Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!
saggynaggy65
Posts: 68 Member
Good morning everyone! I posted this in the introduction forum. I am here (again) because I have a huge problem with my sugar and food intake and I need to get a handle on it before it destroys my health and mental well being! I am 54 years old and hit the big "M" last year so things have been slowly going downhill for me. I crave sugar like nobody's business and have been unable to successfully control it on my own. I have heard that some women gain a tremendous amount of weight during this transition in their lives and I don't want to be one of them! I would love to have some lady friends that are experiencing this dreaded life change that nobody talks about so that we can support each other along the way. If anyone is fighting the menopause battle and has won, please let me know your secret! TIA!
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I am in the same boat and am working hard to lose the 10 lbs I've gained since the big M...I'm 58. What bugs me so much too is that the weight has settled in my tummy area...I used to always gain it in my thighs but now I feel like it is all in my gut! I was getting lazy in not tracking calories either. I have always been active...running, elliptical, biking, etc, so that's not the problem...it's too much food and cravings hit often as well! So, I'm back to tracking so that I can try to lose some of this gut before our cruise at end of Feb!5
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mlt2908 yes that is exactly what I have heard, that menopause weight gain is different and it does go directly to our tummies! I'm here too to try and do some damage control! Good luck on your journey! Thanks for sharing!
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Oh gosh...yes it does seem to go to your gut. Though I am getting it all over, in places that I never seemed to have issues with before. I have never craved sugar/sweets like I have been in the last year. Also just the need to be constantly eating is something that I am going through and it is pure hell. Thank you for bringing this up @dmkumhyr . It seems to be incredibly hard to get this weight to drop off.4
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My mom didn't gain weight at menopause. At 82, she struggles to stay above Underweight. She is extremely active and eats a lot of whole foods, including bulky, low calorie veggies. This is just the way she has always liked to eat.
I am peri-M, less active (desk job), and eat more, so weight is a struggle for me.
I also seem to be hungrier than I used to be just a few years ago, so will discuss this with my GP and GYN next time I see them. Meanwhile, I will try upping protein and fiber.6 -
Most women I know did not gain weight at menopause. That is a falsehood. What DOES happen with many women is that the change in hormones can change how your body stores its fat reserves. Basically, women frequently lose some fat from the breasts and the hips and gain some around the waist (which can make it look like they gained weight). Your best bet if you are currently at a weight you like is to monitor your intake to stay at maintenance levels and incorporate exercise, especially weight bearing exercise to keep the bones strong. Strengthening your core can also help keep your midsection from looking soft.
I actually lost weight at menopause. It was the easiest time I ever had because I no longer had hormones cycling with the accompanying PMS, cravings, and general weirdness.19 -
Also typically we become less active around this time of life. I’m peri. Not gained weight so far but I do work out every day.7
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Most women I know did not gain weight at menopause. That is a falsehood. What DOES happen with many women is that the change in hormones can change how your body stores its fat reserves. Basically, women frequently lose some fat from the breasts and the hips and gain some around the waist (which can make it look like they gained weight). Your best bet if you are currently at a weight you like is to monitor your intake to stay at maintenance levels and incorporate exercise, especially weight bearing exercise to keep the bones strong. Strengthening your core can also help keep your midsection from looking soft.
I actually lost weight at menopause. It was the easiest time I ever had because I no longer had hormones cycling with the accompanying PMS, cravings, and general weirdness.
Wow...that's funny, most women that I talked to said that they had gained weight. I haven't gained any yet, but I will if I don't get my cravings for carbs under control.4 -
At about the same time of life, it's pretty common for women to be entering a phase of life that includes less daily-life activity. (As context, I'm 64, BTW, so definitely post-menopausal. Six months of chemotherapy threw me instantly into menopause in my mid-40s - and no, it didn't make me lose any material amount of weight.)
My younger self had more active jobs, for example, where later I was sitting at a desk or in meetings most of the day. Many of us, at younger ages, are building a comfortable life (moving house, redecorating, getting the yard/garden in shape, etc.), and for budgetary reasons doing a lot of things ourselves that later in life we may automate (roomba, riding lawn mower) or hire out (some housework or yard work, home improvement projects). Our social lives may involve more activity (walking, dancing) in our 20s-30s, and by the time we're in our 50s-60s, there might be more social events revolving around eating/drinking (perhaps in higher-priced places with richer foods, besides
).
Clearly, not all of those things are universal, but it's not profoundly unusual to have a little lower daily life activity (not counting exercise) as we get older. If weight has crept up a bit along the way, that can make activity less enjoyable, so create a negative feedback situation.
I'd point out that 10 pounds a year of weight gain requires eating only on average 100 calories daily above maintenance calories (or moving enough less to amount to 100 calories average less calorie burn daily). That's not very much: It's about half a serving of peanut butter, or (at 150 pounds) about 30 minutes of slow walking (2.5mph), so maybe 3,000 or so steps. There are big cumulative effects from small changes in daily life.
On top of that, most everyone will lose muscle mass as they age, unless they act deliberately to counteract that. Muscle is slightly more metabolically active than the equivalent weight in fat (about 2 calories per pound per day more, IIRC). That's a small effect, but it adds to the mix. Also, as we lose muscle mass, active things that were once easy and fun gradually become more difficult and easier to want to avoid.
Sometimes women aggravate the muscle mass loss by yo-yo dieting, usually low-balling protein in those situations in favor of salads, preferring cardio to weight training, trying to lose weight quickly with extreme or fad diets. That causes more than the minimum of lean-tissue loss. When that loss phase ends, it's common to give up the exercise, and regain while eating relative lots of carbs/fats vs. protein still, so regain is almost entirely fat. Repeat that enough times, and body composition suffers.
It's common among women to blame menopause for late in life weight gain, and maybe there's something to that, but I suspect the factors above are at least as significant . . . and happily, both daily life activity and muscle mass are very significantly under our individual control.
To me, it makes the most sense to focus on things I can influence or control (what I eat, how I exercise and go about daily life), and not worry so much about things I can't change at all (menopausal status, my hypothyroidism, etc.).
I lost about 50 pounds at age 59-60, from obese to a healthy weight. That was in 2015. Heading into 2020, I'm still at a healthy weight (mid-130s pounds at 5'5").
With respect to sweet cravings specifically, it helped me to make it a point to increase my fruit consumption. This won't work for everyone, but I'm not the only one here who's had that result; it could be worth trying. At first, I strove for 3 servings of fruit daily. After a period of time, I wasn't craving cookies/candy/baked goods like I had before, and eventually many of those things started tasting boring and "just sweet", not even all that desirable. (I still like a good, rich dessert now and then ). Nowadays, I just eat fruit when I feel like it, one serving most days, several on other days.
I don't much have an opinion about location of weight gain in menopause vs. earlier: I was fat for a long time, so I can't say I remember. These days, weight variation shows up somewhere between thighs and ribcage, but I kind of think that was always my gain first/lose last area. Belly specifically, I don't recall.
Clearly, others will differ in opinion or experience about the above stuff, but this has been my experience and perception.
Best wishes for much success with MFP! :flowerforyou:38 -
Thank you for your unbiased opinion and helpful advice annPT77.
I will try the fruit for my sweet cravings! Btw, you look amazing @ 64 1 -
Thank you for your unbiased opinion and helpful advice annPT77. I will try the fruit for my sweet cravings! Btw, you look amazing @ 64
Aw, thanks! Truth in advertising: That was around age 60, shortly after weight loss. I don't think I look lots different now, though: Activity level still about the same.
BTW: I had to edit my previous post. I originally typed that muscle was less metabolically active than fat: The opposite is true, of course. 1 -
Thanks for this post. I'm not so sure that menopause is completely to blame for gaining weight, at least not for me. I have been on the thin side my entire life and that was probably because I smoked instead of ate. Well, when I finally quit 3years ago that is when I gained 8 lbs that i STILL can't seem to get rid of! I know 8 lbs doesn't sound like a lot, I'm 5'4 (current weight is 131) but I'm very uncomfortable; I've gone up a size in clothes and I just don't feel good about how I look.
I agree with the posters who say we're probably less active, at least I know I am- I still work out at the gym, I lift heavy weights and do cardio generally about 3x a week but if I'm honest, I'm not working the cardio as hard as I could.
I feel your pain @dmkumhyr with the sweets and carbs - and I feel like I'm always hungry and nothing really satisfies me. I go back and forth with "I'm 63, I'm tired of denying myself good food or drinks" to "..i hate how i feel.."
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Thank you for sharing AprilFlowersinPA1 That is how I feel too! Love my carbs and sweet things! I'm sure everything in moderation would be ideal, that is if one can moderate! 0
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Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
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I've been dealing with it since 50....the hot flashes, sleep issues and other personal issues (picture a desert with tumble weeds - nuff said) finally drove me to discuss it all with my OB-Gyn. He agreed that I was a candidate for HRT - use a creme with a very low dose of hormones. It helped. I joined MFP to deal with the weight gain when my metabolism came to a screeching halt. And I have really upped my workouts. It will never be easy but its doable and it does get better. Don't deny yourself sweets just log them all and get moving asap. My issue is the nightly wine or cocktail - which I am really cutting back on to get down to my goal weight, but not completely cutting out. I run to eat and drink lol! Feel free to friend me
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paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.3 -
FYI I changed my username from dmkumhyr to saggynaggy65. 😉 Thank you so much for those who offered positive support!2
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saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
What did she say that was snide? It all sounded just factual to me.
For what it's worth, I lost weight during menopause. Even whilst eating a lot of sweets and carbs. And, like @paperpudding, I barely had any symptoms. I put that down to exercising a lot which, I've heard, helps.17 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Have you discussed hormone replacement therapy with your doctor?
And Paper Pudding was not snide. She very specifically said that was her experience, and acknowledged that it isn't the same for everyone.16 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
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saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
I am sorry that you are suffering so much, the range of symptoms and experience varies wildly from woman to woman. A lot of my friends had to get help from their medical teams to deal with the symptoms. I hope you can do the same and find some intervention that will help you.
I hope you won't think I am being snide when I say that in my experience here in the UK there was a lot of information and discussion regarding the menopause, among my friends of course but also some TV programmes, leaflets in my doctors office and of course online on health websites and fitness sites like this one. I do consider myself one of the lucky ones as I pretty much sailed through, didn't notice any particular weight gain issues but then my weight has yo yo'd most of my life. However I did suffer almost uncontrollable mood swings that scared the hell out of me, but I found a herbal supplement that helped even them out.
Yes a lot of things change in a woman's body at this time but there is a lot of help out there now and your medical team should be able to find something to help alleviate your symptoms.
The good news is it doesn't last forever. You will get through it.
No secrets regarding weight gain, keeping in a calorie deficit is all that is needed to lose weight, it is a bit of myth that weight gain during menopause is inevitable.9 -
I've been in perimenopause forever now ... well it feels like it. And I sure do talk about it!! I talk to my doctor, my gynaecologic-oncologist, my pelvic physiotherapist, my mother, my friends my age ...
According to my gynaecologic-oncologist, I probably went into perimenopause at about 42 or 43 years of age. When I was 48 in 2015, I had gained weight because I had not been exercising, but decided to make a change. And throughout 2015, I dropped back to the weight I had been most of my twenties and thirties.
I did that by meticulously sticking to my calorie limit and exercising lots.
I maintained that weight through 2016 and 2017, mainly through exercising lots ... and not going too crazy with my diet.
Unfortunately, in 2018, my husband had a very serious workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury. My exercise quantity has diminished a lot and so I've put some weight back on.
However, I know that it is easy enough to lose ... I just have to meticulously stick to my calorie limit and exercise lots. When I do, I start dropping the kilograms.
And not having periods every 3 weeks, like I did from about 2014 to 2018, is fantastic! I'm not in menopause yet because a period still crops up every few months ... but the long gaps in between mean I can exercise much more consistently without cramps, floods, and all sorts.
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also FYI OP here is a thread with a lot of talking about it that you may find helpful: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread#latest5
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I've been in perimenopause forever now ... well it feels like it. And I sure do talk about it!! I talk to my doctor, my gynaecologic-oncologist, my pelvic physiotherapist, my mother, my friends my age ...
According to my gynaecologic-oncologist, I probably went into perimenopause at about 42 or 43 years of age. When I was 48 in 2015, I had gained weight because I had not been exercising, but decided to make a change. And throughout 2015, I dropped back to the weight I had been most of my twenties and thirties.
I did that by meticulously sticking to my calorie limit and exercising lots.
I maintained that weight through 2016 and 2017, mainly through exercising lots ... and not going too crazy with my diet.
Unfortunately, in 2018, my husband had a very serious workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury. My exercise quantity has diminished a lot and so I've put some weight back on.
However, I know that it is easy enough to lose ... I just have to meticulously stick to my calorie limit and exercise lots. When I do, I start dropping the kilograms.
And not having periods every 3 weeks, like I did from about 2014 to 2018, is fantastic! I'm not in menopause yet because a period still crops up every few months ... but the long gaps in between mean I can exercise much more consistently without cramps, floods, and all sorts.
Yes, I'm 53 and the only sign of upcoming menopause is larger fibroids and heavier bleeding. For the last few years, unlike the rest of my life, my periods have been like clockwork. (And torrential, although tranexamic acid does help.)
I talk to everyone logical about menopause, from a "Where the heck is it?" perspective - my mother, my aunt, my sister, my GP, my GYN, etc. No hot flashes yet. I will be having another FSH test next time I have blood work, but those results don't really tell me anything I didn't already know - menopause is somewhat closer, but not here yet.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
[/quote
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.0 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
I'm not sure that anyone "sailed through" menopause; they just mentioned not gaining weight. To be clear, while my mother did not gain weight, she did have hot flashes for 10 or 15 years.
However, perhaps there is something to be learned from women or cultures who do have an easier time with menopause, for example, Japanese women eating a traditional diet: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/07/980727080103.htm
FYI, on online forums you are never going to get responses exclusively from your target demographic, so if you adjust your expectations you will likely have a better experience 9 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
[/quote
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
"dreaded life change that nobody talks about" implies taboo. You probably meant it lightheartedly but it's still out there.
Welcome to mfp! 😀3 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
10 -
I had no symptoms of peri-menopause, but menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes are horrible and debilitating. I get 10+ per day and they're not just a warming sensation. It feels like I've been dropped into a pit of fire. Insomnia makes the rest of life more difficult because I'm so tired. It sucks big time and I lost my sense of humor about it a long time ago.
However, I haven't had any weight gain. I keep active and watch how much I eat and all is well on that front.5 -
I’m another one who found peri bad but menopause itself easy. I got nearly to the needing a blood transfusion stage several times during peri, felt awful all the time, lost an ovary to a (benign) tumor. Menopause itself has been fine - in fact, although I’ve been menopausal for five years now, I keep feeling nervous because I never did have a single hot flash and wondering, did I really get off that easy or is something different going to happen any day now? My main “symptom” has been that my skin is finally clear most of the time!
@saggynaggy65 I feel like even though you asked specifically for experiences of people having a bad time, it’s important for all kinds of people to share their experiences since so many different people might read this thread. I had heard so many stories of how bad menopause was that I was really dreading something that turned out to be fine. Every woman is different! And I hope you feel better in the future.8 -
VioletRojo wrote: »I had no symptoms of peri-menopause, but menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes are horrible and debilitating. I get 10+ per day and they're not just a warming sensation. It feels like I've been dropped into a pit of fire. Insomnia makes the rest of life more difficult because I'm so tired. It sucks big time and I lost my sense of humor about it a long time ago.
However, I haven't had any weight gain. I keep active and watch how much I eat and all is well on that front.
I have the exact same symptoms as you VioletRojo. I tried everything from diet and exercise to spending tons of money on nutritional supplements that really didn't make me feel any better. I started HRT last week on the advice of my doctor and I find that I am already getting some relief. There is nothing worse than breaking out in a sweat when you are not doing anything physical! I can't wait to get a good night's sleep again! This has been going on for 8 months now and I'm soooooo tired! Thank you so much for sharing your story.1
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