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daybreak0723
daybreak0723 Posts: 22 Member
in Social Groups
Good morning! I found MFP through a friend this past Sept. I tried it for awhile, logging every single calorie and being diligent about keeping track. I initially lost around 6 lbs and felt pretty good about it but then one morning I woke up, weighed myself and found I had somehow gained 4 lbs overnight. I gave up. This past late March, I started using MFP again, with more determination than before. I do some sort of exercise nearly every day. I do yoga at least twice a week. I have picked up light jogging/running. I use my Wii Fit often. I keep track of my caloric intake. I drink 6-8 cups of water daily. I eat small meals throughout the day and have met my daily calorie goal every day (+/- 5 calories). I am 48 and in good health. I haven't experienced any menopausal issues other than she comes about every 6 weeks instead of every 4. I've only lost 9 lbs since late March. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I hear of people losing 20 lbs or more in their first month. I don't want to give up again but I'm becoming discouraged. Any ideas or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Replies

  • motherbetty
    motherbetty Posts: 170 Member
    Welcome! :smile:
  • tubbytuker
    tubbytuker Posts: 15 Member
    Hi - I just joined this group, but joined MFP in September as well - What you lose depends on what you need to lose! I needed to lose 20 pounds when I started and once I lost 10, I started to lighten up on my focus ... not good! Now I am yoyoing so I need to get back on track myself! Balancing your protein and your carbs generally helps a lot! And vary the colour of your fruits and vegetables so you get good variety ... limit but don't totally eliminate treats ... sounds easy doesn't it!!! lol :)

    If you aren't having many menopausal symptoms yet, enjoy! I thought I had it made until a friend told me the fun begins after your period ends ... that is where I am now! Whole new ball game!
  • daybreak0723
    daybreak0723 Posts: 22 Member
    Welcome! :smile:

    Thanks! :)
  • daybreak0723
    daybreak0723 Posts: 22 Member
    Hi - I just joined this group, but joined MFP in September as well - What you lose depends on what you need to lose! I needed to lose 20 pounds when I started and once I lost 10, I started to lighten up on my focus ... not good! Now I am yoyoing so I need to get back on track myself! Balancing your protein and your carbs generally helps a lot! And vary the colour of your fruits and vegetables so you get good variety ... limit but don't totally eliminate treats ... sounds easy doesn't it!!! lol :)

    If you aren't having many menopausal symptoms yet, enjoy! I thought I had it made until a friend told me the fun begins after your period ends ... that is where I am now! Whole new ball game!

    Thanks for the info! :) I do fairly well with the veggies. I work in the garden nearly every day and I love eating fresh veggies that I've grown myself. For the proteins and carbs, do you mean to follow the MFP suggestions or is there something else I should be doing?

    The "fun" after menopause?...And here I thought I was just one of the lucky ones. Lots to look forward to...great. That bites considering I've had "her" since I was 11!
  • tubbytuker
    tubbytuker Posts: 15 Member
    Hi -- still not the best at figuring out how to reply to a quote - hopefully this will work! I used to teach Weight Watchers (for 10 years) so I saw a lot of programs go through (hard to believe I am struggling with my weight so much when I know what to do but over the last year, I have developed tons of food allergies that until I figured them out, caused me to gain a ton of weight - I am getting it back under control and can now wear most of my clothes but cannot have dairy which is worrying me a bit ..._) anyway, re balance, think of the perfect plate - 1/4 protein, 1/4 carb (ie starch - potatoes, pasta, peas, corn, squash) and half non starchy veg - follow that and you will be away to the races. This of course is your dinner plate - then for lunches, if you like sandwiches, eat half a sandwich, not a whole (less starch) - for breakfast, switch it up, cereal one day, egg the next, one piece of toast, not two etc! If you want pasta for dinner one night, go for it, then have a lower starch dinner the next; if you want steak one night, eat fish the next ... get the idea? hope this helps!

    re the fun! yeah, I know what you mean - I thought I was done ... ha ha ha!
    Hi - I just joined this group, but joined MFP in September as well - What you lose depends on what you need to lose! I needed to lose 20 pounds when I started and once I lost 10, I started to lighten up on my focus ... not good! Now I am yoyoing so I need to get back on track myself! Balancing your protein and your carbs generally helps a lot! And vary the colour of your fruits and vegetables so you get good variety ... limit but don't totally eliminate treats ... sounds easy doesn't it!!! lol :)

    If you aren't having many menopausal symptoms yet, enjoy! I thought I had it made until a friend told me the fun begins after your period ends ... that is where I am now! Whole new ball game!

    Thanks for the info! :) I do fairly well with the veggies. I work in the garden nearly every day and I love eating fresh veggies that I've grown myself. For the proteins and carbs, do you mean to follow the MFP suggestions or is there something else I should be doing?

    The "fun" after menopause?...And here I thought I was just one of the lucky ones. Lots to look forward to...great. That bites considering I've had "her" since I was 11!
  • SueGeer
    SueGeer Posts: 1,169 Member
    Hi there!!! 50 - 51 in June. Have lost 22lbs since end of October 2012, so weight loss has been slow but steady. But I'm really struggling with menopausal emotions recently......crying for no apparent reason. Even broke down in tears at the gym at the weekend.

    Are there any special meat-free, mood-lifting foods anyone can suggest to help alleviate symptoms? Atm, sitting alone with an enormous chocolate feast is instantly appealing.......

    Should be :smile: :laugh: but feel like :cry: :sad:
  • daybreak0723
    daybreak0723 Posts: 22 Member
    Good morning, Sue!

    I don't know about any mood lifting foods except for things you eat just because it makes you happy. :) I don't necessarily think the chocolate is a bad idea as long as it's only occasional and in small amounts. I have S.A.D. (Seasonal Affective Disorder) which causes me to have low level depression in the Winter due to a shortage of Vitamin D due to less sunshine. While my doctor has offered mild anti-depressants, I declined. If it gets really bad, I will sometimes take St John's Wort which is an herb, available in tablet form, that helps a lot. It's all natural, and has no side effects.

    This website also discusses how it can be used for menopausal symptoms. Good luck!

    http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/329.html
  • Herstory4
    Herstory4 Posts: 3 Member
    HI, I'm new to the board, but not to MFP. I started a while back and was doing very well, then suddenly started slowly gaining weight - especially around the middle. I ate less and less (until my family started complaining!) but kept gaining. Thyroid checked out o.k., but my doctor suggested going to my OB/GYN because my hormone tests suggested I was peri-menopausal. WHAT!!!

    O.k., I'm dense. And a late bloomer. But in my defense, I've been busy. I'm 54 and one of the "sandwich generation" with four children and an elderly parent to care for - so I didn't really notice that I'm moody, irregular (did I mention I cry all the time?) etc. It wasn't until I hit 38 pounds overweight instead of just the 25 pounds of "baby" fat I was originally trying to lose that I realized something was wrong.

    So after trying to read all the information I could find on the internet, etc., I came to where I figured I would get the most help - women going through it. Nice to meet you. I'm enjoying reading all you have to say and I hope to learn something here. Like others I've read here, I declined anti-depressants, and I don't think I want the hormone therapy although I'm exploring the bio-identical hormones.

    So, that's the longest post I've ever written. Back to my reading. Have a great Holiday Weekend!
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
    HI, I'm new to the board, but not to MFP. I started a while back and was doing very well, then suddenly started slowly gaining weight - especially around the middle. I ate less and less (until my family started complaining!) but kept gaining. Thyroid checked out o.k., but my doctor suggested going to my OB/GYN because my hormone tests suggested I was peri-menopausal. WHAT!!!

    O.k., I'm dense. And a late bloomer. But in my defense, I've been busy. I'm 54 and one of the "sandwich generation" with four children and an elderly parent to care for - so I didn't really notice that I'm moody, irregular (did I mention I cry all the time?) etc. It wasn't until I hit 38 pounds overweight instead of just the 25 pounds of "baby" fat I was originally trying to lose that I realized something was wrong.

    So after trying to read all the information I could find on the internet, etc., I came to where I figured I would get the most help - women going through it. Nice to meet you. I'm enjoying reading all you have to say and I hope to learn something here. Like others I've read here, I declined anti-depressants, and I don't think I want the hormone therapy although I'm exploring the bio-identical hormones.

    So, that's the longest post I've ever written. Back to my reading. Have a great Holiday Weekend!

    Not sure if you read the thread "Hormone Changes and Weight Gain" but it may shed some insight :smile:
  • Herstory4
    Herstory4 Posts: 3 Member
    Thanks, I just went and read it. It's so nice to read others talking about the same issues I'm having!

    Reading that article confirmed what I already was thinking i.e. eating "clean," getting my sleep schedule back, drinking more water, etc. I'm also thinking more about bio-identicals. My symptoms are so strong I sometimes think I'm going crazy, then they just disappear, only to reappear again. ugh...

    Thanks for directing me to that thread!
  • Mustang_Susie
    Mustang_Susie Posts: 7,045 Member
    Oh, I hate that "going crazy" feeling.
    I usually had mild physical symptoms with my cycle, but the emotional was horrible.
    I would have taken a good cramp any day.
    Now I'm hoping everything will eventually just even out at some point...
  • Rororosie
    Rororosie Posts: 113 Member
    Thanks, I just went and read it. It's so nice to read others talking about the same issues I'm having!

    Reading that article confirmed what I already was thinking i.e. eating "clean," getting my sleep schedule back, drinking more water, etc. I'm also thinking more about bio-identicals. My symptoms are so strong I sometimes think I'm going crazy, then they just disappear, only to reappear again. ugh...

    Thanks for directing me to that thread!

    Ugh I hate that disappear only to reppear again thing... how can a woman PLAN!?!??!?! AHHHHH... I was so regular in my cycles until periomenopause hit, then the closer I got to menopause, the more my cycles were unpredicable.... now I'm not really having them much but the randomness of hormone fluctuations is really really kicking my *kitten*. Although I've been overweight almost my entire adult life (since I had my child), I've always been active and very busy and having random tiredness right now is NOT great for sticking to all the goals.....

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