Middle aged, menopausal women
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mkureja322
Posts: 1 Member
This is the first group I've ever joined. Let me say that I'm not new to exercise. However as I've aged I've put on weight and struggle to stay motivated to work out and eat healthy. I crave sugar like never before. I vacillate between really wanting to get back in shape and hey who cares I'm 56 and a little overweight. My workouts consist of swimming 3 days a week and a weight lifting class 2 days a week, that's on a good week. Looking for suggestions to help stave off the sugar cravings and stay consistent with both working out and eating. The struggle is real....
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I am not middle aged, however I will say that the only thing that helped my sugar cravings was just NOT having junk in the house - because if it’s there, I can’t resist. Also, have your friend or spouse keep you accountable when eating out.
Now that I having been eating healthier for some time, sweet treats seem TOO sweet to me now because I’m not used to them!1 -
All I can say is I empathize. 61 here and the last 5-7 pounds feels like -- well, I feel like quitting and not trying, which is why the weekend long sweets overeating festival. The struggle is real at any age, that's for sure, but it does feel different now than it did a number of years back. I question my goals (could my knees hold out while I train to run another half marathon? why lift to get butt muscles that everyone will be too busy looking at my gray hair to see? or even bother with that last 5 lbs, when it'll just get me skinny-fat and FORCE me to lift, which I don't enjoy?)
I try not to have too much sweet treat stuff around but homemade protein granola can/does turn into a binge when the neediness is right. Like I say ... no answers here, just empathy. Friend me if you like!
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I hear you!
I've always hovered around 135, and even when I went up, I could just settle back to 135. I'd eat too much, then I simply wouldn't be hungry.
Well, sometime during the accumulation of gray hairs, I began to accumulate weight. And, I can no longer just have a heavy weekend of eating, then cut back for three days and the lbs are gone. I'm still carrying extra lbs from the Christmas holidays.
What helps me: Don't buy it, don't keep it in the house if someone else buys it. For me, there's no such thing as one cookie, Skinny Cow, the bowl of Pop Chips. It is the whole thing. I used to find this almost humiliating and now I'm taking it as my body is telling me that I can't have these items and it will continue to tell me this until I finally get it!
Secondly, I find adding something new helps with working out. Last year, I bought a Garmin Vivo (you change the battery once a year and you sync it with your PC.) It became kind of a game to see how many steps I could accumulate. This year, I've signed up for an 8 week weight loss challenge at my gym. And, immediately thereafter I'm signing up for group Pilates training.
Now, I'll add this: The really awesome thing about middle age...I"m not doing this for anyone. I want to be capable and vital. I don't care if I'm the worst person in Pilates class...cause I"m doing it for me. I don't care if I'm the last one to finish the sprint in group training (part of the weight loss program), cause I'm only doing it for me.
Thanks for posting. Feel free to friend me!3 -
I am 46 and I got thrown into menopause early by a hysterectomy. I was around 135 all my adult life, and I’m suddenly 160 pounds! I have been fighting it hard for the last two years, but it just keeps creeping up! It is horrifying and I feel a little helpless. I know it can’t be impossible, but I don’t want to spend all of my time and energy focusing on this either. I have a full-time job and am in college full-time as well.What’s a girl to do?1
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I'm no expert, but what I'm working on is just one habit a month. I can't do an overwhelming number of new things, cause my energy goes elsewhere. For the last month, it has been just tracking on a daily basis on MFP. It doesn't matter how "bad" the number looks, just tracking. In February, the goal is eating more vegetables than breads.
The challenge for me is that what worked before doesn't work now, so I just have to tweak over and over again.
GL everyone!0 -
I am 50, but luckily have had no symptoms associated with menopause, so I can't offer support that way.
However, I did go through a period three years ago where I gained about 25 lbs and was unsuccessful in my early attempts to lose the weight. I strongly agree that sugar cravings and and processed foods are a big problem at this age (or any age).
What worked for me was doing what I'll call a reset, or maybe a cold-turkey approach to kicking the sugar. It definitely took some will-power! I still track every day and try to eat a very healthy diet of 35% protein, 35% carbohydrates and 30% fats – 1200 calories total. I'm 5'2" and about 120lbs. It took me a year to lose 20lbs.
As other members have said, you will lose the taste for sugar once it is not a normal part of your diet. I also found that hunger was different. I still get hungry, but not with the mood changes and anxiety.
Exercise, particularly strength training is beneficial. Try to find a program that is progressive and safely gets you lifting as heavy as you are capable 2-3 times per week. I also think HIIT style training paired with walking or other easy cardio are more beneficial than running for miles at a time / cardio only programs. Muscle is your friend. Just my opinion and personal experience.
What ever you do, pick something and stick to it! Change comes slowly.1 -
Ugh! I feel ya. 55 here, 5'6", 125 is my sweet spot (most comfortable) but I've crept up to 132 over the past 2 mos. Vacation, holidays, etc. Gets harder and harder each year to ditch that winter coat. I know I just need to start recording my food religiously again, keep up on my at least 4 days a week gym visits, and BACK OFF THE DAMN EVENING WINE though I find that truly delightful0
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I'm not yet 40, but had early menopause after surviving ovarian cancer. My BMI is on the high end of normal while my BFP (most important to me) is on the low end of normal. I know I don't need to lose weight, but I am surrounded by models, ballerinas and aspiring reality TV starlets. So I get body shamed more often than I'd like. I have too much stuff going on in my life (including a freak cocktail of major health issues) to truly care, but I figure losing 14 - 20 lbs could cut down on the shaming some.
Between my health issues and the menopause, I know that my old approach to losing weight might not work as well as it used to (or possibly too well). And I'm closely monitoring my micronutrients.1 -
When I used to swim in college, I was ravenous. Something about swimming makes you really hungry! Maybe the temp of the water? I would cut out sugar completely so your body doesn't crave it. Increase protein and fat, and fiber. Maybe that will satiate you.1
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Good morning
My GW 125, I have plateau at 129 over the holidays. My challenge is to log my food daily, it has worked in the past.
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