To be absolutely fed up with menopausal weight gain?

[ShapedLikeAPastry]

I've been on HRT (patches and continuous progesterone) now for a couple of years and it has been absolutely fantastic in terms of alleviating my terrible peri symptoms. I sleep better, the hideous nightsweats / painful vaginal dryness / awful, awful mood swings are gone. It's wonderful stuff from that perspective.

But, oh my god, the weight gain! I've put on almost 3 stone in that time and have gone from a normal BMI to the top end of overweight / edging towards obese. Most of the clothes I could comfortably wear two years ago are out of the question now. It's all around my stomach and I look permanently bloated. I hate it.

Genuinely, nothing about my diet or activity levels has changed in that time, except that I've pretty much given up alcohol, so no extra wine calories anymore! But my body shape is completely different. And absolutely nothing shifts it except drastically cutting calories (less than 1200 a day) which just isn't sustainable for me long-term. I can no longer fast either, which I used to find easy.

Is this it, now? I absolutely loathe the way my body looks now and it's starting to affect my confidence, but I also like feeling not-mad, so don't want to muck around with my HRT. It feels like a really shitty catch-22!

Does anything genuinely work to shift the dreaded meno belly?

How old are you?

I'm on mounjaro, HRT oh and fluoxetine, losing weight steadily.

I'm 52 this year.

@Orangesandlemons77 I'm not eligible for mounjaro - yet. Although give it another 12 months and I might be...it had actually crossed my mind to just let myself continue to put on weight until my BMI hit 30 and then get the WLI, but that seems like borderline disordered thinking!

I'm 55 on HRT. I need 1600 calories a day and at least 30 mins of brisk walking to keep my BMI at 21 because I'm only 5' 4" and have an otherwise sedentary lifestyle. It's tough, but it is what it is sadly. The walking shifts the belly fat especially if there's hills involved.

It's is tough at that age. Another Mounjaro convert here. I gained 5 stone during COVID, just reached my pre COVID weight today. Now to tackle the 5 stone I gained in Peri lol

I'm the same 53, active and eat well, in fact far less than I ever have but I'm piling the weight on.
It's so depressing.

Congratulations on reaching the pre-Covid weight!

It's so unfair, though. I feel as if my body is betraying me! I don't want to live my life counting bloody calories.

Are you sure? It's BMI 27 up with anything like depression, menopause (!) high cholesterol or BP etc

I’ve recently lost 3 and a half stone and underwent an extensive hysterectomy and I’ve gone down only one dress size around my midriff - my legs are like sticks then just this big tyre around my middle

Does menopause really count? I thought with BMI under 30 it had to be comorbidities like hypertension, etc?

My GP told me to focus on my protein intake. To reduce carbs and look for carbs that keep you fuller for longer.

I've lost over 2st using that. The carbs are what brings your middle weight on.

I'm exactly the same. Nothing changed in terms of lifestyle and eating, but suddenly the weight started to creep up. In 3 years I put on over 2 stone, and nothing I did was working.
I really think that 'normal' calorie deficits don't work the same for menopausal women - at least that's what I found. Tried the Fast 800, which worked, but oh my God, I was miserable doing it. And the minute I stopped, all the weight piled back on.
I'm now on Mounjaro and count every morsel that passes my lips. The drug makes sticking to a low calorie target a lot easier. I'm hoping that once I'm back at a weight that's comfortable for me, I will be able to maintain it.
But I find the thought that I have to watch what I eat like a hawk for the rest of my life utterly depressing.

Whilst you might be able to get it from a private provider at BMI 27 with comorbidities, I don't think a GP will consider it.

Otherwise at BMI 34 with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, chronic kidney disease I should stand a chance of getting it - but apparently not

Consider lifting weights. I am in a group of women lifters and many of them managed to control their weight by focusing on building muscle over losing weight. Many of them are going through menopause and still have six packs. Might be worth a shot.

Agreed. I started lifting weights two years ago, aged 35, with this in mind. I really really want to hit menopause in good shape. I've put on a decent amount of muscle and feel amazing with weights twice a week. PCOS symptoms improved, blood sugars steadier, toned up all over and lost lots of inches. I eat for fuel now, I don't feel hungry and I have loads of energy. I can eat a good amount of calories and not gain weight. I'm sure I will face challenges as the years go by but I'm trying my best to fight against it proactively now.

52 3 years since ladt period. Jydt gomjngboff HRT because of the 2 dyoneveright gain in 11 months.
The weight piled on with zero life style changes to life before meno/HRT.....Well 6 months ago I cut out booze and reduced calories to 1200..but it continued to pile on.
I walk the same steps daily, still weight train 5 x a week but my size 8 to 10s are now 14s.😭
I'm hoping binning HRT might help. I'm desperately trying anything. The flushes are back already though - and being fatter makes them worse.

I had put on 3 stone over the last 4 years. Am nearly 55. I do t recognise myself anymore. My face has aged as well as being over weight. I am now doing a very low keto diet to try and lose the weight. Carbs make me hungry and crave more. It's not easy being a woman.

Another MJ convert.

Am 55, have lost 5 stone eating 1,000 to 1,200 cals a day (short arse).

I did strength training for 2 years prior, which gave me great strength and muscle but did nothing for the 1 stone a year weight gain.

I have been able to stay on HRT, and have been doing an hours walking a day.

Exactly this. I lost nearly 4 stones eating low carb and increasing protein.

Keto is the only thing that helps me. I’ve been off it now for over a year and don’t drink or over eat, very little UPF and the weight is creeping up and up. Although it wasn’t difficult to do, I’m disproportionately angry that if I want to remain slim, I’ll need to exclude foods I enjoy.
HRT has been great but definitely increased the size of my boobs. It sucks. It’s not like I eat unhealthily.

Ive very slowly lost weight by changing a few things.

• low carb. Still eat sweet potatoes and buckwheat occasionally. I also eat a ton of veg, not much fruit, and steer clear of as many UPFs as possible… which is sometimes NOT possible 😉
• meditation. My cortisol was sky high.
• I do cardio classes but have added a session of weights every week.

I still have about a stone to go, but have taken my BMI from nearly 32 down to 29.