Fit After Menopause (With Pics)

robingmurphy · December 2021

Ladies, I'm hitting menopause and I'm down about it because it just seems harder to stay fit! I'm noticing that I'm carrying 15 or 20 extra pounds and my waist is a little bigger than it's ever been. I am getting my diet and exercise strategy back in line, but it's hard to feel motivated. I'm worried that it's just not going to be possible to feel fit and sexy after menopause and I need inspiration. I would love to hear STORIES from fit women past menopause and especially PICTURES. Show me your strong, fit, beautiful selves and inspire me with what my future can hold!

JustJ2014 · December 2021

In order to lose one pound, you need a deficit of 3500 calories. Check out your BMR and make sure you eat less than that each day. Get 30 minutes of activity every day. Start today. Focus on every day being DAY ONE.

jrowens3102 · December 2021

I'm the "before" picture right now, lol, so no inspiration but tons of sympathy. I'm in the same boat; I've gained 15lbs since APRIL and I'm not sure how much of it is menopause vs pandemic but something's gotta' give before it's my sanity.

Beautyofdreams · December 2021

Your Bmr is the calories required to keep you alive if in a coma. Eat less than maintenance not bmr. Follow the mfp set up to determine your calories.

While I am not fit, I have lost 85 pounds and am in the ideal weight range for my height. Accomplished this despite being 57, having extensive diabetic nerve damage and being off my feet and in a leg cast since this April until 3 weeks ago. Here are my pictures.

candysashab88 · December 2021

i love this . This is the thread i needed. I am perimenopause or whatever but I am stoked to know that others have gone before me . I can do this wo hoo

iamjoyce1 · December 2021

Amazing accomplishment!! You are an inspiration to keep on trying

DancingMoosie · December 2021

Check out Pahla B on YouTube. She talks about diet, fitness, menopause...
https://youtube.com/c/PahlaBowers

https://youtu.be/edDmMRRGns0

BrightEyedAgain · December 2021

I don't have photos to share, but I'm 51yrs old and I'll be officially post menopausal in January assuming my body doesn't suddenly throw me a curve ball. I started MFP in February when my body was definitely showing menopause symptoms, and I've had no trouble losing 37lbs to get to a BMI of 22. The CICO math on MFP worked fine for me despite being in menopause, so it's definitely possible for you, too. My trainer is a woman in her 50s who specializes in helping women through this process, and her keys for success are these:

1.) Edit your MFP Macros to get more protein--about 115-120g daily is what she recommended. The carbs and fats can be whatever makes you happy that fit into your calories. Focus on hitting your protein goal as well as your calories.

2.) Focus on strength training over cardio because it will help you long term. You can do cardio as well if you enjoy it, but the more muscle mass you can build during this time, the better off you'll be in the future. If you're new to strength training, your newbie gains can more than offset the difficulty of building muscle during menopause, so use that to your advantage.

3.) Eat back about half your exercise calories. That'll make up for the places where the MFP estimates might be off or your logging imperfect.

4.) If you start feeling overtired, up your calories by 100 for a few days and see if that helps. Or, try eating back all your exercise calories. Pay attention to your energy levels as well as your weight loss experience, and don't forget to update your MFP goals as you lose. You may need to lose more slowly in order to feel good while your body changes and you get used to the workouts.

These are all things that have worked well for me. Obviously, everyone's different, but it's a good place to start. If you can possibly manage it, I highly recommend hiring a trainer. I see mine once a week and then workout on my own the rest of the time. I do three all over strength routines a week with some cardio thrown in according to mood.

I've been amazed at how much strength and flexibility I've been able to build even while going through menopause. I'm more fit than I was in my 20s when I was super active. I have muscle definition in places I didn't know I had muscles!! And I move so easily now with no more "old person" mornings!! So don't think age has to stop you because it doesn't. Most symptoms we associate with age are really from being overweight and out of shape. My only regret is that I waited so long to get started.

AnnPT77 · December 2021

I don't think age or menopause per se is any kind of deal breaker.

Fitness requires a certain level of fairly consistent activity; I know multiple women in their 70s who are quite fit and slim, and at least one over 80.

Beautiful seems to require some other investments in self-care, but I don't really know much about what they are: Not my jam. Hair? Makeup? Clothes? Dunno.

Sexy is more about how one feels, isn't it?

I don't do beautiful or sexy: Don't have the slightest inclination, which is fortunate as I don't have the face for it, either; and if I were inclined to it, my post-bilateral-mastectomies status might be a limiting factor. (It's not a limiting factor for the actual me - I'm fine with it, ultra happy to lose body parts that tried to kill me, in fact! 😆). My build is what I'd consider more sporty or boyish, not glamor gal with hourglass figure. I've been menopausal since my mid-40s, with menopause brought on by chemotherapy.

But I think I'm at least reasonably fit, for a li'l ol' lady. I just turned 66, and the most recent "fitness age" estimate from my Garmin fitness tracker (which I find pretty amusing, BTW, not remotely persuasive) was 23.

Non-coincidentally, I started being active after cancer treatment, so pretty much any fitness I may have happened in menopause. For fun, with apologies for the bad pixelated photo, this was me when I was first getting started on being more active, around 20 years ago, I think 2002 - for sure already in menopause:

I didn't lose any significant amount of weight - despite being quite athletically active - until 2015, at age 59-60, when I dropped from just over the line into class 1 obese (183 pounds at 5'5") down to a healthy weight (120s). I've been up and down a bit since, all within the normal BMI range, healthy weights for me, and am now intentionally back down in the mid-120s again.

I don't have many photos of myself that are more recent, particularly not full body ones, but here's one from shortly after weight loss, not looking my best because squinting into the sun, but it's what I've got. I think I was 60?

I'm now at about the same bodyweight, doing pretty much the same activities. I think I look pretty much the same physically, though a little older in the face; I definitely have quite the untidy long Covid-era hair at this point, and it's now very gray. Otherwise, pretty similar AFAIK.

Like I said, I don't think age or menopause is any kind of deal breaker.

I wish @springlering62 would show up here. I know she's gotten all fit and slim and strong, and I think it was maybe/probably post-menopause. There are others, too.

Recommendation: Suspend disbelief, put in the effort . . . betting you'll surprise yourself.

Best wishes for success!

salleewins · December 2021

It can be done! I was 55 when I started. That is 3 years past menopause. I am now 61 and total down is 53 pounds! I wasn't always consistent. Life got stressful and I worked on maintaining during those times. It is not always just about calories in, calories out.

Turtlemummy · December 2021

You know what? I used the excuse of "menopausal weight gain" for over a year to brush off the increase in belly fat and the persistent slow uptick on the scales.
Until this summer, when I declared "enough is enough" when realising I was the same weight as after giving birth and my clothes didn't fit. I returned to MFP, upped the exercise, and lost 24lb. I did need to be committed to it, I started on only 1200 kcal, slowly increasing as the weight dropped and I felt I could afford to slow things down. I ate back my exercise calories, but also made myself do more exercise if I wanted to "earn" that glass of wine or slice of cake. I've lost one and a half dress sizes, and am now at my pre-conception weight, rather than immediate postpartum weight!
I'm 47, full on menopausal symptoms, with a hectic shift work job and a small child, but I've stuck at it, and you can too!

dianebeckner01 · December 2021

I'm in the same boat. Thanks for this post!

springlering62 · December 2021

I started at 56, def post-menopausal. I was overweight, and then obese for half my life.

I didn’t think I could lose weight. We’ve all heard the stories and seen the magazine covers, right? But I had never seriously tried to lose weight before, other than a short stint losing weight to get my health insurance to cover a reduction- which they promptly denied because “you no longer need it after losing twenty pounds”, so l quit and drowned my sorrows (aka punished myself) with chocolate and even more sweets- and packed on even more weight.

I am eternally grateful my dietician suggested MFP. It’s simple, easy, and the weight came off steadily. If I had known it was this easy, I would have done it years ago.

There’s a thousand things you can do to motivate yourself, places you can cut back, but really, it all boils down to weighing accurately and logging every bite that crosses your lips. After the first couple weeks, it’ll be second nature. I have two family members who have now joined MFP and they are both doing well with it, too, and are delighted with their results.

If you make excuses for age, health, “food addiction” (I was easily eating over 10,000 calories a day so I’ve earned the right to those air quotes) you’re not ready. If you under eat and/or over exercise because you’re in a confounded rush, you’ll probably fail and fall back into old habits.

BTW, as the weight fell off, I had the bright idea of getting down to my wedding day weight of 125. Ladies, your body has changed in the past 35 or 40 years. You carry your weight differently than in your youth. What looked awesome at 24 can be damned scary after menopause. I got to 127 and it was only after my wonderful trainer threatened to drop me and send me some scary *kitten* photos that I came to realize “not hot” at my age. Even ten pounds heavier, I can get into my wedding dress- and it’s loose.

I am very active, mostly for the sheer and utter joy of being able to move, but also because of what another user has coined Imposter Syndrome. I’m scared I’ll wake up and discover it was all a big mistake, and the god of weight has over “blessed” me again.

I am 59 now, and holding at about 133, give or take a couple. This is a timeline of photos. The weight will come off. It’s going to be slower than you want, but faster than you expect.

Your body changes the whole time. My hips got wide for a period. My butt sagged like an old forgotten water balloon for a week. I’m still changing shape after being in maintenance for a year.

Ten years ago and a K cup (and we ain’t talking coffe, either)

July 2018, age 56 (two months before I started. BTW husband encouraged me to get that reduction so this is several years after it. We paid out of pocket.)

May 2019 (eight months in)

Nov 2019 (14 months in)

Two years in I was scary thin and my trainer threatened to drop me if I didn’t quit and consider putting a few pounds back in. This was the photo she sent me that “scared me straight”.

Couple weeks ago

niniemae · December 2021

I never went through natural menopause due to having my ovaries removed, but the weight gain was a huge struggle after that, and I went very quickly from 150 to 170. Dieting and exercise just didn't seem to work for me, but my brother told me he had decided to lose a little weight and started fasting every other day. He lost the 20 pounds he was looking to lose, so I gave it a try. Not being quite as dedicated as he was, I was fasting 36 hours at a time starting Sunday night at 8pm and not eating again before 8am on Tuesday, then repeat with no food after 8pm on Tuesday until after 8am on Thursday. On Tuesday, Thursday & Friday I ate small portions of mostly protein meals but did allow Saturday and Sunday to be days I could eat what and when I wanted. I also walked 3 times a day, each walk was a 15 minute mile. It took from May - August to go from 168 down to 140, and now I maintain the weight with eating dinner everyday (healthy choices) and I still allow Saturday and Sunday as "free" days. My walks continue as well, and this seems to have worked for me.

albamarie61 · December 2021

I am about to turn 60 and have been in post-menopause for about 8 years. I have lost 25 pounds since June with most of it coming off after joining MFP. I am about 5 pounds from my goal weight. I never dieted in my life before this and was convinced that it would be impossible but it can be done (with all the wonderful advice above!). I have been making a lot of other changes in my life that make me feel better than ever as well. More than the weight loss, stopping the hair dye and letting my natural gray color emerge has been a wonderful journey. So liberating! And to be honest, I FEEL prettier than I have in years. To me, it is all about how you feel. Society has told me that a gray haired women with wrinkles shouldn't feel beautiful, but I do. Go figure!

dharma8040 · December 2021

My experience is that the same stuff works as before (calorie counting, low and complex carbs, high protein, a little fruit, mostly veg, exercise), but you just have to be so much more patient. Change your expectations. I've set MFP to the lowest weight loss setting possible, and I try to be scrupulously accurate with my tracking by weighing everything. I've reframed my thinking from 'weightloss / diet' to 'my forever health program'. That was a big step. I'm also focusing on habits I can maintain no matter where I am (so bodyweight exercises without specialist equipment, little food scales I can carry around, easy snack packs, shoes that look good but are also great for walking when I can) because I travel a lot and don't want any excuse to fall off the bandwagon. My aim is for my basic habits to not change until I die apart from resetting my net calories and changing my exercise program within the envelopes of strength, flexibility, cardiovascular health. This has quietened my emotions and made me feel a lot better about myself. Slow and forever habits would be my advice. It's just a lot harder than what it used to be but it CAN be done. Think years, not months. And make sure you measure EVERYTHING before it passes your lips preferably. I think I used to inadvertently cheat but got away with it because my BMR was higher. Also make sure you're sleeping as well as you can and you are not stressed. Those two things also are much more important post menopause in my opinion (just because menopause seems to heighten sleeplessness and anxiety and I think it stuffs with your hormones which then hold onto your weight). Making some work related changes has really helped me I think.

Fit After Menopause (With Pics)

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