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!

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!