Weight loss after menopause

Options
135

Replies

  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,406 Member
    Options
    bwilk18 wrote: »
    Well here's a three month update, I'm down 16 pounds, wow!!! It's coming off faster than it did four years ago when I was premenopausal so so much for that myth. I contribute a great deal of success to MFP and my new Fit bit which I started using two months ago, it really helps you keep control over your total calories in vs out!! I've lost over 10 pounds since I started using it 8 weeks ago (4.4 pound weight loss this past week - woo hoo!!)

    Yay, you! This is fabulous. I'm glad you found some good results - the new-fashioned way, I guess you'd say, by applying the technology in the best ways. Nice work!

    I'm glad you came back to this thread to report your success.
  • dsmith1358
    dsmith1358 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    Is this thread still active? I'm wondering how other women are doing on mfp with their post menopausal weight gain? Are there women who have been experiencing success with their weight loss? I am starting again but wonder if it's worth the work? Will I be successful using mfp?
    Thanks for your feedback.
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,464 Member
    Options
    5 days is not an as curate time frame to judge on. You need 2-4 weeks. I'm 61 and have lost 140 lbs in past 2 years. It requires dedication, well managed eating, & consistency.
  • eileen0515
    eileen0515 Posts: 408 Member
    Options
    Losing weight in menopause is no different than at other life stages. I some ways easier, especially if kids have flown the coop.

    I lost 70 pounds, through honest and accurate weighing of foods. I did minimize simple carbs, mainly they left me hungry fast! Protein and fiber are very satiating for me. I really minimized the shark infested waters of eating out, though I did not eliminate it. You may have to play with your daily calorie target to find the sweet spot of satiety and steady weight loss.

    Something that was helpful to me was never having a weight loss goal over 5 pounds, I just reached it many times for the final count of 70 total. Reaching goal can really be a mental boost. In addition I never left home without food that fit my goals. Don't let yourself get super hungry, it can lead to bad choices. Drive through food for example.

    Good luck, not to sound harsh but menopause is not a legitimate excuse.
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    dsmith1358 wrote: »
    Is this thread still active? I'm wondering how other women are doing on mfp with their post menopausal weight gain? Are there women who have been experiencing success with their weight loss? I am starting again but wonder if it's worth the work? Will I be successful using mfp?
    Thanks for your feedback.

    I'm 57 and have lost nearly 70 pounds since September 2015. I gained about 50 pounds of my weight while going through menopause in the early part of 2009. I started MFP in October and started Fitbit in November so I'd know my activity level. I lost at a 2 lb/week rate and have now slowed to 1 lb/week. I still have about 30 pounds to a healthy BMI but have made it from morbid obesity to overweight just through CICO (calories in/calories out) with the help of MFP. I'm now working on toning up my muscles so I'll have less saggy skin through swimming, canoeing, and lifting heavy things. I don't have a gym membership because I live out in the country so I find ways to naturally stay active. I'm hoping to find a gym to work out at 2-3 days a week in the near future.

    In the past I never weighed food or counted calories. I also got sick whenever I started eating less. I make sure to take a 50+ women's multivitamin so I'll get the extra nutrients and vitamin C that my diet sometimes lacks. Whether you're successful will depend on how well you measure your food and drink, log everything accurately, and know how many calories you're burning. Read the MFP posts on how to weigh, measure, and log food. I know one thing, it was TOTALLY worth it! :)
  • WendyLaubach
    WendyLaubach Posts: 518 Member
    Options
    I'm several years post-menopausal at age 59, and have lost 67 lbs. in six months. A calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. I need fewer calories than I did 30 years ago, but the point is to find out how many I need and eat fewer than that, whatever "that" is. It's like having a car that gets good gas mileage: you don't pour extra gas in the tank just because the car you drove 10 years ago needed more gas.
  • maxit
    maxit Posts: 880 Member
    Options
    WendyLaubach wrote: »
    I'm several years post-menopausal at age 59, and have lost 67 lbs. in six months. A calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. I need fewer calories than I did 30 years ago, but the point is to find out how many I need and eat fewer than that, whatever "that" is. It's like having a car that gets good gas mileage: you don't pour extra gas in the tank just because the car you drove 10 years ago needed more gas.

    Post menopausal for 20 years, in good health - and I miss the "extra gas" lol - sometimes it feels quite cruel to have such a low maintenance number - if I walk outdoors 4-5 miles a day and lift 2-3 times a week, I MIGHT be able to get away with eating 1750 and maintain, at 5'6" & age 65, according to a year's worth of CI-CO data. I weigh food using grams and track calories-out using fitbit One.
  • must_deflate
    must_deflate Posts: 183 Member
    Options
    maxit wrote: »
    Post menopausal for 20 years, in good health - and I miss the "extra gas" lol - sometimes it feels quite cruel to have such a low maintenance number - if I walk outdoors 4-5 miles a day and lift 2-3 times a week, I MIGHT be able to get away with eating 1750 and maintain, at 5'6" & age 65, according to a year's worth of CI-CO data. I weigh food using grams and track calories-out using fitbit One.

    Yeah I get it-- the low maintenance number is really hard to maintain. I'm 5'2" and 56. Currently 130 lbs and I need to get down to 110 or 115. Even with exercising I tend to bloat up if I go over maybe 1500 calories per day. (and 110 lbs is not unrealistic because I spent most of my 20's and 30's around 100 to 105 lbs and I ate pretty much anything I wanted, within reason.)
  • ahoy_m8
    ahoy_m8 Posts: 3,053 Member
    Options
    WendyLaubach wrote: »
    I'm several years post-menopausal at age 59, and have lost 67 lbs. in six months. A calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. I need fewer calories than I did 30 years ago, but the point is to find out how many I need and eat fewer than that, whatever "that" is. It's like having a car that gets good gas mileage: you don't pour extra gas in the tank just because the car you drove 10 years ago needed more gas.


    Great post!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 32,406 Member
    Options
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    I'm 59, 5'5", SW 183, CW 144, GW 130 (ish, decide when I get closer). In a typical day I get 300-400 calories of exercise. Currently eating 1400 net (inching it up to slow the loss, wanting more like 0.5 pounds/week).

    Quoting myself (bad form, I know) to give an update: That was September 2015. Now it's May, 2016, and I'm now 60 years old. Now, as then, I'm menopausal, and long-term hypothyroid (controlled with meds) as well.

    I gradually increased my calorie goal from the 1400 (net) cited above as I got closer to goal . . . and adjusted my goal downward a couple of times, as I learned how I felt at the lowering weights.

    For the last 3 months or so, I've been working on maintaining at 120 pounds, plus or minus 3. My net calorie goal is set at 1800, but I think my actual maintenance calories may be more like 2100-2200 net. I keep my daily eating down a bit, but allow for some higher days, and try to keep my weekly average calories per day in the range where I think maintenance is. Still getting 200-some to 500 or more calories of exercise many days of the week, and eating back the exercise calories, too.

    I know I'm on the (very, very) lucky side as far as my calorie level, but am admitting it in public so that folks realize the "low calories in menopause" thing is not a universal. With accurate logging, you can work out the arithmetic, and figure out where you need to set your goal to gain, lose or maintain. The calculators are just an estimate, and could be off in either direction.
  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
    Options
    bwilk18 wrote: »
    Hello! I need some help. I just started tracking and working out regularly at age 57 after a year's hiatus and not having weighed in for 8 months. I had quite a shock that I had put on 11 pounds. So I started to work out almost every day alternating cardio and resistance exercises and staying under my calorie quota and was much surprised that after 5 days I haven't even lost .1 pounds. I knew it would be slower after menopause, I just didn't think it would be impossible, any thoughts? Suggestions?

  • ljashley1952
    ljashley1952 Posts: 273 Member
    Options
    I can relate. I'M 63 and losing is very slow. I finally let go of the thought that I could do this like I did when I was 30. My new feeling is, I don't care how long it takes. As long as I am not seeing a gain I can be patient. One good thing is that there is much less fluctuations due to hormonal changes, water weight...etc. Drinking lemon squeezed into water acts as a diuretic, so that helps. I figure if it takes years to lose 25 pounds, oh well. It took years to pack it on.
  • dsmith1358
    dsmith1358 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    Thank you for your advice and no, you don't sound harsh. I need real people with real life advice. Thank you for your honesty.
    eileen0515 wrote: »
    Losing weight in menopause is no different than at other life stages. I some ways easier, especially if kids have flown the coop.

    I lost 70 pounds, through honest and accurate weighing of foods. I did minimize simple carbs, mainly they left me hungry fast! Protein and fiber are very satiating for me. I really minimized the shark infested waters of eating out, though I did not eliminate it. You may have to play with your daily calorie target to find the sweet spot of satiety and steady weight loss.

    Something that was helpful to me was never having a weight loss goal over 5 pounds, I just reached it many times for the final count of 70 total. Reaching goal can really be a mental boost. In addition I never left home without food that fit my goals. Don't let yourself get super hungry, it can lead to bad choices. Drive through food for example.

    Good luck, not to sound harsh but menopause is not a legitimate excuse.

  • dsmith1358
    dsmith1358 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    Thank you, Wendy for your help and advice. I often feel overwhelmed by eating less than I did when I was younger and watching my weight - that's how I ended up being overweight. I think I'm ready to try to eat a bit less if I can lose weight. Seeing women post menopause who've had success is inspirational. Thank you.
    WendyLaubach wrote: »
    I'm several years post-menopausal at age 59, and have lost 67 lbs. in six months. A calorie deficit is a calorie deficit. I need fewer calories than I did 30 years ago, but the point is to find out how many I need and eat fewer than that, whatever "that" is. It's like having a car that gets good gas mileage: you don't pour extra gas in the tank just because the car you drove 10 years ago needed more gas.
  • dsmith1358
    dsmith1358 Posts: 7 Member
    Options
    What is a maintenance number? Is it the number of calories permitted a day?
    must_def late wrote: »
    maxit wrote: »
    Post menopausal for 20 years, in good health - and I miss the "extra gas" lol - sometimes it feels quite cruel to have such a low maintenance number - if I walk outdoors 4-5 miles a day and lift 2-3 times a week, I MIGHT be able to get away with eating 1750 and maintain, at 5'6" & age 65, according to a year's worth of CI-CO data. I weigh food using grams and track calories-out using fitbit One.

    Yeah I get it-- the low maintenance number is really hard to maintain. I'm 5'2" and 56. Currently 130 lbs and I need to get down to 110 or 115. Even with exercising I tend to bloat up if I go over maybe 1500 calories per day. (and 110 lbs is not unrealistic because I spent most of my 20's and 30's around 100 to 105 lbs and I ate pretty much anything I wanted, within reason.)
  • CaptainJoy
    CaptainJoy Posts: 257 Member
    Options
    dsmith1358 wrote: »
    What is a maintenance number?

    To get your maintenance number you need to find out how many calories you use in a day. There are averages based on age, sex and weight but fitness monitors like a Fitbit with a heart rate monitor usually give better results.

    I am 57 and I typically burn 1400 calories each day without exercise. If I eat more than that amount I gain weight. If I eat that amount I maintain my weight (aka maintenance). If I eat less I lose weight.
  • Pam_1965
    Pam_1965 Posts: 137 Member
    Options
    I am 50 and went through menopause 3 years ago. Early, I know. I lost 70 pounds doing Nutrisystem right at the beginning of my menopause - only had one period during that year. Some of the weight crept back on, and I have now lost 30 pounds (down more than I was with my initial loss) since January doing CICO. I started walking 3 miles every night in February, moved to a 5.5 mile loop at a hilly golf course at the end of March and can now almost jog the whole thing. Menopause has had no effect on me whatsoever. I have this theory that menopause effects a woman as much as her period did, because I never had monthly symptoms. My periods were always regular and I had no PMS. Count me as a lucky one!
  • annna777
    annna777 Posts: 8 Member
    Options
    I have been in menopause mode for over three years, joined gym three years ago and with hard work and dedication I was able to lose 45 pounds and maintaining going on two years. I worked hard by attending 1 hour spin classes 6 days a week, ate 1,245 calories a day, weighed and logged all my food intake, cut out processed and eating out foods, I eat what I want that's prepared at home. I surprised myself because I always said I did not eat much, once I started logging foods, oh yes I did eat about 1,000 extra calories a day. Calories that consisted of 300 for a slice of cake, 200 or more on a soda, 200 or more on chips, 200 or 300 on a candy bar. Until we weigh, measure, and log everything that we eat that's when we will see what we are actually eating. I always said I didn't each much and hear it all the time, the true test is logging it in. I was amazed and totally surprised the weight came off within a year. It is possible and I was not going to let menopause stop me. I still eat clean, measure food with weekly meal preparations, and work out 1 hour of cardio 5 times a week to maintain. I wish you all well, you can do it
  • kimdawnhayden
    kimdawnhayden Posts: 298 Member
    Options
    At what age did everyone hit menopause? I'm 45 and wondering. I've had a few symptoms and my doctor said no your'e too young.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    Options
    kimdawnhayden wrote: »
    At what age did everyone hit menopause? I'm 45 and wondering. I've had a few symptoms and my doctor said no your'e too young.

    I have the mirena IUD, and haven't gotten a period in awhile (I can tell because when I get one, I get a migraine. So even if no bleeding, I can mark the cycle). I asked the GYN if I was past the menopause and she laughed at me! I'm 48, she thinks five more years or so, I think mid 50s is average, but ladies can have symptoms quite a few years earlier, and if you are Latina 45 isn't unusual. It's only called "premature" if you are younger than 40. Exercise reduces the symptoms, if you are having hot flashes and stuff.

    My mom did hrt so I don't have a real estimate, she got periods into her 60s but that was the drugs. She did gain weight after menopause, mostly in her hips and boobs though! I am not expecting that. She remains slim to average, started out slender like me and like her mom before her, and her mom got skinnier when old, that's so much worse than gaining weight. She broke bones all the time, was light like a bird and frail frail, maybe 5'5" after height loss (started 5'9") but under 100lb. My mom went from 5'4" and 110 to 5'3" and around 135-140 now at 77 years, but carries it well and is healthy, walks miles and miles each day, eats healthy mostly. Does have osteoporosis, but has not broken anything.

    So basically, no, you are not too young to be having symptoms of menopause, but if you have symptoms now you may have them for awhile.

Categories