A question for "older" women.
MyrnaSolganick
Posts: 60 Member
I have heard so much - and have experienced it as well - that it is SO freaking hard to lose weight post menopause. Hard is one thing. Is it impossible? if not, what helps?
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Replies
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I’m 61, post menopause and have just hit 40 pounds lost with 25 more to go.
I didn’t use any special tricks or supplements. Staying in a calorie deficit will create weight loss.26 -
I am 68 and I hit 56 lbs loss this morning since last May 28... you can lose weight if you eat less calories!....I have over 100 to go but I know I can do it!17
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Yes, menopause is awful for SO MANY reasons, only one of which is the glacial pace at which we seem to burn calories once on the other side of it. The good news is that no, weight loss is not impossible now. The bad news is that yes, it's harder. The rate at which your body metabolizes calories is a lot slower now. Translation: your calorie-budget just to maintain your current weight is now a lot lower. So in order LOSE weight, you feel like you're REALLY restricting your intake, and that makes meal-time no fun at all. So you have to do one (or both) of 2 things -
1. Get used to the fact that your meals are always going to be smaller now. Yes, to put it bluntly, that sucks, but it's the truth. The days of eating whatever we wanted to, in whatever quantities we desired, are over. You can help yourself a lot by avoiding calorie-dense foods and replacing them with filling foods that don't blow your budget. My salads used to always have avocado (one of my favs), pine nuts, and blue cheese crumbles, but try incorporating those into a tight calorie-budget, and you're going to still be hungry at the end of dinner. I've learned it's more satisfying for me to avoid my "big 3" for the most part so that I can still eat a large enough meal (of lower-cal alternatives) to feel satiated when my plate is empty.
2. Exercise more...and harder. OK, really, who has the time? I tried this, and I ended up temporarily derailing my whole fitness regimen. But if it works for you, every calorie you burn via exercise is one that you can add back onto your trimmed-down food-calorie goal. Seriously though, the effort and time it takes for me to burn an extra 200 calories is just not worth the 2 slices of sandwich bread it buys me. But if it works for you, go for it.
Weight loss is definitely still possible. But allow yourself more time to lose the weight than you would have expected pre-menopause.
Oh, and one more thing - It's ok to splurge a little on 12/24 and 12/25, but make sure you hop right back up on that horse the morning of 12/26. My BIGGEST downfall is that I tend to turn a benign 1-day break into a 7-day, out-of-control binge that's hard to climb out of. Hopefully you're stronger than I.
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Definitely not impossible, at any age. It really comes down to eating less calories than your body burns. I lost 1/2 my body weight post menopausal. It really just takes commitment and perseverance to eating at a calorie deficit. Simple concept at any age, but not necessarily easy.15
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I'm 63 (post-menopause and post-hysterectomy). I've lost 43 lbs so far, since Jan. 22 this year. Just have 17 to go. Yeah it's slower, but lifting weights (for me lifting my two toddler grandchildren much of the day while their mother works) and aerobic exercise a few days a week (for me straightening my poor daughter's house-who also has two teen children - in a hurry while my toddler grandchildren wait for me to play with them) has helped immensely! You can do it! You just need patience and the knowledge that it doesn't happen like it did as a teen or 20+something. 1 lb/week every week adds up. It's slow but because of that, easier to maintain. You have a longer time to build up good habits.7
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I’m 52 post menopause. Current loss is 40 lbs ain the past year and half, and I’m now a half pound away from a healthy BMI. While it was certainly easier to lose weight in my 20s and 30s, I was more active then due to my kids being younger and requiring more hands on attention. But losing weight in my 50s hasn’t been impossible. It just requires patience and focus.
My advice is just keep tracking your food as accurately as you can. Try to find ways to incorporate more movement into your daily life.4 -
I'm 64, and lost about 50 pounds in 2015 at age 59-60 (menopausal . . . and hypothryroid, to boot), obese to a healthy weight, and am still at a healthy weight now, nearly 5 years later.
The difference in population-wide calorie requirements between a younger self and an older one is surprisingly small. A TDEE calculator will suggest that I, at my current size, 5'5" and about 135 pounds, would burn about 1600 calories as a sedentary 34-year-old, and about 1450 or so now, at 64. That's less than one serving of peanut butter difference daily. (It's around a tablespoon and a half of peanut butter, specifically, or about as many calories as one 20oz nonfat latte with no sweetener/syrup/whip, just skim milk and coffee.)
Further, research suggests that the biggest differences between calorie needs of younger vs. older people come down to two things: Less daily life activity as we age, and reduced muscle mass as we get older. The good news is, both of those things are things we can influence . . . almost completely control, in fact.
Exercise increases our calorie expenditure, and it doesn't have to be some kind of miserable, exhausting slog through some activity we don't enjoy. Any fun way of moving the body works: Sure, gym stuff, but also walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardenting, and much more.
Strength exercise (anything that progressively challenges our muscles) helps reverse the muscle loss that can come with aging, especially when coupled with a diet that has adequate protein (something that a lot of older women don't get enough of, frankly, especially when cutting calories.) Research has demonstrated strength and muscle mass gain as achievable by people into at least their 80s, and probably beyond. For women, this has the added benefit of supporting our bone density, which can be a significant risk factor for injury and disability in later years.
Also, we can make it a point to consciously increase daily life activity (i.e., non-exercise things). There's a thread about that here, with ideas from many people:
http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10610953/neat-improvement-strategies-to-improve-weight-loss/
There are women here who report changes that have more than reversed that estimated calorie difference that comes with age, just from conscious increases in daily life activity.
It is very possible to lose weight in menopause. In fact, in terms of the process - calorie counting, monitoring weight, etc. - it's quite simple. It's not always easy in a logistical/practical sense, or psychologically . . . but the mechanics are quite straightforward, IMO.
You can do it. :flowerforyou:28 -
My weight loss/maintenance journey spans pre and post menopause.
I lost to goal weight in 2013, took most of the year. At that stage I was 5o and pre menopause.
Then in maintenance.
By age 54 I had completed menopause - that was 2 years ago.
Have found ZERO difference in maintenance in those 2 years compared to previous 3.
My personal long term data showed no difference in calorie intake required pre and post.
incidentally also had thyroid tumour removed in 2016 and had to go on thyroxine replacment - that also made zero difference.
Although of course I have to take adequate replacement.9 -
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MyrnaSolganick wrote: »I have heard so much - and have experienced it as well - that it is SO freaking hard to lose weight post menopause. Hard is one thing. Is it impossible? if not, what helps?
I'm an "older" woman. I'm 65. In mid-July of this year I weighed 173. I joined MFP July 31. I weigh 140 now.
I've absolutely no problem losing weight. I might lose another 5 pounds or so. I used the MFP tools, tracked my calories, and exercised every day, mostly by walking and jogging.
I'm also interested in my nutrition. I take my food to work instead of buying food from the vending machine or eating the cookies in the break room. I still eat out with my friends, am happy with what I'm doing, and am never hungry. I like the food I'm eating. I'm a widow and hate to cook, so I eat simple food that pleases me.
It's rare for me to comment on an age-related thread. These conversations blow my mind. If you're "old" it's supposed to be so hard and you're supposed to be barely able to do anything. Sure, some people may have health problems that make it extra hard, but I see most of it as people who want to complain and have drama (call me mean, but that's how I see it).
Track calories
Eat less than you burn
Move every day, at least a little, for your health
Stop grousing and do something
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(deleted my comment, time to go running)
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I lost 80ish pounds post menopause and have kept it off for 12 years.
It wasn't particularly hard and I can't say if it was harder because I'd never really logged food nor tried to lose a lot of weight before.
Just start, log food every day. Stay in calories and get a little exercise. You'll get there.7 -
I lost 150 beginning at age 59. I tracked calories here on MFPand began strength training and walking. 5+ years later and still maintaining plus swimming, cycling, and still lots of walking and strength training. I never found it easy to lose weight even at younger ages.7
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I lost 35 post menopause, gained it back, then lost 55. I've maintained that loss for more than 5 years. My metabolism is very good, evidently, since I burn more calories than the average for someone my age (63). I became a runner 8 years ago and run about 35-40 mpw so I can do marathons every spring and other races during the year. That allows me to eat pretty much what I want, most of the time.4
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I am 61, in the last 17 months I have lost 76 pounds, and am still working on the other 58 lbs to get into a healthy weight. Been post since 2009. I actually have found it easier, because on MFP due to logging all I eat, and really understanding how important the food scale is. Do not look for reasons why it is not working, look for reasons to make it happen. I think the whole Post menopause cannot lose weight is a crutch/excuse, and women need to stop using it.
I pre-log meals that I know will be the same, often breakfast is. Or the fact that after shopping I cut up lots of veges and sometimes fruit and package them up for grab and go. Doing this saves times, and each package has been weighed out and calories counted into a day.
I do low carb, am a diabetic so eating this way can keep good blood sugars, that eating a full carb diet just does not cut for me. But the key still was eating less calories than what I burned up in a day.
At first I did little to no exercise. But now 45 minutes to an hour 6 days a week. And makes a big difference. Choose something you enjoy, and know you will keep doing. I am back to doing all the work in our flower beds and I love it, cycling, and started back swimming.
Good luck you can do this, but it is an attitude adjustment that is part of the process.9 -
@MyrnaSolganick It isn't harder. The process is the same. Eat in a calorie deficit.
@suetozer2015 I can't help but think that if you were not restricting your calories as much, you would not resort to a 7 day out-of-control binge. The result of that binge is that you ultimately eat more calories overall. Why not incorporate those extra calories into your daily allotment to keep you fuller and more satisfied?10 -
This, from 2 posts above:
Do not look for reasons why it is not working, look for reasons to make it happen.
One of the best quotes ever.12 -
43-45lb range of loss (yo-up’s back y forth) but doing it had to do research y use the app to figure the right calories for me make it work. Walking indoors to chasing ball with a 2yr old even tho I’m in my 40’s seems slower harder than ever before getting there inch by inch0
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I am 59 years old- I have lost almost 30 pounds using MFP- with the suggested number of calories- I also like to walk for exercise and I sometimes lift smaller weights for muscle mass(lol)- anyway I have lost weight- yes my weight loss has been slow but still I usually check my weight and compare over a MONTH- because weekly - there are just so many fluctuations and I will sometimes get discouraged- but monthly helps me know that I am going down- now around the holidays- I would LOVE to go down- but I know even if I maintain- that is fine because of all the holiday treats and fun times with family and I don't want to MISS them- You can do this! just take your time- what else have we got to do- we are going to live- so we might as well try to live healthier lives(smile)2
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I'm 68, and I've lost 59 pounds and now I'm within a healthy weight range and BMI, so yes, it can be done. And YES, it's harder to lose weight when you're older versus when younger, simply because your body slows down after menopause, you don't burn as many calories so it just takes a bit longer. But not only is it not impossible, it's not that much harder! You just have to be completely aware of how much you're eating versus how much your burning. So you can do this, many of us have, many of us will continue to lose or maintain, and we're gonna be smexy older women together! You've got this.
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poisonesse wrote: »I'm 68, and I've lost 59 pounds and now I'm within a healthy weight range and BMI, so yes, it can be done. And YES, it's harder to lose weight when you're older versus when younger, simply because your body slows down after menopause, you don't burn as many calories so it just takes a bit longer. But not only is it not impossible, it's not that much harder! You just have to be completely aware of how much you're eating versus how much your burning. So you can do this, many of us have, many of us will continue to lose or maintain, and we're gonna be smexy older women together! You've got this.
Same age, and I agree with the above. I don't think the issue is menopause per se. I agree that menopause often coincides with slowing down a bit, and then sometimes the menopause experience also includes crappy sleep, which affects both energy and satiety. Set a modest calorie deficit, up your daily movement, too (helps set up habits that will serve you well when you get to "maintenance") and you'll see results.
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I'm 68, about 10 years postmenopausal. I had a lot of trouble during Peri. But now I would say it's not only not impossible, it's doable. I gained a bunch of weight the past few years b/c of illnesses and injuries, but during the phases when I was working at it I dropped weight pretty easily. I'd gain it back with the next sedentary phase b/c I'd regress to less healthy eating habits. But when I'm active and disciplined, it comes off.
And this past year I've taken off 15 pounds with a hip injury that has kept me sidelined for 6 months. I did yin and restorative yoga regularly, but those aren't huge calorie burners. It stalled out for a while but I didn't gain anything back. Now I have a Garmin fitness band that works w/MFP so I have a much more accurate read on CI/CO, and have gradually morphed to a carb-controlled. And the pounds are coming off easily again. Plus no cravings.
Bottom line: Never say never. If you find what works for your body, you'll get there.2 -
Further, research suggests that the biggest differences between calorie needs of younger vs. older people come down to two things: Less daily life activity as we age, and reduced muscle mass as we get older. The good news is, both of those things are things we can influence . . . almost completely control, in fact.
Exercise increases our calorie expenditure, and it doesn't have to be some kind of miserable, exhausting slog through some activity we don't enjoy. Any fun way of moving the body works: Sure, gym stuff, but also walking, cycling, swimming, dancing, gardenting, and much more.
Strength exercise (anything that progressively challenges our muscles) helps reverse the muscle loss that can come with aging, especially when coupled with a diet that has adequate protein (something that a lot of older women don't get enough of, frankly, especially when cutting calories.) Research has demonstrated strength and muscle mass gain as achievable by people into at least their 80s, and probably beyond. For women, this has the added benefit of supporting our bone density, which can be a significant risk factor for injury and disability in later years.
Also, we can make it a point to consciously increase daily life activity (i.e., non-exercise things). There's a thread about that here, with ideas from many people::flowerforyou:
I think @AnnPT77 hit the nail on the head when she speaks of reduced muscle mass. I am the same age and height as she is and maintain at a much lower calorie level than she does. Her avatar picture more than explains the difference between us. She is very active and muscular. I am not. The answer to the age question I believe lies largely in muscle loss. I have been sedentary my entire life. I walked for exercise as I was losing and I'm struggling to maintain my loss 3 years later. I originally lost 108 pounds but am now at around 94. My calorie level is about 1350 pre exercise. I am also Hypothyroid. The one thing I didn't do that I should have when losing was build muscle. I am about to retire and plan to join the gym and make weight lifting a part of my daily life. Otherwise I fear I will regain all the weight eventually.
You can lose after menopause but it would be wise for you to add some weight bearing exercise to your routine so that you also increase your muscle mass which in turn tends to increase metabolism some. Muscle burns more calories than fat in the long run. Good luck there are lots of us in the maintenance phase who lost weight at your age. It can be done.6 -
I have been post menopause for 1-2 years got pregnant now back in peri menopause a 2nd time.Im a medical mystery Doctor confirmed during Csection that I was post menopausal,but the surgeries after baby hit a year old restarted my cycle all over again (enjoyed the 3-4yrs without a period here’s hoping I get back to that fast!). I found it easier to fight weight during post menopause , but not menopause or peri. Not sure why tho. Yes my muscle mass is gone! I was more muscular in my youth now flabby y saggy! Might be the symptoms from hot flashes causing water gain as I drank a river to weakness leading to not wanting to exercise (needed motivation every time y force myself). Foggy mind y my metabolism seems slower. Everything I ate before Peri seems to not disappear like it used to. It hugs hangs on like a rodeo rider!
Went up to 195lbs now am at the 150-153lb range (45lbs lost)2 -
I'm now 60 and lost 90 pounds during menopause. I'm currently fighting with about 10 pounds that have crept back over the last couple of years. To be honest, I'm not being as diligent as I was while losing before and I know that if I buckle down, they'll be gone. It has nothing to do with age or post-menopause. Its just me.
This needs to be repeated: Exercise is about way more than burning a few calories so you can eat an extra slice of bread or two.
Why do old people have falls? Is it due to balance, eyesight, or just generally weaker muscles? Do we have some control over any of the causes? Why yes we do. At least a little, anyway. I do yoga two or three times a week and I love the difference I'm seeing in my ability to hold poses that require balance. At the start I was flopping all over, but not anymore. I do yoga for the now, but I'm also doing it for my future so that hopefully I can prevent a fall and the subsequent broken hip or concussion.
The term "skinny fat" applies to a lot of women our age. Who wants that label? I love putting my hands in the front pockets of my pants and feeling muscle in my thighs. I love looking in the mirror while drying my hair and seeing muscle definition in my arm. I have worked darn hard for those muscles and I'm going to admire that hard work! My hope is that those muscles will also help prevent me from a fall. Plus they burn more calories than fat which means I can eat just a tiny bit more. And at our age, when we can only eat so few calories, that's a big deal.
Exercise gets me outside, which I need for my mental health. No matter how I'm feeling when I start out, I always come home after a walk, ski, run, snowshoe, or paddle and my mood has been lifted.
Exercise can be a social thing, which is also important as we age. I paddle on a dragon boat team and we have so much fun together, both on and off the water. We range in age from early 50's to late 70's and let me tell you, those older ladies are my inspiration. They paddle just as hard as anyone else in that boat.
I know that exercise is difficult for some people for a variety of reasons. But if your doctor clears you, for heavens sake, move, stretch, and lift things. It doesn't have to be complicated, and there are just so many benefits.5 -
I found that if I eat with a calorie deficit I loose "1 lb" a week. I lost 24 lbs and hit a platue, I think I was eating more than recorded, so thought I needed to eat more to burn so I did recommended calorie intake-! Wrong I quickly gained 8 lbs and it took weeks to loose that! I am 64 and I am charting the week before I eat-go back and change if I altered the diet. I plan-glance at the days diet plan in the morning over coffee and follow works for me. I've lost the gained weight and am now at my all time low 210 lbs. I keep within my calorie deficit and continue to loose a "1 lb" a week. I will reach my goal weight by mid summer and will have lost 75 lbs. The goal is clearly achievable with calorie counting and I believe eating in a calorie deficit works. You can do it just use this charting program its easy when you get used to doing the charting. Its very rewarding to chart your weight once a week on here to, progress has a grafe to watch your progress, nice. Its a great program but its up to us to apply it. Just a note your stomach and you adjust to the calorie deficit in not time at all . 3
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The difference I have noted is not in the harder/easier weight management category (I'd same it's the same...) but that the distribution of weight is slightly different. And I think the need to work to maintain muscle mass is more evident.
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For clarity: Research suggests that a pound of muscle burns only something like 2-4 calories more per day than a pound of fat. (I tend to forget exact numbers, but not magnitudes.
).
I think the bigger deal might be the strong potential for negative spiral: Reduced strength and muscle mass => reduced physical capability, i.e. not able to do as much => reduced activity & lower intensity/duration/effort in what is still done, plus more resting (or near-resting) time in the day => further strength/muscle mass depletion.
Fitter, stronger people have more physical capability and stamina. To me, common sense suggests to me that they will, as a consequence, simply do more things (exercise or just daily chores, hobbies, fun stuff), more often, and for longer time periods. Doing stuff burns calories.
I hang out a lot with two different groups of people, most of them women around my age ( +/- 10 years, say): Mixed-media arts and crafts people, and recreational athletes (mostly rowers). I like and value all of them - all wonderful, talented people with interesting ideas and skills. But the sort of generic-average behaviors are quite different, in my experience with them.
Spending time with the artists, we will be sitting. Conversation about doing things beyond what we're working on tends to be about things like TV shows and books (which are good things, of course). More than once, I've heard friendly banter about who was able to snag the parking spaces close to the door where we were meeting. (Many do have physical limitations, and usually obesity factored into those in some way, frankly.)
Spending time with the rowers, we're usually active, or eating**. The other activities people talk about include TV/books, but also more diverse things like recreational shopping ( :lol ), other physical activities (walking groups, curling, cycling, weight lifting and other gym stuff are some that friends do), events that involve a good bit of walking and stairs (art fairs, stadium events like sports/music, etc ), taking grandkids to park or pool to play together, etc.: Just more movement of every kind. They usually do some things for themselves that many of the artists would get their adult kids to do or hire tradespeople (moving furniture, flipping mattresses, landscape projects, remodeling, etc.).
(*" Perhaps curiously, I spend a higher fraction of social time with this athletically active set of friends eating/drinking: These women, unlike the artist group, tend not to have as many dietary restrictions due to health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, gallstones, etc., or because of contraindications on account of medications being routinely taken. Overall, they tend to eat more diversely, though not always heavily. The artists tend to be at a pole: Either be on a structured diet with restrictions, or grazing on cookies and rich foods and such as a splurge (and thought of that way). The athletes eat treats and desserts, too, but it's more likely to be that stuff in the mix with other foods, vs. that polar extremes approach.)
Bottom line: I don't think the major contributor to increased TDEE is the few calories extra muscle mass burns sitting around, but the greater amount of casual moving around that people with more muscle mass tend to do, because for them it's easier and more fun.
Just my personal experience/view/opinion, of course.10 -
I started to lose weight Oct 15, my July 16 I was down 70lbs from UK 20 to UK 8/10. Have maintained since then, have put on 7lbs but that was deliberate, I looked too skinny! All post menopause. Once my brain was right the rest was easy2
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@AnnPT77 I would love to try rowing but we have no clubs or groups near where I live. Too bad we couldn't trade activities for a day: I'd row with your group and you could paddle with my dragon boaters 0
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