I’m a not so happy mammoth

As you get older you have to eat far less than before!

I've never put in weight and have done so by each year reducing the amount I eat. I am very active but ultimately it's what you put in your mouth that determine your weight.

Look up lipodema to see if that rings true for you.

Try the late (and much lamented) Michael Moseley's Fast diet. I was post-menopause and clapping weight on at a terrifying rate. Nothing seemed to work. I went to the gym regularly and watched (I thought) what I ate.

I followed the Fast Diet, and the weight just fell off me. When I went back to 'normal' eating, I was much more aware of what I ate, and not so hungry, so the weight stayed off.

Last year, I did the Zoe plan, and with that, I find I don't really need to think about my weight. It stays constant and what I eat fills me up nicely without over-eating or snacking.

Mammoth shake contains far too much sugar. I have stopped it after becoming diabetic despite only having a BMI of 23, going to the gym 6 times a week and eating a clean diet!

Hi @jostart I managed to lose about 8% of my starting weight since this thread was started. Just through restricting calories. There always seems to be one week a month (at least) though in the second half of my cycle where I can’t stop eating so I have to try to be extra conscious to make up for this when I’m not feeling permanently hungry 😁

I did hear about a study which talked about the one meal a day diet and it said if you did that it should be breakfast not dinner or that could be disastrous, makes sense.

Also, snacking mindlessly while watching TV is an ongoing issue. I have been trying to get more social support as well since feeling lonely or like you don’t have enough going on doesn’t help with combatting emotional eating.

Good luck everyone! It’s not easy, that’s for sure!

Track calories (or how can you possibly see if you’re in deficit?), prioritise protein-keeps you feeling fuller longer and up your fluid intake.

You need to reduce your calories as you get older or you will gain weight and find it harder to lose weight.

That's the only answer. You can run yourself until you collapse but it's what you are eating that is the problem.

I have reduced the amount I eat by quite a lot as I've got older and have not put on any weight.

I still enjoy food, I just eat much smaller amounts of it.

Thanks for replying @Slayercake

I sometimes have a Purition shake for lunch but always feel like it's not really a meal and then ending up eating anyway!

I think maybe snacking on whole foods might be a small but easy habit. I'm going to get some eggs this weekend to boil and take into work. I'll be the smelly egg woman but I don't care!

I do intermittent fasting and MFP. You will need a calories deficit of around 500 to make a difference.

Oh @Thinkonmadam thank you! Sorry, obviously up too early to be messaging on Mumsnet!

That's good you're on MFP. I've been using that as well, sticking to around 1600 but no weight loss. It's so frustrating.

@Vegandiva @Slayercake @curlywurlymum how are you all getting on? And anyone else?!

Hi @jostart thanks for asking, but I think you meant to message @curlywurlymum and/or @Vegandiva as they were the ones talking about intermittent fasting 😀

Although on a side note I have been tracking foods with MyFitnessPal just to stay accountable and watch the balance of what I’m eating (seem to struggle to meet protein goals without eating too much fat)

Hi @Thinkonmadam how are you getting on? I am 42 and just googled how fat and crap I am feeling despite eating healthy, tracking and exercising etc and your post came up. Did intermittent fasting help you? How are you doing? X

Just to add to the fun that after menopause you need a third less calories

yeah sucks !!!

Not sure it's what you want to hear but you need to start tracking calories as you are probably overeating ( exercise makes you hungry). I didn't think my diet was too bad but in my mid 40's I need to be on it all the time oe I gain... Even the occasional takeaway and greggs seems to affect things.
My PT has made a meal plan for me as my weight was spiralling. I'm eating the same thing virtually each day and It has some carbs but I have to weigh EVERYTHING. I'm finally losing but it's a bit dull.... But at least I don't have the tyranny of my fitness pal.
I don't think it matters how you do it but less calories consistently with enough protein seems to be the key.

Laughed at your happy mammoth post - I got so fed up of their ads.

Surprised that people have had to push for HRT and convince doctors they are peri or menopausal. My GP surgery literally will look at you and suggest menopause. Broken arm? Menopause. Skin rash? Menopause.

I am self medicating. I take a multivitamin for women over 50 and on top of that I take additional omega 369, magnesium and zinc, and vitamin D. I also take Quercetin C from Holland and Barrett for my hayfever but the vitamin C also helps.

I read a big problem with menopausal women is that they don’t drink enough and that’s true for me so working on that.

Read the UFP book mentioned

cut out bread

eat one meal a day plus any fruit you want

Sorted !

Around 40s we get less efficient at processing protein so we get hungry. However we tend to go for carbs to fill up rather than protein. You may therefore need to snack on more nuts and have larger portions of meat and dairy.

This was me, not gaining, but not losing either. It was my food volume. I've downloaded MyNetDiary and I'm losing 1.4 kg a week. It's easy to use as you just scan barcodes and input volumes. It has a massive database of ingredients too and you can custom build foods.

I am 47 and have lost 14kgs since December. I carried it all on my belly. I am still slowly but steadily losing weight and have 3 kgs to go before I am a healthy BMI. First time I will be a healthy weight in 12 years.

I did 12 weeks of keto then moved to low carb/low sugar. I also do 16/8 intermittent fasting which isn’t onerous at all as I was never a breakfast eater. I had been doing weight training 3 times a week for years and this has continued. No increase in exercise at all.

it hasn’t been too difficult, aside from the initial few weeks as my body adjusted to not having ready carbs to burn. It’s not for everyone, but if you are someone like me who enjoys meat, is happy to eat simple plain food without too many sauces and wasn’t a big breakfast eater, it is really doable. I managed to lose weight consistently over Christmas followed up by a two week cruise.

Before I did this, I took Happy Mammoth Hormone Harmony for two years and it didn’t make any difference with my weight. I was simply eating too many carbs. It did seem to help with my peri mood swings just a bit though.

I have to say it is all about the calorie deficit, plus keeping an eye on fat and sugar, fibre and protein.

As you say you have tracked before and it was an eye-opener. It might be worth just doing it or at least paying more attention on what you put into your mouth.

I am not an expert, but I am very good at losing weight in a healthy way when I need to and if we are completely honest about what we eat, I know from experience how shocking this can be😱

I have been extremely overweight at times and moderately overweight at other times - there is no magic. It is all about burning more calories and fat than we consume. Unfortunately.😂

Sounds like underactive throid to me . . .

No extra advice but I am sending empathy. I have been actively dieting since being diagnosed with heart failure a couple of months ago, and the meds and exhaustion are not helping at all. I have put on 7kg!!! I started tracking last week and my calories and carbs are low. Can’t work it out.

Hi @5128gap oh how lovely to hear, I recently turned 50 and am vegan but defo need more motivation on the whole foods low fat part. As i haven’t been through menopause yet either, hearing this is really encouraging 😊

Thanks for sharing your experience

Your GP is behind on his/her knowledge in the matter then (although I don’t envy you telling them so!)

NHS guidance is v easy going nowadays and it’s literally billed as something you can ask for as soon as you have symptoms. Obvs if you have specific conditions that preclude you etc. but yeah, read through the following and it appears like it should be on demand:

https://www.nhs.uk/medicines/hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/when-to-take-hormone-replacement-therapy-hrt/