Any Menopause weight loss success stories?
NewLIFEstyle4ME
Posts: 4,440 Member
Any Menopause weight loss success stories? How'd you do it?
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I found the only way that I could do it was with eliminating carbs like bread, pasta, etc. and anything refined i.e. sugar. I also try to eat my carbs before 2:00.0
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I keep walking although I haven't been very good with that the last couple of weeks due to work being nuts (I am retired but doing a long term occasional). I normally walk for an hour and half a day and longer on the weekends. I eat 1500 calories a day and I have been losing a half pound a week. I have been in menopause for a year plus. Not sure exactly when because I had a partial hysterectomy 2 years ago. My blood work showed I was in full menopause a year ago.
In terms of food, I have cut out juice and milk and I try to stay away from chocolate. Otherwise, I eat just about anything (we eat pretty healthily) and keep my portions down so that I stick with my 1500 cals per day. I don't eat my exercise calories back. I have 7 or 8 pounds to go to reach my goal weight and will have lost 55 pounds by then. In May, it will be 4 years that I started losing weight so the journey has been slow but I am getting there nevertheless.
I hope this helps.0 -
Per my mom (and she is the expert on Menopause). Buy the Royal Maca pills - needs to be Peruvian (VERY important). Check e-bay and Amazon. It's a bit pricey. You will need to take it at least 3 weeks before you notice a difference in hot flashes, but this GREATLY helps control hers and keep her weight under control. Of course diet and exercise are also used in conjunction. Hope you can try them!0
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I had success post-menopause by cutting out most processed foods, keeping my carbs fairly low and walking everday. I've now added some strength training as well.
Good luck to you in your journey.0 -
I'm 60 and have lost weight by basically staying within the calorie goal that MFP gave me based on my weight loss goals. I generally eat back calories burned though exercise (with calories burned being measured by my heart rate monitor). I exercise at least 3 days at the gym and do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. I reset my macros to include more protein than MFP automatically sets, and I try to focus on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I do eat the occasional piece of chocolate and have a glass of wine now and then. I'm pretty much at my goal weight but I am trying still working on fitness goals. Honestly I don't think that menopause has much to do with it--it has to do with how much food you put in your mouth vs. how many calories you burn.0
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I am 60 years old. The last four years have been the worst for weight gain and it has come on around my middle. I gained 40 pounds over four years. I started MFP in earnest the beginning of Jan. and have lost the first few initial pounds but I haven't been at it long enough to offer much wisdom. What I have experience with is being post menopausal.
I do know that I will not be successful if I am hungry, so I do eat my calories and I use my treadmill 6 days a week. I accept my weight will be slow. At least I don't have to worry about whether I would date the person above or whether I can meet a bikini challenge!0 -
I have managed to lose 140 pds in 14 months and been going through menapause for just over 8 moths now so it is do able just keeping on track with calories and exercise is all i have been doing.0
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I have managed to lose 140 pds in 14 months and been going through menapause for just over 8 moths now so it is do able just keeping on track with calories and exercise is all i have been doing.
WOW! That's MEGA impressive and super inspirational to boot :drinker: 140 pounds is a massive amount of weight to lose and in 8 months too....I'm super ultra proud of you! What types of foods and exercise were/are you doing? PLEASE do share and thanks so much for your reply, I appreciate it more than you know
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I am about 5 years postmenopause, and about halfway to success, having shaved almost 6 inches off my waist since November.
My diary is open; take a look if you wish. I also do strength training to preserve muscle mass, so I try to have plenty of protein. I get most of my carbs from vegetables in as many different colors as possible, a couple of fruit servings a day, and limited whole grains/ legumes. I've eliminated refined sugars, and don't miss them at all anymore; in fact now I really notice the natural sweetness in things like tomatoes & peppers. I try to get enough omega3s & healthy fats from fish, olive oil, nuts, seeds, & avocados, but keep fats about 25% of my cals. Oh, and I have a special healthy snack treat each day; for me it's: "Chocolate mousse" made from a cup of FF Greek yogurt, 2 T of Hershey Special Dark cocoa powder & a shaved up square of very dark Lindt Chocolate; under 200 cals ,lots of protein & antioxidants, and soo delish!
Just because weight loss can be more challenging at/after menopause , doesn't mean it's impossible! Go for it; you can get the weight off & keep it off for the rest of your life. Best wishes, and feel free to add me as a friend,
Joan0 -
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I keep walking although I haven't been very good with that the last couple of weeks due to work being nuts (I am retired but doing a long term occasional). I normally walk for an hour and half a day and longer on the weekends. I eat 1500 calories a day and I have been losing a half pound a week. I have been in menopause for a year plus. Not sure exactly when because I had a partial hysterectomy 2 years ago. My blood work showed I was in full menopause a year ago.
In terms of food, I have cut out juice and milk and I try to stay away from chocolate. Otherwise, I eat just about anything (we eat pretty healthily) and keep my portions down so that I stick with my 1500 cals per day. I don't eat my exercise calories back. I have 7 or 8 pounds to go to reach my goal weight and will have lost 55 pounds by then. In May, it will be 4 years that I started losing weight so the journey has been slow but I am getting there nevertheless.
I hope this helps.
It DOES help and thanks so much for posting and you so ROCK for dropping the weight and your patience is way cool/admirable as well:flowerforyou:0 -
I'm 55 now. [Edit: and about 3 years or so post menopausal.] I started in January before I turned 50 in April at my top weight of 205 pounds (before menopause). Hypothyroid since age 19. Sit behind a desk at home all day. Mainly walking with some strength training now and then.
My last straws were being sick and tired of not being able to put my pants on while standing, starting to have difficulty with "short arms" in the bathroom, and getting out of breath while trying to walk fast or on a slight uphill grade.
I started with a mission statement to never give up. EVER. I started with some soul searching and making a list of what I would and would not do. I would walk. I would not join a gym. I would do exercise videos at home. I would ride my bike. I won't do any crazy diet. I would not do a high protein diet, a low carb diet, or take any "products". I would eat real food and make healthy lifestyle changes once and for all. I would do a diet I could sustain for the rest of my life so I don't have to "learn" anything new about how to eat and keep the weight off again. I know what healthy food is and I knew I was eating too much crap so I weaned myself off of all remaining junk food in the house and told myself when it is gone, it is gone.
I started drinking water. Started walking 30 minutes a day. I am too old for crazy exercise and don't want to get hurt. Got the Dr. Oz book: You on a Diet and followed his advice to the letter: get rid of all junk food, food containing sugar, food containing refined grains. Eat only whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, and fish and poultry. Cut way back on saturated fats. I lost 53 pounds eating like this in maybe 9 months. My weight loss for the big picture was 1.1 pounds a week over time. I journaled every thing I ate. I learned a lot about MY body and how MY BODY processes food and which foods cause ME to gain and which foods help ME to lose and how many calories I could eat to get away with. I also learned that hunger would not kill me. I hadn't been hungry in years. Now I felt hungry a lot and ti didn't kill me. I made sensible snacks of 3 figs, 6 Triscuits, or 12 almonds and it really did help. It took time for the snacks to register but when they did I was fine. I stopped eating mindlessly out of the bag or box.
I did some backsliding for 2 - 3 years and gained 20 pounds. I got serious again. I joined MFP, www.fatloser.com for motivational help and while I continued to lose slowly, I never gave up. I always look for new information for what will help me. My current diet is about 80% Vegan with ETL. I've learned a new healthier philosophy that works for me. My joint pain is gone, I am NEVER hungry and I get to eat unlimited delicious produce. I still fight with sugar and sweets, but I no longer stop at gas stations to get peanut butter cups when I buy gas, I never feel like eating a big meat dinner out because I feel so much better and more awake eating a plant strong diet. I find when I do have a piece of cake or cookies over the holidays i dont feel so good and the cravings come roaring back. Currently fighting off the last of the 8 pounds I gained over the holidays because I began eating "normally" again. I know what works for me and my hat is off to those who just eat smaller amounts of pizza and cookies, and hamburgers. That philosophy will only lead me down the garden path to 205 pounds again and a size 16. Currently I am a size 4. For the first time in my adult life I am below a size 12. I am at Jr. High size for me and I feel great! I don't want to be fat again. I was so self conscious and felt like I was hiding from life. Now I am in the front row for pictures. Let everyone else stand in the back row and hide!0 -
I've been able to maintain, but not much else.
I don't eat processed foods by and large
I eat few bread grains
Only whole grains when I do
Lots of vegetables
Lots of protein
Weight training (since before menopause)
Running 15-20 miles a week (since menopause symptoms began)
I only have 5-10 vanity pounds to lose (at any given time lol). So that could be part of why it's such a challenge at this age.
Stats:
47
5'6"
135ish pounds.0 -
Geez Susan! That's a success story if I ever heard/read one. Thanks for sharing.
I'm 51 and completely through menopause (I hope). I never really went through it, with the exception of a brief period of occasional night sweats.
I lost 72 pounds three years ago, put some back on when I stopped watching portion size and started indulging too often in bagged junk food and pasta. I had given up sugars probably five years before that, which is the only thing that stopped me from regressing really badly.
I'm now back to my low weight with probably 20 pounds left to lose, but so far I haven't noticed anything to make me think my ability to lose weight has diminished. I do not regularly eat pasta, breads, rice or grain. I eat mainly vegetables and fruits, almond milk, seafood, chicken, very similar to Susan above. My "splurge" is sushi and it's always with brown rice (which I love).
Come to think of it, in my younger days, I probably could have lost weight consistently while still eating the starchy carbs, so that may be one thing that has changed. I will eat some great bread or have a pasta dish when I go out to eat (at least once a week), but ordinarily if it's pasta, I'll split the dish in half and have the remainder for lunch the next day. If the portion is ridiculously small, I'll finish it though. Bread and olive oil though is usually something I'll eat until it's gone, so I know the next day any victory will have to be a NS one.
Just in reading these kinds of threads, participating in my age group threads, I'd have to say cutting out those starchy carbs, junk foods, and sugar, on a regular basis, is probably something that most women our age will benefit from weight-wise. I have upped my protein, and really, really try to be sure to make my calcium and iron requirements. I have no problem with Vitamin C and A though, given all the leafy greens and fruits I eat.
I'm not on a diet though; I have made this my permanent eating plan as of probably a year ago. Also, strength training is as high up there as eating properly. Cardio, for me, is secondary in importance, although I do it more.
There is something stressful about "going on a diet." It seems to be the number one thing on our mind when we do this. I opted to not do the diet and really look long and hard at the best lifestyle change eating plan I could do. I also opted to look at what I wanted to do for peace and happiness, so I found something I'm very good at (painting) and joined a studio, and made hiking a regular part of my life. Dieting is too stressful and consuming for me. I had to change my lifestyle, which meant changing my nutritional habits and doing things that were rewarding for me, personally (in addition to taking care of my beautiful wonderful teenager). It was actually a monumental self-improvement analysis I did, and for me, this has worked.0 -
The boring old count-calories-and-maintain-the-right-deficit drill works for me. Strength training is really important in menopause, because older women lose bone mass really easily. Don't be afraid to lift slow and heavy because it has been found to improve bone density as well as strength. There's no point in being a thin but helpless old woman with fragile bones. We need to lift weights so that we can enjoy the quality of life that we'd prefer.
It's harder as we get older because our metabolisms are slower. We don't burn as much for exercise and we can't eat as much, either. The margin for error is thin, and it's really easy to underestimate our food calories and overestimate our exercise calories.
A food scale helps keep me honest. This calorie counter: http://www.everydayhealth.com/food-fitness/calories-burned helps me find the right number for my exercise calories.0 -
An interesting side note from my gyn:
I stopped having hot flashes and then they came back while losing weight again. I told my doc and she told me that the fat cells hold estrogen so when I lose weight (fat) the estrogen is released into my bloodstream creating a hot flash. I still get them off and on. Not a fan of HRT for health concern reasons.0 -
I'm 48 and 10 years post menopausal. I'm doing it by eating better (not less) and moving more. I do cardio almost every day and starting lifting between Christmas and New Year's, lifting 3x a week. I strongly believe the weight lifting is giving me back a figure that I lost with the menopause in that I'm finally getting a waist again. I've never purposefully exercised until the August of 2011. It's definitely possible to have successful weight loss after menopause.
I am 5'5", started at 188 (and a size 17), and am currently 142 (size 6 or 8). More concerned with the reflection in the mirror, but I think I want to see 135 on the scale.0 -
Just call me the official thread ender!0
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I'm 48 and 10 years post menopausal. I'm doing it by eating better (not less) and moving more. I do cardio almost every day and starting lifting between Christmas and New Year's, lifting 3x a week. I strongly believe the weight lifting is giving me back a figure that I lost with the menopause in that I'm finally getting a waist again. I've never purposefully exercised until the August of 2011. It's definitely possible to have successful weight loss after menopause.
I am 5'5", started at 188 (and a size 17), and am currently 142 (size 6 or 8). More concerned with the reflection in the mirror, but I think I want to see 135 on the scale.
Thank you so much for sharing your story, it really gives me hope. My FSH level confirmed I am post menopausal (last month) and I just turned 42 at the end of 2012. I gained about 10 pounds last year. I started MFP early January and have lost 3 pounds so far. It is a slow process and some days are harder than others. I started exercising this year and really enjoy weight lifting. The hardest part for me is the hot flashes, I am up 10-15 times per night!
Thanks again everyone for sharing your stories.0 -
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I'm 52 years and have lost about 35 lbs. since July 2012. I am now at maintenance, increasing my fitness by lifting weights and doing an exercise video daily.
Lots of success stories on this thread:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/topics/show/849393-any-success-stories-and-pics-of-women-over-50
Good luck to you!0 -
bump to save0
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I'm 60 and have lost weight by basically staying within the calorie goal that MFP gave me based on my weight loss goals. I generally eat back calories burned though exercise (with calories burned being measured by my heart rate monitor). I exercise at least 3 days at the gym and do a combination of cardio and weight lifting. I reset my macros to include more protein than MFP automatically sets, and I try to focus on lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and whole grains. I do eat the occasional piece of chocolate and have a glass of wine now and then. I'm pretty much at my goal weight but I am trying still working on fitness goals. Honestly I don't think that menopause has much to do with it--it has to do with how much food you put in your mouth vs. how many calories you burn.
:drinker:
:drinker: 0 -
bump - helpful thread!0
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I had a hysterectomy I have Hypothyroidism and PCOS and have lost 119 pounds with about 56 more to go I don't eliminate anything but I have everything in moderation. Probably if I eliminated some not so good things like sweets I would lose faster but I also have excercise to thank as well. I am also 41 so I had all the odds stacked against me. All you need is patience and hard work and dedication and portion control if you would like to add me that would be nice.Good luck.0
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bump as well, too early to tell0
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I'm 55 now. [Edit: and about 3 years or so post menopausal.] I started in January before I turned 50 in April at my top weight of 205 pounds (before menopause). Hypothyroid since age 19. Sit behind a desk at home all day. Mainly walking with some strength training now and then.
My last straws were being sick and tired of not being able to put my pants on while standing, starting to have difficulty with "short arms" in the bathroom, and getting out of breath while trying to walk fast or on a slight uphill grade.
I started with a mission statement to never give up. EVER. I started with some soul searching and making a list of what I would and would not do. I would walk. I would not join a gym. I would do exercise videos at home. I would ride my bike. I won't do any crazy diet. I would not do a high protein diet, a low carb diet, or take any "products". I would eat real food and make healthy lifestyle changes once and for all. I would do a diet I could sustain for the rest of my life so I don't have to "learn" anything new about how to eat and keep the weight off again. I know what healthy food is and I knew I was eating too much crap so I weaned myself off of all remaining junk food in the house and told myself when it is gone, it is gone.
I started drinking water. Started walking 30 minutes a day. I am too old for crazy exercise and don't want to get hurt. Got the Dr. Oz book: You on a Diet and followed his advice to the letter: get rid of all junk food, food containing sugar, food containing refined grains. Eat only whole grains, veggies, fruits, nuts, and fish and poultry. Cut way back on saturated fats. I lost 53 pounds eating like this in maybe 9 months. My weight loss for the big picture was 1.1 pounds a week over time. I journaled every thing I ate. I learned a lot about MY body and how MY BODY processes food and which foods cause ME to gain and which foods help ME to lose and how many calories I could eat to get away with. I also learned that hunger would not kill me. I hadn't been hungry in years. Now I felt hungry a lot and ti didn't kill me. I made sensible snacks of 3 figs, 6 Triscuits, or 12 almonds and it really did help. It took time for the snacks to register but when they did I was fine. I stopped eating mindlessly out of the bag or box.
I did some backsliding for 2 - 3 years and gained 20 pounds. I got serious again. I joined MFP, www.fatloser.com for motivational help and while I continued to lose slowly, I never gave up. I always look for new information for what will help me. My current diet is about 80% Vegan with ETL. I've learned a new healthier philosophy that works for me. My joint pain is gone, I am NEVER hungry and I get to eat unlimited delicious produce. I still fight with sugar and sweets, but I no longer stop at gas stations to get peanut butter cups when I buy gas, I never feel like eating a big meat dinner out because I feel so much better and more awake eating a plant strong diet. I find when I do have a piece of cake or cookies over the holidays i dont feel so good and the cravings come roaring back. Currently fighting off the last of the 8 pounds I gained over the holidays because I began eating "normally" again. I know what works for me and my hat is off to those who just eat smaller amounts of pizza and cookies, and hamburgers. That philosophy will only lead me down the garden path to 205 pounds again and a size 16. Currently I am a size 4. For the first time in my adult life I am below a size 12. I am at Jr. High size for me and I feel great! I don't want to be fat again. I was so self conscious and felt like I was hiding from life. Now I am in the front row for pictures. Let everyone else stand in the back row and hide!
:flowerforyou: :smooched: :flowerforyou:1
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