I CANNOT stop eating - is this due to menopause?

[Troyes76]

Over the past 10 months I have been hungry more and more, and the last month or so I have been eating constantly, I have put on nearly two stone since last October.
I've always been fairly OK with eating, but it's like my willpower has vanished.
Is this due to the menopause? And if it is (and even if it's not) what do I do - I've tried Noom and WW recently and just can't stick to anything at all.

What are you eating?

Protein and fat based meals have a really good dampening effect on appetite whereas carb heavy meals make you hungrier.

I’m eating anything I can get my hands on, and mainly rubbish!

I had that problem. It was the carbs. I'd have a huge plate of pasta then be starving again an hour later. My blood sugar was on a constant rollercoaster, I would wake up at 3am hungry again and eat handfuls of nuts.

I've changed to mainly protein now, some fat and very few carbs and don't get the raging hunger any more.

I have exactly this problem. It's like I lost my willpower with food. Rather than have one sweet, I'll eat the whole packet. I had 3rd helpings of roast potatoes this weekend.

I am desperately trying to go low carb but today I totally failed because we had meetings at work where someone brought in flapjacks and sweets and millionaire shortbread.

I was going through this a month or so ago. I was extra tired and reaching for all the unhealthy snacks particularly sweet things and crisps. I had to go cold turkey and cut out sweet sugary things completely. I stopped buying them. Within a few days I found I wasn't wanting to eat them anymore. Carb loading makes you want more sugar and carbs and it's a vicious circle.
My worst time was during the afternoon so I have a really high protein, almost carb free lunch which stops the dip.

Might be an outlier but I got like this when pregnant and then they found out I had gestational diabetes. Not saying you have diabetes but I have never had such a mad desire to eat and a lack of self control as I did then. It was how I imagine a heroin addict feels. Once I got carb and sugar under control it went away but goodness it gave me an insight into food addiction.

Yeah carbs are going to do that!!!

Anxiety?

Agree with PP it’s worth getting your blood sugar checked, but also it could be a peri-menopausal symptom. There are oestrogen receptors in the satiety centre in your brain and meno can cause the “I’m full now” signal to be disrupted.

I've got my 'eat well' plate printed out so will try a move from carbs to protein - I've always been a huge comfort eater! Interesting to hear about stress and tiredness affecting hunger as well as hormones too - thankyou.