Lose going through menopause?

jennimben
jennimben Posts: 66 Member
edited December 17 in Motivation and Support
I'm 48, peri-menopausal (been going through it for a few years now), 5'3 and 165 lbs. My doctor actually told me I would probably not lose weight now becuase I've been at this weight for several years and my metabolism is slowing down. I would like to lose 30 lbs, but would be extremely happy with 20! I've been active in MFP for a few weeks now, after leaving it for awhile. I feel so motivated reading everyone's stories, but I'd love to hear of women who are in the midst of menopause. Iost one pound a week for the first three weeks, stepped on the scale the next week and was up 4. Hadn't changed much of anything- still recording and exercising. ARRRGGHHHH!!! I've done the horrible route- too few calories, Medifast, Herbalife, Cambridge, Scarsdale, and on and on, tummy tuck, lipo/lift. The only way to do it is eat right, record food, exercise, support - am I too late??? Is my weight "set"? I want to prove my doctor wrong!!!

Replies

  • Fay84Vegan
    Fay84Vegan Posts: 225 Member
    I'm not going through the menopause i'm 28 BUT...

    My mum wasn't one for losing weight, she would say she's too old and she would just have to live with the extra couple of stone she had put on over the years and throw all her old clothes out.

    One day after deciding she wasn't happy and wanted to chaged she reduced her calories to 1500 a day (she's 5ft 4inches)
    Over a few months she lost nearly 2 stone.

    Now this is a lady that didn't believe it was even possible to lose weight at her age (60)

    Now at the same time every year she loses those few extra pounds she has gain, she has kept her weight down for 5 years.

    She isn't one that exercises but she does a lot of gardening!

    Keep going with it. There is no reason why you can't lose the weight too!! :-)
  • jennimben
    jennimben Posts: 66 Member
    That is a very neat story- thank you for sharing! I need to get my mind on-board and think positively about it, and I will remember women like your mom can do it, so can I! Thank you
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,244 Member
    You can do it!

    I am 51. I joined here when I was 48 and weighed 169 pounds. I lost 25 pounds in seven months, and I've done a pretty decent job of maintaining that since. I went on to lose a few more (30+ in total), but I slacked off a little bit and put just a few back on. I weigh 144 right now and am working my way back to 139. I don't starve myself to do it, either. I work out five or six days a week, and I average about 1800 calories a day. I expect to lose 1/2 to 1 pound a week doing this.

    Don't let your doctor's words discourage you. Doctors are only human, and people say dumb things sometimes. For the longest time, I told myself it would be too hard to lose the weight, and it was — until I stopped telling myself that. You've got this!
  • jennimben
    jennimben Posts: 66 Member
    Great Job and you look great in your pic! So awesome to read your response, I feel really excited about getting going now! I don't workout quite as many days a week but am building it up one day at a time. I would be so happy losing 1/2 lb a week, especially if it meant keeping it off! You are right, people do say some silly things and my (male) doctor may have had no idea where my mind would take his comment! Thank you for including your calories. I just increased mine from 1350 to 1500 and eating back my workout calories, so I'll see how that works for a couple of weeks. Okay- here I go!
  • jjelizalde
    jjelizalde Posts: 377 Member
    I'm 56 and menopausal. The key is watch your diet and exercise. I'm losing an average of a pound a week. Menopause or not, it can be done!
  • doonesbury
    doonesbury Posts: 281 Member
    I am post meno, 7 years. I have also read that weight loss is harder. I disagree! Diet and exercise works for EVERYone! I am down 15 pounds in two months since joining MFP. Dont let ANYone tell you you cant be the best YOU! :) Feel free to add me!
  • dhencel
    dhencel Posts: 244 Member
    I am doing MFP to lose my menopause weight. Every time I went to the dr., I gained 2 1/2 lbs....Then when I got up to the most I ever weighed, I asked her about it.. She said every woman gains 15 pounds with menopause.....So now with that and other health concerns--blood pressure, diabetes and cholestrol, I am taking charge of my weight.. I have lost 10 pounds since I saw her in Jan. She was very surprised.. Blood pressure down too... So I say you can lose meopause weight if you want to.......
  • vvanm
    vvanm Posts: 157
    I asked my doctor if losing weight would help with cholesterol. He said it wouldn't make much difference because most people only lose a small percentage at best. I could tell he was thinking losing weight would never happen. That was when I was 50 @ 225. My family has the fat gene, my two older sisters are over 200 lbs, and I felt doomed. Then I just refused to accept that I would live out my life as a fat person. It took longer, sometimes a lb a month, which only made me more determined. I didn't waver for years until the pounds gave up and left. I won!
  • Mom2rh
    Mom2rh Posts: 612 Member
    The research I did online about this is that perimenopausal and menopausal women are more insulin resistant...which basically means we don't metabolize carbs as efficiently as we used to. I have found success with cutting out simple carbs (bread, pasta, sugary stuff, rice, potatoes) and eating more protein and fruits and vegetables. I also eat frequently throughout the day.

    Regarding exercise, I am a runner and that is how I used to lose my weight. But the more I read on here the more I think building muscle is a HUGE factor in upping your metabolism. Lots of women here are following the program of New Rules of Lifting For Women. I'm not doing that but I am doing workouts that build my muscle.

    Good luck.
  • jennimben
    jennimben Posts: 66 Member
    Thanks to all for the wonderful and motivating comments!
  • PJilly
    PJilly Posts: 22,244 Member
    Great Job and you look great in your pic! So awesome to read your response, I feel really excited about getting going now! I don't workout quite as many days a week but am building it up one day at a time. I would be so happy losing 1/2 lb a week, especially if it meant keeping it off! You are right, people do say some silly things and my (male) doctor may have had no idea where my mind would take his comment! Thank you for including your calories. I just increased mine from 1350 to 1500 and eating back my workout calories, so I'll see how that works for a couple of weeks. Okay- here I go!
    Thank you. :blushing: Your calories are about the same as mine. I'm at about 1500 + 300 for exercise, except I eat that much on my rest days too. I Iove food too much to go much lower than 1700-1800. :tongue:
  • Kelly043
    Kelly043 Posts: 51 Member
    bump
  • tvl0308
    tvl0308 Posts: 96 Member
    wow there is some good stuff here. Thanks everyone for the info!!
  • Kelly043
    Kelly043 Posts: 51 Member
    Glad I found this thread. I am 44 and have come to the conclusion I am starting peri-menopause. I have a doctor appointment scheduled for early Sept, so I will hopefully find out for sure around that time. I've been working out as hard and as often as I can for 3 weeks now (and a little bit before then), watching my calories etc, but have not lost any weight. I know, 3 weeks is not a long time, but any time I have dieted/exercised in the past, I would at least have a pound or so to show for my effort each week.
    I have some sypmtoms of menopause that I won't go into here - enough to make me take a pregnancy test just to discount that remote possibility.

    I'm glad to hear that other women in this boat have success in losing weight. Has anyone found anything to help water retention/bloating? Anyone tried HRT? I won't know if that is something to consider until my doctor appointment, but I will be researching before my appointment.
  • dhencel
    dhencel Posts: 244 Member
    Sorry to say but your doctor is wrong.....I am 56 and post menopause... Every worman gains weight then and it is about 15 pounds I gained that and more!!!!. I have successfully lost 24 pounds using MFP.... So please continue with this program, it does work. I cannot wait until September when I go for my appointment at the doctors, to see her reaction to my weight loss... I told her I would weigh less and I will.......
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    Perimenopause can last 20 years. That's a pretty long time to blame weight gain on hormones.
  • Freyja2023
    Freyja2023 Posts: 158 Member
    You can prove that doctor wrong :) I went through menopause early due to a hysterectomy. It is call surgical menopause and it came on hard and fast. I managed to lose 90 pounds regardless of the menopause. If a doctor had told me that I probably would have thought what's the point only because they are a doctor right and suppose to have all the answers, but they are human too and sometimes don't. Get his words out of your head and do what works for you. I had a friend tell me that after a hysterectomy that I would never have a flat belly again, because she never did after hers, well I have now proved her wrong :)
  • laney4818
    laney4818 Posts: 73 Member
    I'm 50 and going through menopause and having a really hard time losing weight. I'm tracking everything, weighing, measuring all my food and working out every day burning about 200 to 500 calories (conservative in my estimates) and I've lost 3 pounds in 8 weeks! I 5' 6", started at 161 and I want to be 140 to 145.

    I've tried to stay at 1200 calories every day, but recently started eating a few of my exercise calories and gone up to about 1400 calories because I've read that sometimes it helps to eat more. I've gone very low carb and it made no differnce at all, in fact I lost 0 those 3 weeks). I still keep carbs lower, but not extrememly low.

    It's really frustrating! A couple of years ago when I lost 15 pounds, I'd lose 1-2 pounds a week pretty consistantly. Not anymore.... :(
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