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Menopause and weightloss

TraceyG1971
TraceyG1971 Posts: 123
in Health and Weight Loss
I have recently began to go through "the change" and am wondering how it has affected others' weightloss. I have a lot of weight to lose and I really don't want to gain. If you still managed to lose weight during "the change", how did you do it? Did you eat the same or less in order to continue to lose? Or is it just inevitable that I am going to gain?
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Replies

  • healthygreek
    healthygreek Posts: 2,137 Member
    I am 59. I managed to lose weight and become fit during and after the "change".
    I was about 160 at the start of it.
    I joined a gym and took aerobic and weight classes.
    Started elliptical and walking uphill on treadmill.
    Completely gave up smoking.
    Cut most of refined sugar out of my life.
    Ate lots of broccoli and other veggies.
    Added olive oil and other good fats.
    No more deep-fried for me.
    Eat beans and oats and yoghurt.
    Eat fish, poultry (chicken thighs), occasional beef.
    Eat eggs.
    Drink wine.
    Eat chocolate.
    Eat nuts and nut butters.
    Eat fresh fruit.
    Appreciate life!
    I'm now 123 at 5'1" and fit and strong.
  • Jujai52
    Jujai52 Posts: 10
    It'snot difficult to lose, but the weight does tend to stick around the middle! This is from carbs unfortunately...cut em out and see if it helps
  • KenosFeoh
    KenosFeoh Posts: 1,837 Member
    I wasn't paying much attention and gained.
    It's hard to lose, but that may be because I am firmly entrenched in bad habits. I have a lot of slip-up days.
  • sharonfincher1
    sharonfincher1 Posts: 311 Member
    I am 53.... will be 54 this year.... I lost weight by going through it, but I couldn't lose the normal way I had done in the past. I had to change the way I balanced the food groups.... It took some tweaking but through trial and error I was able to find what worked for me and allows me to maintaing the weightloss. I wanted to be able to eat what I wanted to eat, and I am able to do that, just keeping things in moderation.... staying withing my calorie goal, and a mix of cardio and strength training...
  • Yourkindagirl
    Yourkindagirl Posts: 100 Member
    I am 45, and I have discovered that I don't like menopause at all. (You think?) Weight loss is much harder and takes much longer than it did when I was in my thirties. I am in my forties now.I have been trying to break a plateau for the past three or four months. If I ever get back to my size fours, I'm going to keep it off. I hear it is worse when you turn fifty.
  • 62clpowell
    62clpowell Posts: 87 Member
    I have recently began to go through "the change" and am wondering how it has affected others' weightloss. I have a lot of weight to lose and I really don't want to gain. If you still managed to lose weight during "the change", how did you do it? Did you eat the same or less in order to continue to lose? Or is it just inevitable that I am going to gain?

    Turned 50 last December, but I also gained alot of weight due to the change of life and other things... I started walking everyday and watching what I was eating counting calories and it seems to be working for me...I watch my carb intake for sure :-)
  • frostyfenton
    frostyfenton Posts: 12 Member
    Adding weight definitely can sneak up on you through menopause as you seem to crave carbs - definitely eat chocolate (dark) keeps you sane! Keep active and cut out refined sugar!
  • TraceyG1971
    TraceyG1971 Posts: 123
    Thank you all for your responses and helpful tips. I've heard nightmarish stories about menopause and the weight gain that can accompany it. I am 41 and I agree with not liking it...lol I will definitely have to stock up on dark chocolate and try to cut out some carbs. I already do strength exercises and walking. I had really hoped to lose the weight before going through menopause but my body decided to put me through it kinda early. Oh, I must also add that I will NOT be doing hormone therapy. I've heard bad things about that and would rather just deal with the menopause.
  • kholcomb51
    kholcomb51 Posts: 54 Member
    During perimenopause (don't know how many years I was in, but at least 3) I started noticing that I was getting thicker around the middle, never my problem area, and was steadily gaining weight. I was tired all the time, often crashed in the late afternoon, and had the lovely side effect (still there) of feeling like my heart was slamming against my ribs (hormonal: did low-level hrt for a while, which helped, then quit it because it stopped helping and just to get it over with), so sleep was a problem. I thought weight loss was pretty hopeless at first, but I read a lot, added much more lean protein to my diet (egg whites and chicken breasts are my mainstays, fish at least once a week, meatless but with beans or lentils or another good protein at least once a week, and a steak indulgence a couple times a month), didn't need to increase veggies but did cut back on bread, upped my cardio (30 Day Shred, running from zombies, etc.) and added strength training. Shred really, really helped: I looked quite different after. I still do Shred, not every day but with more weight, and I switch levels and change my cardio a lot so I don't get bored. I look better (not done yet, but better, with a flatter tummy and even a hint of abs), and feel better. I am 52 and have more energy than I've had for a long time. So, it can be done, you can go though menopause and still lose weight and get in better shape. The hard part for me was pushing through the tiredness. Also (and this might actually be key) I take supplements. My doc suggested Magnesium, so I take that, plus E, plus B-Complex, plus D. I started taking them all at once, so don't know which or a combination, but I swear I started sleeping better almost right away. :smile:
  • Aleta7
    Aleta7 Posts: 92
    For me it was easier to go through without hormone replacements. I let nature take its course. I did gain a bit, but it was mostly from overeating. Stuffed myself with carbs.
  • TraceyG1971
    TraceyG1971 Posts: 123
    During perimenopause (don't know how many years I was in, but at least 3) I started noticing that I was getting thicker around the middle, never my problem area, and was steadily gaining weight. I was tired all the time, often crashed in the late afternoon, and had the lovely side effect (still there) of feeling like my heart was slamming against my ribs (hormonal: did low-level hrt for a while, which helped, then quit it because it stopped helping and just to get it over with), so sleep was a problem. I thought weight loss was pretty hopeless at first, but I read a lot, added much more lean protein to my diet (egg whites and chicken breasts are my mainstays, fish at least once a week, meatless but with beans or lentils or another good protein at least once a week, and a steak indulgence a couple times a month), didn't need to increase veggies but did cut back on bread, upped my cardio (30 Day Shred, running from zombies, etc.) and added strength training. Shred really, really helped: I looked quite different after. I still do Shred, not every day but with more weight, and I switch levels and change my cardio a lot so I don't get bored. I look better (not done yet, but better, with a flatter tummy and even a hint of abs), and feel better. I am 52 and have more energy than I've had for a long time. So, it can be done, you can go though menopause and still lose weight and get in better shape. The hard part for me was pushing through the tiredness. Also (and this might actually be key) I take supplements. My doc suggested Magnesium, so I take that, plus E, plus B-Complex, plus D. I started taking them all at once, so don't know which or a combination, but I swear I started sleeping better almost right away. :smile:

    I am going through the tiredness. It's really hard to push through it but I know I need to. Thanks for the supplement tip. I'll give them a try.
  • elka67
    elka67 Posts: 268 Member
    bumping because i'm convinced i'm peri-menopausal :(
  • kholcomb51
    kholcomb51 Posts: 54 Member
    Good luck with the supplements: I hope they help you!
  • soywoman
    soywoman Posts: 51 Member
    It's nice to know that I am not alone! Have never had the issue of worrying about gaining weight up until about a year or two ago since the menopause. Been having hot flashes for 10 years or so, but they became unbearable in the last year. Thas seems to be when the weight started packing on. Trying to stick with an exercise program, however, the tiredness seems to win out sometimes! Thanks for the supplement advice. Will try it!
  • soywoman
    soywoman Posts: 51 Member
    i am hoping to have the same experience...started gaining and am having trouble losing...gotta keep trying!!
  • lrbassmom
    lrbassmom Posts: 123
    I think I started my menopausal issues when I was about 45. It started with panic attacks. It was bad. I went on HRT aka birth control pills and anti depressants and that helped a lot.

    Then the sweats started hitting around 48. I had gone off the pills and they came back worse than before. Then I started getting really tired, depressed again, hot flashing, sleep loss and gaining weight. I was weighing myself but was in denial about why the scale was going up. I was convinced I was hypothyroid since it runs in my family. Truth was I was sitting on my butt whining about how bad I felt. It was a vicious cycle.

    Finally went to the doctor and he poo-poo'd my idea about thyroid issues. But ran the tests anyway. I would like to report that I was indeed low thyroid but I wasn't I was just menopausal and depressed.

    Went back on the anti-depressants and kicked my butt to the gym. Started working out (90% cardio) and cut calories down to 1200. I didn't lose an ounce. I started taking phytoestrogens for the hot flashes but heard that it wasn't good long term. (they worked for the hot flashes for sure!) then switched to a progesterone cream which worked somewhat.

    Then I switched to lifting weights and concentrating on building muscle and raised the calories to at least 1500. And threw in some cardio on off days. That's when the weight started coming off. I'm concentrating on protein and veggies with some carbs thrown in here and there.

    It's slowly coming off. As in taking several months to take off 10 lbs. But I think that's mainly related to the diet.

    So, long answer short... Yes, menopause makes it extremely difficult to lose weight. I think that's simply because our whole body chemistry has changed and it's taking some getting used to.
  • corderdeb
    corderdeb Posts: 57 Member
    My doc suggested Magnesium, so I take that, plus E, plus B-Complex, plus D. I started taking them all at once, so don't know which or a combination, but I swear I started sleeping better almost right away. :smile:


    Thanks for this. My doctor started me on D but I may try the others. I wake up at 3am almost daily. Fortunately, I fall right back asleep. But I've also been on a plateau since Christmas. I'm very frustrated. I've been trying to adjust eating and exercise (just took up running). And so far I haven't seen a change in weight.

    But I still feel great from the changes I have made.
  • MissStick
    MissStick Posts: 21
    I have recently began to go through "the change" and am wondering how it has affected others' weightloss. I have a lot of weight to lose and I really don't want to gain. If you still managed to lose weight during "the change", how did you do it? Did you eat the same or less in order to continue to lose? Or is it just inevitable that I am going to gain?

    I'm about to turn 49 and have been postmenopausal for about 2 years. Ugh. I know that during the months that I have no period (happening more and more often) I have a MUCH harder time maintaining the weight loss I had before coming here. I'm confident we can still get to a healthy weight! Thanks for this thread!
  • pamhoffca
    pamhoffca Posts: 10 Member
    I was in peri for the past several years and didn't realize it. At the beginning, I could have lost 10 pounds..... over the last 4 years, I slowly gained weight around the middle and now have 25 pounds to take off - ugh!! I have tried dieting on and off the past year and it comes of soooo slow and I get stuck at 5 pounds. I just wish someone had mentioned to me back then to watch it!! Just didn't notice it creaping on at 3 to 4 pounds a year.

    Last year I went into bonafied menopause with full-blown symptoms, insomnia, night sweats, brain fog, moody, miserable!!!! I went to my (female) doctor who put me on HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for a little while to just get me back to normal. I've been on it a year and my weight stopped going up, but it is still hard to get off. So I'm on MFP to try to control my intake and motivate me.

    Pam
  • kriste1234
    kriste1234 Posts: 3 Member
    I'm in the same boat with you. It's hard to take the weight off, but you might be losing some inches. I measured myself at the start of my diet. I lost six pounds, but then the scale wouldn't budge. I kept dieting and exercising. I checked my measurements today and even though the scale hasn't moved in about 10 days, I did lose 2" off my waist, 1/2" from my neck and 2" from my hips. It sure gave me a boost to know I was smaller, even thought I've still only lost the 6 pounds. Try measuring and keeping track, it might help your motivation! Good luck!

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