Weight gain and menopause

Caroline0924
Caroline0924 Posts: 6 Member
edited July 2015 in Health and Weight Loss
has anyone experienced a large weight gain (20# in 1 year) without significantly increasing calories? I just found out I am in menopause at age 50. Suddenly, I have a spare tire around my middle.....I have never been this weight in my life other than being pregnant. 5'3" 155#. Extremely depressed.....

Replies

  • Sandcastles61
    Sandcastles61 Posts: 506 Member
    I am 54. Mine was more like 5 one year and 10 the next. My doctor explained to me that with a small slow down in my metabolism due to menopause all it took was an extra70 to 100 calories a day to pack on10 pounds in a year.... So essentially overeating by one hardboiled egg, or an orange or an apple :s. The good news is that it came off fairly quick and now I know I need to stay on top of it.
  • Sabine_Stroehm
    Sabine_Stroehm Posts: 19,263 Member
    edited July 2015
    I haven't *gained*, but during this transition am finding it harder to keep it off, yes. There's a lot of research out there as to why. Some suggests it's just the slowing metabolism, some suggests many women may also have insulin resistance during the transition. There's a menopause group here with lots of nice women discussing the issues that arise. Join us!

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group
  • Brigitte1957
    Brigitte1957 Posts: 2 Member
    Caroline0924 wrote: »
    has anyone experienced a large weight gain (20# in 1 year) without significantly increasing calories? I just found out I am in menopause at age 50. Suddenly, I have a spare tire around my middle.....I have never been this weight in my life other than being pregnant. 5'3" 155#. Extremely depressed.....

  • whmscll
    whmscll Posts: 2,254 Member
    I'm menopausal and have also put on weight, although it took a while, it wasn't sudden. It was definitely from eating too much. The good news: it comes off again. I lost 27 pounds a couple of years ago, and while I slacked off and gained half of that back, I've lost nearly all of it again using mfp. My new goal is to get down to the weight I maintained all though my 30s and 40s. I have lost 10 pounds in two months and have 10 more to go. My sister, who is older than me, put her mind to it and lost 35 pounds a couple of yeRs ago and has kept all of it off. It's all about realizing how many calories you need to fuel your body, making good food choices and staying active.
  • Brigitte1957
    Brigitte1957 Posts: 2 Member
    I have recently gained 10 lbs in one year and it weighs (no pun intended) on my mind constantly. Since starting menopause I have gained a total of 30 lbs and for the first time in my life I realize I need to lose BUT find it so hard to structure my life so weight loss is a priority. I am a healthcare administrator and travel regularly which makes a routine even harder to maintain. I so understand how you are feeling!
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Exercise is especially important at midlife.

    Speed Up Your Metabolism at Midlife

    ...As for that fat distribution...well, after menopause, fat is more likely to build up around your abdomen instead of on your thighs and hips. This abdominal, or "visceral" fat, is a dangerous form of fat that increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes. It seems that estrogen is somehow associated with this change, because women taking estrogen therapy after menopause tend to have less abdominal fat.

    We're not suggesting turning to estrogen therapy to manage your fat distribution, however. While there are several reasons to take estrogen therapy, minimizing abdominal fat is not one of them.

    Instead, your best bet is to turn to those two old standbys—diet and exercise, particularly exercise. When researchers compared total body fat and abdominal body fat amounts in middle-aged female twins, they found physical activity—not age or diet—had the greatest effect.

    Read more: http://www.healthywomen.org/content/article/speed-your-metabolism-midlife
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Brigitte1957 wrote: »
    I have recently gained 10 lbs in one year and it weighs (no pun intended) on my mind constantly. Since starting menopause I have gained a total of 30 lbs and for the first time in my life I realize I need to lose BUT find it so hard to structure my life so weight loss is a priority. I am a healthcare administrator and travel regularly which makes a routine even harder to maintain. I so understand how you are feeling!

    I totally agree with travel throwing you off your routine. When I had a job that required frequent travel, I tried to stay in hotels with gyms. Failing that, I would do yoga in my room and/or go for a walk.

Categories