Premenopausal- is anyone else just gaining and gaining weight?

[hooliodancer]

I started being premenopausal 3 years ago I think- that was when my periods started to go a bit weird anyway. This coincided with an extremely stressful time in my life, and also giving up nicotine replacement. Anyway, I put on 1 and a half stone and went from a size 10 to a 12. I am only 5 foot 2, so any weight gain shows.

I have lost the weight 3 times now, by doing my fitness pal. The thing is, every time I stop restricting what I eat the weight just piles back on- with even more on top.

So I am now a size 14. I have a load of size 10 and 12 clothes up in the loft. I look like a blimp.

I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week and really go for it- I do fat burn, aerobics, zumba, I practically live in the sodding gym.I injured my leg and couldn't go for 3 weeks, now most of my size14 clothes are really tight. I have been really careful with food during that time, although I eat very healthily anyway. I just can't put my size 14s in the loft too...

I just feel my body won't stop gaining weight. Is this because of the perimenopause? Has anyone else experienced this?

The thought of restricting my diet for ever is just shit. I love food and cooking is my hobby. I have been doing lots of diet recipes in the last few weeks, Jamie's Superfood etc. I just can't face my fitness pal again, as I know over Christmas it will all go on again as it did last year, even though I didn't go mad.

I'm SO pissed off, can you tell?

I lost half a stone through stress last year and kept it off. I lost another half this year and it has not returned. I notice that if I skip dinner in the evenings it makes a difference (not purposely, just can't be bothered to eat)

That said, my diet is different. Long gone are the days of a spag bol with garlic bread.

We eat a lot of chicken, pitta bread and salad; but its full fat everything, just not loads. I don't have that horrid full up feeling any more where I stuff my face, so I think I have made an unconscious change

Don't know what's happened but the cutting out of 'square bread' has made a difference

I have not given up wine. At.All

And the band of fat around my middle has gone. Not helpful to some I know, just my experience

My last period ended 6 months ago

Something is niggling me,as brain not functioning well nowadays I can never remember all info,but there is the thing about us gaining weight round the middle as a result of hormones and that's to be xpected,but what I can't remember is what you can do about it,or is it worth having a blood test to check hormone levels etc,you don't say if you are on any medication? I'm on norestherone and have definitely filled out,nothing has changed in my eating or exercise,I don't do gym,I'm a dog walker so do at least 3 hrs everyday,legs are great! Belly now taking over! This would tell me it's definitely the pills and therefore hormone related?

Just because fat visibly redistributes from the bum to the belly (in response to changing hormones) does not mean there must be more internal organ fat. I dont think men have more internal fat just because they have less oestrogen than women.

High levels of internal organ fat (adjusted for age) are linked to sedentary lifestyles. Sedentary lifestyle is the number one risk factor. Do aerobic exercise to minimise that risk.

This review paper concludes that any value of HRT (hormone therapy) in preventing fat redistribution is unproven & unclear, but it's not a syst-review so I'm not sure of the value of it.

Still hunting...

Oh nuts, I'll have to take that back, Jimmy Bell's work proves me wrong, low oestrogen is lined to more internal body fat.

Still, the main risk factor for visceral fat is sedentary lifestyle not hormones. Most of us can do a lot about that.

Tent, sounds like my approach. I think I can accept (most days) having two meals, not three. Late breakfast, early dinner. Just cups of tea with skimmed milk to keep me going.

I only need TWO meals a day now

Well done for the weight loss TentUpFirstBunkUpLater!

I have recently managed to lose 4-5 pounds in about 6-7 weeks - even with less than perfect thyroid function (TSH within normal range but increased by one whole unit over 18 months).

CuteAsaFOx - you should be able to eat more than two meals a day and stay the same or even lose weight! Those two meals must be very high in cals? However I agree a late breakfast if you can, helps enormously! It's better for your blood sugar levels to eat regularly but you need to eat slow release foods.

As you get older you do need less and less it seems (depending on thyroid function etc) so I have reduced the calorific content of what I eat to compensate. As I'm sure has already been said upthread you need to increase exercise and specifically strengthen (build) muscle when trying to lose weight or even stay the same because reduced calorie intake without increased exercise causes muscle loss as well as fat.

As well as keeping you fit and strong muscle burns more calories at rest than fat so you can eat more without gaining weight. Simples innit?!

My recent success has been through drastic reduction in extra carbs ie bread pastam cereals rice spuds (only at one meal per day) increasing the amount of protein, and reducing the amount of fruit. I was already on a permenent low fat diet ie don't eat butter ( but do eat coconut, nuts, olive oil, avocadoes, oily fish etc), sugar, processed foods or sugary treats and drinks - but I'm not fanatical so will have a bit of cake, glasses of wine at the weekends, square of choccy etc. Go to 3 exercise classes per week to build muscle and keep fit. Never counted calories but managed to lose weight despite slowish metabolism.

Waist size has only decreased by an inch though due to hormonally controlled fat redistribution - and I'm on HRT! The curves of youth are long gone!

Well done Bellaciao - lover of Lake Como by any chance?

I am the same as you in that I am not a processed food or sweet-toothed kind of person, however I am not currently on HRT. I get the hot flashes everyday and bed is a nightmare what with husband who is a complete radiator and various cats in the mix

My current situation sees me going in to London for the next 3 months, so I am hoping for either a weight loss or a tone up just because I am moving my fat arse more than normal

The thin over 50s might have thin person gut bacteria, or have genetic differences in how many calories they extract from starchy carbs. Read 'The diet myth' by Tim Spector. It's quite an eye opener.

Someone may have mentioned this already OP, but have you had your thyroid function checked? My very slim mum gained weight around the same time, then once diagnosed and on thyroxine, it all went again. Mind you she had other classic symptoms eg tiredness, hair loss etc but it took a year for her to realise it wasn't just ageing and to do something about it!