Menopausal weight gain - how do I shift it?

[Shortysoso]

Just tried on a load of summer dresses, some I’ve had years, six out of seven no longer fit because my middle had just expended.

I had my last period around Christmas and can’t believe how much I’ve put on.

I walk every day, go to the gym for six classes a week (cardio and resistance, one hour of stretching), eat healthily, in short I’m not doing anything different (have increased exercise) but I’m just expanding.

I never thought I’d say this but I’m considering that freezing, non invasive lipo.

I don’t expect to have a girlish figure, and that’s fine but this is getting silly!

Has anyone successfully shifted meno weight? How?!

Help!

[lentilsaregreat]

I have. I found HRT has helped and 800 calories a day low carb. 12st 10 at start of may 10st now. exercise just walking the dogs. Good luck.

[Shortysoso]

Wow that is really impressive! Congratulations!

I’m not a good candidate for hrt and 800 calories sounds alarming - how do you manage it?!

[pepperpot99]

Same problem here OP, watching with interest .

[TabbyStar]

How do you manage on so few calories? I just end up feeling ill, which is worse than feeling fat!

[madcatladyforever]

No, I put on about 5 stone at the menopause, couldn't shift it, was getting more and more desperate.
I went and had a gastric band and the weight is slowly coming off.
Also reverted back to vegetarian. For some reason I always put on tons of weight when I eat meat so I'm veggie for life now.

[AuntieMarys]

Eat less. Seriously.
I put on 2 stone...doctor told me bluntly that was the only thing that would work. It did.

[AuntieStella]

Unfortunately you shift it the same way as you shift weight at any other time - by consuming less than you expend.

The unfortunately bit is because one of the biological effects of ageing (generally) often kicking in during the perimenopause in women, is that you need fewer calories in the first place. I maintain weight in betweeen 1500-1600 a day, and need to prune right back to 1200-1300 to lose.

Try looking on the FitnessBlender channel on YouTube (or similar) for standing abs exercises (targeting obliques). It won't 'spot reduce' a problematic area (nothing will) but they are the ones which tone the waist area the most.

I took up running when 50ish. It means I expend more energy and it toned me quuteva lot from the waist down

[madcatladyforever]

Sorry but that's rubbish, the eat less move more thing. There are hundreds of studies that show how metabolic rate is affected by menopause, my consultant has a support group and regularly sends us all the research. There are lots of reasons why people can't lose weight so that phrase eat less move more is very trite and rather irritating.
Not every woman is capable of reducing their calorie intake to the level that they will lose weight especially if they are very overweight and have yoyo dieted for years, there are also social, cultural and psycological issues involved.
Before my band I had to eat 700 calories or less a day to lose weight and I simply couldn't do it.
Yes you'll lose weight if you starve but I can't do that with a full time NHS job and 4 hours of travelling a day and still have the energy to work.
Sometimes it takes a lot more than just dieting to lose weight. If I didn't work and was at home all day it would have been much easier for me but as it is I had to take drastic steps to lose weight.
So far I've lost 4 stone and have 2 to go and I'm eating a very reasonable and healthy diet that makes me feel full all day.

[daisypond]

You need to eat less, I’m afraid. Your metabolism is changing. Try to cut out alcohol and go vegetarian. I gained over half a stone very quickly but have nipped it in the bud, I think...for now.

[MelindaGordon]

I’ve put on three stone since starting peri menopause four years ago. I eat far less now and exercise more but have realised I will only really lose weight by radically reducing calorie intake. As I work f/t and have three children I’m worried about impact of reduced food intake on energy levels.
For PP who went to 800, how? What did you eat and is it every day?

[buggerthebotox]

I've lost weight. I've always struggled though, and always lost weight and maintained the loss one way or another. It's hard and it needs focus. You need to be committed.

I think one of the reasons for the drop in metabolic rate (if it is indeed the case) is that older people tend to lose muscle tone. Apparently toned muscles use more calories.

I think it's perfectly doable to lose weight when older and, trite though it may be, I believe it IS a case of eat less, move more, boring as that may be.

[daisypond]

No way could I drop to 800 calories. I have never dieted per se and have always been slim, but cutting out alcohol - a daily glass of wine or beer - and going veggie did it for me. Also - and not to be advised - getting very stressed over a traumatic life event, which meant I had no desire to eat.

[ProfOf]

Lost over 4 stone post menopause (mid fifties). Weights, yoga, low carb, no sugar, for an intensive 5 months. Now maintaining, still doing yoga and weights. Not watching calories at all but eat mostly veg, protein, and good fats. I have little appetite for sugar at all now and, if I fancy sugar, it is a small piece of 70-100% dark chocolate. I find it almost impossible to over eat these types of food. Gone from an apple shaped 18-20 to a 10. Aromatherapy for motivation and maintenance. Some spices are also beneficial (Turmeric and black pepper for example). Today, I have eaten -
B 3 eggs with spinach
L homemade mushroom soup with cream
D huge mixed salad with two chicken thighs, avocado, Caesar dressing.

[helpmum2003]

@madcatladyforever I thought the whole reason you lose weight with a gastric band is because you eat less calories?

[lentilsaregreat]

I've cut out booze. black tea and coffee. 2 x 400 cal meals. Today I had egg and ham omelette for lunch with salad and a dollop of Greek yoghurt full fat. Dinner was roast chicken thigh cabbage cauli and roasted peppers with lentils. . tomorrow I have left over chicken and salad with some lentils for lunch and protein and veg for dinner I'm only short and I was very fat in the obese range. I was just determined to shift it and haven't cheated . I've half a stone to go and I will slowly increase my portions until I am stable. But will continue to get carbs from pulses and vegetables . I do walk for a least an hour a day...I've come to realise you can't get older and eat the way you used to 20 years ago and weigh the same. I do feel so much better and am sleeping so much better too. It is just simply less calories in and more going out. I have found not eating refined carbs means by blood sugar is stable and that helps no end. I could not have done this before I started HRT. It has given me my oomph and zest for life back to get me started looking after myself again.

[DidntAskToBe]

Surely if your metabolism slows down you should be less hungry and will naturally eat less.
Or am I missing something really fundamental?

48 and approaching perimenopause. BMI 18.5

[NiceLegsShameAboutTheFace]

Sorry but that's rubbish, the eat less move more thing. There are hundreds of studies that show how metabolic rate is affected by menopause, my consultant has a support group and regularly sends us all the research. There are lots of reasons why people can't lose weight so that phrase eat less move more is very trite and rather irritating.

It may be trite and irritating. And I know from experience that it's difficult but .... it isn't rubbish.

Completely agree with you that the menopause affects metabolic rate: definitely does. In order to combat that, I've had to significantly reduce my food intake.

I agree that that course of action isn't possible for everyone. However for the majority of us, that's what it takes.

It just is bloody hard work.

[MelindaGordon]

Having started early menopause four years ago with full blown symptoms and gained three stone in that time, I have concluded as others have said that metabolism has slowed right down. I'm more active now but weight continues to increase. As such I feel for me, the only way forward is to radically reduce calorie intake.

In order to make it practical and realistic, I'm trying to research and plan for it, aiming to start end of August. I want to make sure I can maintain energy for work, parenting etc by restricting but eating well.

If anyone has links to specific recipes or further practical tips, that would be welcome!

[Eloisedublin123]

Good to read all this as I’ve put on a stone in the last 9 months 🙈

[OrangeGroveIsland]

Interesting, enjoyable thread.

I'm in my 50s and have put on weight in the last year especially; gone from a large size 14 to a small 18 , no matter what I do. I don't think I eat that much, and I generally eat high quality food, but I am sedentary due to health issues which means I can't exercise. Its mostly round my middle and my bust, which I really don't like, and suddenly a lot of my clothes don't fit me.

It is frustrating, and like one of the posters mentioned I think if I ate any less I would be permanently hungry.

The only way round it for me I've decided is to do Alternate Day Dieting, which I have started a thread on. No-one's joined me on the thread, which I'm not entirely surprised by because I don't think its fashionable any more (its heyday was probably around 2014). But this for me is going to be the only way to get back to a size where I can fit into my clothes and feel comfortable and still enjoy some of the food I like. I can manage to eat very low calorie a few times a week but not every day.

As I look around me, where I live, most women in their 50s are overweight. Its easy to think some of them are sitting at home eating lots of inappropriate food, but I suspect for a large section they aren't, its just the way their metabolism has slowed down and how their hormones no longer work in the same way. Possibly some also have more health conditions that mean they can't exercise as much as before. In fact, the other day I was at my shopping centre and barely saw one woman aged 50+ who was slim-ish. Suddenly I did notice one walking across the road. And then, guess what, I noticed she was smoking and looked quite stressed out.

The alternative for me is to just carry on regardless at this age, as many women understandably do, but I really would like to get rid of some of this belly fat and get my bra size down a bit. Also hardly any of my clothes fit me. And secondly, my square size and bust esp. is making me feel very self-conscious.

So a mixture of normal enjoyment and restraint seems to me the only way I can get back to my more usual size.

p.s. Its normal for women in many cultures to put on weight in middle age e.g. Italy, Middle East. I was wondering if that was because of food like bread and pasta? Japanese women tend not to put on so much weight - but then their food remains around a few staples - veg and meat and rice throughout their lives. Do you think that might be something to do with it?

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

800 calories a day sounds horrendous to me - and if you're exercising you need to eat more!

No real advice other than to say I'm going through the same - getting some comfort from the fact that at least I'm fit from all the exercise and trying to give myself a bit of a break and not expect to be the weight I was 10 years ago.

[OrangeGroveIsland]

I wonder Chocolate if post-menopausal women who are slim or ultra slim probably do manage it by eating less than 1000 calories a day, maybe even as low as 800 if they are petite and not particularly active ...

[dinkystinky]

Awesome - am perimenopausal and have put on 2 stone. Am resigning myself to being overweight till I've gone into full menopause...

[chocolatesaltyballs22]

I wonder Chocolate if post-menopausal women who are slim or ultra slim probably do manage it by eating less than 1000 calories a day, maybe even as low as 800 if they are petite and not particularly active ...

Maybe....but that's no life in my opnion!

[chesterfuckingdraws]

There was a segment on "this morning" last week about the menopause which was interesting. The DRs they had on were discussing all aspects/side effects of menopause and the issues that go along with them. One of the Drs explained that weight gain was due to a drop in metabolic rate and recommended weigh training to help counteract it. I can't remember the full details, I've linked the segment (hopefully it works)

www.itv.com/thismorning/health/how-to-beat-the-menopause