New from Austin Texas, menopause and weight loss!!!

Hi all! I just signed up last night. I was so excited to find MFP. Sort of stumbled on it by accident but looks to be a wonderful community for support during the tough road to weight loss!

I'm a 50 yr old female struggling with weight gain due to menopause. My issue is that I do work out and do pretty well watching what I eat. But, not much success in losing weight. Actually, no success at all!!! It's very frustrating! I only have 15-20 pounds to lose, but my biggest fear is a continual weight gain!! I'm only 5'1" and 20-30 pounds over has very little space in which to settle so it looks and feels like a lot more!

I'm hoping for the motivation to not just give up and that tracking diet and exercise in black and white will help me to get to my goal. Any ladies out there with advice about weight loss and menopause, please share!

TT

Replies

  • marie111
    marie111 Posts: 91 Member
    Hi there i to am going through surgical menopause after hysterectomy i watched a program yesturday on this very subject and they said there is no such thing as putting on weight due to menopause its just the hormones distribute weight around the stomach area rather than anywhere else and to just eat healthy and excercise as you normally would and once you get control of your hormones ie hrt or natural then it should even itself out again.
  • jackies_42
    jackies_42 Posts: 22 Member
    Joining MFP is a good way to keep track of what you eat. It is surprising how those little things you nibble on will add up to a lot of calories at the end of the day. Set yourself a goal of tracking everything even if you've had a meltdown and ate every in sight. Sometimes it's not as bad as it appears and you can get back on track. Good luck on your first week...it only gets easier.
  • branbuds
    branbuds Posts: 624 Member
    Hi there!

    I will be 50 later this year and I am experiencing perimenopause as well. I have only been on MFP for a few weeks but it seems to be a wonderful resource. In the forums so many people post links for information that I find very helpful.

    I don't know what the research shows about weight gain at this stage of our lives, but I feel that I have been gaining weight without any change to my eating habits and exercise regime. I have also found that losing weight right now is very slow and difficult, as compared to 10 or 20 years ago. Unfortunately, I have lost and gained weight several times in my life and I thought I had a pretty good idea how to lose that weight. Those same regimes no longer work for me. Which lead me to MFP.

    Welcome.
  • sunshinelively
    sunshinelively Posts: 249 Member
    hi! great to hear from someone else who has my exact same dilemma. i am 49 turning 50 in June, started menopause at 48, so 2 years into it and still with the hot flashes and flabby arms. arghh!!

    i've taken about 20 off so far and 20 more to go. i've been working out cardio and weight training, since i guess you lose weight in muscle if you don't weight train. trouble is weight training makes me sooooo hungry. i've been compensating with a lot of protein following a weight training work out, but some days i haven't been able to stick to my calorie goal. didn't have this trouble when i wasn't weight training this hard. next i want to try more interval, HIIT etc to see if that makes any impact, rather than the long steady cardio i've been doing.

    welcome to mfp - it's been a great resource for me!!
  • klisamc
    klisamc Posts: 2
    I'm right there with you ladies. There may be no such thing , but I sure have packed on the pounds. For the first time in my life they are around the middle. I'm really not into doing synthetic hormones and actually by watching my intake and eating healthy I seem to be dropping weight faster than when I was doing the supplement routine. I only dropped .2 lbs yesterday, but I didn't really do much to burn calories either besides my normal activity.
  • motivatedmartha
    motivatedmartha Posts: 1,108 Member
    Welcome! My advice for what it's worth is :

    Weigh everything, measure what you cannot weigh and log, log, log.! Using volume measures (cups etc) can lead to overestimating and can add up. I find that even logging the days when I have overeaten eg dinners out, gatherings etc helps me regain control. My weight gain was purely down to overlarge portions of 'proper' food - MFP is helping me regulate that.

    Log your exercise and eat back at least half of those calories - but be brutally honest about that exercise and how much effort you put into it.

    It's not rocket science and, for the most part, it is enjoyable. Food tastes better if you are more conscious of preparing and eating it and exercise does keep up the spirits.

    Good luck :smile:
  • Lauriesongs
    Lauriesongs Posts: 27 Member
    Hi and welcome to MFP! I'm 51 and have only been on here since January, but tracking everything really works for me. I've lost 18 lbs since 1/1/14. I eat differently because I know that I have to log whatever I decide to eat. I do think that being 50+ makes it harder. Having friends on here who cheer me on really helps, too. I log in every day so feel free to add me as a friend.
  • I hear a lot of great advice. Thank you! I am also in the same situation!

    Welcome!
  • toniistracking
    toniistracking Posts: 57 Member
    It's really nice to be able to read these stories and not feel so alone. My hormones have been crazy lately and with thyroid issues I feel like I'm sometimes fighting a losing battle. Thanks ladies for sharing!
  • nereidapena
    nereidapena Posts: 3 Member
    Hi, I just signed back up after a year of not logging. I am just not that disciplined but I will try harder this time. I am 48 and menopause for a little over a year. I eat healthy enough and exercise 5 times a week. My problem is that lately I've noticed that no matter what I do, I don't seem to lose ANY weight. I am rejoining hoping to see what it is that I may be doing wrong and hopefully get some advice from you ladies. Thanks!
  • jenns1964
    jenns1964 Posts: 384 Member
    Welcome TT. I live in NE Austin( Pflugerville). I will be 50 this year and I have been on MFP for 466 days. I have been struggling for about 9 months, but I will not give up, EVER!
    Jennifer
  • simbersea
    simbersea Posts: 1,248 Member
    Wow - a lot of us in the same boat!

    I'm turning 49 in a few months - been in menopause for a couple years now - still dealing with hot flashes and weight.

    I've lost about 1/2 of the 20+ pounds I needed to, but its an ongoing struggle. This site has definitely made the difference. I love the accountability and all the friendly support you get here.

    My 2 cents worth of advise would be to look at getting into weightlifting. As we get older, even if we weigh the same, we lose muscle mass every year - so gradually we lose enough muscle mass that we no longer burn enough calories to stop gaining weight. I did the cardio thing for years without any permanent changes. Its only been recently since I started a heavy weight lifting program that I am finally seeing some real differences. And thank god - some of that is in my flabby arms :smile:

    Best of luck on your journey!

    P.S. - I'll be joining you in Texas when I retire next year. I can't wait :)
  • margannmks
    margannmks Posts: 424 Member
    Im not sure about the truth to that statement about hormones not causing weight gain because i have read that when you start producing less estrogen the body produces more fat trying to get estrogen out of it. I have heard that the new fat does show up more in waist area because since your not childbearing you dont need it in the hips thighs. I also know that the gain then lose cycle causes more fat each time you regain coupled with after 30 losing muscle mass as part of natural aging lowers the amount of calories your bodies need to maintain your we ight. Add all this up plus being short and not having much weight to lose and its frustrating. Now to what works, da da daaa, you guessed it weight training, cardio,and eating at a deficit. Which is basically what everyone has to do to lose weight and reshape your body. The truth is it will take much more dilegence and much harder longer exercise than it ever did. Ive taken 11/2 years to lose 25 lbs. I eat between 1300-1500 calories a day. I go to a bootcamp style class one hour 5 days a week and do something else on weekends. I have increased my weights on all my exercises and since nov i have not lost a pound.thats why i dont have a ticker. Since i only have 5 lbs to lose it just wont budge. I have upped my protein eating 40/40/30 instead of what mfp sets you at. I know that will help because im not gaining/losing the same 3 lbs every month im actually staying the same weight , so i hope to see the .5 lb lose a week soon but if i dont im just gonna keep doing what im doing. Every womens menopause is different some have no problems some just need an excuse but bottom line is you will get to your happy weight if your patient and realize this is forever not just to lose 20 lbs by xday then go back to normal. Hope this helps.
  • CHSegl
    CHSegl Posts: 89 Member
    Been menopausal for some time now, can't say that is what caused the weight gain. Eating out frequently and sitting on my butt is the cause. Best bet: log all you eat, eat healthy and fresh, and go lift heavy weights. Get a copy of Rippetoe's Starting Strength, read it, then go elbow the kids aside and lift! It builds muscle and burns fat off like nothing else. I dropped 16# in the first half of 2013, started lifting then. The profile photo is my arms, after only a year (app: StrongLifts 5x5). It takes one hour 3x a week, that is all. Check out this thread too: " I am the woman in the freeweights section of the gym".
    As a medical professional, I can tell you it's not menopause that causes wt gain: it's really just calories in > calories out.
    PS- did Pilates for 3 yrs now, didn't help with the weight loss at all. BUT it's great for core strength and flexibility, if that's your goal.
  • marpeters
    marpeters Posts: 205 Member
    Hi...I'm 58 and went through menopause really early...about 42. Weight gain was aweful...but discovered that I had to change the way I looked at food. I just can't count calories...I have to worry about the quality of those calories. I need to eat mostly veggies, clean protein and seeds. Too much fruit and grains, no matter how healthy, will keep the weight on. I can eat the same amount of calories, work out the same and if I change what I eat, I'll loose the weight.

    Find the keys to your weight loss. It can be done. I'm 68 pounds lighter to prove it!!!
  • Blueberry09
    Blueberry09 Posts: 821 Member
    There's a menopausal women's group here somewhere - you should all join. We are all going thru the same thing!
  • MRS1TAS
    MRS1TAS Posts: 9 Member
    Hi, I signed up 3 years ago.but my computer crashed and I completely forgot about this until yesterday. I went to the site to check it out and discovered I had already joined. All my information was there. I just had to make a few changes, But this is what I want to share.
    I started experiencing hot flashes and other menopausal symptoms at the age of 36. Plus I had gained about 20 pounds and couldn't manage to get it off. Well I averaged about 10 pounds per year of weight gain. Needless to say I got up to 335 pounds. Monday I was at my doctor's office and I had lost 3 pounds. Three pounds may not seem like much but when you've been on a 1200 calorie diet and you gain 25 pounds in one month by measuring and weighing everything that goes into your mouth it becomes very scary to eat. I wound up not eating more than once a day which caused me to continue to gain weight. I was starving my body. I have since learned that was a big no no. I screwed up my metabolism in a major way, I will be 50 later this year and was diagnosed with diabetes in 2012. I struggle just to get up and get dressed daily. Let me add this, I am only 5 ft. So I want to encourage you how ever you and your doctor decide to deal with the menopause symptoms. Know this you must keep feeding your body to keep your metabolism working properly. You might also need to add a new fun activity to your exercise routine. But don't allow yourself to get discouraged. Like me you have joined a great place to get encouraged. Just make sure to get on everyday and log in your journal. I am more motivated this time around. So I am hoping all the best for you.
  • Thanks so much to all who have responded. This is awesome! It can be hard feeling like there must be something wrong with you bc you think you're doing everything you can and getting nowhere. It's good to know that we are not alone and there is hope. With dedication and intention it can be done. And support from others who are working hard and celebrating even small victories is invaluable.

    I will add that I've been encouraged to have my thyroid check, which I will soon. I want to definitely rule out anything like that as well.

    Let's really keep in touch!!!

    :)