WEIGHT GAIN THAT WON'T SHIFT

[ThespianTendencies]

Also posted in MN weight loss thread but I am looking for help wherever I can get it! Morning! I am so frustrated. My weight has remained stable for decades - always hovering around the 8.12lbs to 9 stone mark, which at 5'3" I'm happy with. However, since hitting menopause (I'm 54) I have gained half a stone and it will not budge! I cannot go to the gym now obviously, but am walking at least 6kms a day, sometimes racking up 15k steps . I have recently dropped to 2 meals a day as I am far less active than normal, generally speaking. My 2 meals are breakfast and dinner. I've contemplated fasting but I cannot cope with it as I am ravenous at breakfast time . I have a definite belly roll now which I have never had before! Is this just a menopausal middle that I have to get used to?

16:8 fasting - try and eat between 11 and 7 or 12 and 8 for example
Fast800 diet - 800 cals is v low but boy does it work - great thread over on the weight board on this
Don't count any exercise
What sort of meals are you eating - are they carb heavy? if so switch the carbs for low carb options - cauli rice, celereac chips etc

Brakethree I do have carbs but usually one one meal per day includes them - even when I am eating breakfast, lunch, dinner. I will have a look at your recomendations, thank you so much.

Hi there
Just a couple of ideas..

I walk around 3 miles most days - can't do that in kms but roughly the same as you- and a lot is uphill across muddy tracks. I was shocked to see (using an online tool) how few calories that burned for someone my age and weight (I'm lighter than you but same height,) It was around 250cals which is nothing- would be negated with a couple of biscuits and a sugary dink. It might be worth investing in some technology to check your walking speed- you need to be over 3mph for it to be considered 'brisk' and ideally closer to 4mph.

The next step is to work out exactly how much you are eating in terms of portion size and calories.

It's easy to underestimate. It's a pain, but weigh the food and count the carbs in grams. I try to be low carb which is no more than 30gms a day (that's the equivalent to 2 slices bread- so no pasta, rice, cakes, etc etc if I've had my allowance with bread.)

I'm on HRT which I am sure helps keep off the belly fat as long as I watch what I eat, but the minute I over indulge it all goes on my waist which is the very worst place for all diseases.

Happy to offer a view if you want to list your day's food and compare!

ps I have tried the 5:2 diet a few times and find it very hard. I think it's because I don't eat a huge amount anyway. It does work, but I don't feel great on it.

I also give myself at least a 13 hour overnight fast- so last food around 7pm and no snacking, and breakfast no earlier than 8 or 9am.

Jingling Thank you. I will do MFP today which I do from time to time and it definitely keeps me on track calorie wise! Thank you

I think it's so easy to underestimate food intake, but also it depends on levels of activity. I am far more chair-based now as I'm semi retired and work from home anyway, am 10 yrs older than you and am using far less energy than I used to when I was younger.

Agree with Jingle - I also tried 5:2 didn't work for me as it's too flexible and I am the opposite to Jingle as I eat too much food given the choice, don't have an off switch so I find I need a set amount per day. Also the exercise thing, I really wish they would change the message to looking at food separately.

Weigh, weigh, weigh is all I can say - and that's your food! As Jingle says it's very easy to go over on portions and it's amazing how good you become with maximising your nutrition and portions when you have to weigh.

Unfortunately as you age you need less calories and (usually) you have less muscle. So it might be that you need to drop your calories per day.

One more thing which no one has mentioned yet is to ttry to build and maintain your muscle mass. This is more important than doing just cardio.
We lose something like a pound of muscle a decade ( something like that) might be more, so although I weigh the same as I did at 21, I have far more flab round the tummy and I know my legs are thinner. I try to do a few sets of squats/ lunges 2-3 times a week and use light weights for my arms. All at home.

No advice but can sympathise. I have been doing yoga every day since lockdown, minimum 40-60 minutes of constant movement which gets my heart going and sweaty. I recently added some short cardio 2/3 times a week and walk most afternoons but I haven't lost a single pound. I also fast at least 14 hours overnight but have a tyre that will not move and I don't feel that my muscle mass has increased other than on my thighs. It's very disheartening as I'm only 46.