belly fat since menopause
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A very interesting board. Have enjoyed reading all the comments. All the advice and information points to a nutrition dense, plant based diet. My goal for this week is to try to stay within the 1200 calorie daily intake by avoiding mindless snacking. I am 55 and menopausal. Will post if my diet has any effect on the hot flashes!0
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Please do not blame age and menopause for weigh gain.
Barring untreated medical conditions, and the occasional treated, weight loss is the same no matter what your age- CICO.
Fat gets redistributed during menopause due to the changes in estrogen levels. Unfortunately it tends to migrate to the waistline.
However, just like people younger, you can lose the weight by eating at a deficit, keep your cardiovascular system healthy by doing cardio, good calorie burner too, and help retain muscle, and bone density by doing resistance training.
Your BMI is dropping at the same rate as it has since your 20's. depending on your size, this is about 100 calories per decade.
Part of this is a natural slowing of the metabolism, but the majority of it is; as we age we inadvertently slow down. We are not as active, this means our LBM decreases and we need less calories.
I gained weight as I neared menopause, nothing to do with menopause though- I bought a car. This made me less active than I had been for decades.
Replacing my pre-car natural activity, riding my bike or walking everywhere, with purposeful exercise, got my activity level up to where it had been, and my fitness level is even better.
My BMR is pretty good for my age and size too.
A year calorie counting got the excess pounds off.
Now, 6 years later, and 62yo, I have kept the weight off, easily, and by continuing to exercise have a better fitness level than I have in my life. I started a progressive weight lifting programme on Friday.
Age and/or menopause is not a hinderance to to weight loss.
Hormone shifts, we have had then for decades, can be challenging. But just like the mood and food cravings during our periods, we just have to acknowledge them, and work around them.
It is moving less, and eating more calories than we burn that are the hinderance- just as they always are no matter our age.
Cheers, h.
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I'm with @middlehatch. Belly fat is due to not moving and eating too much, not to menopause. If you are relatively healthy, you can lose weight and keep it off by getting off the couch and shutting the refrigerator. Everyone's metabolism shifts as we age, and ascribing a fault to one occurance is an excuse. We are aging as soon as we are born.
I am 68. I lost 34 lb over three years ago, increased my activity level and had no trouble losing the weight gradually, over a year, and keeping it off easily by maintaining an active lifestyle. The reason people gain weight is due to inactivity and overeating (again, I am not addressing anyone with a serious, chronic condition).
This country is in a health crisis becis 90% of people are sedentary and eat too much, not because of menopause.
Enjoy.0 -
I like the idea of making small changes. Weight loss can be overwhelming when trying to make many changes over a short period of time. I know that cico is important. I get that. But sometimes....it may be helpful to think of one thing you can change to help you achieve your goal. Master that change and then go on to the next.
This week, I am going to start walking up and down the stairs during my break at work!0 -
I was gone this weekend with my mom and sisters. It was a great time! My 2nd week challenge I will not have any food or caloric drinks, just water after 7:30 pm ( I get home at 6:30pm). I will be continuing my 64 oz of water.
You do realize that this is completely unnecessary for weight loss?
I tried the "no eating after X hour" and several other rules & restrictions, and as I mentioned earlier, I could not sustain them. By all means, you're free to embark down whatever path you'd like, but the calorie deficit is all that matters in the end.
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The belly does go. Sometimes it is the last thing to go, but it does eventually go.
Due to health issues, I have been in menopause since my mid thirties.0 -
galprincess wrote: »I'm not at menopause age but I gained weight due to ivf pregnancy etc and belly fat is stubborn, feel free to add me you can lose it.
I'm interested in learning how to lose belly fat also...Any suggestions?
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mochapierre wrote: »galprincess wrote: »I'm not at menopause age but I gained weight due to ivf pregnancy etc and belly fat is stubborn, feel free to add me you can lose it.
I'm interested in learning how to lose belly fat also...Any suggestions?
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1161603/so-you-want-a-nice-stomach/p10 -
middlehaitch wrote: »Please do not blame age and menopause for weigh gain.
Barring untreated medical conditions, and the occasional treated, weight loss is the same no matter what your age- CICO.
(. . . good stuff snipped . . . .)
Age and/or menopause is not a hinderance to to weight loss.
Hormone shifts, we have had then for decades, can be challenging. But just like the mood and food cravings during our periods, we just have to acknowledge them, and work around them.
It is moving less, and eating more calories than we burn that are the hinderance- just as they always are no matter our age.
Ohso +1.
Another data point: I'm 60; have been in menopause for 15 years (it was chemotherapy-induced); took estrogen agonists (Tamoxifen, Arimidex) which have a reputation for increasing weight, for 7.5 years; and am hypothyroid. In other words, several of the "can't lose weight" (supposedly) bugaboos are true for me.
But since 4/17/2015, I've lost 54 pounds purely CICO, going from 183 pounds (obese) to 129 pounds (mid-normal BMI), at 5'5" tall (5'6" before osteopenia
). I've been active for a dozen years, and haven't upped my activity level (much) to lose - pretty much continued my existing activities except for maybe adding a couple of bike rides a week when I couldn't row (which I do 4-6 times/week, weather permitting, in season) - not a huge change for me. I even had gall bladder surgery with the attendant activity restrictions in June.
What I have done is track calories meticulously, experiment with the timing & composition of meals & snacks to maximize my satiation, and keep my net calories at a level to lose about 2 pounds/week initially, then 1lb/week (when I only had 15ish pounds to goal), and now 0.5lb/week approximately since goal is within about 5 pounds.
No meal timing tricks, no calorie cycling, no carb cycling, no cleanses, no weight-loss supplements, no low-carb/low-fat kind of manipulation . . . just eating the food I found kept me satisfied & nourished on the schedule my body told me it wanted.
Midsection fat was one of the first things I gained (back in the 1970s/1980s, waaaay before menopause), and true to form, it's being one of the last to leave . . . but it *is* leaving. Waist measurement is down 9.5" since I started losing.
You can do this at any age, IMO. I think, in some ways, it could even be *easier* now than when I was young: I understand myself a lot better, so I'm better at keeping myself on course to achieve a goal.0 -
I hear what everyone is saying. By drinking water curbs my appetite and not eating after 7:30p will definately will reduce my calorie intake!0
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It's not menopause ladies. It's calling too many calories in not enough calories burned. Simple.0
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mochapierre wrote: »galprincess wrote: »I'm not at menopause age but I gained weight due to ivf pregnancy etc and belly fat is stubborn, feel free to add me you can lose it.
I'm interested in learning how to lose belly fat also...Any suggestions?
eat in a calorie deficit, hit macros, and get on a structured lifting program.0 -
Hello I have plenty of clean eating recipes, for delicious healthy meals that will fill you up too, feel free to message me0
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CharleyxDRopdead wrote: »Hello I have plenty of clean eating recipes, for delicious healthy meals that will fill you up too, feel free to message me
Saying to message you is suspicious on the boards because it looks like you are trying to sell something in secret. I highly suggest that if you want to share the recipes start a thread in the recipe section with your recipes in it. Then you can link that thread in other threads and you won't get treated like a salesman.0 -
Week 1 challenge-drink 64 oz of water-doing well with that.
Week 2- no eating after 7:30p- this was hard, but am doing it.
My week 3 challenge is to at least exercise 4 times a week. This one will be harder than my last 2, but am determined!0 -
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CharleyxDRopdead wrote: »Hello I have plenty of clean eating recipes, for delicious healthy meals that will fill you up too, feel free to message me
Saying to message you is suspicious on the boards because it looks like you are trying to sell something in secret. I highly suggest that if you want to share the recipes start a thread in the recipe section with your recipes in it. Then you can link that thread in other threads and you won't get treated like a salesman.
From a 28 year old on a menopause thread.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »
From a 28 year old on a menopause thread.
I'm not sure what age has to do with helping someone in their weight loss goals. I began having menopause symptoms at 26.
To the original poster, good for you for making small changes. Be sure that the changes you make are ones that you can sustain and are necessary for your future goals. If you make changes that aren't required for weight loss and are hard for you to maintain, you may end up failing and then giving up.
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »CharleyxDRopdead wrote: »Hello I have plenty of clean eating recipes, for delicious healthy meals that will fill you up too, feel free to message me
Saying to message you is suspicious on the boards because it looks like you are trying to sell something in secret. I highly suggest that if you want to share the recipes start a thread in the recipe section with your recipes in it. Then you can link that thread in other threads and you won't get treated like a salesman.
From a 28 year old on a menopause thread.
Well, a man contributed too.
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Any suggestions regarding healthy "chocolate" snacks. It's my worst downfall!0
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