Short sharp fast weight loss ideas for peri menopause/menopause?

[regularbutpanickingabit]

I know this isn’t a great idea and I know that slow and steady weight loss is best but I’m desperate for a quick solution. Also embarrassed.

I have 8 weeks until I am a matron of honour at my sister’s wedding abroad. It’s somewhere very very hot. The dress has been bought. There’s a week of festivities, all requiring skimpy, elegant or pretty dresses. And swimwear.

I have steadily put on weight over the last 3 years and am now at my heaviest and the vast majority of it is on my stomach. I look like I am 6-7 months pregnant and I hate it. My neck is fat. My face looks bloated. I look a lot older than I am because of it. I am approaching a dangerously high BMI.

I am going through peri menopause. My usual lowish carb, drink more water, move more approach is just not working. I can’t do high impact gym glasses or go running because I’ve damaged my hip and had an ankle op a few months ago. Walking isn’t that easy for the same reason.

My head is not in the right place. My sleep is disordered. I am not eating huge amounts of crap but I’m not eating well. Alcohol only at weekends but I can’t not have a few drinks then.

I am thinking a quick fix diet to lose some weight fast will help everything. It will get me out of a rut, get me feeling positive again by seeing myself starting to look better and just kick start a healthier relationship with food and drink again.

I am dreading this wedding and I don’t want to feel like that. I don’t want my obesity to be forever immortalised in those pictures. I want to have a goood time celebrating my beautiful sister and not be worried about this. I won’t be slim but there’s a big difference between beaches whale and slim and I want to fall somewhere else than where I am. I know that’s vain.

i also know i won’t lose all the weight in that time but I am desperate to do something significant and fast.

Can anyone recommend a solution that has worked for them?

Thank you.

Thank you. I’m going to look that up. Even half a stone will make me feel like I’m doing something good.

Good to know I’m not alone. My weight has gone up and down but I can’t bear how hard it is to lose weight or maintain weight now.

That’s my worry - transitioning back. Also not liking the taste and then doing the worst thing of having shakes AND normal food.

Thank you. I have some basic ones but need to see what their weights are. Do you recommend any particular programme to follow?

I've done Juice Plus in the past and found the weight fell off and I didn't feel hungry. It's pretty hardcore, no dairy no carbs no gluten and no alcohol but if you want a short term fix and then follow this on with healthy eating and exercise I don't see why not.

You can but direct on their website so you don't have to get involved in the MLM.

Fasting, I know it sounds extreme but it is very safe (and very healthy), if you take electrolytes and listen to your body. Build up to it, do shorter fasts first then longer. Ignore the naysayers and misinformation, it is amazing.

You will also have the benefit of autophagy and renewal of stem cells (younger!).

Check out reddit.com/r/fasting for information and support.

I agree with low carb and intermittent fasting, but sleep trouble will also impact weight gain/loss. If you aren't sleeping, you will struggle to lose weight. I listened to a few podcasts lately on this and I've worked hard to improve my sleep hygiene as a result.

podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/feel-better-live-more-with-dr-rangan-chatterjee/id1333552422?i=1000444124353

I followed a keto diet, lost 10lbs in my first week! After that it was between 1 and 3 lbs a week.

It was much easier to fast when eating this way. I would never miss a meal before but could easily eat one meal a day, though usually had two due to a physical job.

Best things about it were how it cut the bloating and I didn't spend my time thinking about food.

Good luck!

Mornings - zest and juice of one lemon with hot water, top up as necessary.

Lunch - low carb high protein healthy fat. (Eat after 12)

Dinner - low carb high protein healthy fat ( finish eating before 8)

Afternoon Snack - one square very dark chocolate, or half an apple with peanut butter.

weekends - one glass of red wine ( water it down 80/20 to make it feel like more!)

If you don’t have weights do callisthenics. Lots of free YouTube videos, if you want a real challenge then Caroline Girvan is great.

HIIT and calorie burning exercise are great for keeping healthy but not so good at shifting fat post menopause. Callisthenics and weights are a different story!

And on the day, think about how to hide things, eg a boost bra will make your waist look more in proportion.

hope you have a great day

Lurking

Agreed with all above, but also make sure you're drinking loads of water.

It'll make the biggest immediate difference

I can highly recommend following ' The Glucose Revolution' way of eating, half stone went

Just googled and this is the one that reckons if you eat your meals in a certain order you’ll lose weight?

pick a way if eating that works for you. Same with exercise. If you like fasting, or reducing carbs, go for it. If you prefer walking to weights, do that. Do whatever you can stick to.

bottom line is you need to expend more energy than you take in. For me it’s simply watching my portions, eating more veg at meals to fill me up, but sticking to 3 meals + one snack.

If I want to lose weight faster, i decrease portion size and up veg intake. Exercise drives my appetite so to lose weight very fast I am better doing less, and upping the exercise when I can slow the loss a bit as I will need to eat more.

i have tried everything over the years. From not eating (works very well 😂) to high fat/fasting/low carb/high protein- all of which made me gain weight.

it took a big effort and 3 months meal plan service to get back into a healthy way of eating which I can tweak to lose or maintain.

I love roasted vegetables. That’s a great idea. Thank you. Are these fast days absolutely zero food or minimal? I need to do more research.

Thank you.

Thank you. Definitely don’t want an MLM so good advice. I think going low carb previously has skewed my diet too much the wrong way because I could live on cheese and cold meats etc and cutting out dairy scares me!

Thank you. I hate feeling hungry which I’ve only realised since answering this threat. Bit of a revelation in itself. So I need more info on the fasting side. Thanks for the link.

That’s so helpful, thank you. This is definitely a menopause symptom I didn’t expect and it’s not helping me at all.

I thought I knew what bloating was but I have never ever felt as bloated and horrible as I do now. Thank you for the advice.

Thank you. I appreciate the specific advice and it will be so helpful. I am feeling more cheerful than I was when I wrote the op because I feel like maybe there is some hope.

Join me!

I have definitely become bad at drinking water. Thanks for them reminder.

You are where I want to be and it sounds like your journey was similar. Which meal plan service did you use? I think a reset is exactly it. Thank you

Good form is the key to lifting weights - might be worth joining a gym or getting a couple of sessions with a PT. But calorie deficit is the key. I would actually say don't go all out all at once as you might find it too much however motivated you are. There's a lot you can do using your own bodyweight too: squats, lunges, ab exercises, push ups, etc. Going for a daily walk and making that a habit is a really way of getting moving. Get a lightweight waterproof coat and pair of supportive trainers and get out there.

Forgot to say, callisthenics is just a fancy term for body weight exercise!

Bulgarian lunges are cheaper than a surgical bum lift and have the same effect!

Look into magnesium supplements as well.