90% of the bone mass they're going to lose.) Cardio helps lessen hot flashes and emotional ups and downs, so try to do something every day that raises your heart-rate to at least 120bpm for 15 minutes. I was having hot flashes every hour on the hour for a year before I found that trick. Amazing the difference!

It will be harder to lose the fat, but yes, it absolutely can be done. Just stick with it.

Rikasue

I also don't think it's an Old Wives' Tail. When I was 50 (7 years ago, before menopause), I lost 30 pounds on weight watchers. It was slow, but steady. 7 years later and 15 pounds heavier, it is very tough. My body has changed - I never had "muffin top", even at my heaviest. While I was able to lost 1 1/2 to 2 pounds a week before, I am now struggling to even lose one pound a week and that can be discouraging. Yes, I am active, I run, strength train, etc. In the last years, in trying to lose this added weight, if after 2-3 weeks, I lost little or nothing, I gave up. Now, I'm in my 3rd week of trying to maintain 1200-1400 calories per day. I vow only to get on the scale once a week and accept what little I can lose. Any loss is better than no loss!! Keep on trucking!

Christine1110

Maybe I was lucky....I didn't gain any. In fact I was careful what I ate and lost weight!

PaperThinLips

what my mum does (she's 52) is she just uses portion control and she stays very active.
she's around 5'6'' and weighs around 120 pounds.

AlabasterJar68

Maybe I was lucky....I didn't gain any. In fact I was careful what I ate and lost weight!

Congrats to you! :happy:

lizziebeth1028

what my mum does (she's 52) is she just uses portion control and she stays very active.
she's around 5'6'' and weighs around 120 pounds.

^^^^^ Good advice!!!!

lol sorry....I thought your elbows were boobs at first :blushing:

lizziebeth1028

Maybe I was lucky....I didn't gain any. In fact I was careful what I ate and lost weight!

Wow 102lbs lost!! Congrats, good job!!!

ninelives58

I don't know of a website, but no way is it an old wives tale. My doctor warned me when I was pre-menopausal that I should watch my weight now or else I'd have an even bigger problem once I entered menopause. Over the years, I'd been creeping up the scale slowly. Sure enough, once I was in menopause, I packed on 20 pounds in a VERY short timeframe. And all the tricks I'd used in the past for losing weight just weren't cutting it. That was about 6 years ago. Hormonally, things settle down after awhile, so I think the weight challenges that occur early in menopause don't last forever at that same extreme. Of course, MFP has taught me how to eat a reasonable amount of calories vs. the overeating that I used to do regularly, so that has a lot to do with it also.

ninelives58

lol sorry....I thought your elbows were boobs at first :blushing:

HA! -- me too

Merithyn

I don't know of a website, but no way is it an old wives tale. My doctor warned me when I was pre-menopausal that I should watch my weight now or else I'd have an even bigger problem once I entered menopause. Over the years, I'd been creeping up the scale slowly. Sure enough, once I was in menopause, I packed on 20 pounds in a VERY short timeframe. And all the tricks I'd used in the past for losing weight just weren't cutting it. That was about 6 years ago. Hormonally, things settle down after awhile, so I think the weight challenges that occur early in menopause don't last forever at that same extreme. Of course, MFP has taught me how to eat a reasonable amount of calories vs. the overeating that I used to do regularly, so that has a lot to do with it also.

This. Well, I'm only just starting the weight loss thing, but it is a very different beast for me now than it was before. And yeah, I gained 20 pounds in a year after menopause without changing anything in my diet or exercise. Obviously, I had to make some serious changes to arrest the gain. Now, this weight loss challenge is very different than it's ever been before. Can still be done, but it's harder.

Martinigirly

Thanks for the post! I am finding 20 lbs is what most people seem to gain. I just started trying to lift weights and am enrolling in a pilates reformer class for core strength. I didn't think my diet was bad because I eat mostly raw fruit and vegetables, little fat. Now I am finding it's not only important to eat foods that provide the protein you need to build muscle, but it's also WHEN you eat them and how they release into your system to keep you energized. It's alot to learn!!

Tip for hot flashes - eat lots of soy. I love tofu and read a study about Japanese women with a high soy diet. There's supposedly a link between eating soy and reducing hot flashes!!

fattofit20

It is not an old wives tale. I began this menopause journey at the young age of 48. I am now almost 52 and have packed on 20 extra pounds. Mostly from my stomach to my thighs. In the past I use to only think about losing weight and it would come right off. Now I'm working harder than I ever have and it's taking a whole lot longer. I've also noticed a lack of muscle. This has occurred in the past year. I'm now starting to do some light weights and exercise and can see a slight difference. I've realized that now that I'm older I have to make total lifestyle changes.

redcat17

The weight training and pilates is an excellent idea. We lose muscle as we age, which may account for some of the fat gains. It might be a good thing to have an assesment at the gym to find out your BF% which may help to set your goals for weight and fitness.

For myself, I find having a personal trainer helps to mix up my workouts up and keep me motivated. I'm trying to lose the weight slowly while lifting 3-4 days a week to try to maintain as much leam body mass as possible, and once I lose about 20 more pounds I'll probably switch to gaining so I can put on more muscle. I don't worry about the scale so much as my BF%.

Merithyn

Tip for hot flashes - eat lots of soy. I love tofu and read a study about Japanese women with a high soy diet. There's supposedly a link between eating soy and reducing hot flashes!!

Definitely agree with this. I started drinking soy milk about five years ago and it minimized the hot flashes almost immediately. Didn't get rid of them, but definitely made a difference.

cara4art

Wow - I guess I was lucky I only gained 7 pounds post-menopause! And no, it's not an old wives' tale about the weight gain at and after menopause, otherwise there wouldn't be so many perfectly conscious people telling about their experiences. If you really want to get depressed about all this, head over to Power-Surge, a menopausal portal with various forums, including weight and fitness. There are people there who absolutely got DERAILED by menopause in general, including gaining a lot more than 20 pounds. Somewhere I read that average is anywhere from 10-30 pounds as far as what women often put on around menopause. Of course, everyone has somewhat different body chemistry, and of course lifestyle habits have a lot to do with how one navigates all this. Digestion changes, especially of carbohydrates, so if one is carb-sensitive to begin with even BEFORE the change, one will have to be extremely strict with one's intake of any carbohydrates in order to lose the weight. Those docs mentioned in other posts who urge their patients to lose the weight before menopause are spot on, it's a lot harder, although not impossible afterward, and one really does have to get on the stick with proper diet for one's body, and significant exercise. Plus the fact that our bodies are wanting to store more fat to make estrogen in the excess fat cells, to pick up where the ovaries left off, so our bodies ARE fighting us to a certain extent, some more so than others. No more of dieting a little, and having 5 pounds gone in 3 weeks without all that much effort. It takes more, and smarter effort. Since one requires fewer calories by virtue of being older, even with being active, those calories had better be good ones in order to meet our nutritional needs. In other words, not much room for junk, at least as much as possible anyway. About the belly fat, yes, that happens to nearly every woman, and it takes dietary control to keep that from getting out of hand. Again, too many carbs and too much sugar will make this worse.
Strength training of course is hugely important, and depressingly enough, the very demographic that stands to benefit the most(menopausal women)are the least likely to do it, still, even with all the info out there proving that it's good and that great results can be achieved. Age-related muscle loss is very real unless one tackles this now, or yesterday. The sooner one gets started, the better but any time is good. For those who say they don't want muscle mass, think again. When you're 80, do you want to be able to get up off the toilet by yourself? I know, a graphic example, but if one's legs have atrophied from muscle loss, one won't be able to, or do other independent living tasks, and then it's going to be really expensive to live. Treasure every pound of muscle one gains, seriously! Whatever affects muscle, also affects bone, training-wise too - a fact that a lot of people are unaware of.
Personally, I've been on some kind of weight-training since the early 80s(will be 65 next week) and am reasonably trim and firm, but aiming to drop 7 more pounds(I've lost 2 since I've been here). I also do Pilates(awesome body awareness and core training, and if done properly, a full-body system), cardio and hoop dancing so I'm pretty active, doing something on most days of the week. I've been averaging around 1400 calories a day and maybe eat back half my exercise calories.

Sabine_Stroehm

Old wives WHAT?????

Hi martinigirly! Join us over here!


http://www.myfitnesspal.com/forums/show/523-near-or-post-menopausal-group

Martinigirly

I'm in! Thanks for the suggestion.

Rikasue

Thanks for the advice! In a year and a half I gained nearly 20 lbs. My diet didn't change all that much but my metabolism sure did. And you are right about the belly fat! I never had that problem until now. I am trying to start long hikes with my husband as well as lifting weights to gain some core strength. I wish these issues were touched upon at least in school, as I would be a little better prepared to deal with them as well as have treated my body alot better!!!!

Rikasue

OMG - the belly fat. I never had a muffin top, even when I was heavier. Lost 30 pounds in 2005 when I was 50. I'm up about 15. 7 years later makes a difference! I've always worked out, I run, strength train. Since I started MFP, I've tried to maintain 1200 calories a day. After 2 weeks, i lose less than 1 pound. I get discouraged easy. But, it beats the alternative - weight gain.

Keep at it.

dddp1

(never ever have I posted or sign up on a fitness app)
I'm over 50
In Menopause
Have had NO success on my own getting help
Reaching out to EVERYONE for ideas!
:sad:

Qskim

I'm 43 and haven't started menopause but one of the reasons i lost what I have is my female trainer saying to me...you need to lose it before menopause because once you hit that it's a whole other story. My mum has been through it and was a successful weight loser 20years ago... Kept it off, conciencious... Now she could weep... Is ticked at how she feels she has to start again. It's all in the middle too.

NewLIFEstyle4ME

bump

kellybatkin

Hi! I am a student nurse, and I recently came across an article related to this! You should take a look... in short the evidence shows the menopause doesn't cause weight gain but it changes the way to body stores fat - more likely to get "a belly" which is what a few of you have said!

Ultimately weight gain is determined by non-hormonal factors, rather than the menopause itself.

http://www.rcn.org.uk/development/communities/rcn_forum_communities/womenshealth/news_stories/menopause_and_weight_gain

xx