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Pre Menopause and Menopause struggles
Wotan48
Posts: 36 Member
Hi! Turning 45 and learned that menopause decided to settle in and make itself at home
I have about 80 lbs to lose and it seems nearly impossible. Looking for support, people to exchange ideas with and any one who needs or wants to give motivation.
I have about 80 lbs to lose and it seems nearly impossible. Looking for support, people to exchange ideas with and any one who needs or wants to give motivation.
6
Replies
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I'm 51 An been going thru menopause for almost 10 yrs now but I think I'm about thru it all but its been tough for sure..I need to lose 150 lbs an it's very hard.. I have no willpower at all so I'm struggling..just wanted u to know your not alone here.. good luck2
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I don't know where I am on the menopause journey, but I'm 46 and have 69 pounds to lose. I feel you on the whole, it feels like nothing's happening front. Part of the issue was I wasn't eating enough; that's how I ended up here at MFP, at the suggestion of my trainer.1
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I am a 54 year old that is also going through menopause and need to lose 30 more pounds. I lost 30 in the last year. I wish someone out there (trainer) would come up with a workout plan for middle aged women going through menopause. MEN don't have a clue.
Not as easy as it use to be. Keep up the hard work! YOU can do it!! Good Luck!3 -
I'm 48 and I think I'm going through menopause? I kinda don't even know what that means. No period for 8 months. Lately it seems the waist line is growing with out a reason. This sucks...2
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I got kicked into menopause early (49) after having uterine fibroids treated (with uterine artery embolism). I was also in a very high-stress situation from about 50-55 (toxic relationship with an alcoholic). I have finally come out of the end of the tunnel on both, and here is what I've got in terms of hints and support. First, evaluate the amount of stress in your life and do what you can to reduce it. My take-home from my experience is that 1) cortisol is a killer, and creates inflammation on every level that makes it very difficult to lose weight or stay motivated enough to stay on track. 2) Maybe the best/easiest (no special equipment required) way to reduce cortisol is to GET MORE SLEEP. 3) Go easy on yourself in terms of what you "should" be able to get done (including losing pounds). Nothing is the same any more, so really, you have no idea of what you "should" be able to do. You need to figure it out for yourself day by day. Check in with yourself frequently, by whatever means you do it (diary, video blog, meditation, whatever). 4) Movement (give yourself a break and quit calling it "exercise") is VERY important. Get out and do some movement every day you can, even if it's just a walk around the block in the morning. In fact, that is a great way to start your day in a non-stressful way-- it's early, before things can start falling down all around you, it's quiet and cooler (in the summer). 5) practice gratitude for what you have and what you are gaining (even from menopause-- no more periods! ). In fact, spend that 20 minutes on your morning walk concentrating on what you have to be grateful-- that is a double stress reliever. 6) Don't focus on the weight and scale while you're in menopause, because it's a set-up for disappointment because it's biochemically difficult. There is so much hormonal stuff going on, and nothing works like it used to. You don't process food the same way, you don't react to life the same way. So focus on reducing stress and working on good habits which are good for you regardless of what you weigh. The good news (seems to be for me, anyway) that once you're through menopause, it becomes less impossible to lose weight. Still hard, but less impossible.
Basically, menopause means that many of the strategies and work-arounds we figured out in the first half of our lives no longer work, and we need to figure out new ones. View it as an opportunity to create new good habits for the second half of your life, because it is, and we need those good habits as we get older and have less brute energy to solve problems simply by hurling ourselves at them. Good luck!17 -
THANK YOU so much for that! I have no idea what's going on and don't know where to turn! I appreciate your words!!1
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1) take iron supplements if you need them - I had terrible problems when I was perimenopausal, got very anemic.
2) have your thyroid checked, thyroid meds can make a huge different in how easy it is to lose weight.
3) there's some evidence that heavy lifting is better than cardio for reversing metabolic syndrome and losing that waist
4) you can do this, I've lost 55 lbs in 6 months and I'm postmenopausal with one ovary removed8 -
conchita962 wrote: »THANK YOU so much for that! I have no idea what's going on and don't know where to turn! I appreciate your words!!
I keep wondering when the school nurse is going to come explain all of this like they did at puberty11 -
@02bridget I know right?!? I guess I need to get "Menopause for Dummies" !3
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conchita962 wrote: »THANK YOU so much for that! I have no idea what's going on and don't know where to turn! I appreciate your words!!
I keep wondering when the school nurse is going to come explain all of this like they did at puberty
So So So much this!!!1 -
I am 46 and in a menopausal hell, I have gone totally bat *kitten* crazy. yep.thats what my husband and kids will say. blame it all on that!, I am lucky to get 5 hours sleep a night. but the worst thing in the world for me is ANXIETY, I have never had it in my whole life, til now. I so KNOW how people feel that have this. ITS HORRIBLE.4
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Go easy on yourself in terms of what you "should" be able to get done (including losing pounds). Nothing is the same any more, so really, you have no idea of what you "should" be able to do. You need to figure it out for yourself day by day.
This is SOOOO worth repeating. I've been peri-menopause for the past year. Weightloss is SLOOOW and I often have to constantly adjust what I eat and how much based more on how I feel then my desire to lose weight. Case in point. for the last few weeks, I'm been dealing with some serious fatigue issues. Made it hard to workout consistently and when I'm not working out... I seem to have less will power to avoid over snacking. After looking through my reports, I realized my iron was running low... so I spent this week on a steak and egg diet. Not only to a feel better and more back to normal... I actually managed to drop a whole pound this week (my average since April has been closer to .2 to .5 lbs per week).
Over the past 3 months, I've only lost 5lbs. But I didn't let the frustration make me give up, rather I kept at it and I'm now 5lbs lighter for it.
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Only 41 and already peri menopause with periods getting longer and longer apart. Thyroid issues, cortisol problems, insomnia, fatigue, anxiety, etc. and of course, ridiculous weight gain- lots of belly fat.
Using this app is just one tool to lose weight. Hope we can encourage each other on this journey!3 -
I'm 48 and been thru menopause already and come out the other side. I take HRT so I don't have to deal with horrible hot flashes, insomnia, and the rest of the mess.1
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Hi all I'm technically menopausal because I had to have a full hysterectomy 6 months ago. I had no clue as to what to expect and still don't. Im 37 and have no idea what to do about the hot flashes and stuff I am experiencing let alone I have to lose 65 lbs. Idk how I'm gonna do it.0
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I hear you ladies! 46 and perimenopausal - have always been on the plump side but at this stage of my life the scales seem to be going up and up, not down and down!!! I'm not giving up though :-) Feel free to add me0
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What worked for me in menopause was walking. The only symptoms I had was maybe a couple hot flushes at night. But the misery was not there at all. I made sure that I exercised every day, walking really helped, cut back on processed food, sodium etc. Watching what you eat is really important.
I lost 24 lbs, felt good, guess what happened, became too comfortable. Now I am back and need to lose at least 30 lbs, its is a slow progress as I do not have a thyroid, but I am trying and plan to exercise every day.
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Forget to mention, check your Vitamin D, that is really important.1
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The biggest thing that helped me was stopping dairy - the hot flashes stopped.2
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hello all - i am 46, in menopause, hysterectomy 4 years ago. my normal weight is 125, i am 5'7".
my last pregnancy was just horrible, i was 42, baby had 2 chromosomal abnormalities and died in utero at 2nd trimester. had a D&E and then hysterectomy. my weight starting creeping up and i went from 125 to 200lbs.
i have spent the past year trying to lose it, i work-out with weight lifting and also do some cardio. gym 3 days/week. i was just diagnosed with autoimmune diseases (both thyroid and arthritis) and on meds for all of that. lost 25 lbs in past year, now down to 175. still wanting to hit my 125 goal, but my dr says IMPOSSIBLE> would love to prove him wrong! starting LCHF diet on monday. anyone want to friend request me, i am 2DUNNY
i live in houston.
:flowerforyou:3
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