to ask how you lost your menopause related weight gain?

[clippie]

The weight gain seems to have appeared with not much difference to my regular diet. It doesn't shift like it used to. Trousers feel tight and I have developed some rolls around my stomach.

The usual tricks I use to lose weight are not working. I would get rid of any weight gain with intermittent fasting but it is not working this time. I walk at least 10k steps a day and do weight training 4 times a week.

I feel like I am fighting with my hormones which do not want me to lose weight.

Yes you buy powder and I have a shaker which came free with it (just add to milk or plant milk) or if I want to add banana and oats etc I pop in a blender or nutribullet

I put on a lot of weight when I started HRT. Like 3 stone in a couple of months. And nothing shifted it. I also exercise a lot and don’t eat unhealthily. I have been doing Mounjaro and thank goodness it’s worked. Wish I could have tackled it naturally but it seemed impossible.

I've had to go nuclear as I've gained 8kg in 2 years on HRT and I'm almost 50 so I meal replace breakfast and lunch with a Puriton plant based shake.

If I need to I snack on home roasted chickpeas and some fruit and have a main protein based meal in the evening but even then a smaller portion. I drink black coffee and have cut out my sugar.

I train 3 times as well but otherwise I'm a desk job so pretty sedentary.

Within a week of changing to this I've lost 2kg (I'd guess water weight) but it feels like a good way to reduce calories and lucky I enjoy sipping on my shakes during the day and saves me having to think about making lunch.

I'm hopeful that this reduction in calories will get me used to a lower intake and then I'll switch back to having eggs for breakfast.

What's wrong with fat free Fage Greek Yoghurt? I've never understood this issue people have with fat free.

I lose weight beautifully eating this. And I eat tons of fruit.

As long as you track calories (and I also have to track fibre as I have prolapse and need soft bowels), then you will lose weight.

Very low carb or keto is the only thing that works for me. Any smelly breath (and I don’t always have it) is easily dealt with by sugar free mints or mouthwash.

What's wrong with fat free Fage Greek Yoghurt? I've never understood this issue people have with fat free.

It's because fat free isn't a natural product and the fat is replaced by 'nasties' to give it the same texture/mouth feel.

Plus fat keeps you satiated and you're less inclined to snack.

Fat isn't actually bad for you. The crap they replace it with is.

If you find it works for you, that's great, but that is the reason people say to avoid fat free.

Completely agree. I didn't quite do keto but due to very high cholesterol I had a rethink and gave up refined carbs (white pasta, bread, rice, flour, etc), saturated fat, sugar (including alcohol) and cut down red meat massively. Increasing beans, veg, fruit, fish, chicken. I now might have wheat once a fortnight and a glass of wine if we go out.

Not only did I lose 2.5stone in about 8 months but within a couple of weeks every patch of eczema, aches and pains, etc, disappeared.

I'm 65 and from about 40 have had to eat significantly less. Not helped by the fact that in my teens, 20s and early 30s I could eat tons and not gain weight - the rampant thyroid, diagnosed late, at 30 may have contributed.

I read somewhere that it's 70% food and 30% exercise. Lots of the latter doesn't mean you can compensate with food sadly.

@CurlyhairedAssassin

toy asked about breakfast and lunches.

breakfast ….porridge (sometimes pinhead oatmeal as keeps me going longer, I’ll cook a batch and reheat some in the morning) frozen berries, seeds, nuts,full fat yoghurt.
or scrambled eggs on sourdough toast, sometimes with salmon.
sourdough with 1/2 avocado and poached eggs, roasted tomatoes (done night before) some herbs if I’ve got anything in
veg omelette
scrambled egg.

lunch is usually leftovers or home made bean or lentil soup. Apple or banana for a snack.

i used to mainline crisps….and snack on cheese and biscuits after dinner.

my weakness time is straight after work when I get home, grazing on stuff before making tea. I worked it out after being on this thread and it could easily be 300 extra calories in a bit of cheese, some nuts or olives…. That I then don’t take off my dinner…

Not all of us can have HRT
Not everyone puts on weight during menopause

Fage 'total' doesn't have any nasties in.

I'm not talking about full fat yoghurt where they replace it with gums and sweeteners for thickness and taste. Just strained green yoghurt with the fat strained off.

I'd argue that for the calories, I can eat 300g of 0% total yoghurt for breakfast which is 30g of protein for about 180calories (Haven't checked the packet so I might be slightly out there) but if I had the 5% fat version, for the same g of protein I'd need a extra 100 calories.

Those extra 100 cals is nearly two squares of 100% cocoa dark chocolate to have with my morning coffee!

I'm not commenting on that particular product. I'm another always eat full fat so I haven't looked tbh because low carbing requires a higher fat intake.

But you asked why people reject and advise against fat free and so I answered that.

Like I said, if it works for you, great. But those are the reasons other people avoid it generally.

@GreyCarpet thanks and noted. 😊

Keto can be boring and I know people love to hate on it here, but for hormonal issues and belly fat, cutting carbs and sugar is a miracle worker.

It really is!!

It's frustrating when someone posts asking how to get rid of belly fat and then rejects keto as a suggestion because they like carbs too much.

That's fine but it's the best way to regulate hormones, reduce inflammation and lose the pooch!

Tbh, I have seen lower fat dairy versions that just use semi skimmed milk. I'm assuming that's how they do it.

But so many low fat options are just dire!

I eat the Fage 5% and it's on a different level to other yoghurts generally 😁

Works great on your face too mixed with a bit of raw honey and turmeric!

😱 That's a brilliant tip!!!

I do occasionally buy the 5% for a treat, I agree it is absolutely delicious.

My spayed and porky cats are strongly advising me to ignore this advice 😆 It has been an eye opener though, seeing how easily they (spayed at 6 months) gain weight- even on a weighed and measured quantity of food- compared to my old cat, who had a litter of kittens before she was spayed at about 18 months, and was never overweight.

I don't know how that applies to me, who has had two "litters" and is struggling with her weight, though 😆

I find it depressing too. That and brain fog. Aaagh!

That should say "I found."

Loads and loads and loads of vegetables. And water.

Ovulating takes 600 calories so when you hit menopause that's an extra 600 you have to take into account. Lockdown + meno = 2 stone gain. I am fairly active but think about food CONSTANTLY. Mounjaro is the only thing that's worked. It's eliminated all food noise, and I now think very carefully about what I eat and how I use my calories. Lots of protein, little to no carbs. And I'm back at my pre meno/lockdown weight. I'm not skinny, but I'm happy with how I look and am on maintenance. Started September last year, it's been a miracle for me.

Daily yoga and trying to stick to 14/10, so I only eat inside a ten hour period (for example 9 til 7 or 10 til 8).

No weight gain. Continued to eat mindfully and still slim.

HRT including testosterone helped me, particularly stomach which hadnt budged before.

I’m the same, went from 14 stone to 17 stone without doing anything different apart from being in surgical menopause from hysterectomy. I have always struggled with my weight & was fairly stable for a few years post op, I was 36 but as soon as I hit 40 it just piled on. I have started mounjaro & lost over a stone x

I’m also interested in this.

The weight has piled on with peri, and I started HRT 6 months ago and have put even more on. My eating hasn’t changed.

I’ve never drank alcohol and rarely snack so I can’t cut those out. Other than water I drink black coffee and green tea. I don’t eat breakfast. I exercise daily - brisk walks, HIIT and weight training.

I have to go significantly under 1000 calories to lose weight.

I know I’m low on ferritin due to issues caused by peri and I’ve read that this can decrease metabolism and increase weight gain. I’ve been on supplements but my levels have barely increased after a few months (was 10, now 20).