Since going through the menopause about 4 years ago, I’ve really struggled to keep weight on. While many people are struggling to lose weight, some of us have the opposite problem – and it’s no fun looking scrawny in middle age - it's true you choose between your face and your figure but I think it's better to have a fuller figure which gives your face a natural plumpness as you age.
I’ve had blood tests and nothing is wrong. My mother also got very thin at the same age but sadly died in her late 60’s. She was extremely skinny, had no interest in food and basically subsisted on one huge meal in the evening and that was it. She went into hospital with a relatively minor complaint but died several weeks later and I always felt that being so thin contributed to this as she had no fat reserves to keep her going when she couldn’t eat very much.
Bearing this in mind, I’m careful to eat 3 full meals a day but these days I have very little interest in food so it is a case of eating to live rather than living to eat. It’s depressing as I used to love my food, trained as a cook and even went to bed at night reading recipe books.
I’ve now discovered it’s possible to buy Ensure Plus weight gain drinks on Amazon (ridiculously, these used to only be available on prescription). They are 300 calories for a small bottle so very useful for invalids and others who have limited appetite. I’ve just started on these so hopefully they will have some effect.
Any suggestions for stimulating appetite and does anyone else have the same problem and if so, have they discovered some underlying health issue that causes this?
I’ve always been a slim build but could always put on weight until the menopause.
I’m aware that to many people this is a non-problem but Mumsnet is often full of excellent, unexpected advice so I thought I’d raise the subject!
I am not emaciated as I'm 5.5 and weigh between 7 and a half stone to 8 stone. But I have to really work at it as missing a meal leads to an immediate loss of weight.