Upset at not being able to lose weight

Oh I am on HRT but the weight gain kind of predates it.
No evidence linking HRT to weight gain no?

I came off HRT and the weight has now started coming off. I could never lose weight when I was on the pill either. There's something about me taking hormones and not being able to lose weight.

This all day every day. Cardio is still good for our bodies just like strength and resistance training: A good full on spin class really helps sort my head out too!

Yep, I am in my 50s and also need to lose around 8lb, but it seems almost impossible. Yet some people manage it (at my age) which is really frustrating

You might not be counting them but you are restricting your calories, both by the choices you're making but also you're on a medication which is making you eat less, fewer calories.

That is literally how you are managing to lose weight, you are in a calorie deficit.

Yogurt - 70 calories (assuming non fat)
Walnuts - (25g) - 130 calories
Blueberries - 25 calories
Salmon fillet - 200 calories
Cabbage - 25 calories
Oil for sauté - 50 calories ish
1 chicken breast - 150 calories
Cauliflower rice - 25 calories

Comes to under 700 calories. Not including any curry sauce etc.

Are you being completely honest with yourself about what you are eating? Because most people would starve on that diet.

I too think I will just accept the weight gain, as DH suggests. His helpful comment: You are a middle aged woman Lentil!
.I walk 3 miles a day already but that's because I love it and have time. I dont eat UPF or drink but thats because I have never done that. Not able to eat 800 cal a day or track every single morsel.
My only concern is that all the weight is around my tummy, and there is diabetes in my family ( lousy Asian genes).

You have to be in a calorie deficit and at your age guess work doesnt cut it. You have to weigh things to work out what you're consuming and take a tally every day, the average over the week is fine. Then dont expect to have massive change week on week, its likely that you're losing a few lbs and then getting complacent and thats why it then goes back on again. It happens to all of us.

You need to fairly accurately work out your TDEE, then knock 500 cals off that and try to stick to it. I find exercise makes me ravenous so thats difficult.

As you go on, you'll see if your TDEE is accurate becuase if you are absolutely thorough about the calorie intake, you should lose in accordance with it, so 1lb or .5lb or 2lb whatever you set your deficit to be.

It's so depressing isn't it. I have found that it is calories and restricting eating in a time window. You just can't eat what you used to at all. Work out your BMR and honestly it's probably even lower than that. I have managed to get rid of the half stone with this. Also really cut down on carbs. Its definitely hormones you are inevitably in peri menopause..this is a symptom.

Do you excercise? Walk?

OK I have lost a couple of kilos and kept it off successfully.

• I went to a dietician (not a nutritionist) worth it for an hour where she helped me work out what I was eating and what I wasn’t. She also gave me really really simple guidelines about how to work out what wa son my plate. Best investment ever.

• I watched a lot of secret eaters l. For some reason I found it very helpful just how easy it is to snack and eat without realising especially when distracted.

• I use an App called my net diary. I started out just tracking my protein intake and then Vit C rather than calories.

• I actually focused on the money rather than the food. I set a budget on what to eat a week and the shittier the food the more expensive it is. Now rather than a chocolate bar I have an apple which is so much cheaper .

It’s not a diet it’s just healthier eating for most of the time.

Typo - it's the human being diet

amzn.eu/d/28MZVlX

Can I recommend reading'The Human Body Diet'.
It has massively helped me shift the extra weight and when other diets are slow. This has quick effects and is easy.

It sounds like it's not far off what you're doing but there might be a suggestion or two in there that could help.

I'm saying this as someone who is now slimmer than I have been in a decade with very little hunger / cravings. Everything has improved, skin, sleep etc.

Ps OP I think your diet looks spot on! My post was more for anyone advising calorie counting.

I'm 50 and maintain my weight by having brunch and dinner rather than three meals. I eat in an 8 hour window and walk a minimum of 10,000 steps a day.

Calorie restriction doesn't work as our bodies think we're in a famine and then when we regain that weight it tends to add a bit more for good measure. If you read the book Why We Eat Too Much by Dr Andrew Jenkinson it explains how we need to work with hormones to lose weight. I've pretty much cut out wheat, sugar, UPFs and avoid veg oil if I can as it all interferes with our leptin levels/spikes insulin.
(Full disclosure, I'm following his way of eating but using mounjaro too, I had just tipped into borderline obesity)

How many calories a day are you aiming for?

Have you got a Fitbit? You can log food and compare calories out to calories in. I’m finding it helpful.

I have to eat a lot less than a 500 calorie deficit to lose 1lb a week as it says. So I can lose weight, but I have to eat no more than around 1100 cals a day. I am short, so can’t eat loads anyway without gaining. I do 15k steps a day. Often up and down my living room at end of day. It’s harder as you age as your body needs less calories. If calorie counting you need to be accurate too.

I know its probably not everyday, but I avoid eating meat or fish for more than one meal, unless its prawns. Salmon is quite high in calories, as is chicken (relative to the sides you are eating).

It's not a huge menu though so I feel for you!

This is genuinely the most helpful comment on the thread.

I have the same issue as OP, late forties. Used to be slim an took no effort to lose weight. I have been sad about the peri-stone and a half I have put on and seem unable to shift. But... I would rather keep that weight than only drink water, chew on salad or put my kitchen out of bounds 3 hours before I even get home from work!

I think this revelation might have been life changing in regards to the way I see myself

An absolutely, honest thank you.

I'm post meno and do find that it takes a good week and a half to 2 weeks to start dropping weight even when I drastically cut intake. Contrasted with my DH who drops much more quickly, it can be frustrating and disappointing. So stick with it.

My suggestions (which I find do work)

• have 2 meals a day. This gives a 16 hour fast window which is hard at first but becomes a doddle. This is good for metabolism and general health (protection from cancer, diabetes and dementia) . In your case this would cut out 400 + cals in the breakfast making an instant difference.

• weigh everything. You'd be amazed at how just a desert spoon extra of food adds a large calorie count. I use smaller plates / bowls which helps a lot. I also bulk out with low cal veg so that they cover at least half of the plate. Make sure you are getting plenty of protein.

• measure your body before you start. Often you will 'see' progress earlier by measuring body dimension, than weight which can fluctuate with water quite a lot.

In my case post meno my weight creeps up and clothes stop fitting when I eat too much. I used to think that it was hormonal and blame that but when I stopped and thought, was and was really honest with myself, it was plain old eating more than I needed that was the cause.

I'm now content that my base weight/size is a dress size bigger than my younger days but actually I think I look better for it and have a good wardrobe of clothes to fit it. It's only when I overdo the nosh for,a sustained period that I pile it on and cut calories to reduce back.

OP pleeeease ignore posters telling you to eat 1200-1400 calories a day. That isn't even enough for a 6 year old.

I'm in my 40s and 5'4", weight train regularly and eat quite similar to you. To maintain a weight I feel great at (visible abs, muscle tone) I eat 2200 cals a day. To lean out a bit I drop to 1800 but only for a couple months. I would be miserable and sleepless and lose muscle if I ate 1400 cals a day!

Prioritise protein, (which you seem to be doing), lots of steps, hydration, and lift weights!

Look up Elemental Coaching with Kylie Larson, or Jordan Syatt on instagram. No nonsense, practical advice for realistic fat loss and muscle building. We need muscle in perimenopause, and it is the best route to a favourable body composition. Another great resource is Dr Stacy Sims.

Drink 2.5 litres of water

Walk (v fast) or jog 4 miles a day

I was in your shoes.
No alcohol, no snacks is something that would have worked 20 years ago, but not any more.
I can only lose weight if I eat no more than 1000-1200 kcal per day. And need to properly track it - I have an app that estimates based on photo, so also estimates added oils and sauces. A portion that I, lifelong calorie counter, would estimate around 300 is often more than 500, and those things all add up. I count everything, including milk in my coffee.

You also say 'chicken curry' - but how much? I also had do significantly adjust portion sizes, I need to eat about 1/3 of what I normally would have taken.

Lost 10 kg in 2 months. Feeling so much better.