Menopause messing with your weight loss!?

Well ladies---I'm 59, in menopause for over 6 years, with hot flashes from hell almost all that time. A little over a year ago I decided that I wanted to lose 30lbs and started MFP. I'm 5'11" and want to get to around 150lbs. I've been swimming for 19 years, and I do aqua-gym for my OA plus alot of walking with my husband. Besides all that movement I was slowly putting on the weight. I've lost 20lbs in a year--it's slow going and the last 10lbs are sticking like glue, but I don't care how long it takes. I just keep going. I feel great and my body is looking good. I'm so happy with MFP. Good luck to the rest of you--by the way I live in Italy, so eat the "mediteranean diet" which is alittle of everything. I cook everything from scratch.

Hi to the gals (sorry guys) that are in menopause and suddenly have found a tire around their waist, they have to eat half the amount they used to consume - just to maintain their weight, wine is now a bad (VERY bad) carb - may as well eat a tablespoon of sugar....argh! I have decide to heck with menopause! I am 54 and refuse to settle for "it's menopause, you're getting older, that's life". Not me mama! I need support - I know I can't do this myself. I am not a complainer, just looking to tap into other peoples "spark" and share some of my own. I want to be fab and 55! I want my "twilight years" to be spectacular! Are you in?

Happy Menopause Ladies!!!! I was successful at maintaining a healthy weight through a sensible diet and exercise for YEARS. Then menopause hit!!!! Where the hell did this spare tire and love handles come from?? It's a certainty that hormonal changes can lower your metabolism and cause weight gain. But I am fighting it with everything I got!!!! Here's my list of things that have helped -

1 - strength training with weights that challenge you, compound moves
2 - if your not much into weights check out body weight exercises, they're awesome!
3 - being consistent with your calorie goal!!!! The weekends used to be a free for all for me. Don't get me wrong, I still eat 'fun' foods but in MODERATION. And I keep my weekends under control.
4 - protein, protein, protein.
5 - Carbs - I bet you thought I was going to tell you to go low carb. HELL NO! There is no need to give up those delicious carbs, HOWEVER...keep them in moderation!!!!! 2 cookies a day is A OK (that's my mantra;)

Feel free to send me a friend request!

Okay, I wanna join this post.....i am 48 and menopausal have gained 20 lbs and 5 inches in my waist! i AM NOT HAPPY. i am walking again an starting to ride my bike. but i love food. i use to be able to just count the calories. now i'm trying to watch the carbs also. i will take any suggestions on foods. I am cutting out, will most of the time, cutting out bread, but i do love a good hamburger on the grill. You ladies keep up the good work and we will help each other through this.

Your singing my song!!! Totally sucks. I have started working out (a lot) with both cardio and strength training, have lost 6-pounds, but have lost two sizes!! It is really hard work though. I have Rheumatoid Arthritis on top of it. Hang in there!!!

I'm fairly new to MFP and haven't really engaged in a thread/group or whatever before - so how do we keep in touch/take it from here?

I'm going through it too. I can just look at food and I gain. I could use tips and hope to lose at least the 15/16 pounds I have gained and then work on getting the rest of it. But where does one start with Menopause as the enemy? I can't seem to lose a pound. HELP!!!

I too would be interested in joining in on this post (or group if one was created). I am 41 but my mother went into menopause very early and I have all the symptoms of being peri-menopausal (just ask my family!)

I have an open diary, I do not log my exercise here because I am using the TDEE method to see how that goes. If I were to add in the exercise it would mess with the numbers. I do however post in my home thread what I have done for workouts so that I can hold myself accountable.

I am here almost always since I have the app on my phone. Any one can add me if they would like.

please add me in

Count me in. I'm 50, and menopause did not make me lazy, and eat bad food. However, it has made it harder to get back in shape. On the plus side I am sweating before I even start to workout. Hot flashes, yay!:sad:

well, my thoughts might not be appreciated. Have any of you had your thyroid checked, sorry if any of you are in the UK, we have one of the worst systems for dealing with thyroid problems, synthetic t4 only unless you find a great doctor. Where as over seas they offer synthetic T4 and T3, (4's are needed to turn into 3's but sometimes a body is not up to that duty any longer). Others have the opportunity of a natural product, which would not necessarily appeal to many but are more likely to be in the right balance and possibly more effective. Mainly you will be fobbed off with all sorts of excuses rather than give your blood a thorough interrogation.

Please visit your own national Thyroid site or "Stop the thyroid madness" site. Any of these sites will give you more information than you could possibly need, Please read what relates to yourself. The issues this key gland can be involved in are interminable. The sites will tell you how the numbers in a blood result are interpreted. In the UK you can have all the symptoms and general practice will think you are normal if you have numbers up to 10. In Australia or the US the same range of tests are acted on as above 3. I have seen some saying even with a level of 10 this person had no symptoms so thyroid which slows your systems down when it is flagging is brushed to one side.

This was just a thought to throw into the mix. As a general rule as women we get on with it, what ever life throws at us and we know our bodies will not fail.

All the very best please don't take being slightly more "mature" lying down. Take life by the scruff of its neck and make the most of what you have. I am not completely fit, yet but I am fitter and performing better than I did 20+ years ago because I did not take what I was told at face value. I asked questions and tried my own questions

Bump - on my way out the door BUT I need to read this!!!! I am 54 and a daily struggle, I've got the exercise motivation but the food, not so much! My motto of fit by 55 started last night when I read MFP success stories!! Lose 20 lbs by my mid August birthday would be a huge accomplishment for me! No excuses but I have found that since hitting meno 5 yrs ago my body has changed significantly which has impacted my ability to drop weight like I use to