Will being post-menapausal really make weight loss more difficult?

buxs981 · October 2016

Late 40's, post menopausal, and struggling much more this past year with weight loss! Suggestions?

healthygreek · October 2016

I'm 62 and as long as I'm in a deficit, I will lose. Use a food scale to weigh everything you eat.
I also workout for an hour a day cause I like to eat.

law102189 · October 2016

I turned 50 in June and am post menopausal as well. I've battled my weight for my entire life and have tried almost every fad there was. I lose, but gain it back. I really think MFP and Calories In/Calories Out is the magic bullet for me.

It is harder to lose weight as I get older as my metabolism has definitely slowed, so to lose weight, I have been at 1200 calories per day since February, when I joined MFP . I have lost 45 lbs so far, I'd like to go another 5 or 10. I'm 5'5" and am now 153-154 lbs, size 8 pants (down from 14/16). To compensate for the low calorie allotment, I take Spin classes 4 to 5 times a week. This way I can still enjoy extra food on the weekends and wine Friday and Saturday nights.

My advice is to be very strict with weighing and measuring your food, and log everything, especially at the beginning when you are in full rapid loss. Try to work in exercise and increase it as you can. Find an exercise program that you enjoy, otherwise you might find it is easy to talk yourself out of doing it. As time goes on, I started to get better at estimating my food portions, but probably am underestimating a bit because my loss has really slowed down. If you see your loss stalling or you start to gain, go back to strict measuring.

Don't forget this is a lifestyle change, not a diet, and it has to be sustainable. Eat what you want, as long as you stay within your calorie deficit goal. If you have a bad day or two, who cares? If you enjoyed it, great. Life is short. Ya gotta live a little. Then brush it off and get back to business.

I'm not an expert in macros, but I do try to keep heavier in protein, then good fats and carbs.

Good luck. Feel free to friend request me. Having support and encouragement is also very helpful.

workinonit1956 · October 2016

I'm 60 and losing nicely keeping at or slightly below my calorie goal.

middlehaitch · October 2016

It is no harder to lose.
Expect your calorie goal to be slightly lower than some one in their 20's unless you are incredibly active.

Many find their daily activity level has slowly dropped over the years and this can lead to a lower BMI.

The average lowering, depending on weight, height, and gender, is 50-100 cals per decade from the age of full maturity, early 20's.
So this has been happening a long time.
Adding in purposeful daily exercise, 30-60 min can help off set this and when entered into MFP will give you extra calories.
Moving more in your daily activities gives you no extra calories, but it does make it easier to lose even if you enter sedentary a certain amount of movement is expected- about 2500 steps min.

The other thing that can affect our BMI is the loss of muscle mass.

Again this is gradual over the decades, not a sudden menopausal event. As the saying goes- if you don't use it; you lose it. So some resistance work that is continuously challenging your muscles is a really good idea. Protein has been shown to be very important in muscle retention as we age, even with minimal exercise. .8-1g per pound of ideal body weight.

Hormone level changes can lead to more visceral fat (around the stomach) and less subcutaneous fat. Visceral fat can lead to a number of problems, as can the change in hormone levels. It is well wortha visit to your doctor and getting a check up to rule out problems like t2 diabetes, etc.

A reasonable calorie deficit, a bit of extra movement, a clean, or suitably treated, bill of health, and a woman in any stage of menopause should be able to lose weight.

Remember, CICO doesn't know how old you are- it works for everyone.

Cheers, h.
( I lost during menopause 54yo and have kept the weight off. Now 63)

LAWoman72 · October 2016

I'm only peri, not post, but my God it goes slower than it used to.

I decided, though, that slow or not, every pound means something and since the alternative is staying the same or even gaining, I'll accept "slow."

Sued0nim · October 2016

Move more

Pick up some heavy things and put them down again

Get rid of the perception that it's tougher or slower, it's not...you are just lazier...move more, build back some muscle and your natural calorie decline as you age (100 calories decrease per decade on average) will be reversed

I eat more at 49 than I did at 30 (without putting on weight) because I'm more active and have more muscle than I did. My TDEE is around 2400 on average, I used to put on weight as a sedentary, knackered, asthmatic, obese couch potato at 2000

RoxieDawn · October 2016

You can certainly lose weight inspite or peri or post. Its only an excuse if you let it be..

I lost weight, started moving more and lifting heavy things as stated above, my symptoms/side effects are less minuscule today than when I started this whole phase.

Pawsforme · October 2016

I'm 53 and hypothyroid and I lost 25 pounds from late last summer until this spring and I've had little trouble maintaining it (other than a small blip due to my thyroid issue).

Compared to when I lost weight when I was 25 it was much easier this time. Easier to control my appetite, easier to keep my eye on the long term goal (health) versus being over eager to see quick results on the scale, more time to devote to taking care of myself, etc.

My suggestions are to be patient with yourself, focus on health for the long term and (most importantly) be completely honest with yourself about how much you eat. Weigh and log everything. You only cheat and do a disservice to yourself if you don't.

kbmnurse · October 2016

Excuses. Try harder.

GottaBurnEmAll · October 2016

I've been overweight and sedentary my whole life.

I've become active, fit and thin since hitting menopause. I'll echo everything the wise women above me have said.

Move more. Pick up heavy things. Count calories. Profit.

I'm down 92 pounds, all after menopause.

jadefitnow · October 2016

I'm 59; was on my first "diet" at 9, have always had to watch my weight, and have always been very physically active. Through my forties I gained about 40 lbs (ironic, huh?) which I took off at 49 (premenopause), and have battled with about 10-15 lbs up and down for the past 5 years, since hitting menopause in my mid-50s.

I definitely have noticed a slowdown in my metabolism, which means there's less "margin of error" between loss, maintaining and gaining. If I'm not vigilant, I gain quickly and lose slowly.

More exercise time and more caution with calories definitely is necessary, but both of those are for the better anyway. I cross train- running, weight training and yoga (I'm a CYT) and find I feel better when I work out at least 1/2-1 hr a day at varying levels of intensity.

And the truth is: I'm kinder to myself now than I was at 30-40something; eat more healthfully, feel better and generally am more relaxed about taking care of myself. It's all about that- self-care, not size.

thanks for this thread, it was good to stop and think about this!

Julie

buxs981 · October 2016

Thank.you so much everyone for your thoughts, suggestions, feedback, and support!! Always in need of a little direction!! I've done the Weight Watchers, successfully before- late 30's-early 40's. Life happened, couldn't afford to do meetings or pay for a private trainer 2xs a week at the gym anymore. Life changes took over and I lost all control. I was always skinny growing up. By 25 I was still 120 lbs!! Ahhh, the good ole days!! 25-27 hit and I swear I heard my metabolism hit a brick wall!! By my 30's, at 5 ft 6 inch, I went up to my heaviest at 168. Felt so unhealthy!! No energy, always tired, acid reflux, and had no clothes that fit. That's when I joined WW. Was able to get down to 135lb, was working out 5xs a week, great healthy, almost obsessively, and could ting every little bite!! Met lifetime and kept off for over a yr. That's when life happened, and it's been a yoyo ever since! And not to mention- VERY early menopause!! You would have thought that I would have lost weight from the hot flashes alone!!! Yes, I absolutely agree that I am GREAT at making excuses!!! And I believe those excuses at that moment! I am glad that I have this forum to express myself! This is truly helpful!! Thank.you!! So, as I have gotten older and wiser, and maybe more realistic: overall goal- 150 lbs, move more, feel better, more energy, and just enjoy life more!!

Kira_72 · November 2016

this was inspiring! Thanks to all the ladies above!

Need2Exerc1se · November 2016

It made it tougher for me. I suspect the reasons are more mental than physical, but there's no denying that a body changes during menopause. I did lose the weight, but it was much harder than in the past. This is also the most weight I've ever had to lose. In the past I was usually losing only about 10 lbs, this time I let it get way out of hand had to lose 30.

I think exercise/activity played a bigger factor now than before. Mostly just because it helped keep my hormones balanced.

Will being post-menapausal really make weight loss more difficult?

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