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.

Wow. Do you mind me asking which ones?

I would only recommend this for a short period.

Alternate day fasting- this is a bit stricter than the traditional intermittent fasting, but it works.
Basically you eat a meal every other day.
on the days that you don’t eat you can drink water or unsweetened juices.
At the weekend you can eat slightly more if you wish.

Slim n save or cambridge diet. Certainly not a long term thing but you can lose a stone in 28 days. Its not easy though.

@lampzade - that's not just a bit stricter and sounds very unappealing.

A mixture of exante and shakes from the supermarket.

From your GP if you meet the criteria. Or from a private doctor or via a doctor attached to an online pharmacy eg Boots

onlinedoctor.boots.com/weight-loss-treatment

Also lurking

Agree fasting - 16:8 is manageable, electrolyte tablets really help in the early days, once you get into it your energy levels will rise.

If you're already lowish carb, then I'd definitely recomment The Fast 800 Keto plan

Combines calorie counting (for a short period of time) with fasting and lower carb meals. With a return to 'Mediterranean'-style eating when you've reached your target. They also make/sell their own meal replacement shakes, which are designed to fit the plan, i.e. being low carb and low calorie.

Which tabs do you mean please? Can you link?

Fasting / low mush carb and no meals after 3 .. A small snack if you need it but really just eating the main meal at lunch. Pilates is amazing .. truly amazing and low impact .. can lose the menopause muffin top v quick ..

Lowish not low mush !

@hashtagjubilee @DolphinaPD

Myprotein are the same company that make exante and I use their shakes as meal replacements a few times a week. They work really well and are much cheaper than exante, but don't have fibre added.

Saxenda. Depending on you current BMI.

Get it from boots online.

@hashtagjubilee like these HIGH5 ZERO Electrolyte Hydration Tablets Added Vitamin C - (Berry, 20 Tab Tube) amzn.eu/d/ijsFlkE

For this occasion Saxenda. Not too expensive for me because the lowest dose gave me no appetite.

Thanks everyone and sorry for not replying to the last replies individually. Some great advice here and I have started following some of those links and suggestions. Low carb/keto and and intermittent fasting sounds doable but I think i need to address portion sizes with that and work out how to make it work for family dinners, too.

For those who have recommended Saxenda. Can you please tell me more?

My BMI is 31 so you can see why I want to do this.

I've been doing a VLCD for the past 10 days, and it's been surprisingly easy to stick to even over the extended bank holiday weekend as there's sweet meals/bars/snacks you can have. And I'm usually rubbish at sticking to diets. I've lost 10lbs so far.

I've lost a stone in 3.5 weeks from intermittent fasting, though I do aim for 18:6 rather than 16:8! I eat at 12pm, then dinner at 6pm. Lots of drinks.

I could do it better: less carbs, for example; and I've also had various visitors, meals out with desserts etc. recently, so have eaten some rubbish but still lost weight.

I also have a brisk walk each day and run 2 miles 4-5 times per week.

@lurchermummy thank you so much

BlueBlueCowWondering · Yesterday 11:07
Agreed with all above, but also make sure you're drinking loads of water.
It'll make the biggest immediate difference“

yes, this too, plus plenty of oily fish. Your skin will look great in 8 weeks as well.

I'm in week nine of Cambridge. 23lb lighter and my 11 inches lost. It's tough but very effective.

I think I need to get organised with my shopping and fry again.

No please don't 😁

You can get Saxenda prescribed by an online pharmacy. Asda and Boots do it and there are others. You need to have BMI over 30 and answer a questionnaire about other health conditions. It is approved for use in the UK but you can't easily get it on NHS. It's been through clinical trials that prove it works unlike other weight loss interventions.
It makes your appetite and interest in food disappear as if by magic. Obviously you need to eat less but it's easy as you just don't want to eat big portions and snack. Most people get some side effects eg nausea and indigestion but these can be managed.
I lost 18lb in the first month. Its a game changer.