Menopause and weight gain

I'm starting peri-menopause and have under active thyroid. I dropped wheat and went low carb and lost 7 lb in first week and 18lbs in first month it slowed down recently and down to a few pounds a month but I'm only 3lb off my goal now and should make it by end of next month.

I am worried about gaining it back though when my menopause kicks in fully.. so I'm interested in replies!

p. s I was told fibroids were caused by too much estrogen so if you have too much to start with does that mean you won't put as much weight on from estrogen levels dropping too fast?.. I never thought but maybe thats why my fibroid had started shrinking as my peri-menopause symptoms have been kicking in?

Wow, that's an incredible amount of weight loss in such a short period of time! When you say you gave up wheat, what exactly did you stay away from?

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Thats what happened to me! I turned into humpty dumpty! The settings and recomendations on MFP actually worked for me. After I decided I was a hopeless cause, I had a friend convince me to try this program. Counting calories, changing the quality of my diet, getting a move on, all helped.

The calorie limit is important, but especially important was eating enough. I hold on to every single calorie, unless I eat enough. I can't stress that enough! Go with the MFP goal, but don't under eat, and eat back exercise calories. I worked up to an hour of exercise before I was half way through this year. It took a year, but I dialed back more than 10 years of added flab. I regained my 35 yr old figure (which was a pretty good one). It works, it's harder and slower, you eat much less, but you can do it!

After calculating my maintence calories for my age I was depressed. But once you get to that point, you actually don't need more. It's enough and satisfying, just much more thoughtful. It's no longer the case that all you have to do is scale back the eating for a week to lose 5 - 10 lbs. It's more like every ounce is a celebration! The closer you get to goal be sure to lessen the pounds per week goal loss and eat more. Thats the secret. We are made to last the famine! Eat better, eat less, and eat enough!

"The storage 'crate' are fat cells, which means that your body's latching on to every last one of them like an octopus on steroids... " Haha! Yes! And once that fat was gone I was feeling so much better! I really believe my hyped up PMS is better without the fat. I was going to kill someone soon! My hot flashes actually are much less, and the mood swings are less than half the intensity. I'm blaming it on the crazy fat.

I'm also going to have to add that alcohol and "cheat days" are limited. Because you are going to have to work for this. Harder than anything. Twice as hard as people half your age, or your husband. But it's worth it. It really is. Check for things that might not have occured to you that make it even harder, like anemia. Although you are tougher than you think. You will be surprised at how tough.

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Right here with you in the struggle. Hit perimenopause early (at 39) and got put on the pill to deal with the horrendous cycles, blackouts, migraines - all of which went haywire overnight. Almost Immediately went from 140 to 169, even with exercise and healthy eating. I'm back to 154.5 as of today (which has taken 4 years, sad to say). It is soooo frustrating.

While I haven't cut out bread altogether, I did switch to the low-carb 35 calories/slice whole grain bread, and that I presume is helping a bit. I've had to double my exercising just to stay in one place, which is aggravating. If I run into days where I can't get in TONS of exercising, the weight goes right back up several pounds. Urgggh.