Perimenopause & weight loss
shannam7
Posts: 3 Member
Hi all! I’m looking for an open dialogue with other women who are in perimenopause or have symptoms without being medically perimenopausal about weight loss, moods, hot flashes, etc….what works for you? What doesn’t work? How are you feeling? How can we support ea other?
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Replies
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This is less perimenopausal and simply an aging thing, but in the 10+ years I’ve been on MFP my TDEE has dropped from around 1800cal to less than 1600cal. That’s been hard as I love food I’m working really hard to maintain my weight and can totally see how easy it is to put on weight in your 40s and 50s.2
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Symptoms, yes. Bloodwork to back up actual numerical changes, didn’t show anything. I’m a healthy weight but my maintenance calories are around 1650. I do a lot of walking and functional strength training. I think hard work and discipline now will make a huge difference in the decades to come. Exercise helps the shifts in mood for sure. And sometimes helps me sleep.2
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I've been here for about 10 years and am 50 now. My TDEE has not changed and I can still eat the same.2
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I've been on MFP from age 59 to my current 68, and lost around 50 pounds in roughly the first year of that, then maintained in a healthy weight range since (a few mild ups and downs). I've been in menopause since around age 45, put there suddenly and early by chemotherapy for fairly advanced breast cancer. (I'm also severely hypothyroid, though medicated for it, if that matters - I think it doesn't.) Nonetheless, my calorie requirements are higher than MFP estimates (by several hundred calories daily), which is unusual . . . but apparently possible.
Without delving into the background of this, it seems to be the case that body composition (muscle loss) is one factor in potential reduced calorie needs with aging, plus possibly statistically common changes in daily life (non-exercise) activity levels, and/or reduced average fitness in other respects. To the extent that that may be true, there are things under our control than can reduce those negative effects.
HRT is an obvious intervention to remedy menopause symptoms. Personally, I can't do that because of my history of estrogen-fed tumors. (I actually took anti-estrogen medications for 7.5 years as part of my cancer treatment. In some ways, those create a sort of hyper-menopausal state.)
Some women say they benefit from making it a point to consume certain phytoestrogen-containing foods or supplements. (Phytoestrogens = plant sourced estrogen-like compounds that don't behave exactly like endogenous estrogen. It's complicated.) These include soy foods as well as various other foods, and certain herbal or other supplements. I'm somewhat cautious about those given my history, but do consume some that have been well-studied in cases like mine.
There are a bunch of non-HRT interventions for hot flashes that I've either used myself or learned about from others in breast cancer support groups. It appears that hot flashes can be triggered by hot conditions, so things as simple as dressing in layers can be helpful to some extent. (I almost never wear pullover sweaters anymore!) Some women carry a hand-fan everywhere. I've used re-usable soft gel packets that can be chilled or frozen (designed for use anywhere a person might use an ice bag, but they're soft). I've put them on my neck at night, on top of the pillow, with a towel between so they don't feel quite so cold. I could ramble more about hot flash remediation, but that's enough.
I don't know that I had mood disruptions from going into menopause. Remember that for me the first months of menopause were also months of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Those (plus the mere fact of having fairly advanced stage cancer and surgeries for it!) can have some very definite effects on mood, so that's hard to sort out. I don't know that I'm moodier than average now, but I'm not sure I would know?
I empathize with women who have peri- or full menopausal symptoms that are troubling. It's worse for some women than others, of course. If there are specific things troubling you, saying more about those symptoms might draw out more specific helpful support from others.
For myself, I'm not really looking for menopause-related support much at this point, because I've already had that 24 years of coping practice
: It's just my normal being, at this point.
Best wishes for a smooth course!
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Hi! I'm going through it now even though I'm still on the BCP I am getting nightsweats, trouble sleeping, meno belly. I'm giving myself 30 days to really watch my diet and lift weights (I already do Pure Barre just about every day) and then I might try monjourno if the weight and the belly are still the same.
I talked to my OB and she said that I shouldn't be having symptoms since I am getting steady hormones from the pill, so I would probably be much worse off otherwise, but I am still uncomfortable, tired and feel very belly heavy.1 -
I've been perimenopausal for a few years now. I have not entered menopause yet. I did try some hormone therapy in 2023 and it was a bit disastrous as I was having migraines 1-2 times a week and had to stop.
The hot flashes which used to be occasional have now ramped up to daily. I've accepted that and go look for a fan when I need it. I was getting super irritated with my hubby and realized what that was. Now when it's happening I simply remind myself what it really is and I know it won't last long.
As for the weight gain and meno belly: both men and women tend to put on visceral fat (between the organs) as their testosterone and estrogen levels drop with age. This can be the type of fat that becomes dangerous leading to various diseases. It's not permanent and can be reduced. When we focus on overall fat loss our visceral fat reduces too.
Hormones aside, fat loss at this time is still possible. I lost 55 pounds at a time in my life that I didn't know I was hypothyroid. I wasn't diagnosed until afterwards. I am still losing now (albeit slowly) even with all the hormone changes that are happening. My step-sister is a professional body builder who competes nationally. She is 6 years older and fully in menopause but maintains her build because the principles of muscle gain and fat loss still apply. We may not get a great body quickly like our younger selves would have accomplished, but it is possible with persistence.6 -
*Raises hand, waves it wildly*
I probably started going into peri 2-3 years ago, but it really started to hit me like a freight train in the most recent 2 years.
Issue was, I had not idea that was a thing, and I have had Mirena for over 10 years, so no periods to notice changes in. I had heard the term, but honestly was completely clueless to how young it could hit, and how long it could last. I found about it while trying to figure out if, in my mid-40's, I needed to start on meds for my ADHD as it was getting completely out of control.
Through looking into all of that, on a reddit post of all things, someone mentioned that perimenopause can make tinnitus worse. Well, mine had been getting downright intrusive, but I just blamed it on loud hobbies previously, but that made me raise an eyebrow. Got on the reddit menopause group, and digging into it more, and realized my list of symptoms ALL fell into the peri-list of symptoms.
I started on a supplement, not being sure about HRT, and the supplement helped a ton with my worst symptoms (ADHD, rage, "meh" towards life in particular). With those symptoms improving, the others really started to stand out, and around that time my libido also took a really long hike off a very short plank. Completely and utterly disappeared in all the ways. Zero interest even reading things that would normally get me excited. Nope, nada, zero, zip.
I decided to go with an online provider for HRT - I don't have other health issues, and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars trying to chase down doctors (my insurance sucks).
I'm on my third week of a "50/50" cream and DHEA. My sleep has RADICALLY changed the past week or so. I'm completely off my sleep aid, sleeping way better, and finally waking up before my alarms again (unless I'm short on sleep, but that makes sense)! Libido is slow to return, but at least there's interest now, even if it's not enough to participate in partner activities, there's at least interest. Hoping the improved sleep and sleep pattern will let me get back to my workouts and not be constantly battling fatigue like I have been.
My list of symptoms include(d):- ADHD going off the rails nuts - like, I couldn't function in a life I've designed to work with it!
- Rage - screaming and ragey over dumb slights that should have been nothing more than a momentary annoyance, and I'd be angry all day long - once set off, that was it. I couldn't stand myself, yet I seemed to have no control over it either!
- Life lost all "color." I wasn't sad or depressed persay, but I also found no joy or happiness, either. It was literally like all the color had been washed away and everything (even things I normally loved) was just "meh"
- Night sweats
- Awful sleep schedule that did not work with real life
- Fatigue for no reason - most of the day, and there was no way I was getting up before the last minute. Exhausted without good reason.
- Meno belly and weight.
- Lack of energy and willpower to focus on doing what needs to be done for weight loss....I was barely holding it together for my job and business and pets, and those couldn't suffer, so something had to give.
- Tinnitus that was getting intrusive
- Achy-ier joints/injuries
- Skin looking "old" - lack of luster despite supplements that had previously seemed to help
Thankfully the HRT seems to be working wonders. Also getting my thyroid tested just in case (awaiting results) but I would say I feel 80% better than I was there for a while. Not 100% yet, but it's only been a few weeks, and things may need to be adjusted after a couple months, it's not a one-and-done kind of treatment, so happy to see things heading in the right direction!!!10 -
I (almost) never had hot flashes. I suspect it's related to me taking black cohosh for my uterus for so long. I don't think this helped with my fibroids, but I noticed I wasn't having hot flashes, so continued to take it. In 2022, I had a hysterectomy. (Kept my ovaries.) I stopped taking black cohosh.
1.5 years later, I started having extremely mild hot flashes. I run very hot naturally, which is probably why they felt so mild. I resumed taking the black cohosh, and the warm flashes went away. The directions say to take 1-2 pills. I only need one.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RLT7NP8/
We have a long peri thread here: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread/1 -
Hi! I'm perimenopause! 49! 50 in a couple months. I went to a Nurse Practitioner that specializes in women's health!! Game changer. I'm on estrogen gel and progesterone pills, and omg!! I do thesexat night, this week was the 1st week I slept, actually slept 7 hours straight, everynight in YEARS!!! YEARS!! My muscle/joint pain is gone, at least seriously minimum- in one week these changes happened!1
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Oh, and a note, FYI, bloodwork doesn't necessarily show perimenopause etc. Our hormones change daily, throughout the day etc. So getting blood tests only, is not the end all be all. There's a group on fb I joined, it's called, Hit Play Not Pause. Totally sent me in the direction I'm in right now. It's literally changed my life. My NP and I have been experimenting what works for me. I was on the patch first, and i wasn't seeing results. Night sweats, sleeplessness, not staying asleep, moody, joint pain, lethargy-tired all the time. So she switched me to gel and pills, fk. 1st night I slept 8 hours. I haven't done that in 20 years1
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HoneyBadger302 wrote: »*Raises hand, waves it wildly*
I probably started going into peri 2-3 years ago, but it really started to hit me like a freight train in the most recent 2 years.
Issue was, I had not idea that was a thing, and I have had Mirena for over 10 years, so no periods to notice changes in. I had heard the term, but honestly was completely clueless to how young it could hit, and how long it could last. I found about it while trying to figure out if, in my mid-40's, I needed to start on meds for my ADHD as it was getting completely out of control.
Through looking into all of that, on a reddit post of all things, someone mentioned that perimenopause can make tinnitus worse. Well, mine had been getting downright intrusive, but I just blamed it on loud hobbies previously, but that made me raise an eyebrow. Got on the reddit menopause group, and digging into it more, and realized my list of symptoms ALL fell into the peri-list of symptoms.
I started on a supplement, not being sure about HRT, and the supplement helped a ton with my worst symptoms (ADHD, rage, "meh" towards life in particular). With those symptoms improving, the others really started to stand out, and around that time my libido also took a really long hike off a very short plank. Completely and utterly disappeared in all the ways. Zero interest even reading things that would normally get me excited. Nope, nada, zero, zip.
I decided to go with an online provider for HRT - I don't have other health issues, and didn't want to spend hundreds of dollars trying to chase down doctors (my insurance sucks).
I'm on my third week of a "50/50" cream and DHEA. My sleep has RADICALLY changed the past week or so. I'm completely off my sleep aid, sleeping way better, and finally waking up before my alarms again (unless I'm short on sleep, but that makes sense)! Libido is slow to return, but at least there's interest now, even if it's not enough to participate in partner activities, there's at least interest. Hoping the improved sleep and sleep pattern will let me get back to my workouts and not be constantly battling fatigue like I have been.
My list of symptoms include(d):- ADHD going off the rails nuts - like, I couldn't function in a life I've designed to work with it!
- Rage - screaming and ragey over dumb slights that should have been nothing more than a momentary annoyance, and I'd be angry all day long - once set off, that was it. I couldn't stand myself, yet I seemed to have no control over it either!
- Life lost all "color." I wasn't sad or depressed persay, but I also found no joy or happiness, either. It was literally like all the color had been washed away and everything (even things I normally loved) was just "meh"
- Night sweats
- Awful sleep schedule that did not work with real life
- Fatigue for no reason - most of the day, and there was no way I was getting up before the last minute. Exhausted without good reason.
- Meno belly and weight.
- Lack of energy and willpower to focus on doing what needs to be done for weight loss....I was barely holding it together for my job and business and pets, and those couldn't suffer, so something had to give.
- Tinnitus that was getting intrusive
- Achy-ier joints/injuries
- Skin looking "old" - lack of luster despite supplements that had previously seemed to help
Thankfully the HRT seems to be working wonders. Also getting my thyroid tested just in case (awaiting results) but I would say I feel 80% better than I was there for a while. Not 100% yet, but it's only been a few weeks, and things may need to be adjusted after a couple months, it's not a one-and-done kind of treatment, so happy to see things heading in the right direction!!!
OMG!! THIS IS MY STORY!! EXACTLY!! Even the adhd!! I was just diagnosed as well. And that is a game changer being on meds for that! Your entire post could have been written by me. Oh, as women, we deserve to age with grace- like we don't need to suffer3 -
Hi! Also raising hand and jumping up and down.
I started HRT 3 months ago and it’s been a life saver. I feel like myself again!
But, I’ve gained 20lbs in the past 2 years. I workout 5x a week, don’t drink, and try to watch my carbs.
Has anyone had luck loosing weight while in Perimenopause?
And- I’m looking for an accountability partner for actually logging my food. Anyone interested?
Thanks!1 -
Hi! Also raising hand and jumping up and down.
I started HRT 3 months ago and it’s been a life saver. I feel like myself again!
But, I’ve gained 20lbs in the past 2 years. I workout 5x a week, don’t drink, and try to watch my carbs.
Has anyone had luck loosing weight while in Perimenopause?
And- I’m looking for an accountability partner for actually logging my food. Anyone interested?
Thanks!
Losing weight during perimenopause is the same as any other time you lose weight, there is no special diet or metabolism change. Weight gain comes down to eating more and moving less. Change these habits and you’ll be at your preferred weight.
What I can’t guarantee is ‘where’ you’ll gain and lose weight. That is based on hormones, and CAN change as you age. My struggle spot now is a pooch I’ve never had before; I used to gain in my thighs. Unfortunately we can’t spot reduce, but so far weight loss and lifting has been the best for changing shape.7 -
Well I think I found my people here.
Your going to be told that weight gain in menopause is no different than any other period of time. Your going to be told eat less, move more, eat healthier, etc etc.
I am also in perimenopuase. Had a hysterectomy in 2017 but have ovaries. In the last two years. what @HoneyBadger302 describes, yep that's me. The weight gain definitely got out of hand for me in the last 3-4 years. I tried ALOT of things. IF, Keto, WW, you name it, I tried it. I even worked with a nutritionist for 6 months. Her findings at the end of our time? I don't know why your not losing, your eating healthy and doing all the right things. So I kept researching .
I found Dr Stacy Simms. I have read one of her books . She makes so much sense for women dealing with this.
I always ate healthy and stayed active but when the peri hit, nothing I did helped. I mean NOTHING. Every time I looked in the mirror it felt like I gained another 5 lbs no matter what I did. Inever had a stomach, Now I had a huge belly, well huge for me. Hit my highest weight in January of 2024. I was also just coming off of a medical injury so that didn't help. I had been on the couch mostly since October. Nonetheless , I was so embarassed and ashamed. I no longer recognized myself. As soon as I was released from the doc post surgery to start increasing my activity I started using my stationary bike and figured out what a calories deficit would be for me. That was in May. Between May and July I lost about 9 lbs working my *kitten* off and staying at 1400 calories. It was hard and the weight was ever SO painfully SLOWLY coming down. I think I was probably consuming about 6-800 calories less than what I had been in previous months BUT I also cut out alchohol . I slowly reduced my sugar intake and this was my hardest challenge. It took some time and some mental games. Easy ? No. But atleast I felt like I had a measure of control now. The slow loss was a bit discouraging and I felt myself losing motivation. It just felt like I was working harder than what I would be able to sustain over time.
Then I got to talking to a couple of girlfriends and they were like, why not try a compounded GLP? I was suspect and leery and then one of them said something to me that hit me like a train.
"Your already doing the hard work, why not give yourself a leg up like everyone else and jump on the band wagon. Your not alone.. "
I thought about that for a bit, but still was not convinced. Tempting? sure, but it felt like an easy way out that would have results that likely wouldn't last. Then I happened to be at my chiropractor who I have seen for years and trust. He's also pretty savvy in the medical field in general and was a major fitness guru in his younger days. I talked to him about it and shared my concerns about the side effects. He said the multiple health benefits that they are finding with these meds is far out reaching the negative side effects. Turns out his own wife had been on the meds for many months and was doing great.
At that point,I think I decided it was probably worth it. So that's where my journey got interesting in regards to perimenopause. Since being on the meds and dropping the weight my hot flashes have gone away almost completely. I don't know if there is a correlation , maybe its just the dropped weight , maybe its the meds. I am now down about 28 lbs total from where I started with another 30-35 to go to Goal weight . I feel SO MUCH better . I am working out3-4 times a week and 3 of those days I am trying to lift heavy. I don't crave sweets. I know that I won't be on the meds for the rest of my life so getting my eating plan lined out is a big focus. Being able to see my hard work and effort pay off is motivating. FINALLY ...
Yes I still have the rapid onset barracuda moments (rage and irritational anger moments) and I wake up like clock work between 3-4 am EVERY DAMN night, but no hot flashes . I am also trying Estroven and it seems to be helping a bit.
When I started listeing to Dr Simms, I started to realize just how complex the hormones are within our bodies and why we feel the way we feel. The why behind it really helped me put it all together. I was still eating pretty damn well before hand. I just needed to make a few tweaks and be more consistent.
Now the way I look at food is different. I put what my body needs to fuel me through the day. I am still trying to sort it all out and figure out what works best for me.
I am glad I found this thread1 -
HappyDonkey75 wrote: »Well I think I found my people here.
Your going to be told that weight gain in menopause is no different than any other period of time. Your going to be told eat less, move more, eat healthier, etc etc.
I am also in perimenopuase. Had a hysterectomy in 2017 but have ovaries. In the last two years. what @HoneyBadger302 describes, yep that's me. The weight gain definitely got out of hand for me in the last 3-4 years. I tried ALOT of things. IF, Keto, WW, you name it, I tried it. I even worked with a nutritionist for 6 months. Her findings at the end of our time? I don't know why your not losing, your eating healthy and doing all the right things. So I kept researching .
I found Dr Stacy Simms. I have read one of her books . She makes so much sense for women dealing with this.
I always ate healthy and stayed active but when the peri hit, nothing I did helped. I mean NOTHING. Every time I looked in the mirror it felt like I gained another 5 lbs no matter what I did. Inever had a stomach, Now I had a huge belly, well huge for me. Hit my highest weight in January of 2024. I was also just coming off of a medical injury so that didn't help. I had been on the couch mostly since October. Nonetheless , I was so embarassed and ashamed. I no longer recognized myself. As soon as I was released from the doc post surgery to start increasing my activity I started using my stationary bike and figured out what a calories deficit would be for me. That was in May. Between May and July I lost about 9 lbs working my *kitten* off and staying at 1400 calories. It was hard and the weight was ever SO painfully SLOWLY coming down. I think I was probably consuming about 6-800 calories less than what I had been in previous months BUT I also cut out alchohol . I slowly reduced my sugar intake and this was my hardest challenge. It took some time and some mental games. Easy ? No. But atleast I felt like I had a measure of control now. The slow loss was a bit discouraging and I felt myself losing motivation. It just felt like I was working harder than what I would be able to sustain over time.
Then I got to talking to a couple of girlfriends and they were like, why not try a compounded GLP? I was suspect and leery and then one of them said something to me that hit me like a train.
"Your already doing the hard work, why not give yourself a leg up like everyone else and jump on the band wagon. Your not alone.. "
I thought about that for a bit, but still was not convinced. Tempting? sure, but it felt like an easy way out that would have results that likely wouldn't last. Then I happened to be at my chiropractor who I have seen for years and trust. He's also pretty savvy in the medical field in general and was a major fitness guru in his younger days. I talked to him about it and shared my concerns about the side effects. He said the multiple health benefits that they are finding with these meds is far out reaching the negative side effects. Turns out his own wife had been on the meds for many months and was doing great.
At that point,I think I decided it was probably worth it. So that's where my journey got interesting in regards to perimenopause. Since being on the meds and dropping the weight my hot flashes have gone away almost completely. I don't know if there is a correlation , maybe its just the dropped weight , maybe its the meds. I am now down about 28 lbs total from where I started with another 30-35 to go to Goal weight . I feel SO MUCH better . I am working out3-4 times a week and 3 of those days I am trying to lift heavy. I don't crave sweets. I know that I won't be on the meds for the rest of my life so getting my eating plan lined out is a big focus. Being able to see my hard work and effort pay off is motivating. FINALLY ...
Yes I still have the rapid onset barracuda moments (rage and irritational anger moments) and I wake up like clock work between 3-4 am EVERY DAMN night, but no hot flashes . I am also trying Estroven and it seems to be helping a bit.
When I started listeing to Dr Simms, I started to realize just how complex the hormones are within our bodies and why we feel the way we feel. The why behind it really helped me put it all together. I was still eating pretty damn well before hand. I just needed to make a few tweaks and be more consistent.
Now the way I look at food is different. I put what my body needs to fuel me through the day. I am still trying to sort it all out and figure out what works best for me.
I am glad I found this thread
Let’s just look at why so many people (me included) will say perimenopause is no different than any other period of life in terms of weight loss. And here’s the summary - it kind of is the same and yet it isn’t.
There are various times in a woman’s life (using women purely because we’re talking about peri) when getting enough sleep and good nutrition is tough. Perimenopause is one of those times, so is having to hold down a demanding job and care for elderly relatives, so I imagine is having young kids. Those stressors mean we might not get enough sleep which affects appetite and energy and can to lead to poor food choices. I mean, I don’t know about anyone else, but I reach for sugary carbs when I’m exhausted. And I used to reach for alcohol too. All of those factors mean tracking food feels like just another demand on my time, and I magically want to feel better and be able to eat well. So does being in peri (or having young children / elderly sick relatives / other stressors) make it more difficult to prioritise oneself? Yes absolutely.
Now let’s look at calories in and calories out. Whatever our guts might tell us, the metabolism does not suddenly tank when we hit middle age. In fact recent science suggests it doesn’t drop until mid 60s but even then can be reversed with exercise. What can happen is a redistribution of weight to the middle. That alone can make it feel like you’re holding onto more weight - if you’re used to seeing it on your hips or boobs and then suddenly it appears on your tummy, it will feel more noticeable.
Do some women need drugs to help them lose weight at this time? Sure, but some people do anyway. You’ll get pushback on these boards not because drugs are bad per se, but because there is a whole marketing fortune built out of medicalising peri and telling us it’s impossible to lose weight without this medication, that one weird trick, this treatment. That can make people feel like they will fail or have to spend a lot of money to get results - neither of which is true.
So is it difficult to lose weight in perimenopause? It can be difficult at ANY TIME. Simple is not the same as easy. If it was, we’d all be in perfect health and shape.
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Ironically this is the first time I have really had success with weight loss, aside from when I was nursing a chunky baby who liked to be carried all the time. There are plenty of other symptoms do deal with BUT, I also feel like the late-40's mindset shift is most significant and is driving everything else. Like, it's just time to do it and stop letting anything else get in the way, and to implement changes that I can maintain for the long term.
My current plan: Minimize sugar, minimize processed snacks, get no less than 25g of fiber a day but preferably 30-40g, take a walk for 30 minutes as many days as possible, try to get a little more protein and a little less fat, and keep an eye on the sodium. Still have one meal a week that is fast food or something a bit indulgent. It's working slowly but steadily, and as of today I am 1.5 lb away from my next major goal.8 -
As an update:
On my 10th week of HRT, just had my check in with my doc and we're adjusting a couple things to help with the still outstanding issues. Obviously will be a couple/few more months before those can be judged.
In the meantime, however, there have been some major improvements in additional areas, I think mostly centered around sleep.
I am sleeping better than I have in over 5 years, without a sleep aid, which I had been taking more often than not for the past several years to get any sleep most nights. Sleep patterns are back on track as well - I can fall asleep at or close to "bedtime" and am even waking up in time for my morning workouts without an alarm!
So I've gotten 3 weeks of AM workouts in, first couple were just "getting back into things" and last week was able to start stepping things up to being a good, solid workout.
Getting my steps in every day. Getting stuff done around the house. Energy and willpower to track my food an improve my eating/intake.
I can't lie though, the bloat is killing me - and I know a lot of it is bloat, because on days when it sheds off, my weight is doing well for where I'm at/what I'm doing, but then I'll balloon up for no reason again, and I feel like it's really masking fat loss - plus it's all around my middle, so that's super frustrating as it makes me feel gross and frumpy and fatter than I am (which all affects my mood and confidence on some level). Pants tell a story too - some days I could wear my normal pants, and if I'm wearing my "peri fat pants" need a belt to hold them up, and other days my fat pants are painfully cutting into my gut when seated or bent over. Can promise my fat is not going up and down that much that rapidly lol.
My body has always been prone to weight loss "wooshes" so I'm working to "stay strong" and trust the process that the fat is going away underneath all that nasty bloat so long as I keep doing the right things.
Fingers crossed the adjustments help me get through this phase, but still SUPER thankful for the improvements I'm experiencing already (well - less so improvements and more a return to how things used to be LOL).
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@KareninCanada- I agree, the late 40's mind set. I know for me it was definitely a wake up call when my knees started giving me trouble . The scale kept going up and I kept feeling like a steaming pile of you know what. I hated what I saw in the mirror and I just realized I had known I needed to do something for a while but I was being lazy about it. So here I am , 30 lbs down and I'd like to lose another 30. Its been slow. Even on the GLP meds. I am not a fast loser at all.
@HoneyBadger302- it sounds like your on your way. Good work. This past week my bloat has been horrible and my weight has been stagnant so definintely sympathize. I am looking into getting my hormones tested though. I think HRT might be needed.1 -
Glad I found this thread! I'm 50 and have had some symptoms: waking in the night, night sweats (although they seemed to be linked to food - if I eat a lot at night, especially junk, I will get them), heartburn, which I have never had before! I'm going to the dr next week and I'm going to ask about hrt. I'm hoping he won't say my symptoms are too mild, from the little I've read, I think there are a lot of benefits.0
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Hi! Also raising hand and jumping up and down.
I started HRT 3 months ago and it’s been a life saver. I feel like myself again!
But, I’ve gained 20lbs in the past 2 years. I workout 5x a week, don’t drink, and try to watch my carbs.
Has anyone had luck loosing weight while in Perimenopause?
And- I’m looking for an accountability partner for actually logging my food. Anyone interested?
Thanks!
Did you find someone? I'm currently working with a dietician, and logging everything, so I could join you if you are still looking.0 -
HappyDonkey75 wrote: »@KareninCanada- I agree, the late 40's mind set. I know for me it was definitely a wake up call when my knees started giving me trouble . The scale kept going up and I kept feeling like a steaming pile of you know what. I hated what I saw in the mirror and I just realized I had known I needed to do something for a while but I was being lazy about it. So here I am , 30 lbs down and I'd like to lose another 30. Its been slow. Even on the GLP meds. I am not a fast loser at all.
@HoneyBadger302- it sounds like your on your way. Good work. This past week my bloat has been horrible and my weight has been stagnant so definintely sympathize. I am looking into getting my hormones tested though. I think HRT might be needed.
How much are you losing a week?
How much do you have to lose?
What is your calorie deficit?
Just curious what you mean by fast vs slow loser?0 -
claireychn074 wrote: »HappyDonkey75 wrote: »Well I think I found my people here.
Your going to be told that weight gain in menopause is no different than any other period of time. Your going to be told eat less, move more, eat healthier, etc etc.
I am also in perimenopuase. Had a hysterectomy in 2017 but have ovaries. In the last two years. what @HoneyBadger302 describes, yep that's me. The weight gain definitely got out of hand for me in the last 3-4 years. I tried ALOT of things. IF, Keto, WW, you name it, I tried it. I even worked with a nutritionist for 6 months. Her findings at the end of our time? I don't know why your not losing, your eating healthy and doing all the right things. So I kept researching .
I found Dr Stacy Simms. I have read one of her books . She makes so much sense for women dealing with this.
I always ate healthy and stayed active but when the peri hit, nothing I did helped. I mean NOTHING. Every time I looked in the mirror it felt like I gained another 5 lbs no matter what I did. Inever had a stomach, Now I had a huge belly, well huge for me. Hit my highest weight in January of 2024. I was also just coming off of a medical injury so that didn't help. I had been on the couch mostly since October. Nonetheless , I was so embarassed and ashamed. I no longer recognized myself. As soon as I was released from the doc post surgery to start increasing my activity I started using my stationary bike and figured out what a calories deficit would be for me. That was in May. Between May and July I lost about 9 lbs working my *kitten* off and staying at 1400 calories. It was hard and the weight was ever SO painfully SLOWLY coming down. I think I was probably consuming about 6-800 calories less than what I had been in previous months BUT I also cut out alchohol . I slowly reduced my sugar intake and this was my hardest challenge. It took some time and some mental games. Easy ? No. But atleast I felt like I had a measure of control now. The slow loss was a bit discouraging and I felt myself losing motivation. It just felt like I was working harder than what I would be able to sustain over time.
Then I got to talking to a couple of girlfriends and they were like, why not try a compounded GLP? I was suspect and leery and then one of them said something to me that hit me like a train.
"Your already doing the hard work, why not give yourself a leg up like everyone else and jump on the band wagon. Your not alone.. "
I thought about that for a bit, but still was not convinced. Tempting? sure, but it felt like an easy way out that would have results that likely wouldn't last. Then I happened to be at my chiropractor who I have seen for years and trust. He's also pretty savvy in the medical field in general and was a major fitness guru in his younger days. I talked to him about it and shared my concerns about the side effects. He said the multiple health benefits that they are finding with these meds is far out reaching the negative side effects. Turns out his own wife had been on the meds for many months and was doing great.
At that point,I think I decided it was probably worth it. So that's where my journey got interesting in regards to perimenopause. Since being on the meds and dropping the weight my hot flashes have gone away almost completely. I don't know if there is a correlation , maybe its just the dropped weight , maybe its the meds. I am now down about 28 lbs total from where I started with another 30-35 to go to Goal weight . I feel SO MUCH better . I am working out3-4 times a week and 3 of those days I am trying to lift heavy. I don't crave sweets. I know that I won't be on the meds for the rest of my life so getting my eating plan lined out is a big focus. Being able to see my hard work and effort pay off is motivating. FINALLY ...
Yes I still have the rapid onset barracuda moments (rage and irritational anger moments) and I wake up like clock work between 3-4 am EVERY DAMN night, but no hot flashes . I am also trying Estroven and it seems to be helping a bit.
When I started listeing to Dr Simms, I started to realize just how complex the hormones are within our bodies and why we feel the way we feel. The why behind it really helped me put it all together. I was still eating pretty damn well before hand. I just needed to make a few tweaks and be more consistent.
Now the way I look at food is different. I put what my body needs to fuel me through the day. I am still trying to sort it all out and figure out what works best for me.
I am glad I found this thread
Let’s just look at why so many people (me included) will say perimenopause is no different than any other period of life in terms of weight loss. And here’s the summary - it kind of is the same and yet it isn’t.
There are various times in a woman’s life (using women purely because we’re talking about peri) when getting enough sleep and good nutrition is tough. Perimenopause is one of those times, so is having to hold down a demanding job and care for elderly relatives, so I imagine is having young kids. Those stressors mean we might not get enough sleep which affects appetite and energy and can to lead to poor food choices. I mean, I don’t know about anyone else, but I reach for sugary carbs when I’m exhausted. And I used to reach for alcohol too. All of those factors mean tracking food feels like just another demand on my time, and I magically want to feel better and be able to eat well. So does being in peri (or having young children / elderly sick relatives / other stressors) make it more difficult to prioritise oneself? Yes absolutely.
Now let’s look at calories in and calories out. Whatever our guts might tell us, the metabolism does not suddenly tank when we hit middle age. In fact recent science suggests it doesn’t drop until mid 60s but even then can be reversed with exercise. What can happen is a redistribution of weight to the middle. That alone can make it feel like you’re holding onto more weight - if you’re used to seeing it on your hips or boobs and then suddenly it appears on your tummy, it will feel more noticeable.
Do some women need drugs to help them lose weight at this time? Sure, but some people do anyway. You’ll get pushback on these boards not because drugs are bad per se, but because there is a whole marketing fortune built out of medicalising peri and telling us it’s impossible to lose weight without this medication, that one weird trick, this treatment. That can make people feel like they will fail or have to spend a lot of money to get results - neither of which is true.
So is it difficult to lose weight in perimenopause? It can be difficult at ANY TIME. Simple is not the same as easy. If it was, we’d all be in perfect health and shape.
Every stinkin’ time you nail it!3 -
Mrscanmore wrote: »Glad I found this thread! I'm 50 and have had some symptoms: waking in the night, night sweats (although they seemed to be linked to food - if I eat a lot at night, especially junk, I will get them), heartburn, which I have never had before! I'm going to the dr next week and I'm going to ask about hrt. I'm hoping he won't say my symptoms are too mild, from the little I've read, I think there are a lot of benefits.
Maybe you're already planning to go this route, but I'm mentioning it because I'm kind of a Nervous Nellie. :flowerforyou:
I hope you're planning to talk with your doctor about your total symptom set. Those things, night sweats and heartburn can be side effects of menopause. But they can also be symptoms of other medical conditions.
For example - and it's not the only possible example - I developed heartburn suddenly, and I'd never had it before. There were a bunch of tests, and it turned out that I had a serious gallbladder condition. It wasn't stones or sludge, but a less commonly known thing called adenomyomatosis. Adenomyomatosis is a bad thing on its own, but it can also mask gallbladder cancer. In my case, when they took out my gallbladder, it fortunately had no malignant tumors, but it was an ugly, thickened, cholesterolized thing with actual holes in it. Once it was out, no more heartburn, right away.
I'm not trying to scare you or diagnose you. I'm not a medical professional. I'm not even trying to dissuade you from asking for HRT, which helps a lot of women. I'm just encouraging you to talk about the full symptom set you have, and let the doctor have the information needed to consider other possible causes/diagnoses. It's easy to blame all weirdness on approaching or present menopause, but this is a phase of life when other kinds of health issues can also pop up, too.
Like I said, maybe you were already going that route, and I'm just being over-anxious. If so, I apologize: I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, sincerely.3 -
I’ve been perimenopausal since about 35ish (now 40). What I’ve found has worked the best for me is 18:6 water fasting everyday (or maybe a 16:8 or 20:4 thrown in here or there) with a weekly prolonged water fast of 48-72 hours. I eat whole foods with a moderately “lower” amount of carbs and a keen eye on fiber (at least 20-25g daily). But by no means a “ketogenic” diet. Carb intake usually is around 75-100g (50-80g net usually).
I exercise every single day. Minimum of 10k steps each day, no days off from that. I strength train here and there but need to get on a committed schedule with that aspect. I drink 64oz of water daily and watch my added sugar intake and caffeine and soda of any kind are a no-go. I try my best to get at least 6-7 hours of restful sleep every night.
Over the course of 3 months, my symptoms have greatly improved and I’ve lost around 70lbs as a bonus.1 -
Mrscanmore wrote: »Glad I found this thread! I'm 50 and have had some symptoms: waking in the night, night sweats (although they seemed to be linked to food - if I eat a lot at night, especially junk, I will get them), heartburn, which I have never had before! I'm going to the dr next week and I'm going to ask about hrt. I'm hoping he won't say my symptoms are too mild, from the little I've read, I think there are a lot of benefits.
Maybe you're already planning to go this route, but I'm mentioning it because I'm kind of a Nervous Nellie. :flowerforyou:
I hope you're planning to talk with your doctor about your total symptom set. Those things, night sweats and heartburn can be side effects of menopause. But they can also be symptoms of other medical conditions.
For example - and it's not the only possible example - I developed heartburn suddenly, and I'd never had it before. There were a bunch of tests, and it turned out that I had a serious gallbladder condition. It wasn't stones or sludge, but a less commonly known thing called adenomyomatosis. Adenomyomatosis is a bad thing on its own, but it can also mask gallbladder cancer. In my case, when they took out my gallbladder, it fortunately had no malignant tumors, but it was an ugly, thickened, cholesterolized thing with actual holes in it. Once it was out, no more heartburn, right away.
I'm not trying to scare you or diagnose you. I'm not a medical professional. I'm not even trying to dissuade you from asking for HRT, which helps a lot of women. I'm just encouraging you to talk about the full symptom set you have, and let the doctor have the information needed to consider other possible causes/diagnoses. It's easy to blame all weirdness on approaching or present menopause, but this is a phase of life when other kinds of health issues can also pop up, too.
Like I said, maybe you were already going that route, and I'm just being over-anxious. If so, I apologize: I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, sincerely.
I will! Thanks for checking. It seems like if you google a symptom and peri it comes up as a symptom 0 -
Mrscanmore wrote: »Mrscanmore wrote: »Glad I found this thread! I'm 50 and have had some symptoms: waking in the night, night sweats (although they seemed to be linked to food - if I eat a lot at night, especially junk, I will get them), heartburn, which I have never had before! I'm going to the dr next week and I'm going to ask about hrt. I'm hoping he won't say my symptoms are too mild, from the little I've read, I think there are a lot of benefits.
Maybe you're already planning to go this route, but I'm mentioning it because I'm kind of a Nervous Nellie. :flowerforyou:
I hope you're planning to talk with your doctor about your total symptom set. Those things, night sweats and heartburn can be side effects of menopause. But they can also be symptoms of other medical conditions.
For example - and it's not the only possible example - I developed heartburn suddenly, and I'd never had it before. There were a bunch of tests, and it turned out that I had a serious gallbladder condition. It wasn't stones or sludge, but a less commonly known thing called adenomyomatosis. Adenomyomatosis is a bad thing on its own, but it can also mask gallbladder cancer. In my case, when they took out my gallbladder, it fortunately had no malignant tumors, but it was an ugly, thickened, cholesterolized thing with actual holes in it. Once it was out, no more heartburn, right away.
I'm not trying to scare you or diagnose you. I'm not a medical professional. I'm not even trying to dissuade you from asking for HRT, which helps a lot of women. I'm just encouraging you to talk about the full symptom set you have, and let the doctor have the information needed to consider other possible causes/diagnoses. It's easy to blame all weirdness on approaching or present menopause, but this is a phase of life when other kinds of health issues can also pop up, too.
Like I said, maybe you were already going that route, and I'm just being over-anxious. If so, I apologize: I'm not trying to be obnoxious here, sincerely.
I will! Thanks for checking. It seems like if you google a symptom and peri it comes up as a symptom
True for soooo many symptoms! But the same symptoms sometimes have other causes.
0 -
@ddsb1111 - regarding the fast versus slow losing comment. Yes I am in a calorie deficit.Yes I work out 4-5 times a week. I stay at 8K steps a day or more if I can.
I don't lose consistently 2 lbs a week or even 1 lb a week. Some months I lose 4 lbs other months I lose 1 lb or sometimes, nothing at all. I am not sure what else I can explain.0 -
HappyDonkey75 wrote: »@ddsb1111 - regarding the fast versus slow losing comment. Yes I am in a calorie deficit.Yes I work out 4-5 times a week. I stay at 8K steps a day or more if I can.
I don't lose consistently 2 lbs a week or even 1 lb a week. Some months I lose 4 lbs other months I lose 1 lb or sometimes, nothing at all. I am not sure what else I can explain.
Here were my questions:
How much are you losing a week?
How much do you have to lose?
What is your calorie deficit?
You didn’t answer what you lose a week, sounds like you don’t look at the trend, and mostly look at the month. I would give Happy Scale a try and see if you like it.
I found your response saying you have 30-35 to go to Goal weight. IMO, losing .5-1lb a week is more than enough. I wouldn’t consider this a slow rate but a perfectly normal rate of loss. More than that would be too fast.
You didn’t really say your calorie deficit but you did mention previously you eat 1400 calories. So, if you’re losing between 1 lb - 4 lbs a month, your deficit is between 116 calories a day and 466 calories a day. This is excellent, and not easy to say the least. You’re doing great, and I see no red flags here. Just remember that if 1 lb is 3500 calories, and your deficit is only 3500 calories a month, that doesn’t mean you’re losing slowly or something is wrong with you. It just means you’re not consistently using as many calories as you think you are, and should tighten your logging… unless you’re happy with that rate of loss.
The reason I asked was because you said you were losing painfully slow, and according to this information, you’re not losing slowly at all. Just remember, we typically can’t outwork our diet, so even if you work your tail off, if your deficit is tiny, then it won’t change the scale much.
Peri sucks… so much. It certainly affects me. I don’t want to move as much. I want to eat more. It’s not great. But at the end of the day I know, peri just effects our CICO, and doesn’t prevent us from losing at a normal rate. When we have concrete numbers we start to realize that it’s our behaviors that are responsible.
Ugh, but seriously though, I miss having energy.
1 -
@ddsb1111- lets see if I can answer your questions. I needed to revisit these numbers anyways as things have changed since I started this process back in the March/April timeframe.
I use my Withings scale app for tracking weight. I can look at weight loss for the week, the month and quarter. But this is where I mentioned I am not consistent in the loss . Sort of up and down. September was a big loss month 6.4 lbs, October was 5.1 lbs. Just for those two months I am losing 1.25-1.6 lbs per week range on average. So not bad according to what is considered normal weight loss rate.
My goals are to lose 2 lbs a week if I am being honest which is aggressive, I realize.
But I am trying to get the weight off if for no other reason than to help my joints and avoid any further issues if possible.
My TDEE is 2553 and so I track 1600 calories daily with about 115-120 grams protein daily. I don't often get to my full calorie count so I am probably consuming more like 1500 calories daily .
160 is not my ultimate goal weight. I'd like to someday be closer to 135/140 .
0 -
HappyDonkey75 wrote: »@ddsb1111- lets see if I can answer your questions. I needed to revisit these numbers anyways as things have changed since I started this process back in the March/April timeframe.
I use my Withings scale app for tracking weight. I can look at weight loss for the week, the month and quarter. But this is where I mentioned I am not consistent in the loss . Sort of up and down. September was a big loss month 6.4 lbs, October was 5.1 lbs. Just for those two months I am losing 1.25-1.6 lbs per week range on average. So not bad according to what is considered normal weight loss rate.
My goals are to lose 2 lbs a week if I am being honest which is aggressive, I realize.
But I am trying to get the weight off if for no other reason than to help my joints and avoid any further issues if possible.
My TDEE is 2553 and so I track 1600 calories daily with about 115-120 grams protein daily. I don't often get to my full calorie count so I am probably consuming more like 1500 calories daily .
160 is not my ultimate goal weight. I'd like to someday be closer to 135/140 .
Completely relate with wanting to get the weight off and be done with it. I did an aggressive deficit for 3(ish) months, something like 19 lbs in that time, and it seemed fine, but I think I'm paying for it now. Hard to explain, but the closest way I can describe it is burn out. If you feel good- it looks Iike you have a good amount of calories to work with- I say, why not? But keep in mind, if you feel you need a diet break for any reason, or struggle to keep the same momentum, nothing is wrong with you. You and your body are doing great, more than necessary in fact, and recovery is just part of the journey.
I have a Renpho scale, sounds similar to what you have, but it doesn’t show me the trend. Happy Scale, a free app you download, is pretty helpful with breaking that down for you. But, I love the data, and with such a small deficit to work with, I needed all the insight I could get. If your numbers start feeling all over the place, this might be a good option. The only other thing I can think of that would make your numbers more consistent is weighing everything you eat to the gram. Once I did that, I knew what my weight would be before I weighed every morning, it was clock work. Not sure if you said you use a food scale or not, but it’s a game changer for taking the guesswork out. However, if you’re doing well without it, maybe it’s an unnecessary task. Enjoy the journey as much as you can, because losing is just the beginning. Maintaining is when things really start getting interesting 😆.0
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