Menopausal and getting the scale to budge!

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  • rachthemidwife
    rachthemidwife Posts: 7 Member
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    Thanks for the reply. I guess that i want to choose a plan that is sustainable. I tried dropping right down and lost half a pound a week tops (some weeks i'd lose nothing). With around 16 pounds to lose that means a minimum of 32 weeks and, frankly, I can't sustain eating 1000cals whilst maintaining work and exercise as well as leading a normal social life! My friend is busy eating just 500cals (HCG homeopathic diet) every day for over a month and swears that she doesn't feel hungry. I get so hungry even on 1400 cals that all I ever think about is food. My head aches and my tummy rumbles so noisily. My thyroid is ok and I must get my weight down as i have an inherited joint condition. I also worry that I won't get enough vitamins and minerals if I cut down too far for too long. Sorry to whinge but I am just so fed up.
  • wannatangle
    wannatangle Posts: 80 Member
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    I'm 48. I think I'm on the front end of menopause. I have been struggling for a few years with a few pounds and this summer gained some more. In January I started on South Beach. I did that for two weeks and then went to calorie counting, 1200 calories per day per MFP recommendation and I began putting weight back on slowly....I upped them to 1400 (and sometimes I go over if I exercise) and I have begun to lose again. What can it hurt to try to up them for a few weeks and see what happens.
  • lrbassmom
    lrbassmom Posts: 123
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    Well, I just thought I would update as to my progress...

    Per my original whining, I was scared about upping my calories as outlined in NROLFW. I shouldn't have been! HOLY CRAP BATMAN!

    When I originally started the topic on 2/12, I weighed approximately 178.
    Per my notebook I keep by the scale:
    2/12 178
    2/13 177
    2/16 176
    2/18 177/175.5 (weighed twice)
    2/20 175.5 (38% according to Tanita)
    2/21 175.5 (started my period)
    2/25 174.5
    2/26 173
    2/28 174.5/172 (last day for Aunt Flo)

    So, you can see a steady drop, even going with the higher weigh-ins. That's about +/- 3.5-4 lbs. in 2 weeks!!! Yay me!!!

    Yes, this is probably losing weight a little too fast? Maybe? But the scale is going down!

    I read over all the confusion on the figuring out how much to eat, exercise calories or not... and came up with the following numbers

    BMR 1523
    TDEE 2272
    TDEG 1660
    D Def 612

    I adjusted my calories in MFP to 1550 and eat back exercise calories. Or if I am really hungry, I'll eat healthy additional calories. Or if I can't bring myself to even think about putting one more thing in my mouth... I won't. Yesterday, I went over my eating but I left it ALL at the gym, but was still under my TDEE. Basically, I am really listening to my body, if it says feed me, I do. If it's tired, I either eat something, or rest. If it wants to lift something really heavy, I go at it.

    And it is apparently working.

    And it's apparently paying off.

    I just thought I would share, from one Debbie Doubter to others. Believe!
  • evileen99
    evileen99 Posts: 1,564 Member
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    Here's another menopausal woman checking in.

    I highly recommend getting a BodyMedia Fit--it's SO worth the money! It shows you exactly how many/few calories you're burning in a day, and you can adjust your eating accordingly.

    Also--lift heavy weights. I mean really heavy. The only thing that's going to combat the normal loss of muscle (and the resulting nose dive of your metabolism) after menopause is strength training.
  • LynNann57
    LynNann57 Posts: 30 Member
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    I can relate! I am past menopause(went through it a little early). I am 55. I have become a bit of an apple shape too! I was always an hourglass. Never had a weight problem before menopause started!
    What I finally realized is-I am what I eat! Lots of junk food makes a big spare tire around my middle! I limit my sweet tooth now, and excersise every day (tredmill). I strength train 3 x's a week. I accept that I cannot eat all the junk I used to. Not going to give it all up, either; but I do limit it. I eat back my excersise calories, and I eat more on my lifting days. It took a year to gain the 10 pounds I want to lose, so I didn't expect the quick weight loss I am experiencing. I firmly believe it is that I cut down on my sweet treats. That, and weight lifting- I love it!!! Everyone should do it.
    Bottom line- it is harder to get the scale to budge now. I have a tiny bit of fear that as I age, it will mean eating less and less food- and I love to eat! That is part of why I excersise. I also have realistic goals now. I gave up trying to weigh what I did in my early 20's. My goal now is to feel good, and look good, and to stop worrying about weighing a certain number. I do not think I will ever a bikini again, but a tankini-sure!!! And that is fine with me!
  • redphoenix64
    redphoenix64 Posts: 47 Member
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    I don't know what to say. I am in the same boat. When I turned 45 my body started changing, tired, bloating, and weight gain mostly in the belly. It is harder to lose the weight but so far 4.5 lbs into it I hope that I can keep motivated. If you find some answers please share as I will with you.
    Thanks
  • mfpcopine
    mfpcopine Posts: 3,093 Member
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    I've had to eat very carefully. I'm not overweight so my weight goes down a few pounds and then up again if I slack off. I think your plan is a good one. If eating more causes you to gain more than a couple of pounds, back off. I personally would not recommend it.
  • asugar
    asugar Posts: 181 Member
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    I am entering menopause but not quite there yet.... I have weighed the same for about 5 years or more. I can't lose weight. I will lose like 2 or 3 lbs and then it comes back. I do not mind my weight but I DO mind my "meno pot". I have a belly now that is really ugly. I know if I stand up straighter it looks a lot better but its hard. i think I have to start weights and more exercise. I just do yoga and walking and sometimes light weights due to the fact I get very sore and hurt after bigger weights. I do not have answers I am also looking for support!!!
  • asugar
    asugar Posts: 181 Member
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    what is NRFwL?? You have done so well!!! i have been on MFP for 1 1/2 years! oNLY LOST 2 LBS.
  • scarletfurie
    scarletfurie Posts: 2 Member
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    Ok, I'm menopausal at 43. Once I started actually, truly, logging my calories, some lbs came off, but it's muscle under the layer of beezwax as I call it. I am now moving to calorie cycling. Just shake it up a bit. 1200 is incredibly low, and i"m not surprised you're plateauing at all. Are you logging everything? I'm logging my alcohol and all. And know that your body cannot burn fat and alcohol at the same time, just saying, as that's my issues. Let's talk more. I've had results lately. Also, are you doing heavy resistance,HIIT, cardio, what?
    Colleen
  • themedalist
    themedalist Posts: 3,215 Member
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    Post menopausal and have lost 51lbs in 10 months ( about 5lbs off goal weight). I upped my cals from 1200 to 1400, now to 1600 - and also do NRoL4W and masses of walking. I lost more on higher cals than lower. I'm in better shape now than 20 years ago.

    It can be done. :)

    Ditto. 50 years old lost 45 pounds in 12 months on MFP. Same caloric intake as the above poster. Didn't lift but did reasonable (35 to 45 min) HIIT cardio and lots of walking.

    Yes, it can be done. :)
  • lrbassmom
    lrbassmom Posts: 123
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    what is NRFwL?? You have done so well!!! i have been on MFP for 1 1/2 years! oNLY LOST 2 LBS.

    NROLFW is short for a book called: New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift like a man, look like a Goddess.

    It's a book I found out about here in the Community. It basically advocates building muscle by lifting weights (because muscle burns more calories long term than cardio) and eating enough nutritious calories to fuel muscle growth (based on very scientific methods for figuring out what your body actually burns).

    I was doing what you are doing, cardio mostly, eating 1200 calories, and getting pissed off because I wasn't losing an ounce. and this has been going on for at LEAST 6 months. Finally, I remembered what I used to do when I was physically fit and what my body responded to most. and that is lifting heavy stuff.

    In the past two weeks, I bumped my calories to a minimum of 1550 and if I've had an especially active day, or had a really good gym session, I eat back my exercise calories. and you know what? In the two weeks since I've been doing this, I've dropped about 4 lbs! I REALLY expected failure on this experiment. but it does work.

    Do yourself a favor, go to your local library and see if they have the book, check it out. Or go buy yourself a copy. Trust me.
  • canadiandee
    canadiandee Posts: 196 Member
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    NROLFW is short for a book called: New Rules of Lifting for Women: Lift like a man, look like a Goddess.

    Do yourself a favor, go to your local library and see if they have the book, check it out. Or go buy yourself a copy. Trust me.

    It's also available as an e-book. :-)

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