Menopause and weight loss

ME !!! Im 50 and I dont "get" flashes., im always Hot harder to loose weight, harder for everything... help !!! lol

I know it's been a HUGE issue for me too!!!

I am 53 and in the middle... or near the end of Menopause. I have found that soy helps me with the hot flashes and I take a supplement that helps with the mood swings and sleeping (5 HTP you can get it at Walmart for around $10.00) but I suggest you talk to your doctor if you are on other meds, just in case. My problem is I get a period every time I drop around 10 pounds or so:( Hope this helps
Oh and those are not hot flashes they are power surges:)

Do you know what your BMR and TDEE are so that you can get an idea of what the minimum number of calories you should be eating? I'm sorry to hear about the awful hot flashes; I haven't reached them yet, although I know it is near as I'm going to be 46 in a month and a few days.

Bumped for later

low carb works best for me too

I'm 53 and thought I was having hot flashes the last couple years because I would get all sweaty during my sleep. Well, I soon realized that wasn't anything compared to the "real" hot flashes of literally throwing back the covers, turning on the lights and making sure my skin wasn't on fire. It was really affecting my sleep.

I mentioned it to a few girls as work and they asked me if I had tried Vitamin E? I said no and I had never read anything about it helping either. Well, I tried it and the first couple of nights, my HOT flashes reduced in half and now I don't have any...unless I forget to take a pill for a couple of days. I take 1 400 capsule each evening, a couple of the girls here take two, so it's whatever works for you.

I say hey, it's inexpensive, not risky, very easy, and definitely worth trying.

Signed...sleeps like a baby:)

Ah yes...Menopause and all it's glory!! lol - Seriously...am in the midst of peri-menopause...still get periods but they have been a bit odd with duration and occasional spotting. So I know it's making it's way to me!

As far as the 'dreaded' weight gain...I 'know' about this stuff and yet I didn't prevent it! - Plus up till 3 yrs ago if I wanted to lose a few pounds I just cut back and it happened! A VERY sedentary job and daughter in college (moved out) made my eating habits less than stellar these past few yrs. One thing I do know...the body does slow things down for us females as a 'safety mechanism' - to actually put more weight on the mainly the 'mid' section -so the body acknowledges the added weight by strengthening our bones as we get older. Osteoporosis wasn't an issue many years ago, as women didn't panic when they gained 20 lbs or so and were more active with their lifestyle out of necessity (less modern conveniences) - Anyway my point is that it is our body's weight that puts a variable amount of stress on our bones, and "tells" them how calcified or strong they should be. The slimmer person will not have the day-by-day, hour-by-hour stress of weight and gravity that will result in strong bones. Hence the body has a back up by slowing things down (menopause) and adding some extra weight so we have strong bones as we age. Kinda cool, other than the weight it self ! ;o)

I'm looking at Menopause like a change of seasons in a way...we tend to shift our perspective/mindset if we live in a climate with changing seasons - we change clothes, foods, temperatures, holidays, activities etc - we prepare for each season...so I'm trying to use menopause in that context...just prepare a bit and it can be smooth, with minimal upheaval for us! I mean, hell, I KNOW I stopped working out and got lazy, I KNOW I started grabbing easy foods, instead of well planned meals. So now I have to start 'planning' again - I'm also an herbalist and natural health practitioner so I've used herbs to keep me happy (PMS) for over 15 yrs- Not to mention 100s of other women. I know many of you spoke about a few various items/herbs/products you've tried. I gotta tell you they do work (quality herbs, that is) - quality counts for results, like anything else...and of course knowing how to take them and how much etc! Black Cohosh is good, works on other issues in the body besides hot flashes...but doesn't work for each person and since there are so many more aspects to Menopause than hot flashes...it's usually not enough. Other herbs combine nicely to cover more issues/women. Some get lucky though and Black Cohosh is all they may need! Someone mentioned B vitamins...I think they are more important than a multivitamin (IMHO) as stress is a HUGE factor in how our hormones fluctuate DAILY - yes daily! The B's also help with hair and nails, energy, and soothing the nervous system. Can't go wrong there!

So - after that long-winded reply...I'm getting myself back on track - stepping things up and Oh I forgot to mention weight resistance/weight training is also our friend ladies!! ) Quicker results, more fat burning and 'weight bearing' helps with bone strength

Here's to each of our success and better than expected transition through middle-age puberty! lol

I'm almost 54 and in perimenopause. After being able to maintain a healthy weight all my adult life through healthy eating and exercise I began to pack 'blubber' (ewww) around my mid-section about 2 years ago and noticed my all around appearance was getting doughy-er. It was very frustrating because I've always been such a stickler for a healthy lifestyle and working out!! Here are some changes I made that helped me lose weigh and improve my overall appearance -

1 - EAT MORE TO WEIGH LESS - it's true, it works! I've upped my calories to 1500 - 1700, somedays reaching 1800. Eating at 1200 (give or take a few) causes the body to plateau, metabolism becomes sluggish, weight loss stalls. Eat more!!


2 - LIFT WEIGHTS/ STRENGTH TRAIN/ CALISTHENICS - like most women I was stuck on the perpetual treadmill!! Too too much cardio in an effort to lose weight. Strength training helps maintain lean muscle mass which ladies you want LEAN MUSCLE MASS!!! Muscles burn calories and rev up the metabolism. Ditch the 2 and 5 pounders and Pick up something heavy!! Recommended read - NEW RULES OF LIFTING FOR WOMEN

3 - PROTEIN PROTEIN PROTEIN - I took a good look at my diet and realized I was sadly lacking in protein. Now I shoot for 100g a day. You need protein to help fuel your muscles and workouts!!!

4 - CHEAT DAYS - I was guilty of over indulging on weekends. Now I do a 'cheat meal' and try my best to not go over 1800. Staying consistent in your calorie range will get you results

So this can be done!!! Best of luck everyone! Feel free to friend me :flowerforyou:

What she said! I have been taking a daily supplement of DHEA of 50mg, and that is helping with the mood swings, hot flashes, not so much. I can't wait for fall to get here!

There aren't many studies on DHEA for women, and the studies that do exist were conducted on college men. I've been feeling pretty good since I started it, and there are zero side effects. It is available without a prescription in the US.

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