Menopause weight gain ... struggling to lose it!!!

jeanninemtaylor
jeanninemtaylor Posts: 4 Member
edited February 2017 in Health and Weight Loss
Hi there I am a 48 year old woman who has already been through menopause over the past 4 years I have slowly put on 20 pounds ... it's been devasting as I have always been about 130-135. In the last 3 years I have taken up running and have participated in triathlons and been training alot...still I'm gaining weight. I'm just not sure what else to do!!! Anyone have any suggestions or pointers for me!!!

Replies

  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    You can lose it by following MFP. Plug in your stats, get your daily calorie goal, use a digital scale to weigh and measure all your food, and try to stay within your goal everyday. Consistency wins. You don't have alot to lose so you have to really watch your logging--it may be slow, be patient. Set your loss for 1 lb a week for now, and then you'll have to lower it to 1/2 lb a week as you get closer to goal. Plug in your exercise calories, but only eat back half. See how it goes for a month. Oh, and take your measurements. Keep a log weekly, or monthly. You'll be glad you did.
  • DeficitDuchess
    DeficitDuchess Posts: 3,099 Member
    I am going through, premature menopause at; 36 years old & also've Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). What's happening's that, your metabolism's lowered through the; natural aging process but you haven't decreased, your calorie consumption & thus, you're overeating. Exercise isn't for, weight riddance it's for; health & to earn or work off a treat that, you weren't otherwise able to; fit into your daily calories. Just know that, nothing negates; calories in/calories out (CI/CO). I myself've to, adjust my calories daily; just because my CFS 1 day'll render me bedridden, another housebound, etc. Obviously the day that I am bedridden I am unable to, consume the same amount of calories that; I do when I'm housebound because I'd be burning less calories!
  • suzesvelte
    suzesvelte Posts: 134 Member
    MFP can really help you to get "wise" about your actual calorie intake. Just logging accurately will show you where you can trim a few calories off your weekly intake to halt / reverse your weight gain. Using reliable data and weighing your food will help.

    I suggest you use the data that has a green tick by it to show that the figures are verified (there is some very random wiki-type data in there - best avoided) or scan the barcodes of things you buy to get the accurate calorie counts. Accurate scales to weigh your food are vital, esp for calorie dense things like oils/ butter / nuts etc - you can easily eat a Mars Bars's worth of nuts thinking you are being "healthy" but the calories are the same!

    AND plan. Plan to eat the way you usually do but with a few tweaks to reduce the calories. Personally I am eating a lot of eggs and prawns for the nutrients with low calories and reducing bread / rice etc and filling my plate with interesting veg recipes. It isn't that hard. If you drink alcohol you have a really easy way to reduce your calories right there. I always used to give up booze to get my weight down - tho now I dont drink at all I have to find oter tweaks. The closer your "programme" is to your normal patterns the easier it will be to stick to.

    Good luck
    x
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,592 Member
    edited February 2017
    Enter your information into MFP.
    Select Sedentary as your Activity Level.
    Select to lose 1 lb/week.

    Eat the number of calories MFP gives you.
    Stick with it.

    Log your calories realistically. I tend to choose the slow, light, or low choices even if I feel like I've had a really good, strenuous workout.

    When you exercise a little bit ... maybe an hour's jog or something ... eat half your calories back.
    When you exercise a moderate amount ... maybe a 50 km bicycle ride ... eat 75% of your calories back.
    When you exercise a lot ... like perhaps an ironman ... eat all your calories back.

    Browse your grocery stores and markets. Read labels. Expand your food choice options.

    Stick with it.
    I started here at 48 years old, well into perimenopause. I've been slender and active just about my whole life ... my sport is long distance cycling. But several health issues (starting with a bad case of DVT) and an unsettled life (several moves including a move from Canada to Australia + touring the world, partially by bicycle, for 8 months) took their toll ... and all of a sudden I was the heaviest I've ever been.

    For a little while I thought it was unlikely I'd lose it. Figured I was too old.

    And then ... I joined MFP, followed my advice above ... and I lost the weight. :)
  • jeanninemtaylor
    jeanninemtaylor Posts: 4 Member
    snowflake954 wrote: »
    You can lose it by following MFP. Plug in your stats, get your daily calorie goal, use a digital scale to weigh and measure all your food, and try to stay within your goal everyday. Consistency wins. You don't have alot to lose so you have to really watch your logging--it may be slow, be patient. Set your loss for 1 lb a week for now, and then you'll have to lower it to 1/2 lb a week as you get closer to goal. Plug in your exercise calories, but only eat back half. See how it goes for a month. Oh, and take your measurements. Keep a log weekly, or monthly. You'll be glad you did.

    That sounds promising but forgive my ignorance..what is MFP??
  • scrapbookingtm
    scrapbookingtm Posts: 1,916 Member
    :smiley: that is the site you are on..... My Fitness Pal
  • jeanninemtaylor
    jeanninemtaylor Posts: 4 Member
    I am happy to say that after one week of really watching my calories...trying to eat clean, cutting out all alcohol and drinking 3 green teas a day I am down 5 lbs...feeling awesome!!!
  • LZMiner
    LZMiner Posts: 300 Member
    Yahoo! I'd friend you if I knew how! Similar situation, except haven't hit menopause yet, except for a sluggish metabolism....lucky me! I'm also active, yoga and lots of walking. I've been eating clean and tracking....down 7 since Jan2...good luck achieving your goals!
  • snowflake954
    snowflake954 Posts: 8,399 Member
    Very good--keep going.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,162 Member
    Just a couple of side points for others who may be reading, since I'm happy to see your (OP's) weight trend is moving in the desired direction.

    The majority of the "natural" decline in daily average calorie requirements is due to (1) declines in muscle mass, and (2) reduced daily non-exercise activity levels.

    Both of those are things we can counter. There's ample evidence that people can add muscle at any age (strength-building exercise), and it's pretty obvious how to increase daily non-exercise activity.

    Furthermore, especially for women, the odds of becoming hypothyroid increase as we age. Make sure your doctor is considering that, if you have relevant symptoms. Unlike some assume, hypothyroidism won't necessarily cause dramatic, massive weight gain. For most, it's a small creep of increasing weight, and can include other subtle symptoms like morning stiffness. An easy blood test will confirm or rule this out.

    I'm 61, obviously post-menopausal, hypothyroid (controlled with meds) and have been able to get to a healthy body weight after decades of obesity. I'm betting others can do likewise.

    Best wishes for continued progress!

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