Any 45+ females succeeding at losing weight, pre/menopause?

imathena
imathena Posts: 6 Member
edited November 25 in Introduce Yourself
Hi Ladies,

I'm Athena, trying to loose weight and having a hard time because of what I believe is pre-menopause, I'm 46. I could use any tips or advice on what has worked for you, because it seems like nothing works for me. Would like to break my plateau.

Feel free to introduce yourself. Thanks!

Replies

  • dollypz
    dollypz Posts: 2 Member
    Dolly here. Just getting started. I'm 50 & hsve gained about 35 # with the menopause.
  • JustJudy
    JustJudy Posts: 142 Member
    Hi My name is Judy. I am 47 and I've noticed the slow climb on the scale lately too. I have found that I HAVE TO exercise every day or the weight climbs. I've tried the light dinner approach too and it hasn't helped yet.
    Add me and we can tackle this monster together! I'm looking to add more friends that actually use MFP. I do.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    Don't make excuses :) age isn't that much of a factor

    Don't make it complicated or follow fads

    Throw away everything you think you know about losing weight

    Eat at a calorie defecit across the week, weigh all food, log accurately and with care

    Move more

    Start a progressive resistance programme

    That's it, all you need to do ..it's not difficult, it just takes commitment

    Good luck
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    Actually, age is a factor! I've been doing a lot of research on menopause...and it's well documented by the medical community--Mayo, WebMD, AMA---that weight will gravitate to your midsection during menopause. As someone who never had this problem before, it's been really frustrating...and why I'm here! I'm trying to eat less white processed stuff...pasta, egg noodles, bread.....and exercise more with weights. We'll see how it goes!
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    And my name is Lisa...I'm 49...my goal is to firm up my midsection and lose 10 pounds.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    edited October 2015
    LZMiner wrote: »
    Actually, age is a factor! I've been doing a lot of research on menopause...and it's well documented by the medical community--Mayo, WebMD, AMA---that weight will gravitate to your midsection during menopause. As someone who never had this problem before, it's been really frustrating...and why I'm here! I'm trying to eat less white processed stuff...pasta, egg noodles, bread.....and exercise more with weights. We'll see how it goes!

    That research is population based ..eg they are reporting on what is happening across a population it's not a fait accompli ..if there is no excess weight there is nowhere for it to gravitate to

    It doesn't HAVE to happen though

    It's a lifestyle choice

    A progressive heavy lifting programme improves your musculature and increases your TDEE (can overtake the 100 calorie per decade drop we get with aging) ..it also helps stabilise some of the hormonal fluctuations

    A calorie controlled diet ensures your body fat percentage does not rise ..it doesn't have to be low carb,or cutting out foods or food groups unless that's how you hit your CICO

    The two together with an active lifestyle can help you buck the trend

    I'm 48

    I've lost over 55lbs since last May (been in maintenance since this February )

    That's my midsection in my av
  • paulmaryadam
    paulmaryadam Posts: 1 Member
    Hello - I was recommended to this site by my physician. I am in the same boat with gaining weight - menopause and an underactive thyroid. I would love to have a group of women that I could chat with on a daily basis to keep me motivated...am I in the right place? I just turned 50 and would like to loose 20 pounds...
  • loconnor466
    loconnor466 Posts: 215 Member
    edited October 2015
    Hi there, another Lisa and 49 years old. I have lost 50 pounds since joining here. I have another 15-20 I would like to lose, but it will be a slow process. I have not entered into menopause yet, but have had different issues that I believe are peri-menopause. A lot of it is hormone based and every woman is different.
    I do believe a woman's body changes and it is a bit harder to lose. I have been overweight most of my life and have always had more than "10 pounds to lose" Quitting smoking at 47 only added another 20 pounds.

    I believe my success this time around is heavy lifting. It has changed my body and my mind in so many ways. I cannot recommend it enough. I always hated cardio, even if it was disguised as dancing, zumba, jazzercise, whatever. Never saw the amazing changes that I have seen with lifting. Then again, I could never stick with cardio. I will never have the abs of rabbitjb, but that is OK, I never had them in my life before anyways.
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    loconnor466 wrote: »
    Hi there, another Lisa and 49 years old. I have lost 50 pounds since joining here. I have another 15-20 I would like to lose, but it will be a slow process. I have not entered into menopause yet, but have had different issues that I believe are peri-menopause.
    I do believe a woman's body changes and it is a bit harder to lose. I have been overweight most of my life and have always had more than "10 pounds to lose" Quitting smoking at 47 only added another 20 pounds.

    I believe my success this time around is heavy lifting. It has changed my body and my mind in so many ways. I cannot recommend it enough. I always hated cardio, even if it was disguised as dancing, zumba, jazzercise, whatever. Never saw the amazing changes that I have seen with lifting. Then again, I could never stick with cardio. I will never have the abs of rabbitjb, but that is OK, I never had them in my life before anyways.

    You might be surprised what happens when you drop enough bf to see the results of all that lifting :)

    I know I was
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    Alright ladies, I'm inspired! Thanks for the push!
  • Sued0nim
    Sued0nim Posts: 17,456 Member
    LZMiner wrote: »
    Alright ladies, I'm inspired! Thanks for the push!

    Yay


    it all comes down to calorie intake for fat loss so don't forget your calorie counting
    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

    Walk more to get your basic activity level up

    This is a decent read: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/10/26/how-to-not-suck-at-working-out/

    Get a programme
    Books
    Strong Curves
    New Rules of Lifting for Women

    Structured online programmes
    http://stronglifts.com/5x5/
    https://www.muscleandstrength.com/workouts/jason-blaha-ice-cream-fitness-5x5-novice-workout
    http://www.muscleandfitness.com/workouts/workout-routines/4-week-guide-starting-strength


    Why?
    wxy1lxqvbhdn.jpg

    Also see Staci
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/07/21/meet-staci-your-new-powerlifting-super-hero/

    If you can't bring yourself to do free weights yet then do a decent bodyweight programme
    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

  • farfromthetree
    farfromthetree Posts: 982 Member
    I started MFP at age 47. I am now 50 and lost 40+ lbs. I have regained about 5 and am working on dropping them again.
    Logging and counting my calories and weight fluctuations has shown me how much damage just a couple hundred extra calories/day can cause. It is more difficult as we get older but like someone above said, it's a lifestyle choice.
    Excercise helps tremendously, but only in conjunction with diet.(For me)
    Since I only eat around 1500 calories/day, I try to fill my day with lean meats, veggies, healthy fats and whole grains. Most important I try and reach my protein goal for the day.
    I have grown to love my diet, and no longer miss the junk food. If I really want chips, candy, I have it but fit it into my day.
    If I have a really bad night (which is rare anymore) I very quickly realize why I dont eat like that anymore! :s
  • Abby2205
    Abby2205 Posts: 253 Member
    I'm 47 and I've lost 20 pounds. I knew that my weight was slowly creeping up as I got older but I was never overweight so I told myself I didn't care: "I'm a middle aged mom, this is what it looks like." "I'm still in the healthy BMI range." But I had summer shorts that were too small and I just decided that I was not going to buy larger sizes without at least trying to lose 10 pounds.
    First I cut way back on fast food--I was buying my lunch almost every weekday, and the value meals and sandwiches with chips really add up. Then I got a pedometer and later a fitness tracker and focused on doing more walking because I figured it was good for me. Then I started tracking my calories so I could really understand what I was eating. 10 months later, I'd lost 20 pounds.
    Over the long term, my average rate of loss agreed with the calorie deficit I set up in MFP. Short term, I'd often go three weeks at a time with no loss (my scale only reads to the nearest full pound).
  • Kira_72
    Kira_72 Posts: 11 Member
    Age is a factor. I'm having trouble too. I'm 44...yay! Weight is creeping up a bit, and for no apparent reason. I'm trying Estroven. ?? Anyone else try it? Doing elpitical and walking plus pilates DVD about 3x a week.
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