Weight and peri meno

[turnaroundtouchtheground]

I realise I’m asking for the moon on a stick here but for the love of god will someone tell me how the hell to firstly stop gaining and secondly start losing this middle aged and mid section weight PLEASE

Ive been on Hrt for 4 years and for the last 5 months testosterone too.

I have researched everything and tried everything and I do all the exercise such as weights and hiit and endurance several times a week and the only thing that worked for me was keto but I absolutely hated it, it made me feel really sick. Currently continuing to reject all refined sugars and carbs and replacing with veg and healthy mono and polyunsaturated fats but I’m still FAT and I’m absolutely furious.

HELP!

I should add, I was 44 during lockdown and in peri, but not on any HRT then.

Has anyone found it more difficult to lose weight since starting HRT? Or is it the other way round and it gets easier?

@ElephantLover definitely more difficult. But the benefits for me are worth it!

I found Dr Mary Clair Haver (online) who promotes The Galveston Diet to explain abdominal visceral fat very well.
check out YouTube for her videos.
she’s an OB GYN who specialized in peri and menopause weight and diet.

I heard most of 28 days ish later on R4 with dr Stacy Sim on Tuesday this week who has done a lot of research into the differences between women and men re exercise and nutrition- her key funding was that most of the weight loss trends have been studied in men and generalised.

Most of her work is around training to the menstrual cycle but she's also looked at peri and postmenopause. She did mention that some approaches that work for men cause too much stress in the female peri menopause body which would raise cortisol and contribute to belly fat. I didn't hear the end unfortunately.

I think reading between the lines Keto and intermittent fasting aren't ideal for women, especially in peri and meno, but she's not mentioned if you're on hrt. She mentions strength training and sprints. Oestrogen seems to be the key - are you on enough?

Other than that, much like Jingling says, high protein and fibre plant leaning diet with some dairy and small amounts of meat if you like and dark chocolate is supposed to be ideal in menopause - Lisa mosconi wrote the xx brain on this but she's done at least one podcast here https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-doctors-kitchen-podcast/id1316938642?i=1000483424285
I found her book really good with meal plans etc. but her research is more
Brain related. It's basically a good Mediterranean/ vegan diet (so veg with high protein such as chick peas) as a base with small amounts of added meat. She values some high fat dairy actually, dark chocolate and red wine. Added b12 and omega vits if needed

I'm very intuitive with eating as my mood can plummet. I also know I need carbs. I have to have breakfast around 7 or feel unwell. But do find allowing 12 - 13 hours is both doable and seems to be healthy,

I exercise in the morning and cannot do spin classes whilst fasted, too much stress on the body.

This is the sort of thing Stacy Sim was talking about. It works for men but not for women!

I have noticed that it takes a good 2-3 months to stabilise when I've raised a patch. I seem to have some water retention for the first couple of months which then goes and then I seem to be able to loose a bit again. I've been gradually plummeting menopause wise since I started patches last Nov.

@WarriorN Ive listened to Lisa Mosconi a couple of times, thanks for the mention as I think I will buy her book. Ive been down too many rabbit holes with nutrition and weight and need to check back in with my body. I feel like rubbish also if my diet doesn’t suit me and I need carbs too.

I am starting to wonder if it's all intertwined with stress (type of exercise), insulin and oestrogen. Basically what how womens bodies burn fuel and build muscle is entirely different at different points of the menstrual cycle as well as in peri and meno. And completely different to men.

Legumes and high fibre complex carbs are really good for both protein and GI.

Sims and others all seem to say protein is important, but she's also all about athletes.

Tonnes of exercise (good for calorie burn, muscle gain, sleep, mental health) and just eating well.
Am 51, not on HRT, also naturally slim.
I'm hoping this will work for me. There are plenty of slim older women.

Although I agree that all calories aren’t equal and that out metabolism definitely adapts to low calorie diets. I don’t think calories in, calories out can be completely written off. I weigh myself often (maybe 4 times a week) to look at trends and when I cut calories my weight goes down. In the past I have noticed that weight loss slows down considerably if I am cutting by more cals as time goes on.
Reverse dieting is an interesting concept, by which you gradually increase cals to increase metabolism. It is also worth sitting at maintenance once in a while before doing a fat loss phase again. Natasha Oceane and Dr Mike Isreatel are very knowledgeable on YouTube.

Watching with interest as calorie counting and intense exercise just no longer works for me like it used to. I don’t mind putting the effort in but with no return it does get discouraging!