Menopause

kathycam1014
kathycam1014 Posts: 1 Member
edited December 4 in Health and Weight Loss
I've been fit my whole life. I turned 50 last year and started to experience very easy weight gain. I haven't changed my diet much. I eat pretty clean. I cheat occasionally. I work out six days a week, yet the weight is continuing to pile on. Does anyone have any advice for how to take off weight during menopause?

Replies

  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    I went through surgical menopause 9 years ago at 49. For me, sticking to my calorie allowance (logging every day) is working well.
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    I'd like to follow this thread. I'm curious whether menopause will add new elements to the eat fewer calories than burned to lose weight, or eat just enough calories to burn to maintain weight (my lay understanding). As we age should we be eating less if the bodies are burning slower?

    Kathy had you been logging your food over the past year? It could be that what you say hasn't changed much in your diet or the occasional indulgences are contributing to your gain, what do you think?
  • judydj1220
    judydj1220 Posts: 79 Member
    edited October 2016
    Going through menopause sucks! But, there is light at the end of the tunnel! Because your body is going through changes, you may want to get your thyroid checked. In addition to what workinonit1956 mentioned, weigh and measure EVERYTHING! I was amazed of the difference between an actual serving size and what I thought was a serving size!

    Oh... and do a search on MFP on the subject. I know it has been addressed many times.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2016
    I have lost weight, maintained weight in spite of peri and menopause. Personally, its only a hindrance if you let it be. In fact, all my side effect and symptoms are almost nill because of weight loss and some dietary changes and I contribute most of this to exercise and keeping on with moving and being active..I strength train and have developed a good bit of muscle with helps with metabolism..

    Its only an excuse if you let it be..
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,575 Member
    Thyroid problems are more common after/during menopause so if you haven't already had that checked, I'd suggest doing so.

    Also, you may experience a LOT of water weight fluctuations. I once gained 7 lbs overnight! It was very difficult to tell if weight loss/gain was fat or water.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    I am 52 (almost 53). What I noticed, right around 50 when I could tell my periods were getting irregular, is that I was gaining weight at a much faster rate than I used to as well as not being able to *easily* get rid of it. It really all changed for me and was very noticeable.

    However, I have found that as long as I am very strict with my diet and am EXTREMELY serious about tracking, that I can lose weight. It used to be that I could lose quite well at 1700 calories. Now I had to go to 1200 calories and boy, that worked. Now, I could not stay at 1200 long term. So I've been hitting around 1300-1400 each day. I have lost 10 lbs in about 45 days (my goal was 10 lbs). It was a slow start but it's doing well now. So, I can still lose weight during meno but not at the calorie level that I used to be able to lose at.

    Also, my thyroid levels are good. I had my thyroid removed 20 years ago and have been well-regulated ever since. It is something you should check though.
  • robininfl
    robininfl Posts: 1,137 Member
    kathycam1014 wrote: »
    I've been fit my whole life. I turned 50 last year and started to experience very easy weight gain. I haven't changed my diet much. I eat pretty clean. I cheat occasionally. I work out six days a week, yet the weight is continuing to pile on. Does anyone have any advice for how to take off weight during menopause?

    Check thyroid as others have mentioned, menopause changes fat distribution (so, annoyingly, you may look fatter as more wants to stick to torso) but sudden change in metabolism seems odd.
  • RoxieDawn
    RoxieDawn Posts: 15,488 Member
    edited October 2016
    robininfl wrote: »
    kathycam1014 wrote: »
    I've been fit my whole life. I turned 50 last year and started to experience very easy weight gain. I haven't changed my diet much. I eat pretty clean. I cheat occasionally. I work out six days a week, yet the weight is continuing to pile on. Does anyone have any advice for how to take off weight during menopause?

    Check thyroid as others have mentioned, menopause changes fat distribution (so, annoyingly, you may look fatter as more wants to stick to torso) but sudden change in metabolism seems odd.

    fat redistribution can even happen among the fit people too.. OP do not link this to menopause alone. Also when we age, we can lose a wee bit of metabolism every 5 - 10 years due to normal aging process, but living in an active life style, controlled diet to maintain weight, add exercise (especially building additional muscle) and one can defy many things in the aging process.

    There are just things that happen when we age, cannot be the age 28 for life..
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    Great tips, one question perimenopause is about 4 years? Congrats on weight loss!
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    1chana23 wrote: »
    Great tips, one question perimenopause is about 4 years? Congrats on weight loss!

    Or 5 or 6 or 8 or 10 ... it's anyone's guess and varies from person to person. It may be like your mother, or one of your grandmothers, or an aunt or cousin ... or not!

    When I talked to my gynecologist after the surgery (a large polyp was removed from my uterus), he told me that based on the evidence he had found when he was in having a look around, I was well into perimenopause by that point. That was January 2015, and I have been experiencing increasingly worse symptoms since 2011.

    So I asked him when I might reach menopause (that's when you've gone 12 consecutive months without a period) and he told me that he couldn't say for sure because everyone is different, but he figured it would be at least 3 years from that point. <<Heavy Sigh>>

    Almost 2 years have passed since then with absolutely no sign at all of even missing one month, nevermind 12 of them. In fact, one of the "increasingly worse" symptoms I've been having for several years now is that I'm on my period at least half the month ... on for 12 days, off for 2, on for 5 days, off for 7, on for 14 days, off for 14 days (yay!), on for 6 days ... etc. etc. etc.

    If anything has had an effect on my weight loss, it's that. Makes exercising interesting ... especially swimming and other water sports. We moved to a beach community a couple years ago, but do you think I dare go into the ocean?

    And I can't use HRT ... hormone replacement therapy, so I have had to research and find natural remedies for many of the symptoms.

    But, despite the fact that so many things are out of control just now, I decided that one thing was within my control and that was my weight. I could at least do something about that!! :):)

    And thanks! :) It feels really good to be back to my high school weight again at my age! :grin: And to be as active as I am!
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    edited October 2016
    Wow thanks so much for sharing, this is helping me understand some things. It's very useful to hear your struggles, it sounds like you've been through quite a few of them! Being your high school weight is an amazing accomplishment!!
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    By the way do people get less hungry with menopause or perimenopause?
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    1chana23 wrote: »
    By the way do people get less hungry with menopause or perimenopause?

    I haven't. I am almost officially menopausal. I have made it 10 months without a period.

    One thing I have noticed is that now that I rarely get a period, I don't have those extreme cravings I would get right before my period would start. That was almost uncontrollable. Things are definitely more even keeled know without the period.
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    Hey that's great to know thanks for sharing! That should help with losing or maintaining weight (fewer cravings).
  • GYATagain
    GYATagain Posts: 141 Member
    Not to be a "debbie downer" -but, hate to tell you, post menopausal does not get any easier. Fact is, it gets harder and harder as we age. Now that I've poohed poohed on everyone, let me say this. I'll be 59 in another month, hypothyroid/hashimoto/post menopausal/desk job/ AND Short! hahahahaha and with all that life is GREAT!!! Yep, I have to be super vigilant about what I eat and getting daily exercise. Because even at 1200 calories I can gain weight! Yep that threw me for a loop for a while and I cried and bemoaned my fate and then I put my big (smaller now, thank you) panties on and got on with life! With diet changes, medication for thyroid, and plenty of exercise (I also work a full time job, of course) I LOVE my age! Lost 70+ in 2013 and it has been work to maintain - but worth it! No more hot flashes, no more periods, no more PMS (or perhaps that's just all the time now and I don't notice). My moods stay fairly even. So work at it, conquer this menopause thing, embrace it and life is good! My apologies to all of you still going through peri-menopause, hated that part! It lasted over 10 years for me. grrrrrrrrr
  • Catawampous
    Catawampous Posts: 447 Member
    It's all good. Officially in menopause now. Sure things have changed and I can't eat the way I use to but I'm losing fine and keep trying to keep my muscle in tact. When it's all said and done and financials are in a better state, I plan to really start a good weight lifting program! You'll do fine!
  • Vailara
    Vailara Posts: 2,472 Member
    I've been going through perimenopause for a few years ago, and I've noticed some changes over time. I lost my weight (60lb) a few years ago and maintained. But for the past year or so it has got a lot harder - maintaining is harder, and losing is harder. I had to change what I was going to maintain/lose quite dramatically.

    If anything, it seems it gets even harder after menopause, so I'm not looking forward to that! The only thing I'm looking forward to is some stability. At the moment it's all swings, mood swings, weight swings, appetite swings, etc.
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    I love this thread, lots of insights, thanks everyone for sharing!
  • Cbestinme
    Cbestinme Posts: 397 Member
    I think the word is bump to bring this to the top, clsmith hope you see this :)
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,687 Member
    There is also a group for this, although it isn't particularly active ...

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group
  • clsmith_1
    clsmith_1 Posts: 18 Member
    edited January 2017

    Hello ladies, I am in full blown menopause
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    clsmith, I am also in full blown menopause and had lost a good deal of weight over the past (almost) 2 months. I wasn't even very overweight to begin with. I have had some struggles over the past few years with weight loss and being in menopause but what it boiled down to was that I was not being strict on my tracking and was probably eating more than I should. Used to be I could lose on 1700 calories so when I tried it again, it didn't work.

    How many calories are you eating per day. What his your current weight/height, etc.
  • clsmith_1
    clsmith_1 Posts: 18 Member
    Cmnva, sorry for the late reply. My daily calories is 1200 sltbought I am usually under., I weight 186, I am 5' 7" or 8"... i am not sure what the issue is. The only thing I can think of is menopause has me stagnate. I am walking and exercising daily.
  • clsmith_1
    clsmith_1 Posts: 18 Member
    kathycam1014 wrote: »
    I've been fit my whole life. I turned 50 last year and started to experience very easy weight gain. I haven't changed my diet much. I eat pretty clean. I cheat occasionally. I work out six days a week, yet the weight is continuing to pile on. Does anyone have any advice for how to take off weight during menopause?

    Yes I do...
  • clsmith_1
    clsmith_1 Posts: 18 Member
    CMNVA wrote: »
    clsmith, I am also in full blown menopause and had lost a good deal of weight over the past (almost) 2 months. I wasn't even very overweight to begin with. I have had some struggles over the past few years with weight loss and being in menopause but what it boiled down to was that I was not being strict on my tracking and was probably eating more than I should. Used to be I could lose on 1700 calories so when I tried it again, it didn't work.

    How many calories are you eating per day. What his your current weight/height, etc.

    I am 49 turning 50 in March
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