Menopause and weight loss

Options
2»

Replies

  • jaybirdaz79
    jaybirdaz79 Posts: 37 Member
    edited December 2019
    Options
    mamadon wrote: »
    Thanks, all for your replies and help. I am 57 years old, but due to some other medical stuff I have had a period except for very occasionally for over 20 years, so unless I go get tested I don't know for sure. I have had hot flashes that are winding down, so I'm assuming here, that I'm finishing up menopause. I have never paid much attention to my salt intake Jaybirdaz , so that could be part of my problem.

    Yep, the salt thing is real. I used to LOVE cottage cheese and other salty delights, but no more. I now have Meniere's in my right ear, so I have to reduce sodium to reduce water retention in my inner ear. I have to keep it ultra low, but most people can get away with 1,500mg a day or there abouts and be fine. Oh, and once I lowered the salt....the hot flashes all but disappeared. :)

    Definitely get your hormone levels checked at the gyno to get a good reading on where you're at in the journey. Glad to help!
  • mamadon
    mamadon Posts: 1,422 Member
    Options
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    To the extent that more difficult weight loss as we age may be down to reduced daily life activity, or reduced muscle mass, that's kind of a good thing . . . because both of those are things we have a great deal of influence over - almost total control, in fact.

    Exercise, especially strength exercise, helps preserve and increase muscle mass (and also makes lots of daily activities easier, helps keep our bones stronger, and keeps us independent longer, among other things). Getting adequate protein is also a good strategy for preserving muscle mass, as is choosing a sensibly moderate weight loss rate, and (of course) getting overall good nutrition.

    It seems super common among female friends around my age (I'm 64, 59-60 when I lost weight) to "diet" by going in an "all salads" kind of direction, and worrying a great deal about reducing carbs. I think that the end result, often, is getting too little protein, and too little fat, both of which we need for body composition, and good nutrition generally. Sometimes they eat very little meat, often only chicken or fish, and not much of it; and - since I'm a long-term vegetarian myself - I can see that they're not getting much protein from their plant-food choices, either.

    Personally, I think it's more important to worry about getting the good things into my eating (protein, healthy fats, plenty of varied, colorful veggies/fruits) and less about what to leave out of it. If I get the good stuff in, and stick to my calorie goal, things I need less of just tend to get pushed out of my eating without much fuss or bother. But maybe that's just me.

    One more comment about protein: There's some preliminary research suggesting that we may absorb it less well as we age, making it more important to get a solid amount in each meal, through the day. Generally, nutrient timing is a minor factor in weight loss and health, but even though this research isn't completely definitive at this point IMO, it seems like an easy bet-hedge to distribute the protein across all my meals. For me, it has the added benefit of keeping me feeling fuller, longer, but I think satiation is a pretty individualized thing.

    Personally, I didn't have huge difficulties losing weight at 59-60 (obese to a healthy weight, which I've maintained for 4+ years since), with the help of MFP . . . both the calorie counting, and the useful advice from the community. I'm also hypothyroid, so I agree that that's really common as we age and a good thing to have tested, but it isn't universal weight loss doom. Getting it treated is a help, of course. Once treated effectively, weight loss for hypothyroid folks is pretty much the same as for anyone else: Simple processes, but not easy every minute in a psychological sense.

    Best wishes!

    Thank you! I really do need to pay more attention to the kinds of foods I’m eating and not just the calorie count. Also, I have noticed my muscle strength has gone down and I need to exercise more than I do.
  • ThinnerLiz
    ThinnerLiz Posts: 55 Member
    Options
    Weight loss was easier in my twenties and thirties, but you can be successful doing it around the time of menopause as well.

    We just don’t have the latitude to cheat as much, and we need to make sure to maintain our lean body mass.

    For me, ditching alcohol, processed foods, starchy carbs, and sugars did the trick.
    I still indulge on occasion, but only when I have a good reason.

    This is more of a slow and steady process than it may have been when we were younger, but if I did it, I’m sure others can as well.
  • miss_mcvicar
    miss_mcvicar Posts: 1 Member
    Options
    I get you @mamadon . I had a full hysterectomy at 34 and take oestrogen and testosterone HRT. I have put on 11kgs and I really struggle to lose it. My consultant at the menopause clinic told me that I only need to eat 1400 calories a day to MAINTAIN (!!!) and if I want to lose I need to beating nearer 1000. She gave me no support on this at all and I got quite depressed for a while. It’s taken me a very long time to get my head around eating so little and I’m still not there really.

    I was wondering about monitoring my macros better.

    Also, my friend is an ultra marathon runner and have this great book on nutrition post menopause - because of all the hormone changes our bodies react differently to carbs / glucose, so that book recommended low carb nutrition. That definitely works for me - if I just eat protein and veg (and get carbs from veg) I do lose.

    I’ve also noticed that I’m better now if I don’t eat meat. For me that’s been the easiest way to drop the calories and also seems to suit my body better now.

    The other thing I do is mindful eating - I’ve stopped eating out of routine. If I’m not hungry in the morning I don’t eat until I feel hungry. At lunch I’m generally not hungry after the gym so I just don’t eat and have an early tea. And I do a bit of intermittent fasting but prefer the 16:8.

    I’ll report back end of January if I actually lose even a 1lb 🤣🤣🤣 I’m getting ear the stage of giving up thinking about it - I do the best I can and at least I’m alive 😁
  • Lillymoo01
    Lillymoo01 Posts: 2,865 Member
    Options
    miss_mcvicar wrote: »
    I get you @mamadon . I had a full hysterectomy at 34 and take oestrogen and testosterone HRT. I have put on 11kgs and I really struggle to lose it. My consultant at the menopause clinic told me that I only need to eat 1400 calories a day to MAINTAIN (!!!) and if I want to lose I need to beating nearer 1000. She gave me no support on this at all and I got quite depressed for a while. It’s taken me a very long time to get my head around eating so little and I’m still not there really.

    I was wondering about monitoring my macros better.

    Also, my friend is an ultra marathon runner and have this great book on nutrition post menopause - because of all the hormone changes our bodies react differently to carbs / glucose, so that book recommended low carb nutrition. That definitely works for me - if I just eat protein and veg (and get carbs from veg) I do lose.

    I’ve also noticed that I’m better now if I don’t eat meat. For me that’s been the easiest way to drop the calories and also seems to suit my body better now.

    The other thing I do is mindful eating - I’ve stopped eating out of routine. If I’m not hungry in the morning I don’t eat until I feel hungry. At lunch I’m generally not hungry after the gym so I just don’t eat and have an early tea. And I do a bit of intermittent fasting but prefer the 16:8.

    I’ll report back end of January if I actually lose even a 1lb 🤣🤣🤣 I’m getting ear the stage of giving up thinking about it - I do the best I can and at least I’m alive 😁

    In my humble opinion, you would be much better off eating 1200 calories a day and losing the weight slowly. It might take longer but you are more likely to get the desired results as it is actually so much more sustainable.
  • Bluejay61
    Bluejay61 Posts: 28 Member
    edited January 2020
    Options
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    Sure, weight loss was easier in my 20s than now in my 50s. Back then, I had more muscle and an active job. I'm sure someone will be along to show just how minimal the effect of somewhat more muscle is. The biggest difference is activity level. I want to still eat like a 20 yo with an active job.

    I think it would be easier for women if they didn't have menopause to blame. Former male athletes can't blame weight gain on menopause.

    The only time in her life my mom has been a little overweight was when she was 50 and in grad school. She was less active due to school and was also eating more.

    She's 82 now and struggles to stay above Underweight due to her extraordinarily high activity level and her fondness for low calorie density foods.

    To your comment on women "blaming" menopause. It's well-documented that men in their 50s and beyond begin a sort of male menopause phase where their testosterone and androgen start to fall off dramatically. Theirs is simply lacking "markers" (like the cessation of a period or hot flashes) as with female menopause. But that is one huge reason men, just like women, can start gaining weight at rates and in places they never did before. "Low T" is a real and common thing for guys just like lower levels of estrogen and progesterone are for us.

    But I agree with your comment on how muscle loss affects fat gain. As we age and unless we work to keep/build what we have, we will indeed gain fat and lose muscle. :smile:

Categories