Near or post menopausal group

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Replies

  • biggirl8862
    biggirl8862 Posts: 5
    Count me in! I'm 5'11" and 168 lbs now. It seems that no matter how much I exercise the scale keeps going in the wrong direction these days. I'm 49 and have been having hot flashes for some time now. I really feel like jumping in the freezer at least 10 times a day!! Only had my period twice this year, but the emotional swings, and weight gain is killing me. I just joined MFP last week. It really helps to keep the calories in check. I hope that I can bring the weight down to 145 again. :happy:
  • 1960lisa
    1960lisa Posts: 193
    I'd love to join in this group too..... 51.... hot flushes for past 2-3 years but worse this past year.... occasional night sweat.... moody, depressed.....and can't seem to shift the weight.... even when i think I have been really good and I'm excited to weigh myself as I'm sure I will have lost something.... I stare in disbelief at a gain.... its as if my body just doesn't want any food in it at all anymore.... no matter what I eat or how little I just can't get the scale moving down.... this site is really getting me more motivated to persevere and I'm going to just have to up the exercise and I might even start trying to run (have read on another post about the C25K running program which I think is for me).

    I have found it very helpful reading everyone's comments.... comforting to know we are all going through and sharing the same things.

    Lisa :)
  • birches
    birches Posts: 12
    I would love to join the group. I am 45 (5' 6.5", 175, target of 130, started at 210) diet and exercise with zero results. As in four months straight (exercise 6 days per week/swimming 1-1.5 hours per day)- no progress. I have tried a variety of diets to no avail: atkins, alternative day, and good old fashioned calorie counting - 1000/day.

    I would love to find out things that work for woman in perimenopause because the old stuff does not. I read so much stuff on line that just conflicts. I read about estrogen dominance being the culprit as estrogen likes to store fat. Then I read just the opposite, that in perimenopause and menopause we lose estrogen and our bodies store additional fat to offset our loss of estrogen - I have no idea which is correct.

    I consider myself a diet guinea pig. I take all sorts of vitamins D, E (fish and flax seed oils), C and multivitamin, minerals such as potassium, zinc, magnesium, chromium picolinate, cq10, I drink whey and soy protein shakes and take low dose aspirin. Kelp is irrelevant. B12 does help with energy. My friend says that Alli works - but have to have easy access to a toilet.

    I have to say - magnesium is the only thing that has really made a noticeable difference - I used to suffer from migraines. I read in First Magazine that magnesium helps migraines - so, I started taking 400mg daily and it worked. No more migraines and fewer headaches, including after drinking too much red wine. *For ladies 60+, 600mg daily is the recommended dosage.
  • birches
    birches Posts: 12
    Wow, good for you and thanks for the post. One of my friends said that I should go no lower than 1200 cals per day because my body goes into starvation mode. Now, I see another person that brought their cals down to 1200 and it worked. So thanks. I will try that now. She forwarded me the article below:

    Hi Ladies,

    The article said that 10-12 calories per pound of body weight should be
    the average "diet" intake if you are doing cardio. (So, if you weight
    175 lbs you should take in around 1750-2100 calories. However, the
    article said that depending on how much you weigh - and how much you
    need to lose- you could take that down to 8 calories per pound of body
    weight (1400 for me at 175), but it suggested not going much lower than 1200 calories -
    especially if you are exercising hard as it will put you into metabolic
    slowdown as your body adjusts to what it views as starvation mode.

    Anyway....I have never heard of intake based on calories per pound of
    body weight. But it makes sense
  • kh0215
    kh0215 Posts: 56 Member
    Hey there ladies! I am so glad I found this group! I am 34, had a total hysterectomy oopherectomy in 2008. (not a good year at all) was started on estrodial and have been taking it religiously since, but I was having a lot of breast pain. I have been off of it for almost 2 weeks now working though the night sweats and hot flashes.

    I have gained a ton of weight. I am as heavy now as I was when I delivered my twins. Talk about devastated. My husband is very supportive, however, he is a workout fanatic and I am a bookworm.

    I have been on the weight swing for to long now, ready to find some motivation and friends- I live in central FL now and I want to be able to go to the beach without feeling like a beached whale.

    I also have only half a thyroid due to precancerous cell growth removal, I produce enough hormone to be on the low end of normal. I am on Zoloft for depression, I would like to eventually come off of it too. But, one step at a time.:flowerforyou:
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    Hey there ladies! I am so glad I found this group! I am 34, had a total hysterectomy oopherectomy in 2008. (not a good year at all) was started on estrodial and have been taking it religiously since, but I was having a lot of breast pain. I have been off of it for almost 2 weeks now working though the night sweats and hot flashes.

    I have gained a ton of weight. I am as heavy now as I was when I delivered my twins. Talk about devastated. My husband is very supportive, however, he is a workout fanatic and I am a bookworm.

    I have been on the weight swing for to long now, ready to find some motivation and friends- I live in central FL now and I want to be able to go to the beach without feeling like a beached whale.

    I also have only half a thyroid due to precancerous cell growth removal, I produce enough hormone to be on the low end of normal. I am on Zoloft for depression, I would like to eventually come off of it too. But, one step at a time.:flowerforyou:


    Welcome kh0215! You are in the right place!! What a rough journey you've had! But things will get better! YOu have the right attitude, one foot in front of the other!! Best wishes!
  • 1960lisa
    1960lisa Posts: 193
    Dear All, I've been trying to find some useful advice on this time of life. Since doctors weren't of much help, I tried the internet. I know, I know. There is a lot of nonsense on line, but there must be some credible information too. So far it hasn't been a gold mine, but here are a few tidbits I found.

    Thanks annarouni for all this.... sounds like some useful information.... it is a frustrating time isn't it.... sooo much information out there and some of it works for some people but not others..... and some of it is propaganda by companies wanting to sell us menopause "cures" ..... very hard to cut to the chase..... but healthy food and lots of exercise has to be the best starting point doesn't it.

    dogwhisperette - just loved your name because I have been watching the dog whisperer program lately.... my wonderful 13 yo airedale died recently and I miss her everyday .....we are going to get a puppy next year..... I hate being without a dog .... and part of the reason I am trying to get fitter is so that I can take a dog for runs every day..... also relate to the frustrating (but loveable) husband... i have 2 sons (18 & 20) so a very male household here too.

    Its really interesting reading everyone's different (but same) experiences of menopause.... as well as weight issues..... I really feel this is the best place for me to be at this time to get myself fit and healthy.

    I am 51 and had my last period at the beginning of the year (yeah) hopefully never to return..... having lots of hot flushes though and not sleeping very well.... I used to go to bed really early but now I am often sitting up past midnight (a good time to trawl through MFP).... also my metabolism seems to have ground to a halt and losing weight seems an impossibility.... I eat healthily (but my portions are too big - I'm working on that) ..... also have a terrible memory at times (hopefully not alzheimers - what was I saying?)..... I am intending starting university next year (its never too late is it?) to get my brain cells working again....

    Have a good day everyone..... we WILL all get through this!

    Lisa
  • daydream58
    daydream58 Posts: 572 Member
    Please add me too! I'm 53... I know I don't exactly look it, but trust me when I say, I FEEL like it a lot of days... and I'm post menopausal thanks to cancer surgery last year, so I got the hot flashes rather suddenly as I had no real menopausal symptoms pryer to my surgery... but that still counts right? I'm still the right age and everything.

    I don't have a before pic yet, I need to dig out one that hasn't been cut up some day (lol) but my profile pic is from last month so "during" about 20 lbs down which did take me about 3 months which is slower than someone half my age probably - but slowly and surely I believe I can do this and WE can do this too - just apply some stubborn to it and stick it out together I say!

    We are stubborn enough to do this - or we wouldn't all be here, am I right?

    xoxoxo for all my meno-sisters!
    Deedee
    Vancouver Island
  • Pinky67
    Pinky67 Posts: 108 Member
    Hi there everyone, I'm 32yrs old and 14yrs post-menopausal (I was 18 when I went through) I gained over 30-40kg (66-88lbs) I have tried SOOO hard over the years to lose weight, nothing worked for long. Until I found MFP, I have lost 18kg (40lbs) and I'm loving it! I think one of the main reasons we gain weight before/during/after the menopause is plain old emotional eating, hit that one on the head and the fight is half won!!! There are other reasons of course, like our fat been used as a place to try and produce hormones since our ovaries no longer can. That is not something we can change, we just need to fight even harder!!! Good luck to you all, we can do it :flowerforyou:
  • Dottie27
    Dottie27 Posts: 159 Member
    'Was wondering if other women who have been in menopause for at least a year, have experienced some symptoms related to estrogen being released from fat cells? Unfortunately, these same symptoms are those for something more serious, so things always need to get checked out. I had heard of the estrogen-fat cells-weight gain, but had not heard of weight loss affecting fat cells until my doctor mentioned it yesterday.
  • debs6
    debs6 Posts: 232 Member
    I am having technical problems tonight for some crazy reason and have managed to lose two posts that I have been almost ready to post.

    I am thrilled to see so many people taking part in the Menopause thread - it is clear that there are many issues that we share as a group and others that are specific to smaller subsets of women amongst our numbers.

    Dottie- I have been menopausal for well over two years now but don't think I am experiencing symptoms that you refer to but don't actually know what symptoms I am looking for. I am thinking if you are talking about oestrogen release from fat cells then you might be talking about spotting etc .......is that one of the symptoms you are referring to?

    How is everyone's weight loss journey going at the moment. I came to a bit of a plateau for a few weeks and then decided to buy a heart rate monitor. The calorie count generated by this indicated to me that many of the activities listed with MPF tend to have over estimated calorie usage so I am taking more notice of my monitor than estimates from the website. Even my heart rate monitor is not fully accurate as I am weaning off beta blockers under the direction of my doctor - and this restricts the higher levels of my heart rate - to a level that it appears that I am not burning as many calories. The good news is that I am now losing again and have managed to lose 1.4 Kilos in the last ten or so days - which is about 3.6 lbs. It is good to be on the move again. I have started the C25k program which is a lovely gentle program to build you up slowly so that you become a runner. The last time I ran anything was when I was at school back in the early 70s- so this is a certainly a challenge- but one which I am enjoying. I have always loved walking - and I really think that I will enjoy running when I become more practised at it.

    Tell us about what is working for you and what is not- we can all learn by sharing experiences
  • 1960lisa
    1960lisa Posts: 193
    Dottie- I have been menopausal for well over two years now but don't think I am experiencing symptoms that you refer to but don't actually know what symptoms I am looking for. I am thinking if you are talking about oestrogen release from fat cells then you might be talking about spotting etc .......is that one of the symptoms you are referring to?

    How is everyone's weight loss journey going at the moment. I came to a bit of a plateau for a few weeks and then decided to buy a heart rate monitor. The calorie count generated by this indicated to me that many of the activities listed with MPF tend to have over estimated calorie usage so I am taking more notice of my monitor than estimates from the website. Even my heart rate monitor is not fully accurate as I am weaning off beta blockers under the direction of my doctor - and this restricts the higher levels of my heart rate - to a level that it appears that I am not burning as many calories. The good news is that I am now losing again and have managed to lose 1.4 Kilos in the last ten or so days - which is about 3.6 lbs. It is good to be on the move again. I have started the C25k program which is a lovely gentle program to build you up slowly so that you become a runner. The last time I ran anything was when I was at school back in the early 70s- so this is a certainly a challenge- but one which I am enjoying. I have always loved walking - and I really think that I will enjoy running when I become more practised at it.

    Tell us about what is working for you and what is not- we can all learn by sharing experiences

    Debs - congratulations on your weight loss so far... we have much the same goal weight but you have worked very hard to get where you are now.... I have been on MFP for 3 weeks and am finding it very hard to get the weight loss started.... I'm about to get out of bed and weigh in so we'll see if there's any change but I fear not. I have been menopausal for past couple of years and am wondering if that's partly why its so hard to see any changes. I think I have been pretty good staying within my calories (except for a blow out the other night - dinner out with my H) and I have also started the C25K program - W1D3 today. I think your comments about the overestimating calories burned could be my problem. I have a heart rate monitor sitting in a box which I have never bothered to figure out...thought it seemed a bit complicated.... but I think I should get it out and see what I am really burning and hopefully it will make the changes I need. PS - love the picture of your dog - is it a westie? My girlfriend has 2 of them and I love them to bits.

    Dottie - I'm not sure what symptoms you are referring to either?

    Pinky - my you have had an early menopause haven't you.... I peeked at your profile and saw that you have a son..... you have had a lot to contend with..... and I can totally relate to the emotional eating patterns.... probably most of us here I would think.... good luck with your journey here.

    Deedee - welcome...love your sign off to meno-sisters!

    Well I have to get out of bed now.... its only morning her eon the other side of the world - off to weigh in (fingers crossed) and then walk (exercise) to the local organic markets to stock up on some lovely fresh food (and have my weekly treat of coffee and muffin).

    Good luck to everyone in our struggles, Lisa
  • debs6
    debs6 Posts: 232 Member
    Lisa- yes my dog is a westie - and my wonderful companion for almost everything. He loves the c25k program and when we are just walking, which we do every day, he often tries to get me to run as well. I give in sometimes but generally want to preserve the rest days as my old bones definitely need the rest. I am about to start week four on Tuesday and as always I am apprehensive about the increased run times- although have managed them every other time - so hopefully the apprehension will be worse than the actual event.

    I like you am an Aussie- although I am on the other side living about an hour south of Perth in Mandurah.My youngest sister lives in Sydney in Ultimo really central. Are you in the inner city or further out? This is a wonderful website - it keeps me honest and on task and you meet some fantastic people!!

    Debbie
  • IOWAlapbanderette
    IOWAlapbanderette Posts: 74 Member
    I'm in...age 53, MENO hit me like a ton of bricks the day of my 50th birthday...

    I have had mid section weight gain, I am a definite APPLE..lol I keep the hot flashes at bay with Estroven, started taking it just 1 week after the flashes started..and rarely have them..
  • jdos1
    jdos1 Posts: 5
    I'm post and I am having a helluva time! I had NEVER had weight issues and from peri to post (8years) I put on 50 lbs. I am now at the gym 4 days per week and I am walking every chance I get, daily. I am getting my 1200 calories per day and usually my net is less. I am stuck at 192 and just miserable. I found a compounding pharmacy that does the bio-identical hormones. I'd like to hear if that has worked for anyone with a similar story.
  • momcindy
    momcindy Posts: 194 Member
    I'm post-menopause. I'm 54 but was officially in menopause at 47. I feel I've lost a decade of my life (my 40's) due to the fatigue and perimenopause symptoms. I don't remember the last time I actually felt good. Uncontrollable weight gain has been an out of body experience for me and it seems no matter what I do, it just won't come off except in ounces at a time.

    Just bumping up my introductory comment from last month. My main issue right now is this darn belly fat. I look pregnant but my white hair kind of gives everyone a clue that I'm not! I'm doing low carb to try to get rid of it because I've been diagnosed as being insulin resistant which is also called metabolic syndrome and pre-diabetes.
  • fairygirl716
    fairygirl716 Posts: 213
    Good morning ladies. I'm 36 years old and had a total hysterectomy at the age of 33. I was over 200 at the time of my surgery and was on Estrace for about 1 1/2 years. When I finally had my ah ha moment...I was 235 lbs. I just wanted to pop in and give you ladies some hope. I'm 3 years post menapause and I've lost 96 lbs in 14 months. I still suffer from the hot flashes....but without all my insulation, I welcome them...as I'm very cold!

    I eat sensibly, and exercise 5-7 days per week.

    Recently, I hit a hard plateau and stopped losing weight. I decided to shake things up. I upped my calories to maintaince and stopped exercise for a planned 1 week. Today is the end of that week and I've lost .5 lbs. My point is that you can do this too. Taking control of your life is the only way you will be able to maintain. Strive to live healthy, not lose weight and you will have a lasting effect!

    Good luck!
  • kgb6days
    kgb6days Posts: 880 Member
    OMG - do I need this group! I'm 54, soon to be 55 and I am struggling to loose weight. I've been doing the 1200 cal/day, running 3 miles/week and having very little success! At my last MD appt my TSH was elevated, but she wanted to wait to put me on thyroid replacement until the next visit to see if it was still elevated. I'm sure that also affects my ability to lose weight. I totally get that I'll never look like I'm 30 again, but I just don't want to be overweight! I'm looking forward to getting to know you and share our experiences!
  • Dottie27
    Dottie27 Posts: 159 Member
    There is a lot of info. about weight GAIN and menopause, but I have found little info. about the affects on a woman's body after weight LOSS during menopause!

    I have experienced some mild spotting after losing 32 lbs. My doctor thinks the spotting is related to weight loss and explained the estrogen-stored in fat cells-weight loss link. Of course, I will have some tests, because spotting after menopause can be a sign of something more serious. I never knew weight loss could affect menopausal women in this way. Has anyone else heard of it?
  • misstonico
    misstonico Posts: 26
    Can I join too?

    I had to have my thyroid removed a couple of years ago and it threw me into peri-menopause almost right away. I take birth control pills to help mitigate the worst of the side effects, but I still get crazy mood swings, hot flashes, and night sweats. I also gained 30 lbs on top of the 25 lbs I gained after two kids. It's been hard to lose any weight, but with the help of my doctor and some lifestyle changes I dropped about 20 of those pounds. Now I'm working my butt off (literally) to lose the last 35 lbs.

    Oh yeah, and I was 34 yrs old when my thyroid was removed so I had the double blow of dealing with peri-menopause while most of contemporaries were just starting their families. I really had no one who understood what I was dealing with.
  • pbl1966
    pbl1966 Posts: 207 Member
    I am so glad to find this group. I am 44 in feel like I have been in perimenopause for the last few years. I have experienced night sweats since my first child was born (13 years ago), and have had the craziest cycle schedule during the last year. Looking forward to reading through the back posts. Thanks for being here. Patty :flowerforyou:
  • LegzyK
    LegzyK Posts: 172 Member
    Such a great thread - I don't think we need to do anything formal to start the group. If we just keep posting here when we feel like we want support - or have some tips to share with others - then it'll just keep rolling.

    I was thinking that as well as our physical peri/post menopausal symptoms, many of us are at a stage of life when we have to deal with really big life transitions: our parents passing, a divorce, or children leaving home - all of these things can increase our tendency to be anxious and depressed. And those feelings, in turn, get magnified because of our menopausal symptoms. And we all know that stress of any kind makes weight loss more difficult!

    But maybe it would be good for us all to just share our thoughts about these more general mid-life issues, even if they aren't directly related to weight loss? I don't know about you guys, but I don't have that many female friends that I can share these experiences with directly. And this seems like a safe and supportive environment for us to engage with each other in a non-judgemental way.

    Debs6 - thank you so much for starting the debate. I lost my mom to ovarian cancer 3 months ago - not the same as a brain tumour I know, but I can appreciate the strain that the illness can put on the carer as well as intense loss when they finally pass ...

    Good wishes to all you lovely ladies :flowerforyou:


    Will that cute kitty be joining us?! She seems to have issues as wll! LOL!

    I am 51 and a 5 year survivor of thyroid cancer! I never had any weight issues, until the thyroid hell started. I'm sure the menopause stuff isn't helping either. I had my last period about a year and a half ago, but the hot flashes are kicking my butt! I don't know if losing weight will help those or not, but it's worth a try. I am also worried that if I don't do something I will have more and more issues with knee and foot pain. I am 5'4" and I currently weigh 149. That's not terrible, but not all that great for me either! I always weighed about 120ish, most of my adult life and then along came the 40s and the thyroid crap! I would love to join in a group with all you other ladies!!


    Hello Friend, I also am a "thyriod cancer survivor" over 10 years now, I love this thread, was actually thinking of starting this topic myself. Glad to find so many others I can relate to. At 51, I have been in menopause for a few years now, no periods for 7 months and before that 10 months. My biggest problem is NO SLEEP! hot flashes...body aches...depression...etc. Some days I just feel like I'm loosing my mind. Taking Pempro but it doens't seem to be doing the trick. So...I'm in for sure ladies!
  • Melissaol
    Melissaol Posts: 948 Member
    Im 41years old, I had a hystemoy when I was 35 years old. I was in lots of pain with endermetoris. ( Sorry I dont think I spelled it right).
    Before I had sugery when ever I would stand up I would double over in pain, then when ever I got my periods. I would end up in the ER, my blood clots would block everything. and I would ended up backed up with blood... Very painful.

    After my sugery i started to gain weight. Not realizing how much I gained. I just stayed of the scale and kept telling my self it was ok.
    Then when I found this web site on my phone, I said I can try this. I have tryed everything else, why not. So I started out with 1400 calories, I have lots 22lbs. I work out 3-5 days a week.

    The other day I walked by my computer at which I have pictures slid show on it. I stood there and couldn't beleave whatI was seeing. The next day my husband said that he really didnt realize how much I have lots. But when he seen the pictures he was in shock. He said ( Im really proud of you, keep up the good work)
  • bluangelz
    bluangelz Posts: 33 Member
    I would love to be in. I have been post menopause for about 9 years. I never really had a problem losing the weight when I wanted til after I turned 50. I am now 52. I get discouraged easy especially the last few months. My husband and both quit smoking 4 1/2 months ago. Automatic 15 lbs. We started running and have adjusted our diets with the occasional slip of not so healthy. still have only lost 2 lbs. I just get so frustrated with all the excercise and watching what I eat and nothing to show for it.

    So yes I would love to be in a group.:smile:
  • milaxx
    milaxx Posts: 1,122 Member
    Hi all, 48yrs old, menopausal for the past 7 years. Not on any estrogen treatments because I'm a cancer survivor. I had a radical hysterectomy as a result of uterine cancer. I was always overweight but gained nearly 100lbs post surgery. I have a few other health issues as well so it's been a slow and steady pace for me. I'm taking it one day at a time. I must say between being over 40 and the menopause losing isn't half as easy as it used to be.
  • kh0215
    kh0215 Posts: 56 Member
    just popping in to say Happy Monday! Everyone working for the weekend?
  • Aries03
    Aries03 Posts: 179 Member
    Bump...and i'm in...peri Meno!!!
  • kimiel51
    kimiel51 Posts: 299 Member
    Good Monday morning! I hope with the new week, that I can get my eating back on track. The weekend was evil with calories, LOL!
  • felicityksr
    felicityksr Posts: 208 Member
    On a completely different note - have any of you ladies noticed that your er umm sex drive isn't quite what it used to be? I'm in a very happy loving relationship! But somedays it seems I've lost me mojo (as Austin Powers would say).

    Hoping that once my hormones quit going bonkers I'll be back to be more frisky!

    Thoughts ladies???

    I know exactly what you mean! :sad:
  • SusiB60
    SusiB60 Posts: 104 Member
    Hi Everbody,
    Saw a mention of this group on another post and I thought I'd drop in.

    I'm 51 and hopefully almost post menopausa!!! :0)
    I've been doing pretty well with losing weight, but have had a bit of a wobble over the past few weeks and not been so good.

    I found since my hormone levels went haywire, I seem to be very susceptible to illness. And it's got worse and worse as the menopausal years went on. (I've been going for 8 years now).
    Nowadays, if there's a virus in a 20 mile radius, you can guarantee I'll get it and then it takes me forever to recover because I get secondary infections etc.
    It's hard to focus on eating well and exercising when you feel like crap so much of the time.

    I'm sorry to say hello with a whinge, but I feel better for getting if off my chest :D

    I'm not giving up and when I'm over this bout of sinusitis I'll get back on track.
    It would be great give and get some support and understanding from people that are dealing with similar problems.
    Feeling it's not just me would help lots I think ...Sue
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