Menopause tips...
tammienichols316
Posts: 18 Member
Can anyone relate...eating recommended calories, measuring, etc. It is so hard to lose especially now that I am in menopause. I am sure I should watch carbs but not sure the percentage of each food group I should be eating to help get better results.
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Replies
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I am going through menopause and my doctor said that weight management shouldn't be affected, even though a lot of people say that in their experience it is. She did say to watch carbs, but that's really the only advice I got. I cut way back on simple carbs like bread and pasta ( I still eat carbs in the form of veggies, fruits, dairy etc) and I feel like it's helped since I am still trying to lose.
ETA - I don't think you HAVE to cut back on carbs. I can take them or leave them, so I leave them.3 -
Don't measure your food, weigh it, and log the amounts in grams, from correct (not "verified" or scanned) entries. Don'e leave anything out. Hit your calorie goal.
If you find it hard to stick to recommended intake, you can up your calorie goal and get a slower rate of loss.
You won't lose faster by reducing carbs unless that makes you eat fewer calories in total. MFP's default is fine.5 -
Peri menopause sufferer here, I have lost over 50lbs since Jan 2017 eating high carb/ low fat...I always like to buck the trend! Other than that I've just followed MFP guidance on calories.3
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If you are honest with your food intake, it is no harder in menopause.
I lost 70+ pounds by watching my calories here on this site five years past menopause. I lost at almost exactly the rate as the goal wizard told me I would. I've kept that weight off for ten years now. It's not difficult once you commit.
Don't use a normal body function as an excuse. It's still about calories in and calories out.9 -
Well, I am 51, almost 52. I am not quite in menopause yet--last period was in March, but I may be in a few months if another one doesn't happen. It's been scarce for the last 18 months--I thought I was done but that one caught me by surprise.
Anyway, surprisingly with MFP I have lost weight. I really didn't expect it to work but it did. I started June 29 and I have lost 17 lbs. to date. I have a lot to lose. Now 83 pounds. I didn't expect to lose anything but I realized once I started logging that I had been eating too much, coupled with getting no sleep and a stressful job for the last 6 years. (I gained about 60 lbs. in the last six years).
I had my goal set to 2 lb. per week, but changed it this week to 1 lb. because I had a stressful week and couldn't get the right meals in. I will keep in that way for another two weeks to keep the pressure off myself.
I do not weigh my food--I'm going based on measuring cups. Because I have a lot to lose I don't think it matters as much. If you have only a small amount to lose it is going to be slow no matter what. With the 2 lb./week goal, my intake was only supposed to be 1280 calories per day. I usually exercised so that I would eat at least 1500-1600. (I ate back all of my exercise calories IF I had planned well) I found it doable only if I could really plan well what I ate--and I could not waste anything on junk food or empty calories for 1280 a day. For me I ate all types of whole food, including carbs, but I don't eat diary. I did not watch macros on MFP, just made sure that I had some kind of protein at least in two meals a day. In the morning it was usually peanuts in an almond milk smoothie or an egg. Some kind of meat or fish for lunch and then maybe all carbs for dinner, but sometimes light fish/meat. I work in the evenings so I do not like to eat a huge meal after working out after work--get home from the workout at 10:30 pm and if I don't work out, 9:00 pm. It is easier to eat more vegetables with that low calorie goal and feel full.
How long have you been doing MFP? What are your calorie and loss goals?1 -
Your metabolism doesn't change just because you are in menopause, as you age, etc. People tend to gain weight when they get older because they become less active and they lose muscle mass. I started my weight loss journey in my mid-50's and it was actually much easier than when I was in my 20's/30's/40's.12
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Menopause doesn't necessarily make it harder to lose weight. One thing that may make a difference is some people develop thyroid issues in their 40s and 50s, which can make it harder to lose weight until you get your medications adjusted. If you are bleeding heavily you may also have issues with anemia, which can make it harder to be active. If you stay active or get more active, you may have fewer menopause symptoms, like hot flashes, and your metabolism will be higher. FWIW - I'm 60, hypothyroid and anemic, but I weigh what I weighed in high school. I also run 35-40 mpw. I had no problems with menopause - except that it took about 3 years to finish. I'd bleed one day a year, but I never knew when that day would be. At 52, as predicted by my doctor, I was done.2
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I'm 62 and weigh what I weighed in high school as well, with a little more sag and pudge around the middle. Just follow the program and weigh and log your food. You should lose weight like everyone else. Is it harder? It's always hard....3
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I lost my weight while going through menopause. Challenging doesn't mean impossible. It just takes patience.
Which mature women are good at.
And we know how to cook.
And don't fall for quick fix programs.12 -
Biggest tip I can offer is to not let menopause be an excuse. I'm 55 and reached goal in May. The way I chose to do it and how you do it doesnt matter. Calories do. Find the foods that keep you fullest the longest and weigh your food!3
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I put on 25+ lbs rapidly as soon as i went through menopause at 50. Still don't know why. But it came off easily following MFP calorie guidelines (I eat plant-based, so my carbs are high) when i was 53. As others have said, it's the calories that count, not how many carbs, etc, but the guidelines MFP sets for you are as good a way to balance your diet as any. I don't even log for carbs; I watch protein, calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin C and avoid *added* sugars, but that's not for weight loss.2
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You might find this thread interesting ...
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread#latest0 -
I am in menopause (53). Haven't had period for almost 2 years now. Losing weight is not any harder than it was when I was, say 48, and not in menopause. However, losing weight and the amount of food I can eat without gaining has definitely changed from my 20s and 30s. I chalk that up to muscle mass loss. Starting in your 30s, you slowly lose muscle mass if you aren't actively trying to increase it. When you start in peri- or full-blown menopause that rate of loss increased quite a bit. Less muscle actually does mean that you basal metabolic rate slows down. That rate is tied to your muscle stores. So it *seems* like menopause worsens weight loss. But it's really muscle loss which is normal for that age. Men have so much more than us and lose their mass at a slower rate, so they tend not have the same issues to the degree that women do. So it often gets blamed on menopause solely.3
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I put on 25+ lbs rapidly as soon as i went through menopause at 50. Still don't know why. But it came off easily following MFP calorie guidelines (I eat plant-based, so my carbs are high) when i was 53. As others have said, it's the calories that count, not how many carbs, etc, but the guidelines MFP sets for you are as good a way to balance your diet as any. I don't even log for carbs; I watch protein, calcium, iron, potassium, and vitamin C and avoid *added* sugars, but that's not for weight loss.
Thank you and so happy you have success! I eat really healthy and about 1100 calories. Stepped on the scale this morning and gained a pound. So I am down 1 pound in almost 1 month on MFP...discouraging.0 -
lucerorojo wrote: »Well, I am 51, almost 52. I am not quite in menopause yet--last period was in March, but I may be in a few months if another one doesn't happen. It's been scarce for the last 18 months--I thought I was done but that one caught me by surprise.
Anyway, surprisingly with MFP I have lost weight. I really didn't expect it to work but it did. I started June 29 and I have lost 17 lbs. to date. I have a lot to lose. Now 83 pounds. I didn't expect to lose anything but I realized once I started logging that I had been eating too much, coupled with getting no sleep and a stressful job for the last 6 years. (I gained about 60 lbs. in the last six years).
I had my goal set to 2 lb. per week, but changed it this week to 1 lb. because I had a stressful week and couldn't get the right meals in. I will keep in that way for another two weeks to keep the pressure off myself.
I do not weigh my food--I'm going based on measuring cups. Because I have a lot to lose I don't think it matters as much. If you have only a small amount to lose it is going to be slow no matter what. With the 2 lb./week goal, my intake was only supposed to be 1280 calories per day. I usually exercised so that I would eat at least 1500-1600. (I ate back all of my exercise calories IF I had planned well) I found it doable only if I could really plan well what I ate--and I could not waste anything on junk food or empty calories for 1280 a day. For me I ate all types of whole food, including carbs, but I don't eat diary. I did not watch macros on MFP, just made sure that I had some kind of protein at least in two meals a day. In the morning it was usually peanuts in an almond milk smoothie or an egg. Some kind of meat or fish for lunch and then maybe all carbs for dinner, but sometimes light fish/meat. I work in the evenings so I do not like to eat a huge meal after working out after work--get home from the workout at 10:30 pm and if I don't work out, 9:00 pm. It is easier to eat more vegetables with that low calorie goal and feel full.
How long have you been doing MFP? What are your calorie and loss goals?
I started MFP about 1 month ago. Set goal to lose 2 lbs a week....1200 cals. All but 1 day I haven eaten apprx 1100 cals. I eat very healthy and measure. My dr introduced me to MFP. She says I need intense cardio...she's a tri-athlete.0 -
kommodevaran wrote: »Don't measure your food, weigh it, and log the amounts in grams, from correct (not "verified" or scanned) entries. Don'e leave anything out. Hit your calorie goal.
If you find it hard to stick to recommended intake, you can up your calorie goal and get a slower rate of loss.
You won't lose faster by reducing carbs unless that makes you eat fewer calories in total. MFP's default is fine.
TY!0 -
Catawampous wrote: »Biggest tip I can offer is to not let menopause be an excuse. I'm 55 and reached goal in May. The way I chose to do it and how you do it doesnt matter. Calories do. Find the foods that keep you fullest the longest and weigh your food!
TY...I have no problem with hunger and measure so I know I am tracking correctly. Following MFP to the "t". Didn't have trouble losing-maintaining util I hit 40.0 -
How tall are you? MFP sets your goal at 1200 regardless of how much weight per week you want to lose. Also, how much are you trying to lose? If you are say 4'11" and 56 and only have 10 pounds to lose you might be already at your TDEE. That of course means your intake is accurate. Are you eating back all your exercise calories if any? Just some thoughts. The biggest thing I noticed about losing weight in menopause is that the night sweats STOPPED completely when I quit eating a lot of sugar esp in the evenings. It's a completely unpopular opinion here but I (shhhh) actually have been losing about 1 lb per week the past 15 weeks eating under 1200 cals. .... shhhh. Yes - I am short and old. Pretty active. I do not eat back my exercise calories either. Good luck! Overall I recommend more activity - slowly increase. I liked the CT5K program a lot.2
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cmriverside wrote: »If you are honest with your food intake, it is no harder in menopause.
I lost 70+ pounds by watching my calories here on this site five years past menopause. I lost at almost exactly the rate as the goal wizard told me I would. I've kept that weight off for ten years now. It's not difficult once you commit.
Don't use a normal body function as an excuse. It's still about calories in and calories out.
I guess we are all different and some of us are not textbook.3 -
I've been menopausal for 15 years now. Unfortunately, I wasn't given a choice for medical reasons at the age of 35. I was on HRT for 10 years and held my own with the weight. At the ten year mark I stopped with HRT and went from 130lbs to a whopping 160 in 5 years. I still ate the same crap as always did. I'm now 50 years old with a bad back and my knees constantly ache. Thanks to the workings of the female body we need the hormones to keep us in balance. Without them all kinds of weird wonderful and sometimes down right scary stuff happens.
Losing weight is one of those scary things. The body doesn't process the fats and carbs like it used to, it simply stores it up for a rainy day when all you crave is the comfort food you used to eat. The trick is convincing yourself that a plate of fresh veg without the fattening mayo based dips or a pot of low fat low sugar yogurt can replace the the chips and dips and the ice cream from the days of old.
I've been on my 'diet' for just a month now, I've only lost 5lbs but the inches are melting away. I'm not a gym type person but I know I need the exercise (I sit on my fat *kitten* in an office 9 hours a day 5 days a week). If you can, get yourself a personal trainer once a week. If he/she is any good, they will give you a tailored diet plan that will work wonders. Check with your local gym, they can help you find someone and they really aren't as spendy as you may think. That's what I have done and it has helped me with the motivation I lack. I'm not saying it's the golden bullet and will work for everyone, but honestly what do you have to lose other the the excess pounds.
I truly wish you all the best!1 -
I've been menopausal for 15 years now. Unfortunately, I wasn't given a choice for medical reasons at the age of 35. I was on HRT for 10 years and held my own with the weight. At the ten year mark I stopped with HRT and went from 130lbs to a whopping 160 in 5 years. I still ate the same crap as always did. I'm now 50 years old with a bad back and my knees constantly ache. Thanks to the workings of the female body we need the hormones to keep us in balance. Without them all kinds of weird wonderful and sometimes down right scary stuff happens.
Losing weight is one of those scary things. The body doesn't process the fats and carbs like it used to, it simply stores it up for a rainy day when all you crave is the comfort food you used to eat. The trick is convincing yourself that a plate of fresh veg without the fattening mayo based dips or a pot of low fat low sugar yogurt can replace the the chips and dips and the ice cream from the days of old.
I've been on my 'diet' for just a month now, I've only lost 5lbs but the inches are melting away. I'm not a gym type person but I know I need the exercise (I sit on my fat *kitten* in an office 9 hours a day 5 days a week). If you can, get yourself a personal trainer once a week. If he/she is any good, they will give you a tailored diet plan that will work wonders. Check with your local gym, they can help you find someone and they really aren't as spendy as you may think. That's what I have done and it has helped me with the motivation I lack. I'm not saying it's the golden bullet and will work for everyone, but honestly what do you have to lose other the the excess pounds.
I truly wish you all the best!
TY....finally someone with similar issues with comforting advice! I will look into a trainer. I walk 3 to 4 miles most days and am very active but it isn't enough anymore. Best to you on your journey!1 -
I had been perimenopausal from the time I was 44 years old.
At 48, I hit my highest weight. For a little while I figured that was it. I had reached the age where I would just be overweight. But then I decided I didn't want that. I wanted to get back into the long distance cycling I once enjoyed so much. One complication with that was that I now live in a very hilly area, and with the extra weight, I couldn't get up the hills very fast.
So, I joined MFP in February 2015 ... and lost 25 kg (55 lbs) by Christmas 2015. I was back down to my slender 30s weight ... near the bottom of my normal BMI range.
In 2016, I got back into long distance cycling again.
In 2017, I turned 50 and am moving really close to full menopause. I have put on a bit of weight ... it's really hard to get the balance right between the need for fuel for long distance cycling and staying slender, but I'm still comfortably within my normal BMI range.
Since starting perimenopause when I was 44, I've been through pretty much all the symptoms ... some of which have made exercise really challenging ... but I stick with it.3 -
SummerSkier wrote: »How tall are you? MFP sets your goal at 1200 regardless of how much weight per week you want to lose. Also, how much are you trying to lose? If you are say 4'11" and 56 and only have 10 pounds to lose you might be already at your TDEE. That of course means your intake is accurate. Are you eating back all your exercise calories if any? Just some thoughts. The biggest thing I noticed about losing weight in menopause is that the night sweats STOPPED completely when I quit eating a lot of sugar esp in the evenings. It's a completely unpopular opinion here but I (shhhh) actually have been losing about 1 lb per week the past 15 weeks eating under 1200 cals. .... shhhh. Yes - I am short and old. Pretty active. I do not eat back my exercise calories either. Good luck! Overall I recommend more activity - slowly increase. I liked the CT5K program a lot.
TY...I don't eat any of my exercise calories. I an 5'2. I really watch sugar too. What is CT5K?0 -
I am in menopause (53). Haven't had period for almost 2 years now. Losing weight is not any harder than it was when I was, say 48, and not in menopause. However, losing weight and the amount of food I can eat without gaining has definitely changed from my 20s and 30s. I chalk that up to muscle mass loss. Starting in your 30s, you slowly lose muscle mass if you aren't actively trying to increase it. When you start in peri- or full-blown menopause that rate of loss increased quite a bit. Less muscle actually does mean that you basal metabolic rate slows down. That rate is tied to your muscle stores. So it *seems* like menopause worsens weight loss. But it's really muscle loss which is normal for that age. Men have so much more than us and lose their mass at a slower rate, so they tend not have the same issues to the degree that women do. So it often gets blamed on menopause solely.
I do need to add weights into my workouts. TY0 -
Do you do any weight lifting? I cannot stress enough how important it is to lift heavy weights (heavy for you) 2-3 days a week.
Edit: I see after I posted that you haven't incorporated weights yet. I hope you do. You won't be disappointed.
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Tammi CT5K is a program to get you moving aerobically for 30 min a day. It's an 8 week program but you can take it at your own pace. "Couch to 5K". I am 5'2" also. Doing the additional jogging has really kept me on track. Good luck looks like you are getting a lot of tips. There is another thread you might want to read in the maintenance section call 5'1" gals - what are you maintenance calories.0
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I'm 57. I also did the C25K (Couch to 5K) running program this Spring. You just download the app to your phone and follow the voice prompts. You start walking 5 minutes, jogging a minute, walking a few minutes, jogging a minute, etc. You gradually work up to running 10 minutes without stopping, then 20, then 25. I found the challenge of it very motivating. If you're walking a lot, this is a good way to increase your cardio exercise and earn yourself a few more calories to eat.1
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I left heavy weights EVERY SINGLE DAY...
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I'm about 1 month from the one year mark, so about 1 month from being "officially" menopausal. My bloodwork has shown me to be menopausal for about a year now as well.
For me, the last few years of peri were challenging in that I felt like I had PMS for weeks on end, complete with the cravings, the water retention, and the crankiness.
Though I still consider myself "in maintenance", I have gained about 8Lbs over the last 2-3 years.
Now, though, my hormones are pretty well balanced, and the weight has been stable the last 6-8 months. I'm now focusing on losing the few pounds I did gain. My plan is to continue to focus on eating nutrient dense foods, and limiting heavily refined carb foods. That's how I lost my weight (along with a calorie deficit). That's how I've maintained for 15 years. So now, a deficit again, and hopefully the 8Lbs will come off!
Super glad I was mindful throughout menopause, and have always been a regular exerciser.
Best wishes to each of you. Every woman's experience with peri and menopause is different, just as every woman's menstrual years are different.1 -
I see a lot of people above saying menopause doesn't affect weight loss or metabolism. Well that is false. It seems to differ depending upon the person. It is a HUGE factor for some women.
In my case I exercising MUCH more than I did in my 30's and eating 200 or more calories LOWER than I did successfully dieting in my 30's and losing about 1/3 a pound a week compared to the 1.5 pounds I could pretty reliably lose on my 30's. (yes I'm keeping tight logging, no don't tell me I'm doing it wrong, I am losing, just very slowly, yes my thyroid levels are normal). What has changed? Mostly I got old and went through menopause.
So, first thing is I just tune out the self-styled authorities who say menopause doesn't make a difference - they don't have a clue, the most they can say truthfully is it may not have made a difference to them. Paying attention to those "authorities" was very destructive to my mind set as all they want to do is tell you it's your fault somehow - you are doing it wrong...
Second- while I find weight loss to be VERY slow, it is steadily coming off for me at around 1100 to 1400 calories per day (1400 on higher exercise days) - and I started moderately low carb but found that wasn't working well for me. That's the thing, it may be slow- and what works for one person doesn't seem to work for the next so try different things.
Third, I found it way too exhausting and frankly awful to continue dieting at the extremely low intake level I need to lose any weight. So I'm changing things up by eating for the next month or two at maintenance level. I'm still keeping up with my exercise so I expect to end the month at the same weight or maybe a small fraction of a pound lighter. This has improved my mental game considerably!
I get very disappointed and discouraged at the extremely slow weight loss - at this rate it will take longer than a full year to go from my 29.9 BMI to a BMI in the normal range. So, what I try to do is keep my eye on the prizes: I'm getting much healthier each day regardless of how slow that scale is moving. And, purportedly, slow weight loss is easier to maintain.
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