Post-Menopause and Weight loss

This mirrors my experience. I only walk for my exercise about 10 miles a week only and Lost at about a pound a week since last August. I never thought those 6 inches round my middle would go but they have.

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.

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
.... .. 33. Tingling Extremities

Wow- that list is going to make women in their 40s want to jump off of tall buildings! For the record, I really noticed only #s 1,2,5 and 8. I've learned to ignore the hot flashes and night sweats; I roll up my sleeves or kick off the sheets without even remembering why. I got a prescription ring that delivers estrogen exactly where it's needed for #5, and just have to live with #8. Partly it's heredity. I"ve also read that some of these symptoms can be worse if you're overweight, so there's some motivation. I'm also convinced that exercise cures everything. An oversimplification, of course, but I'm sure it helps.

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.

People that don't have bad periods often think the ones that do are just being dramatic and weak. And this statement (above) is false. But good for you if you don't have any problems except needing to get back off your butt and not overeat!

With many of you, it appears the difference is the amount you have to lose. " Eat less carbs", "do more cardio"....all I can say is, I work out with a trainer, do cardio, and eat 45 or less grams of carbs and I still do not lose weight. I would say I have maybe ten pounds to lose. Those last ten pounds are something you don't experience when you are losing 1-2 pounds a week. In fact, I GAINED weight when I started working out with a trainer, but it is ok because most of that was muscle and I feel so much better with the extra muscle. I have starved myself to get the weight off, and it left me with saggy skin. Gaining the muscle filled in that saggy skin and I feel better. I don't really have anything to solve your problems except...keep on going. I will let you know if I ever find that secret solution all the ads claim to have!

Honestly, most of us don't have an hour a day to do cardio.

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

Oh my!! These are just possible symptoms and many are not common. And it would be rare for someone to have all of them.

Though #4 did make me LOL. And WTH does #28 even mean?? Do these women shock others or is someone shocking them? Also, many of these, such as lack of concentration and memory lapses are symptoms that typically occur during perimenopause and resolve post menopause, Memory problems post menopause are usually a sign of something else such as senility onset or Alzhiemer's.

And nearly all of these can be lessened or eliminated by regular moderate to intense exercise. Using them as an excuse is just that ... an excuse.

Honestly, most of us don't have an hour a day to do cardio.

There are some things that can make it nearly impossible to find time- having responsibility for grandchildren or being a caretaker for an ill relative, or one of those nightmarish East or West Coast commutes. Most post-menopausal women, however, no longer have to ferry 10-year olds from school to soccer practice. Work? I spend 1.5 hours each day commuting and another 8+ hours in the office (including through lunch). Business travel? I'm in the hotel gym or the pool at 6:30 AM if that's the only time I can get it in.

For me there are just so many benefits that I make it a priority. Health (I miss about one day every 3 years due to sickness), energy, liking what I see in the mirror, even naked, stress relief, mitigation of menopausal symptoms.. how many more do you need?

Same here regarding making it high on the list of priorities.

I work shifts, when I am on earlies, I will train in the afternoon, when I am on lates, I will train in the morning.

In my own case, it is not finding the one hour to do the training, it is manipulating my training in order to reduce the risk of injury now that I am older :laugh:

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!!

We are SO similar. Work out for an hour at the gym 5 days a week (unless sick or injured), add 2 personal trainer sessions and a group training session. In a good month I lose a kilo (2.2lbs). My body composition has changed, I look more athletic than sedentary, and I can easily leg press 100 kilos. In my 30's and 40's I could lose weight easily. I have a nutrition coach at the gym, she says I'm doing everything right, it's just very slow and very hard. For those ladies who are post menopausal and can lose a pound or more a week, I'm sincerely very happy for you. For the rest of us, we just don't give up, however long it takes.

I lost 98 lbs in menopause (in fact, I had been in menopause for 3 years before I decided to shake the weight). If I can do it, so can you. I was at the gym 5-6 days a week for 2 hours every day. Sure it meant getting up earlier, but worth it for the weight loss. 1 hour for cardio (speed of 3.1 on treadmill) and 1 hour of using weights for toning. My goal was to gain some muscle and tone while i was losing weight at the same time. I hired a personal trainer at my gym to coach me. Weight loss is mainly food. Review your diaries. What is sneaking in to your diet? How many fat grams and calories are you consuming each day? Are you eating too little or too much? There are a lot of factors involved in weight loss.

In the gym for 2 hours every day?? For me that would mean literally doing nothing but commuting, working, exercising and sleeping. No thanks! :noway:

I just eat sensibly and workout 30-60 min a day 5-7 days a week. That's all I need to remain healthy and thin. I have and need a life outside work and workouts.

I'd like to interrupt, ladies, looking for opinions on behalf of my mum. She's got about 50 she'd like to lose, has a bad knee, but has gone to PT and swims, does an exercise bike, and would like to start back her pilates class, but she says she just never loses even if she was at the gym two hours and starved.

I helped her set up a MFP account, and she's netting 800-1000/day. My experience immediately said "No no no!" When I joined and started logging, I found I was doing the same thing, and broke my plateau when I added. I told her I thought she needed at least 1200 a day. Do you all agree, or do you find you really have to eat that little, since your hormones have changed? She's also between 50-100g of carbs/day, all veggies, where I thought between 100-150.

Also, do any of you do weight training? She's limited in what she could do, with her knees and feet, but she could do some. Does it make a difference? TIA, she's been so frustrated for years and I like to think I could help her.

Unless she is very short (under 5'0"), she needs to eat more. And even then, she should be able to eat more and lose. And make sure the diet is balanced and includes enough protein. If she's been eating that low for some time, she might not lose anything for a month or so after increasing but she should begin to lose after a while.

Yes, she should do some type of resistance training, whether it be weights, resistance bands or body weight. It is common to lose muscle and bone density during/after menoause and resistance training, along with proper diet, is the only want to prevent it. Swimming is good resistance training, but since she has an indentified weakness I'd suggest she talk to her doctor about what exercises would be safe for her.

If she hasn't already, she should also mention her trouble losing weight to her doctor as thyroid problems are also common post menopause. This can make weight loss very difficult but is usually easily managed with medication.

I am and it is going well.... I am sticking to my 1200 cal goal and my 135 crabs a day per my nutritionist. The weight is coming off slowly the healthy way. What ever is good for you just stick with it... You'll see it'll pay off...

Blessing to you...

Just curious for those that are post menopause and successfully losing -

1) How long you've been in menopause,

2) Do you still have ovaries, and

3) Are you taking Hormone Replacement Therapy, if so what ?

I'm 9 years post - I found it relatively easy to lose/ maintain the first years following surgery however as time passes it seems to be harder with no changes in diet or exercise.

The only change for me during this time was stopping HRT - which I have recently re-started (not long enough for results)...

I've read several studies regarding estrogen/leptin interaction which indicate low estrogen prevents fat cells from producing leptin. Have also read that without estriadol from ovaries - the primary source of estrogen is estrone - which is produced by fat cells... hence body will fight to keep fat stores for estrogen (which could explain lower leptin production)...

Just curious for those that are post menopause and successfully losing -

1) How long you've been in menopause,

2) Do you still have ovaries, and

3) Are you taking Hormone Replacement Therapy, if so what ?

I'm 9 years post - I found it relatively easy to lose/ maintain the first years following surgery however as time passes it seems to be harder with no changes in diet or exercise.

The only change for me during this time was stopping HRT - which I have recently re-started (not long enough for results)...

I've read several studies regarding estrogen/leptin interaction which indicate low estrogen prevents fat cells from producing leptin. Have also read that without estriadol from ovaries - the primary source of estrogen is estrone - which is produced by fat cells... hence body will fight to keep fat stores for estrogen (which could explain lower leptin production)...

1) I am guestimating around 6 years
2) Yes, I have what is called premature menopause because I started so early and blood tests show me in postmenopause.
3) Yes, a combo. Just started it this week....not sure if I am completely comfortable taking it....but I feel I need something.

57 years old
Menopausal for 3 miserable years...hot flashes every hour, night sweats, foggy, cotton headed, bloated, tired, 25 lb weight gain, snarky yet cry-baby. Finally went on HRT, Femhert(70$ !!! rip-off price)...very low dose by my md...then I cut the pill in half. All the weird stuff is gone except occasional flash.
I started MFP in April and have lost some weight(15lbs) very slowly...only when I eat 1200 or less do I see weight loss. I have some bad habits which are slowly in regression.
I sleep through the night now, since I lost the weight, not because of the HRT, and my arms don't go numb.
I use a pedometer and I try to hit 10,000 steps/day...treadmilling, busy work, house cleaning, yet I sit on my" not as big as it was" *kitten* every day for a couple hours playing cards. I don't eat during that time.
Lift weights 2/week at the gym....so great... love it!
When I eat clean, I see the scale move down. Like the lady said, food with one ingredient. Although I eat my seeds and nuts together with coconut milk.
For now I have eliminated dairy, red meat, sodies, booze, wheat and simple sugars. No more candy treats. I may reintroduce them periodically but for now I want to see how my body responds...does my bloated belly go down, sinuses get better, headaches lessen, poop regular?
It's been very interesting. My body was crying out to me and now it is happily changing and I am starting to see the remarkable results from my remarkable body!
LisaGNV said, "When you go back to the old way of eating, you go back to the old way of looking."
You decide for yourself. Good luck everyone!

Hi Everyone,
New to the board and like many struggling with weight loss post menopause. Have lived most of my life controlling my weight with less than healthy habits and have really reached a brick wall. This is so depressing. I know high protein works best for me personally, but it aggravated my diverticulosis. I need encouragement!! Any suggestions would be welcome.