menopause and after weight loss

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Mommak1958
Mommak1958 Posts: 2 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
Has anyone out there experienced difficulty losing weight while going through menopause or after. I am really struggling to lose anything, and have been for the last year and a half. I have only gained about 5 pounds, but I CANNOT seem to lose it. I do exercise 3 - 4 days a week, most weeks. For the last 2 weeks, I have been drinking Visalus shakes for Breakfast & lunch, eating maybe an apple and a single serving size bag of popcorn during the day. Then eating a normal dinner. I am not hungry, but I'm not losing either. Just wonder if anyone out there has had similar issues and what you may have done to get past them.
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Replies

  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 449 Member
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    It is possible that you are not consuming enough calories. Also, have you checked the sodium in the foods you're consuming? Just a thought.

    I'm not at the big "M" yet but the older I get the harder it gets to get the weight to shift. However, with the help of this site and my naturopath the weight is slowly but surely coming off. Remember to eat all of your calories. Totally not what we were taught through the years but it seems to work.
  • vestarocks
    vestarocks Posts: 449 Member
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    Also I don't know what the shakes are that you are "eating" but I am a proponent of real food. Real, healthy, unprocessed food. That's just my opinion though.
  • jacquismith
    jacquismith Posts: 21 Member
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    Hi, I'm 63 and am just finishing the menopause, I only need to lose around 9 pounds but it has been very difficult. If I eat lots of fruit and vegetables and 2 - 3 ounces of say, chicken, then I find I can lose a little but as soon as I start to eat carbs I put it back on. I'm on a 1200 calorie diet, I walk the dog and do some form of exercise 5 times week. If I eat chocolate or sweet stuff I can't lose anything even if it's only a little bit. I do think though it's necessary to eat little and often - I try to eat my 1200 calories and some days I'm under but I never eat what I log as exercise. Let me know how you get on. :happy:
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    I'm not in menopause yet. I'm in the perimenopause stage and it is definitely harder to lose weight now. And my GYN says it's likely to get worse once I hit menopause. Plenty of intense cardio seems to help me lose the most.
  • blondejillie
    blondejillie Posts: 305 Member
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    I've been reading about this recently, don't laugh...I bought Suzanne Somers "Sexy Forever". She has researched this exact topic and has lots of great advice. I'm in the middle of the book and have learned how hormones affect us in every way...weight loss, weight gain...moods...quality of sleep...energy...etc.
  • Jill_newimprovedversion
    Jill_newimprovedversion Posts: 988 Member
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    I agree with the above post^^^ about making sure you are eating ENOUGH-
    when I started logging a year ago, I was sporadic about eating- skipping meals, grabbing empty calories (candy bars/milkshakes)
    and then ate a decent dinner....and was perplexed why I'd gained.
    Makes sense to me NOW that I can see- sometimes I UNDERate and that stored FAT.

    as far as menopause goes, I'm in it- but I ended up developing an underactive thyroid-
    after a suggestion by my CHIROPRACTOR- I asked my PCP to test my levels- they were out of balance-
    which *CAN* occur during menopause...and it has helped too.

    Just something to ask your doctor about- and keep track of over the course of your life.
  • SandyChampWins
    SandyChampWins Posts: 133 Member
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    I too only gained about 5 lbs with menopause however I am over 200 to begin with. After 3 weeks of serious exercise I am slowly (3lbs) starting to loose weight. I just don't have it in me to eat diet food so I have only given up sweets and am adding more fruits. Using MFP is really helping because it has been telling me I am not eating enough calories and once I started eating ALL the reccomended calories, I started loosing. It sounds like you are not eating enough and your body is into "storing" the fat mode. Eat more normal food calories. ALSO: I now have "friends" that are giving possitive feed back and that really helps too!
    Good Luck & God Bless!
  • change_happens
    change_happens Posts: 491
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    oddly, i am 'supposedly' at that menopause mark. who knows... my hormones are so crazy anyway. I am interested in reading what everyone has to say.

    I have been working out every single day. I gain tons of water weight during that time of the month, usually close to ten lbs... not joking! I have started weighing myself daily and keeping track to see the fluctuations, and they are really huge. Every single time I lose the water weight there seems to be a some fat that I gain that I can' t seem to shake off.

    I have been burning and burning tons of calories daily, but it isn't doing anything for me but helping me shed the water weight. At first I thought it was my thyroid, but sheesh... something has to give.

    Have you checked with a nutritionist to see what they have to say? That is my next move. I have also been thinking about doing low carb. Haven't made any diet choices as of yet though.

    Hope everything works out for you!

    Hang on in there, don't ever quit.
  • wwww1199
    wwww1199 Posts: 271 Member
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    I am post-menopausal and I have gained 40 lbs in the last few years and it's very difficult to get off. My gyn told me that I have to burn off more than I eat and do NOT eat back exercise calories.
  • Madampreztx
    Madampreztx Posts: 1
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    I've been struggling with weight gain over the past seven years; I will turn 60 this year. I have to believe the big M plays a major role because traditional advice for losing weight don't seem to work. I tend to agree with the post that said you are not eating enough though. I arbitrarily set a limit of 1000 to 1200 calories last year and I was reasonably faithful. I also exercised a good bit, walking 15-20 miles a week. I ended the year 8 pounds heavier than I started.

    Since January I've been really watching my calorie intake again trying to stay between 750 to 1000 calories. In early February, a friend told me about myfitnesspal. When I plugged in my goals, it says I should have 1500 calories a day. I've lost 6 more pounds since increasing my calorie intake. I make sure I eat breakfast every day and I have an apple or veggies for snacks. I allow myself to have a Skinny Cow treat if I choose too. I've been trying to do my carb loading at breakfast and lunch and intake few if any for dinner.

    I'm not sure if I've stumbled on the right combination for me or not. Time will tell. Like the post below, I've stopped adding salt to my meal after it's prepared. I allow myself a pinch if needed when cooking. All I know is that it's been a very long time since I've had any weight loss and this feels right. Hope this encourages you.
  • TrailRunner61
    TrailRunner61 Posts: 2,505 Member
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    Hi there!

    Did you just start on here? I'm going through the same thing, hotflashes and all and cant take any hrt. I've been a member on here since Jan and I've lost 10 lbs since Christmas eve. It's not a lot but I didnt put this weight on all at once either.
    The biggest changes I made was to get up and move more. I break a good sweat with at least 100 minutes of exercise such as walking/hiking at least 4 times a week. I prefer to do it 7 days a week now and enjoy it. I added a gps pedometer app to my phone that tracks the miles and steps that I've walked, calories I've burned and a few other things. I love it.
    I've also learned to enjoy every single bite of my food. I've realized that if I'm truly hungry most ALL food tastes good, even the healthy stuff! So if an apple sounds boring you probably aren't really hungry.
    Since soy is supposed to help with menopause symptoms, Ive started drinking Silk choc soy milk, light. It's only 90 calories and gives me an awesome fix to my choc craving. I also eat roasted edamame as my salty, crunchy snack.
    One more thing I've noticed is that I have fewer hotflashes if I'm not dehydrated. I'm not sure why though!
    Have you been tracking your food intake and exercise on here? I find that it helps me reach my goals much easier. MFP also has a phone app you can use for when you're not at a computer.
    Add me as a friend if you'd like. Perhaps we can help each other go through this crazy part of life that God chose to punish us with. lol Good luck to you!
  • angbak60
    angbak60 Posts: 31 Member
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    I've been reading about this recently, don't laugh...I bought Suzanne Somers "Sexy Forever". She has researched this exact topic and has lots of great advice. I'm in the middle of the book and have learned how hormones affect us in every way...weight loss, weight gain...moods...quality of sleep...energy...etc.

    The book sounds good and worthy of reading. I am still in the pre-menopause stage and I think weight loss does get more difficult. I'm working out more and eating less and it is helping!
  • carlaj38
    carlaj38 Posts: 23 Member
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    If you are taking any kind of hormone replacement medication some of them keep you retaining weight just a thought....
  • DixiedoesMFP
    DixiedoesMFP Posts: 935 Member
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    At a recent medical conference, they stated that after menopause a female must exercise 30 minutes a day at moderate intensity to MAINTAIN weight and 60 minutes a day at moderate intensity to LOSE weight. I am not going to cite a source, because I can't remember it. That was with absolutely no change in dietary habits or the amount of food being eaten.
    Also, as an aside, exercise after menopause will help preserve your bone strength.
  • Di3012
    Di3012 Posts: 2,250 Member
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    Has anyone out there experienced difficulty losing weight while going through menopause or after. I am really struggling to lose anything, and have been for the last year and a half. I have only gained about 5 pounds, but I CANNOT seem to lose it. I do exercise 3 - 4 days a week, most weeks. For the last 2 weeks, I have been drinking Visalus shakes for Breakfast & lunch, eating maybe an apple and a single serving size bag of popcorn during the day. Then eating a normal dinner. I am not hungry, but I'm not losing either. Just wonder if anyone out there has had similar issues and what you may have done to get past them.

    Oh yes. You will find many menopausal women have the same problem regarding trying to lose weight. It is a bugbear that can only be understood by anybody that has or is going through it, in short, it is the proverbial pain in the butt!

    Our metabolisms HAVE slowed down and it is a lot more difficult to shift the weight during and after the menopause than it would have been in our teens or twentys (or even thirties come to that).

    My own way is 1200 calories, cut out all crap, no junk food, exercise (which, for me is running) three times per week, log everything into my food and exercise diary, weigh and measure once per week. So far it has worked a treat.

    Watch you do not underestimate your food calories and overestimate your exercise calories - especially if you eat your exercise calories back. It can be the difference between being on target or many hundreds of calories over if you do it incorrectly and that, in turn, will mean either no weightloss or worse still, an increase in weight. That would be a damn shame.
  • dyremior
    dyremior Posts: 17
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    Also I don't know what the shakes are that you are "eating" but I am a proponent of real food. Real, healthy, unprocessed food. That's just my opinion though.
    I totally agree with this! Try getting some whey protein powder and making your own if that is what you want. It is very easy with some frozen berries and just water!
  • Mommak1958
    Mommak1958 Posts: 2 Member
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    Thanks for all the suggestions and support. I started today using the food diary on MFP again. I also have fibromyalgia which has slowed my exercise some, but I'm going to be searching for a good exercise plan today too, so I can get back on track. I lost about 13 pounds 4 - 5 years ago and have just now gained it all back. But I have been struggling with this 5 pounds for over a year.
    I agree it could be that I haven't been eating enough calories, so that is why I am starting up the food diary again. And I know I haven't been consistent with my exercise over the last few weeks, so that has to change.

    I am also battling an inflamed ankle tendon, so any suggestions of a good exercise program, i.e. free weights (light weight), videos, etc that you recommend would be appreciated.
  • jacquismith
    jacquismith Posts: 21 Member
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    That's interesting Jill, will ask my doc if I can have tests.:smile:
  • jacquismith
    jacquismith Posts: 21 Member
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    Hi Change_happen, if you're burning lots of calories, could it be that you're gaining a bit of muscle and that's where the extra weight is going? Just a thought :smile:
  • CnocNaCu
    CnocNaCu Posts: 536 Member
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    Has anyone out there experienced difficulty losing weight while going through menopause or after. I am really struggling to lose anything, and have been for the last year and a half. I have only gained about 5 pounds, but I CANNOT seem to lose it. I do exercise 3 - 4 days a week, most weeks. For the last 2 weeks, I have been drinking Visalus shakes for Breakfast & lunch, eating maybe an apple and a single serving size bag of popcorn during the day. Then eating a normal dinner. I am not hungry, but I'm not losing either. Just wonder if anyone out there has had similar issues and what you may have done to get past them.

    Oh yes. You will find many menopausal women have the same problem regarding trying to lose weight. It is a bugbear that can only be understood by anybody that has or is going through it, in short, it is the proverbial pain in the butt!

    Our metabolisms HAVE slowed down and it is a lot more difficult to shift the weight during and after the menopause than it would have been in our teens or twentys (or even thirties come to that).

    My own way is 1200 calories, cut out all crap, no junk food, exercise (which, for me is running) three times per week, log everything into my food and exercise diary, weigh and measure once per week. So far it has worked a treat.

    Watch you do not underestimate your food calories and overestimate your exercise calories - especially if you eat your exercise calories back. It can be the difference between being on target or many hundreds of calories over if you do it incorrectly and that, in turn, will mean either no weightloss or worse still, an increase in weight. That would be a damn shame.

    I can really second that!
    I'm in menopause for 6 years now and found it very difficult to lose weight. With MFP and the right attitude towards exercise I've lost 44 pounds and quit smoking. I'm feeling much better now, have less hot flashes and no mood swings. Seems like my hormons a re more balanced now although the blood check last week told a different story .
    I exercise daily (cardio and strenth) and watch carefully what I eat and how many cals I've burnt.
    Since the figures for cals burnt per certain exercise are far too high here on MFP I've bought a HRM and now I know that I'm not burning that much at all, especially now that I'm close to goal.
    What else do I do? I stick to a 1200-1300 calorie limit and don't eat back my exercise cals. Some here in the community told me to eat more, my weight loss would stall and my body would go into starvation mode. I didn't listen to them because my body doesn't work like a 20-something's body any more. So easy is that!!!!!
    I keep sodium below 1000, cook at home and don't eat processed or junk food. I make sure I eat a lot of protein and less carbs.
    And I make sure I'm having fun:bigsmile:
    Good luck on your journey and maybe you want to check the menopause groups here on MFP

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