Menopause and weight loss

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  • sunbunny66
    sunbunny66 Posts: 11 Member
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    I am almost 49 and have been logging since February. It helped me to realize weight loss is now going to take me a lot longer than when I was younger. Patience is key.
  • bepaz10
    bepaz10 Posts: 12 Member
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    I'm two years into menopause (age 50) and I'm really not finding my weightless any different now. I agree with the above poster who said not experiencing PMS and cravings is very helpful.

    You had asked about increasing your metabolism. Try weight lifting to build muscle mass (preserve muscle mass and bone). Also, I noticed in your food diary, you have entries for generic homemade items. Are these your tried and true recipes? If not, the calorie counts may not be accurate.
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    Mischievous_Rascal wrote: »
    mskurski wrote: »
    DaneanP wrote: »
    Harder but not impossible. I agree with the recommendations to incorporate strength training. CICO is definitely working for me. I told myself my days of losing weight were over now that I hit 50 and am definitely in the change. I'm so happy I didn't listen to myself and let the fear take over. 15 pounds down since January - and yes, I'm happy with slow and steady. Maybe it is just our mindset that needs to change. Dropping weight fast isn't the way to do it.

    Please forgive me, but what is CICO?

    Calories in, calories out. May I ask your stats? I just checked out your diary and a calorie goal of 750 is dangerously low for almost everybody. That will mess with a whole lot of things, including your hormones - which are crazy enough with menopause. And hormones play a part in how your body regulates everything, including weight loss.

    I understand, but I eat more then 750, i just burn down to 750 is my hopes. I always don't accomplish that. Like today. I ate over 1300... I won't be excerising tonight. It was a long day at work.
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    bepaz10 wrote: »
    I'm two years into menopause (age 50) and I'm really not finding my weightless any different now. I agree with the above poster who said not experiencing PMS and cravings is very helpful.

    You had asked about increasing your metabolism. Try weight lifting to build muscle mass (preserve muscle mass and bone). Also, I noticed in your food diary, you have entries for generic homemade items. Are these your tried and true recipes? If not, the calorie counts may not be accurate.

    I wondered that too. Abt homemade dinners. I don't know how to log in anything else except sometimes just putting in the ingrediants. I do try to cut anything that will be high calorie when I Cook. It's always healthy. I am trying tI eat as clean as possible. I think I will stop my protien shake. I see my carbs is high... ( comes from protein powder) maybe eat oatmeal or egg whites in the morning. Maybe a green shake? Idk?
  • bepaz10
    bepaz10 Posts: 12 Member
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    I am having a lot of luck using my TDEE - 20% instead of MFPs's recommendation for calories. I couldn't decide if my exercise level was light or active, so I averaged those 2 numbers together. My daily calories doing this are 1650, but I found that varying my calories daily according to my exercise level has me losing at a steady pace.

    To do this, I multiplied my daily calories by 7 to get the week total, and then I will eat, 1950, 1650, 1450, 2050, 1650, 1450 and 1350- assigning the highest calorie days to my busiest exercise days. Sometimes I also play with my carbs, but will keep my protein per day at 127 grams and my fat at 48 grams. Doing this, my carbs will range from 101.5 g. to 276.5 g. I know a lot of people are afraid of carbs, but I have found that I need carbs to give me endurance and happiness :)

    I originally started with 1550/ day, but felt I needed to bump that number up. I should also add that I am a vegetarian.
  • mskurski
    mskurski Posts: 31 Member
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    Wow. That's a great idea bepaz. Thanks for the idea. Willing to try anything. I am not tooooo afraid of carbs. I try to keep my carbs natural and stay away from breads. But this is more difficult that i orginally thought. I admit I am not a patient person. So, when I want fat off... It's like I want to see progress everyday. Especially since i sweat my *kitten* off working out, giving up cake and other things I would love to eat. Tomorrow is a baby shower... I am just praying they hv a veggie and fruit tray. I keep trying. Even tho yesterday I was way over my goal, but I do not beat myself up... Since my goal is low. 750 cal a day. I know people say it's too low. But I eat as much as my body wants and then burn those calories off. Ie: I will eat 1200-1500 calories but then I will burn 500-800 calories in my workouts. Not always, but that's my goal.
  • FancyPantsFran
    FancyPantsFran Posts: 3,687 Member
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    Bump
  • Kalikel
    Kalikel Posts: 9,626 Member
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    I've been working on the same two pounds for three weeks. I take in about 1100-1300 (usually on the lower end) calories a day AND I exercise. Sometimes I exercise twice a day. This morning, I'm up a pound. From where? I dunno.

    If I could lose a pound a week, I would jump for joy.

    If there is a secret to losing faster, I don't know it.

    Take advantage of the pound-a-week thing while it lasts.
  • fattymcrunnerpants
    fattymcrunnerpants Posts: 311 Member
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    I've been in menopause for 5 years now. One pound a week is realistic for someone with no health issues. I, personally, didn't have trouble maintaining a 60 pound weight loss for 3 years until my thyroid started going nuts.
  • editorgrrl
    editorgrrl Posts: 7,060 Member
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    mskurski wrote: »
    It took me a week to get 1 pound off. There was a time, 9 yrs ago to be exact, I lost 65 lbs in 4 months w/out a lot of effort. Now I am staying w/in my diet, i excercise everyday and drink tons of water... But yet it takes a week to loose 1 lb?

    A healthy, sustainable loss is .5 lb. per week for every 25 lbs. you're overweight.

    Have you read the Sexypants post? So much good "how-to" info: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    PS. MFP has a Near- or Post-Menopausal group: http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group

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