Post-Menopause and Weight loss

amammaa4
amammaa4 Posts: 176 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Was looking for any women who are post menopausal and wondering how their weight loss is coming along. I just walked in the door from my dr appt and since April the scale is the same! Now I know it's not all about the scale. I have lost a very few inches which I am grateful for. It bites though! I work out 6x a week I do cardio and I use weights. Right now I am currently doing Insanity. Just started the third week. No weight loss. The dr. told me that post menopausal women need to work out 5 hours a week to just MAINTAIN their weight! Was wondering if this is how it is for others or are you losing working out around 5 hours? Im just wondering about how many hours I will need to workout to have the scale go down. I know everyone is different just trying to get an idea. Thanks in advance!!
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Replies

  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    I have PRE-menopausal symptoms, and I was told to up cardio and really watch my macros. The macro i really watch is my carbs, and I make sure I get the proper amount of calcium intake. It could be your diet, sounds like you're busting your *kitten* pretty good, maybe take a look at your diary and talk to a dietician about some changes you can make. :flowerforyou:
  • kimdst1913
    kimdst1913 Posts: 1 Member
    I am in the same boat. Interested in seeing the response you get.
  • kingscrown
    kingscrown Posts: 615 Member
    Yep extra cardio, build muscle and watch the carbs. I was told to get mine below 200 and ultimately 125 and below. Not that hard to do, but it's really easy to mess up the day. Carbs are every where.
  • jadethief
    jadethief Posts: 266 Member
    I am 2 years post-menopausal. I aim for 30 mintues of cardio 3 times a week, but don't always manage it. I'm losing on average 1.5 lb per week. I eat 1600 calories a day.
  • JanetAbrams
    JanetAbrams Posts: 17
    been in menopause for almost 18 months and have managed to lose 146 pds so far but the past 2 months been rough but have also had surgery and been trying to quit smoking so have hit some what of a stand still have another surgery booked for july 5th and then after that am hoping to get back to the grind
  • amammaa4
    amammaa4 Posts: 176 Member
    been in menopause for almost 18 months and have managed to lose 146 pds so far but the past 2 months been rough but have also had surgery and been trying to quit smoking so have hit some what of a stand still have another surgery booked for july 5th and then after that am hoping to get back to the grind

    Congrats on the amazing loss! Hope all goes well with the surgery.
  • amammaa4
    amammaa4 Posts: 176 Member
    Thanks ladies. I will stay strong and work through this.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine.
  • I_see_skinny_Me
    I_see_skinny_Me Posts: 37
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine

    I used to have that same opinion... and then Post surgical menopause proved me wrong. There are many studies that support a link to weight gain and estrogen loss.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I'm age 59 and have lost 22 pounds since April 1. My weight loss has slowed down some but I'm losing about 1 lb a week now. I'm walking everywhere I can instead of using the car and hike with my dog. My diet is playing a big part. I mostly eat lentils (one cup has the protein of 3 eggs), brown rice, and fresh vegetables. I cut out all the junk food and drink a lot of water. Look for things in your diet that you can change or eliminate.
  • littlelady2b
    littlelady2b Posts: 104
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine

    I used to have that same opinion... and then Post surgical menopause proved me wrong. There are many studies that support a link to weight gain and estrogen loss.

    There is a lot of evidence that proves its harder to lose weight when you are in menopause a woman's metabolism slows down and its a lot of work to get it going again. I think that is what is happening to her. She needs to boost her metabolism. I gained so much weight when I went into menopause.
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine

    I used to have that same opinion... and then Post surgical menopause proved me wrong. There are many studies that support a link to weight gain and estrogen loss.

    Men don't have a lot of estrogen and they lose weight. There's a study out there to support any theory you want to come up with.
  • ereck44
    ereck44 Posts: 1,170 Member
    Wow ! I think that it is harder to lose. I am post-menopausal, plus work the night shift. My metabolism was so sluggish! Since working out I actually have pangs of hunger, which is great! I hadn't heard my stomach rumble in years.
    I tried to lose weight on my own but realized that I needed motivation to get to the gym because I always had an excuse not to go. In addition, my husband wasn't pushing me.
    I signed on with a personal trainer and it has been slow but have lost 37 pounds in a year and a half. I plateaued for about 6 months which was discouraging. I had to increase the number of times that I went to the gym, especially strength training and lost 10 pounds in one month.
    Anyway, It can be done. It does take a lot more work! and dedication.
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
    And your hormones are so out of wack, that it definitely effects weight loss. It's like PMS for a long time. Of course you should continue to work out and eat properly, but there is a little more resistance now. I'm finding it harder to lose then I did 10 years ago, and I'm only 32.
  • htbenitez
    htbenitez Posts: 14
    I am 3 years post, and because of surgeries, am just now taking charge and trying to loose weight.....I wasn't over weight before, ok maybe 5-10 lbs......now I need to loose 20-30 lbs! Mostly tummy, hips and thighs (pear shaped girl) this sucks. I don't eat a lot, not that big on sweets, do like my Starbucks Frappuccino, but have reduced my weekly count down to 2x/wk.
  • jayrudq
    jayrudq Posts: 475 Member
    I have also found it is much more difficult to lose weight than it was previously. I think this is true as everyone ages, but I do believe women face extra challenges peri and menopausal.
    I have had to be much more aggressive to lose weight. Log, weigh portions, exercise more and CHANGE THINGS UP. I originally tried 5:2 (there are health benefits to fasting aside from weight loss that appeal to me, as well it fits my eating patterns) and more recently, am trying JUDDDing. If those hadn't worked I would have tried cycling, etc. Fortunately, I am losing at a pace I can live with and am almost enjoying this WOE.
    Good luck, we all need it!
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I'm age 59 and have lost 29 pounds since 4/1/2013. I lose 1-2 pounds almost every week. I'm thrilled with my weight loss and very happy that I found MFP.

    My exercise so far is walking, I leave my car at home and walk to work and local errands (except to buy really heavy things). i walk in town during the week and hike in a national park near my house on the weekend. I'm slowly upping my distances. When I started walking, I did 4 miles and thought I would die. Last weekend I hiked 10 miles with no problems

    It helped me to pick exercise I enjoy and incorporate it into my life in a natural way -- then it doesn't seem like a chore.
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    putting hand up -confessing to being post menapausal..(hate the freaking flushes!!). I have lost 37 lbs since January from eating less and moving more. I walk...and I walk..and then I walk some more. Food wise, I am doing 5:2 and thoroughly enjoy my weekends, useless at constantly logging...but hey ho. Do NOT let being post menapausal lead you to think you can not lose weight...cuz ou CAN!!...good luck with your lifestyle change :-)
  • mahanaibu
    mahanaibu Posts: 505 Member
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine

    I used to have that same opinion... and then Post surgical menopause proved me wrong. There are many studies that support a link to weight gain and estrogen loss.

    Men don't have a lot of estrogen and they lose weight. There's a study out there to support any theory you want to come up with.

    So can you cite a study to support your particular theory? because every doctor and weight-loss specialist I've ever talked to says that it is harder after menopause. Not that it can't be done, and I'm evidence of that, but it does go slower.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    I am 53, been menopausal for 3 years, and have lost 52 pounds since Sept. 2012. I have bad knees so I only work out 3x week on my recumbent bike. Otherwise, I am a very busy lady who likes to garden, cook, and clean (I have a 13 yr. old), so I believe I burn a lot more calories than I log.

    I don't care about studies, surveys, or what so-called "experts" have to say, and that includes doctors. I am living proof that this can be done. :)
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    I am 53, been menopausal for 3 years, and have lost 52 pounds since Sept. 2012. I have bad knees so I only work out 3x week on my recumbent bike. Otherwise, I am a very busy lady who likes to garden, cook, and clean (I have a 13 yr. old), so I believe I burn a lot more calories than I log.

    I don't care about studies, surveys, or what so-called "experts" have to say, and that includes doctors. I am living proof that this can be done. :)

    yayyyyy xx
  • chatogal
    chatogal Posts: 436 Member
    hang about....you like to CLEAN????
  • NatalieWinning
    NatalieWinning Posts: 999 Member
    I'm peri-menopausal and It took me a year to get 50lbs off. I've gained back about 10 from sloppy eating. It was harder than when I was younger, it was slower, and I put weight back on easily. But the MFP record keeping and set at 2lbs loss, gradually going with 1/2 pound loss toward the end, worked. I worked up slowly to an hour or more of exercise. Sometimes I only do 30 minutes. But I try and always exercise 7 days a week. Big variety, including weights and strength. I even started running (shocker!) and i'm up to 3 miles at least 4 days a week or so. But mainly it was the food, and the quality of food. It's 2/3 the food you choose and the portion, and 1/3 exercise efforts. Exercise is the icing on the cake and will shape you up, plus jack up your metabolism. I can eat more with more muscle and not gain. So the big thing that lets me eat more is gaining and keeping muscle.
    The sad fact is I can't eat a whole lot like I used to and not gain. Once you get used to changing up the quality of your diet this isn't as big of a problem as it sounds. Filling up more on good low calorie food instead of waste calories has helped me not to be hungry on my allotment. Keep going! Persistance and slow progress is how it works!
  • 77tes
    77tes Posts: 8,503 Member
    WHY DO DOCTORS SAY SUCH THINGS! IT IS RUBBISH! Yes, it's harder to lose than when you're younger, but no way is that much cardio necessary to simply maintain! I'm sorry for the shouting but this is the second time today that I've seen this ridiculous claim.

    Most of my loss was with 30 minutes of Curves curcuit training 3 times per week.
  • JanaCanada
    JanaCanada Posts: 917 Member
    hang about....you like to CLEAN????

    LOL Chato! You are so funny! xox

    And YES, I like to clean! I;m kinda anal that way. :blushing: :laugh:
  • GmomLinC
    GmomLinC Posts: 45
    hang about....you like to CLEAN????

    LOL Chato! You are so funny! xox

    And YES, I like to clean! I;m kinda anal that way. :blushing: :laugh:

    lol....can I jump in here? I like to clean too......but I hate cooking. I do it, but only because I have to. :D
    So.... I'm 57 and I've been post menopausal since I was 46 1/2. Just prior to menopause, I slowly put on weight until I was about 50-60 pounds heavier than I was for the first 20+ years of my adult life. I am 5'6" and a pear shape. In the past almost 10 years, I have lost this weight 3 times. Each time I didn't find it difficult to lose weight at all. It's keeping it off that's the hard part. Mostly because after I lost the weight, I would slowly return to the way I used to eat before I ever had a weight issue. So....here I am back on mfp. I've lost 27 pounds since early May of this year. I want to lose at least another 30 pounds....and I fully expect to be able to do that. Just going to have to work at keeping it off after I lose it. I'm eating around 1200-1400 calories a day. I take my multi vitamin and extra calcium/vit D. For exercise....I'm doing about 45 minutes to 1 hour about 4 times a week......this consists of fast walking/slow running on my treadmill or outside, WATP videos and doing some beginner weight training with my 3 lb weights. I also stay active running after my 11 grandchildren and the girls in my Girl Scout troops. :D Oh...and I'm lucky......besides the weight gain with menopause, I never had a hot flash or any of the other issues women can have.
  • lockthefrontdoor
    lockthefrontdoor Posts: 1
    I agree--menapause really accelerated my weight loss, I NEVER thought it would happen, but BOOM-here i am with at LEAST 50 pounds to lose, a very bad back, and discouraged, feeling unattractive. I am hoping MFP will really help me refocus and help me work on what i eat =). I used to be one of those super skinny woman, never dreaming this would happen.
  • Athena53
    Athena53 Posts: 717 Member
    I gained some weight when I married DH at age 50. We relocated for my job and he retired (he was 65) and took over the cooking. He cooks pretty healthy but you still have to exercise portion control!

    I hit menopause around age 53, I think, so I chalked it up to that. I was wrong. I got into 5:2 fasting a couple of years ago, then got roped into a sprint triathlon and decided I better train harder. I got my cardio routine up to 45 minutes a day. I'm 5'7 and over a couple of years went from 147 to 129 and have maintained it. Right now I do almost an hour of cardio a day during the week and more on the weekends. Today it was 45 minutes in the pool and later an hour and 15 minutes bicycling (about 15 miles).

    Having had a hard time losing weight when I was on BC pills in my early 20s, I'm convinced that hormonal changes can make weight loss harder- but it's not impossible. And DH's eyes still light up when he sees me naked. Life is good!
  • littlelady2b
    littlelady2b Posts: 104
    There is absolutely no reason why being menopausal should make weight loss any different than any other time in life. The problem is usually losing lean muscle mass so the key is to be active and not let that happen. It's more of an old wives tale to explain the middle age spread than it is based in fact. As we age we do less, eat more, gain weight and lose muscle. Reverse all of those and you'll be fine

    I used to have that same opinion... and then Post surgical menopause proved me wrong. There are many studies that support a link to weight gain and estrogen loss.

    Absolutely and it was proven to me in university and through my own adjustment to menopause that as women age our metabolism slows down and you combine that with estrogen loss and the many problems we go through later in life (surgeries etc.) of course its harder to lose weight. Many women end up with body aches and pains that they aren't use to as well which slows us down. The symptoms that some women experience with menopause vary but many are extreme and very uncomfortable making weight loss a bigger challenge. Such as the following:
    Common Symptoms
    1. Hot Flashes
    2. Night Sweats
    3. Irregular Periods
    4. Loss of Libido
    5. Vaginal Dryness
    6. Mood Swings

    Changes
    7. Fatigue
    8. Hair Loss
    9. Sleep Disorders
    10. Difficult Concentrating
    11. Memory Lapses
    12. Dizziness
    13. Weight Gain
    14. Incontinence
    15. Bloating
    16. Allergies
    17. Brittle Nails

    18. Changes in Odor
    19. Irregular Heartbeat
    20. Depression
    21. Anxiety
    22. Irritability
    23. Panic Disorder

    Pains
    24. Breast Pain
    25. Headaches
    26. Joint Pain
    27. Burning Tongue
    28. Electric Shocks
    29. Digestive Problems
    30. Gum Problems
    31. Muscle Tension
    32. Itchy Skin
    33. Tingling Extremities
  • Daisyfk
    Daisyfk Posts: 12 Member
    I am post-menopause and I seem to be doing well losing weight on myfitnesspal. I try my best to stay at 1200 cal a day and make sure I stay within my limits on my settings. I do go a bit over at time, who's perfect....haha. But if I stay right on it I do we'll. one secret is I add a food first and if takes my goal up too high I choose something else. Lost 12 pd back in Feb but went on vacation and well gained some back. Not giving up I am back keeping track... Yes I walk or ride my bike, love it because it gives me extra cal, which I really don't use.

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