Menopause & weight gain

Any ladies out there struggling with menopause & weight gain ? I’m walking & watching my calories… I’m stuck ! Any tips & tricks ??
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Replies

  • lanyquist
    lanyquist Posts: 2 Member
    Hi Kimberly, I ate Adkins for 2 years & that helped. But, I had hernia surgery in January, so I couldn’t workout for a bit. That threw me off. I gained back the weight.
    I’m back at it. And have dropped 5 pounds. I hope someone else answers this question as I always seem to hit a plateau with 10 lbs to lose.
  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,426 Member
    "Watching your calories" isn't really a metric...

    Finding your weight loss calories is an experiment we all had to run, menopause or not.

    Keep logging food. Study your food diary if you want to make any progress. Just watching calories isn't enough, it has to be the right number.

    Low carb (Atkins) isn't necessary and I'd argue that in menopause I needed my carbs - your mileage may vary.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,077 Member
    I'm in peri, and I won't lie, that shitake hit me like a freight train, and bloating and weight came right along with it all.
    The weight (not the bloating), however, I see as more of a side effect of the peri BS. My list of symptoms was rather extensive, and while from the outside looking in you'd probably just say I wasn't "dedicated" enough, reality was I didn't have it in me to do what was needed to maintain my weight, unless I was willing to let my job/career/business and pets suffer, but something had to give.
    I started with a supplement, which helped, and then just over a month ago finally started HRT, and this week I've been able to start back to my AM workouts - and that's while recovering from a crash I had at this last weekend's races!
    There would have been no WAY I'd be doing that a month ago....fatigue and exhaustion (and as I found out some brain fog too) were killing me - sleep patterns were all off - and willpower was non-existent.
    Things are improving, and I'm glad I'm able to utilize what is out there!
    I'm confident that the sleep and fatigue improvements, allowing me to get my workouts in, and having a lot more "willpower" and my "I'm full" receptors seeming to work again will result in getting the weight back in line.
  • lanyquist
    lanyquist Posts: 2 Member
    @springlering62 That is exactly what I have found also. As you said What I found was, it was actually a relief to back off the endless sugar and carbs. That was the last thing I expected.

    Most everyone gets that belly spread in middle age. Cutting down on refined carbs and sugar has certainly helped me. I don’t get the huge crash after eating a high carb meal anymore. And my pants fit around the waist better. I’ve been on HRT for 15 years now. Like Hailey Berry says, I’ll probably be on
    it until I die.

    That said, keeping fat off my belly & rear is my biggest battle. I walk briskly daily, Lift weights 3x per week, swim occasionally and bike. Whenever I drop my activity and start eating sweets or drinking the belly fat returns.

    I just started reading “The Insulin Resistance Solution”. As someone who has been normal weight up until menopause, but had polycystic disease. It has really opened my eyes and allowed me to take some of the blame for midlife spread off myself.
    That’s my 2 cents.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Unlike much of the population, my mother became more active when she retired and for decades has struggled to stay above Underweight as she is so active and doesn't eat a lot of hyperpalatable or calorie dense food. She eats a lot of bulky/filling/lower calorie fruit/vegetables/legumes/grains, similar to the Mediterranean diet.

    I'm post hysterectomy and am overweight because I eat too much for my activity level.
  • mckendryheather
    mckendryheather Posts: 1 Member
    To echo what some of the other comments have said…

    When I started noticing belly weight gain, etc., from menopause, I rode my bike harder and I ate less. It didn’t work.

    I hired a personal trainer and nutritionist and learned why. Since then, I eat more now…150g protein and 20g fiber a day. And I’m weight training. I still ride, but only 1-2 x week. It’s been slow, but I’m losing about 1.5 lbs a month and my clothes fit me better than they have in a long time.

    I also worked on getting my hormones balanced and am on hormone replacement therapy.

    I’ve had to accept that I won’t lose weight like I did in my 20’s and 30’s and that this is a lifestyle change for the long haul because I want to be strong and able to do the things I love for a long time to come.
  • Eager2LoseLbs
    Eager2LoseLbs Posts: 16 Member
    edited August 19
    I am 55 going on 56. Well, I’ve lost 15 lbs in 2 months, started on June 12. I was 195 and now I’m between 179 and 181 lbs. it’s been hard and hit plateaus a lot but I finally found a diet that works. For exercise, I do cardio/aerobics for about 30 minutes and my diet consists of cottage cheese with fruit with a cup of coffee for breakfast, for lunch I have a tuna or egg salad sandwich then for dinner I have a hearty chicken salad. My snack is peaches. My goal weight is to reach for 160 lbs. I have 20 more lbs to go so it will probably take me another 2 to 4 months. After I reach my goal, I plan on maintaining it this time. I don’t want to be overweight again. Yo-yo dieting isn’t something I want to keep doing.

    This is the second time to lose all this weight. It’s been hard for me because this is hormonal weight gain with this perimenopause. It’s a sure challenge.
  • What does MFP mean? I'm new here. F46 and dealing with weight gain. Especially my mid section and legs. I'm at 180 lbs. One year ago, I was 155 lbs. A lot of the weight gain is my fault. I'm at a caloric deficit, but I still eat a lot with 1300 calories. I find myself having three meals and a lot of snacks. But I'm still at the caloric deficit. Not losing weight. Can I still be eating too much with the caloric deficit. I'm tracking my food. I know I need to be more active. I've faced a lot of grief over the last 2-3 years. I lost my dad, best friend, and grandma all within 6 months of each other, moved, got a new demanding job, and was hit with emotional eating due to being lonely. Lonely meaning being single. I've yo-yo’d over the last 3 years. I've lost weight and put it right back on. I never had an issue with weight until covid.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,854 Member
    edited August 19
    kaaheav wrote: »
    I am 55 going on 56. Well, I’ve lost 15 lbs in 2 months, started on June 12. I was 195 and now I’m between 179 and 181 lbs. it’s been hard and hit plateaus a lot but I finally found a diet that works. For exercise, I do cardio/aerobics for about 30 minutes and my diet consists of cottage cheese with fruit with a cup of coffee for breakfast, for lunch I have a tuna or egg salad sandwich then for dinner I have a hearty chicken salad. My snack is peaches. My goal weight is to reach for 160 lbs. I have 20 more lbs to go so it will probably take me another 2 to 4 months. After I reach my goal, I plan on maintaining it this time. I don’t want to be overweight again. Yo-yo dieting isn’t something I want to keep doing.

    This is the second time to lose all this weight. It’s been hard for me because this is hormonal weight gain with this perimenopause. It’s a sure challenge.

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,519 Member
    What does MFP mean? .

    MFP=MyFitnessPal

    Another one you’ll find helpful:

    NSV= Non Scale Victory : waistband looser, rings falling off, etc even when weight doesn’t go down. Thats the fun, unexpected stuff that happens during stalls or plateaus. There’s a huge thread about it over on Success Stories. That thread kept me moving when the scale just wasn’t.
  • Eager2LoseLbs
    Eager2LoseLbs Posts: 16 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    .

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.

    I know what plateaus are and I have experienced it. Whenever your weight STALLS it’s a plateau. You have to make adjustments. If you’ve been losing the weight regularly then suddenly it stops, it’s a plateau. I also know that what’s on the scale is not just body fat. Remember, you’re not talking to a younger person. I’ve done this for years. Studied about the subject too.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,957 Member
    kaaheav wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    .

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.

    I know what plateaus are and I have experienced it. Whenever your weight STALLS it’s a plateau. You have to make adjustments. If you’ve been losing the weight regularly then suddenly it stops, it’s a plateau. I also know that what’s on the scale is not just body fat. Remember, you’re not talking to a younger person. I’ve done this for years. Studied about the subject too.

    Hi there and welcome.

    A stall for a day or a week is not a plateau. It's most likely water weight or poop weight weirdness. An actual plateau is only present if nothing happens in a month, or a full menstrual cycle if it applies.
  • Lietchi
    Lietchi Posts: 6,854 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    kaaheav wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    .

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.

    I know what plateaus are and I have experienced it. Whenever your weight STALLS it’s a plateau. You have to make adjustments. If you’ve been losing the weight regularly then suddenly it stops, it’s a plateau. I also know that what’s on the scale is not just body fat. Remember, you’re not talking to a younger person. I’ve done this for years. Studied about the subject too.

    Hi there and welcome.

    A stall for a day or a week is not a plateau. It's most likely water weight or poop weight weirdness. An actual plateau is only present if nothing happens in a month, or a full menstrual cycle if it applies.

    Yup. The difference being that a stall of a few days or weeks often requires no action, just patience. A plateau of a month or more is likely to be a sign that something needs to change.
  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,745 Member
    Lietchi wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    kaaheav wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    .

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.

    I know what plateaus are and I have experienced it. Whenever your weight STALLS it’s a plateau. You have to make adjustments. If you’ve been losing the weight regularly then suddenly it stops, it’s a plateau. I also know that what’s on the scale is not just body fat. Remember, you’re not talking to a younger person. I’ve done this for years. Studied about the subject too.

    Hi there and welcome.

    A stall for a day or a week is not a plateau. It's most likely water weight or poop weight weirdness. An actual plateau is only present if nothing happens in a month, or a full menstrual cycle if it applies.

    Yup. The difference being that a stall of a few days or weeks often requires no action, just patience. A plateau of a month or more is likely to be a sign that something needs to change.

    *fondly remembers her year long plateau*

    I was eating so well back then. Even in a deficit. :)
  • Eager2LoseLbs
    Eager2LoseLbs Posts: 16 Member
    edited August 19
    yirara wrote: »


    Hi there and welcome.

    A stall for a day or a week is not a plateau. It's most likely water weight or poop weight weirdness. An actual plateau is only present if nothing happens in a month, or a full menstrual cycle if it applies.

    Again, I’ve had plateaus and yes, it could be a month but only if you’re not making that adjustment. Yes, water weight causes your weight to go up and down, that’s different. Also, retaining water because of a menstrual cycle is also different. I’ve had actual plateaus, being stuck because of hormonal weight gain. Why do I get the feeling you guys are ganging up on me?

  • Eager2LoseLbs
    Eager2LoseLbs Posts: 16 Member
    It’s not that anyone’s ganging up on you. We’re pulling for you.

    But, we’ve been around long enough we’ve seen this so many times.

    A new board member, complaining about a stall or plateau, when in reality they’ve averaged about 1.75 pounds a week eating what sounds like not enough to support them nutritionally. There is this magnified social expectation that they should be able to lose it fast!!!!

    The boards are crowded with “I’m back!” posts by people who’ve done this lose fast/regain more cycle on repeat, and never really learn anything, while insisting that their way or their diet is the only way/best way and that they know what they’re doing, because they’ve done it before.

    Instead of bickering over semantics, read the meat of what people have posted, trying to share help and experience with you.

    Don’t be mad. I totally get it Hell, I was the prickliest obese woman you probably ever met. But I listened and absorbed and learned, , and have been in maintenance here almost as long as most the other long term members posting here to help.

    We don’t want to gang up ON you, we want you to JOIN the gang of sucessful loser/maintainers.

    My credentials? Started at 56, am 62 now. In maintenance for over four years. Mr Spring joined me here on MFP two or three years ago.

    Thank you for the reply.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,957 Member
    glassyo wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    yirara wrote: »
    kaaheav wrote: »
    Lietchi wrote: »
    .

    Just to clarify: you may have had stalls, but you didn't plateau. A plateau is at least a month where your weight stays the same (without any changes to your routine). Considering your very fast loss (15lbs in 2 months), I doubt you were anywhere near a plateau :smile: The scale does 'random' things (weight is more than just bodyfat, also fluctuations in water-weight and food waste in your system) and weight-loss isn't linear - perfectly normal to not lose weight every day or even every week.

    I know what plateaus are and I have experienced it. Whenever your weight STALLS it’s a plateau. You have to make adjustments. If you’ve been losing the weight regularly then suddenly it stops, it’s a plateau. I also know that what’s on the scale is not just body fat. Remember, you’re not talking to a younger person. I’ve done this for years. Studied about the subject too.

    Hi there and welcome.

    A stall for a day or a week is not a plateau. It's most likely water weight or poop weight weirdness. An actual plateau is only present if nothing happens in a month, or a full menstrual cycle if it applies.

    Yup. The difference being that a stall of a few days or weeks often requires no action, just patience. A plateau of a month or more is likely to be a sign that something needs to change.

    *fondly remembers her year long plateau*

    I was eating so well back then. Even in a deficit. :)

    We've all been there. Hey, I was in a deficit, and I was actually gaining weight. I heard that very dense rye bread and cottage cheese are great for weightloss. So I ate them. Next to my usual stuff, and a bag of crisps.
  • HoneyBadger302
    HoneyBadger302 Posts: 2,077 Member
    please stick around. The folks on these boards are super supportive.
    ...
    Maybe that’s why it makes me wild when I hear women falling back on “it’s my hormones fault!” I guess it was pretty obvious that it boiled down to over eating and under moving.

    As someone coming into "that age" I think there's often an "acknowledgement" gap between the end reason (intake vs output) and the hormone issues.
    Hormones do cause bloat issues, and some people struggle to tell the difference, and I get it, especially when it's sudden and affects how your clothes fit/you look!
    The hormones have a ton of other effects that can, in both small and large ways, affect that CICO. Plenty of women on HRT who notice MAJOR improvements in joint pain reduction, right now I'm experiencing healing at a rate I haven't seen in the past several years, and then there's fatigue and energy levels, sleep issues, and the dozens of other symptoms.
    Those are all things that can make someone move a little (or a lot) less, fidget less, sit down more/sooner, workout a little less intensely, etc - the list goes on and on. Fatigue and energy makes one crave a quick pick me up food source, which is typically going to be something sugary/carby and low on actual nutrition. Add in the exhaustion and willpower and the ability to make a better choice suffers.

    It boils down to CICO, but addressing or at least acknowledging how hormones can make that process a LOT more difficult than it otherwise can be I think does a disservice to women in general. Is it JUST the hormones - no, it still boils down to CICO, but the hormones can really affect a lot of other things that indirectly result in weight gains.

    Obviously not every woman goes through the same process, some hardly notice a difference, many like me land somewhere in the middle, and some have pretty extreme issues.

    I think it's good to look at it holistically but also acknowledge reality - the weight gain is a result of CICO, BUT, the hormones can indirectly affect that "O" portion in particular!
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,377 Member
    please stick around. The folks on these boards are super supportive.
    ...
    Maybe that’s why it makes me wild when I hear women falling back on “it’s my hormones fault!” I guess it was pretty obvious that it boiled down to over eating and under moving.

    As someone coming into "that age" I think there's often an "acknowledgement" gap between the end reason (intake vs output) and the hormone issues.
    Hormones do cause bloat issues, and some people struggle to tell the difference, and I get it, especially when it's sudden and affects how your clothes fit/you look!
    The hormones have a ton of other effects that can, in both small and large ways, affect that CICO. Plenty of women on HRT who notice MAJOR improvements in joint pain reduction, right now I'm experiencing healing at a rate I haven't seen in the past several years, and then there's fatigue and energy levels, sleep issues, and the dozens of other symptoms.
    Those are all things that can make someone move a little (or a lot) less, fidget less, sit down more/sooner, workout a little less intensely, etc - the list goes on and on. Fatigue and energy makes one crave a quick pick me up food source, which is typically going to be something sugary/carby and low on actual nutrition. Add in the exhaustion and willpower and the ability to make a better choice suffers.

    It boils down to CICO, but addressing or at least acknowledging how hormones can make that process a LOT more difficult than it otherwise can be I think does a disservice to women in general. Is it JUST the hormones - no, it still boils down to CICO, but the hormones can really affect a lot of other things that indirectly result in weight gains.

    Obviously not every woman goes through the same process, some hardly notice a difference, many like me land somewhere in the middle, and some have pretty extreme issues.

    I think it's good to look at it holistically but also acknowledge reality - the weight gain is a result of CICO, BUT, the hormones can indirectly affect that "O" portion in particular!

    I absolutely agree with all of this.

    What concerns me is that it seems so often posts focus on the menopause itself and - other than the HRT option - we can't change that. It's intractable. (That fact is what makes it so powerful as a marketing tool: We can't change menopause, so we need the marketers' "secret".)

    It's a mindset shift from thinking menopause is the problem, to focusing on the things that we can do to remediate menopause's side effects and symptoms, on top of all the classic things everyone needs to do to lose weight and improve fitness.

    In my view "menopause makes it hard" (while true) is disempowering. Working around, over, through or otherwise past the challenges it creates is essential, if progress is to be made. To me, it's more empowering to pick that apart, see the effects of not just menopause but also aging, maybe history of destructive repeat yo-yo dieting, and whatever all else . . . and then to identify the tools that we actually have and can use to reach our goals despite menopause.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 34,377 Member
    Sunny24380 wrote: »
    In my view "menopause makes it hard" (while true) is disempowering. Working around, over, through or otherwise past the challenges it creates is essential, if progress is to be made. To me, it's more empowering to pick that apart, see the effects of not just menopause but also aging, maybe history of destructive repeat yo-yo dieting, and whatever all else . . . and then to identify the tools that we actually have and can use to reach our goals despite menopause.

    Hello, this is my first post here and not sure if I’ve been able to capture what you said (I feel sure there must have been an easier route but who knows what that is?!) but this is exactly why I came here- because I’ve been feeling so defeated -have put on 15lb since the start of the year, and yo-yoed between ‘Of course I can do this’ (until it’s quickly clear I’m not) and ‘What is the point, I’m old and need to resign myself to just getting fatter’. A chance conversation with a friend who has lost weight post-menopausal has inspired me today and I’m so grateful to have found this forum.

    You did fine. :)

    If you want to include a post in your post in order to reply to it, click on "quote" underneath the post you want to copy. If you want to reply to only part of it, either bold it (like I did above) or edit the quoted text to delete parts you aren't replying to (optional).

    To bold, highlight the text you want to be in bold, then go up to the top of your post-in-process. Up there, find the large "B" to the left just above the post-creating box, and click on it. That will put "tags" around the thing you highlighted. They will be "b" at the start of what you want to bold, and "/b" at the end of what you want to bold, but without the quote marks and inside square brackets.

    To edit a post you've quoted, you can go in the text that was copied when you hit that "quote" option, end edited just the way you edit your own section. Just be sure to keep the square-bracketed "quote" at the front of what you're quoting, and the square-bracketed "/quote" at the end. Type your reply above or below the quoted piece.

    Obviously, it's not nice to edit a quote to misrepresent what someone said previously, or take it out of context in a way that would misrepresent what they meant . . . but I'm sure you'd know that. :)

    You can also type the square-bracket tags into posts yourself for various purposes, if you want to, after you figure it out.
  • springlering62
    springlering62 Posts: 8,519 Member
    edited September 1
    Sunny24380 wrote: »
    In my view "menopause makes it hard" (while true) is disempowering. Working around, over, through or otherwise past the challenges it creates is essential, if progress is to be made. To me, it's more empowering to pick that apart, see the effects of not just menopause but also aging, maybe history of destructive repeat yo-yo dieting, and whatever all else . . . and then to identify the tools that we actually have and can use to reach our goals despite menopause.

    Hello, this is my first post here and not sure if I’ve been able to capture what you said (I feel sure there must have been an easier route but who knows what that is?!) but this is exactly why I came here- because I’ve been feeling so defeated -have put on 15lb since the start of the year, and yo-yoed between ‘Of course I can do this’ (until it’s quickly clear I’m not) and ‘What is the point, I’m old and need to resign myself to just getting fatter’. A chance conversation with a friend who has lost weight post-menopausal has inspired me today and I’m so grateful to have found this forum.

    Welcome to the Anti-Defeat Gang, and hope you stick around!

    I lost mine after faffing (fatting?!) around overweight and obese for 25+ years. The difference in agility, mobility, attitude, gumption…..life changing.

    I’m really aware of it right now. We are traveling with a woman we’ve travelled with several times before. Several members of the group are repeat guests like us. It struck me at dinner last night that instead of sitting back and crossing my arms, silently, like “fat me” did, I was engaged and had a great time.

    I’m sure they’re puzzled who this thinner talkative person is. I even had to show one a photo of me with them six years ago to prove it, lol.
  • jessicaxyzsmith
    jessicaxyzsmith Posts: 2 Member
    I had been at Lifetime for YEARS on WW and then struggled a lot after menopause. I switched to counting calories and realized that I had to be very strict about my calorie count, AND that my daily intake was reduced. Basically, even though I exercise 5x a week, my metabolism had really changed. Watching calories and getting in calorie deficit helped me lose the 7 lbs I gained but I have to be VERY careful. I also added a lot more protein. I shoot for 90-100 g of protein per day. That helps a lot with feeling satiated. I eat nutrient dense meals and little processed food, if I can help it. Until I tore my labrum in my hip I also was going for 10k steps per day in addition to morning workouts.