Perimenopause/Menopause

I agree with kshama. Menopause is one of the latest ways marketers are trying to hook us on the idea that we can't improve fitness or achieve a healthy body weight without their $$$$ exercise programs, supplements, or diet plan. If we realize we can handle it on our own, they're SOL.

I missed out on peri (because chemotherapy brought on menopause within the space of a month), but I've been in menopause for almost 24 years . . . a period of time during which I went from a couch bound overstressed lump to competing as an athlete, then lost from class 1 obese to a healthy weight in just under a year (without adding any material amount of exercise BTW).

Menopause can trigger some annoying symptoms for some, sure. But I think what's more relevant to bodyweight at that stage is that fact that - for most of us - we've lost muscle mass, and our lifestyles have become less routinely physical than when we were in our teens/20s. For sure, current research is saying our underlying metabolism is stable from 20s through around 60, then declines only slowly. A history of yo-yo dieting can also reduce calorie needs somewhat.

Fundamentally, increasing activity (daily life stuff as well as exercise) and managing calorie intake (keeping it below what we burn) is the basic right approach. For sure, MFP and calorie counting helped me do that more easily, though there's an element of personal preference in what will work best, and there are other possible routes than counting.

Doing some strength-challenging exercise can help rebuild some of our lost muscle mass, too. That's a slow process, and only increases calorie burn at rest by a teeny tiny amount, but strength is useful in daily life, and being fitter (in diverse ways) often helps people find moving easier and more fun, so more of it happens semi-automagically.

Don't believe the disempowering "menopause myths". Managing eating and activity level can be sufficient for progress, whether in menopause or not.

Best wishes!

lisakatz2 wrote: »

Hi Ann, when you went into menopause did you notice any thickening in your midsection? I used to have the most awesome hourglass figure till I hit 50. Now I'm an "apple" lol. I wonder as I lean out, if I'll ever see my abs again like I did when I was 17 percent BF in my early 30's.

Honestly, I have no idea if I had midsection thickening with menopause. When I went into menopause, I was somewhere around the overweight/obese BMI line, was starting chemotherapy, had just had bilateral mastectomies with no reconstruction so my body looked different to me anyway, and after treatment started getting more athletic so my body shape changed from that . . . too complicated to sort out what happened, let alone what caused it.

Truthfully, I don't much care what menopause did or didn't cause. I have a reasonable handle on where I am now, and that's what I'll need to work with if I want to change. I can't stop being menopausal! (And I can't take HRT because of the type of cancer I had.)

I was apple-shaped for sure before weight loss, now shaped more like . . . a block, maybe?

Personally, I hold most of my residual fat in my lower abdomen and inner upper thighs. My lower ribs are close to the top of my pelvic bones, so I'm never going to have much of a waist. (I tend to be rectangular-ish, figure-wise: Limited waist, broad shoulders, narrow hips, generally built more like a 14 y/o boy when thin, less like a 68 y/o woman. )

As an aside, I accidentally lost too much weight when I was pursuing maintenance at first, got down to 116 pounds at 5'5" (BMI 19). If I got my posture where it needed to be, my belly didn't protrude much, IIRC. I don't recall how visible abs were, not really on my radar. I like being strong, but I don't really care how I look.

There's a lot going on as we age, on average: Loss of muscle mass, compromised posture, maybe some weight gain . . . there's going to be some belly prominence if that stuff happens.

Still, I don't see why a person who could see abs when young couldn't get that back when older . . . except the part where there's a lot of work involved. For sure, I'd expect it to require getting down to fairly low body fat at any age. I will add that I believe there's some limited research - iffy - suggesting that weight training is helpful in reducing central fat post-menopausally.

BTW, my gym started as a hospital rehab center, and tends to an older clientele.

I would say that 75% of the women in my “muscle madness” class are over 60- several in their 70’s. The instructor is 64.

These ladies look fabulous! Some, that’s all they do, some also run, walk the indoor track, or work out in the gym, too. Most are doing the stretch classes, and some do the gym-run yoga classes.

They are too tame for me, so I do yoga elsewhere. 😂

I’m 46, in perimenopause, and lost weight (about thirty pounds) without issues. I do the basics: modest deficit, mostly whole foods, moderate exercise. I didn’t notice any differences from the last time I’ve lost weight, about 10 years ago. So I agree with those who say it’s a myth and don’t overthink it/don’t buy into what might be marketing. My cycle is not as regular now and I notice PMS more (could be increased awareness from tracking). But weight loss and building muscle work as expected. 💪🏻.