Can I put the pause on Menopause?

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DonnaCW
DonnaCW Posts: 24 Member
in Introduce Yourself
I am having trouble losing weight due to menopause. I have to blame something because my cravings are out of control. I have NO WILLPOWER and I cant seem to stay on track for more than 3 days. Need someone in the same boat so we can help each other through this.... need to lose 35 pounds!

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  • sun_fish
    sun_fish Posts: 864 Member
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    I reached menopause 4 months into my weight loss of 68 pounds. You can either make a commitment to doing this, or continue making excuses and expect others to help you. If you are interested in how I approached it, here is my success story I posted:
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10019497/better-late-than-never/p1
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    DonnaCW wrote: »
    I am having trouble losing weight due to menopause. I have to blame something because my cravings are out of control. I have NO WILLPOWER and I cant seem to stay on track for more than 3 days. Need someone in the same boat so we can help each other through this.... need to lose 35 pounds!

    Welcome to the boat. Feel free to friend me. I'm at maintenance, and don't log, but am otherwise very active. Also, join the menopause group here.

    One thing I've learned about myself now: the fewer refined carbs I eat, the easier my weight at this stage is to manage.
  • tbhnje
    tbhnje Posts: 34 Member
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    Feel free to add me. I'm in pretty much the same boat as you. I'm not getting a good nights sleep because I keep waking up with night sweats to throw off the covers. Only to wake up a few minutes later to find the covers because I've gotten cold. Then that makes me tired all day. I have around 20 pounds I'd like to lose.
  • NextPage
    NextPage Posts: 609 Member
    edited November 2014
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    Feel free to add me also. I agree with sun_fish - you do have to make the commitment no matter what stage in life. I have never found it easy to maintain a healthy weight but I do think the hard work is worth it. I also found it a bit of an adjustment dealing with the "shape shift" of menopause but fortunately weight training has really helped (no way I was going to take batwings and a thick waist lying down!). I started and finished menopause last year and this year I upped by game to what I affectionately refer to as my "f#@k menopause" program.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    Pre-menopause for years now. I dress in layers, LOL. Brain is fuzzier, too. I'd like your opinion on a technique called reframing for negative self-talk and overcoming cravings. I learned this tip from my therapist.
    http://www.futurevisions.org/eq_refrm1.htm
    Because of reframing, I indulge in all the foods I like but in much smaller portions. I ride the wave, you see, and don't feel guilty.
  • MonaLisaLianne
    MonaLisaLianne Posts: 393 Member
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    After menopause your caloric needs *will* be lower. The only way around that is to begin building muscle, in my experience. Metabolism just slows to a a crawl. I've also used DHEA from time to time (a very small dose - .25 of a 25mg tablet once in early morning). It's a precursor for testosterone, which drops along with estrogen after menopause. It definitely helped with mood and energy level. Be careful though - it can cause hair loss.
  • ShenandoahSand
    ShenandoahSand Posts: 4 Member
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    I don't think I'm at menopause quite yet, but something has changed. I used to be able to lose weight pretty easily but in my early 40's now and things are definitely not like they used to be.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
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    jgnatca wrote: »
    Pre-menopause for years now. I dress in layers, LOL. Brain is fuzzier, too. I'd like your opinion on a technique called reframing for negative self-talk and overcoming cravings. I learned this tip from my therapist.
    http://www.futurevisions.org/eq_refrm1.htm
    Because of reframing, I indulge in all the foods I like but in much smaller portions. I ride the wave, you see, and don't feel guilty.

    And I try to avoid the cravings altogether. It's all about finding what works for you, and probably, that's gonna change as you go through this time. cheers.
  • pita7317
    pita7317 Posts: 1,437 Member
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    My story. :)
    At age 50, menopause. I was at the highest weight of my life.
    Started by cutting way down on processed foods .
    At age 55, I had lost 26 lbs. ( I know, a very long time)
    Then I started using MFP. Calorie counting. Portion sizes. Eating 3 times a day and healthier choices.
    Currently down an additional 18 lbs.
    Down 44 lbs. Amazing !
    My daily goals. 1300 cals. 100 carbs. 48 protein. 1500 sodium.
    Good luck ! You can do this !

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