Confused! Post-menopause weight loss possible?

3greyhorses · October 2019

I have to lose this weight and get stronger! I am so sick of my back problems and I know if I lose weight (ultimate goal of a 35lb loss) it will help. I've yo-yo dieted/exercised for decades and now I'm just confused and am struggling to figure out how to reach my goals. I've worked out with trainers who always tell me I need to eat more. I eat more and gain more weight regardless of how much I work out. I'm vegan and try to eat as much protein as possible. I stopped drinking beer and actually gained weight (huge disappointment...I love my craft beers). I'm fairly active owning a horse farm with 3 horses. I swim and run. My job requires me to be on my feet and moving.
BUT I am post-menopausal. This seems to be the game changer. Things that have worked in the past no longer work.
So, what is your advice? It's still calories in vs. calories out, right? That's the bottom line isn't it? I find myself wanting to make sure I eat enough (like past trainers have said), but I am beginning to think I need to be cutting way back.
I'm also working on finding a good way to balance getting more fit (especially core strength) and not hurting my back further. Advice?

LivingtheLeanDream · October 2019

Losing weight is never about needing to eat more.
To lose you need to be consistently in calorie deficit and regardless of what age we are or what our hormones do to us, weight loss will happen - its science.
Are you tracking every single thing you eat and using a food scale? are you choosing the most accurate entries in the food database here?
Core strength will help your back but if you have back issues you would be better asking a professional for help with that.

cmriverside · October 2019

I lost 75ish pounds post menopause, and I lost at the calorie levels suggested on this site.

Log food, take a walk, focus on getting reasonably good nutrition and be patient.

We know nothing about you, so set your Goal the way the site suggests at sign-up. How much weight do you need to lose?

quiksylver296 · October 2019

Read this thread, @3greyhorses. Do those things. You'll get there!

http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/1080242/a-guide-to-get-you-started-on-your-path-to-sexypants/p1

There's also a podcast I listen to, Half Size Me. She talks about post-menopausal weight loss quite often.

caprihana · October 2019

You may also find that your estrogen levels have a lot to do with it. I'm part of a group of women who have had the same problem, so I know where you're coming from, but we're fighting back!

kshama2001 · October 2019

My mom is post-menopausal and struggles to stay above Under Weight because she is so active, sometimes forgets to eat, and when she does it, it consists of a lot of bulky, low calorie foods.

You're active too, so that's a good start.

Not losing weight generally means someone is eating more than they think, which is very common.

There are mistakes that people commonly make that cause them to not lose weight that we might be able to spot if you change your Diary Sharing settings to Public: http://www.myfitnesspal.com/account/diary_settings

spiriteagle99 · October 2019

I lost 55 lbs. post-menopause. I've kept them off for the past 6 years. It really is all about CI-CO. I exercise a lot and track what I eat. It does work.

One thing that can slow down or derail loss is certain medications. Check to see if weight gain is a side effect of anything you're taking. If you have low thyroid and aren't being treated for it, that can also slow down weight loss.

AnnPT77 · October 2019

I went into hard-stop menopause during chemotherapy at age 44. Then I took anti-estrogen drugs for 7.5 years to wipe up or counteract any residual estrogen my fat cells/adrenals might be producing. (It's like a hyper-menopause state.) I was obese then, and stayed obese for more than another decade.

At 59-60, I lost about 50 pounds, obese to a healthy weight, following the basic MFP routine. I didn't materially change my exercise routine (I was already active). I didn't radically change what I ate (I was already eating reasonably nutritiously). I just ate less, within a sensible calorie goal, and changed the proportions/frequency of certain foods to meet my calorie goal the overwhelming majority of the time. Did I mention that I'm also severely hypothyroid (though properly medicated)?

I've maintained a healthy weight for almost 4 years since; I'm now 63. I even drink craft beer. :drinker:

Menopause is not an impossible barrier. You can do it. :flowerforyou:

lois1231 · October 2019

I am in menopause and am losing weight. It is not as easier as when I was younger but it can be done.

rheddmobile · October 2019

I lost 125 lbs while menopausal, from morbidly obese to normal BMI. I actually lost a little faster than the numbers given by MFP predicted.

Have you had your thyroid checked? On any meds? There are some things that can make weight loss harder, but not impossible.

ridiculous59 · October 2019

I lost 90 pounds post-menopause and had a desk job. I did at least an hour of intentional exercise most days (the plus side of being an empty nester). My maintenance calories are still only 1500 so not a lot of wiggle room there. I am active because its good for me, and it also allows me to eat a few more calories. Over the past couple of years its been a constant struggle with about 10 pounds. Those 10 pounds are more difficult to get rid of than all the other ones.

So yes, its possible, but for me it comes down to logging pretty much every crumb that goes in my mouth. Luckily I'm not a craft beer lover.........but craft cider? Now that's a different story!

amy19355 · October 2019

3greyhorses wrote: »

I have to lose this weight and get stronger! I am so sick of my back problems and I know if I lose weight (ultimate goal of a 35lb loss) it will help. I've yo-yo dieted/exercised for decades and now I'm just confused and am struggling to figure out how to reach my goals. I've worked out with trainers who always tell me I need to eat more. I eat more and gain more weight regardless of how much I work out. I'm vegan and try to eat as much protein as possible. I stopped drinking beer and actually gained weight (huge disappointment...I love my craft beers). I'm fairly active owning a horse farm with 3 horses. I swim and run. My job requires me to be on my feet and moving.
BUT I am post-menopausal. This seems to be the game changer. Things that have worked in the past no longer work.
So, what is your advice? It's still calories in vs. calories out, right? That's the bottom line isn't it? I find myself wanting to make sure I eat enough (like past trainers have said), but I am beginning to think I need to be cutting way back.
I'm also working on finding a good way to balance getting more fit (especially core strength) and not hurting my back further. Advice?

In a word - accountability.

First - use MFP to set a realistic calorie budget for the weight loss goal you have.
Second - buy a scale for the kitchen and
Third - RELIGIOUSLY WITHOUT FAIL weigh every single bite or drop of food you are about to eat.
Fourth - LOG everything you Plan to eat and cut back portions that put you over budget - before you eat it!
Fifth - weigh yourself on a schedule (whatever you like, daily or weekly)
Repeat steps 3-5 for a month.
Spend some time scrutinizing the data over time - the food log lets you drill down to exactly what you are eating and how much of it. You'll start to see how eating patterns line up with weight loss/gain patterns.
Make adjustments as needed.
Don't stop logging. Be accountable to yourself.

We can be our own best friend or our worst enemy , and it's our choice.

PS - it took me 62 years to get to this point, and I'm over a year into a successful behavior modification program of eating within my calorie budget and strengthening my overall body to carry me happily into an active retirement in a few years.

good luck to you, and good fitness to us all!

3greyhorses · October 2019

Thanks everyone. I really appreciate the time and thought everyone took to respond.
I'll just keep plugging along and make sure everything that goes in my mouth has been weighed and tracked.
Accountability, self-control, discipline and keeping the eye on the goal. Got it.

Sunshine_And_Sand · October 2019

My mom lost a lot of weight post menopause. She had a hysterectomy and gained a lot of weight, probably partially due to the hormonal changes, but she will tell you that it was mostly due to overeating and taking 6 weeks off of work and not staying active. When she decided to lose weight, she joined WW and kept strict control over the points and food journaling, started walking every day, and starting cutting her huge yard with a push mower. Her job is a desk job too, so it sounds like OP is a lot more active than her. She was able to get to a healthy weight. She lost far more weight after menopause than she ever lost before menopause, and it’s all because of the calorie deficit that she actually stuck to. Also, she has kept that weight off for about 15 years now because she stays active and monitors calorie intake.

sarasherrill · October 2019

Have some bloodwork done to find out what your body may have to much or too less of. Hormones can effect it. Research foods that help balance hormones and you'll be fine.

mph323 · October 2019

Just to add another voice of encouragement

I was 65/66 when I lost 50 pounds, and I've kept the weight off for a year and a half. My method was to aim for a slower rate of loss, making sure to track all my food using a food scale. I found the weight came off pretty much the same way it had when I was younger as long as I was in top of the tracking.

earlnabby · October 2019

I found weight loss post-menopause to be the easiest ever. I no longer have the hormones cycling with the accompanying cravings and bloat and general PMS silliness.

The only thing menopause does in many women is affect is where you lose fat from. Unfortunately, it is common to lose faster from the bust and backside but slower from the abdomen. A figure 8 might turn into an H.

Confused! Post-menopause weight loss possible?

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