Weight that WILL NOT come off

[samsmum2]

I'm so fed up.... Over the last year, I've put on a stone in weight and nothing I do seems to make a difference. I had a minor stroke and the consultant took me off my HRT as he said it was a stroke risk, (Femoston) so I assumed that was why I suddenly piled on the pounds. (Also was less active for a while) Anyway, I battled to get back on it, and the HRT clinic I went to managed to persuade the consultant that the research showed that stroke risk for use of oestrogen patches with separate progesterone tablets was minimal, so I went back on it, hoping for a change in the weight. Nada.... At this point I was eating healthily, v low carb, lots of fresh fruit & veg, not processed food etc, but nothing changed. I have recently taken up weight training and attend 4-5 classes a week. I've noticed a change in my muscle tone, but not lost a pound and I still carry a horrible flabby spare tyre around my middle, though my limbs & face are quite slim. I've also been super careful with my diet, under the guidance of the PT at the gym, so again v low carb, high protein, I've cut out most sugar (except for honey that I have on my yoghurt with nuts, seeds & berries for breakfast) and I still haven't lost a pound. I'm feeling so low about it with summer coming, and unable to get into half my wardrobe. I walk the dog daily for a good 5 miles. I'm aware of how much sugar there is in fruit so have been attempting to cut that back too, but life becomes a bit dull if you can't even have a piece of fruit after a meal, let alone a pudding. I only drink at weekends - generally a g&t & a glass of white wine, and if we go out and eat a 'normal' meal at a friend's house/pub, I'm up 2lb the next morning. Just bought some fat measuring scales which put my fat percentage (38%) in the obese range, although most people would say I'm not even overweight. 10st.11 & 5'6" tall. Now toying with the idea of coming back off HRT as can't work out if there's a link or not. Feeling so rubbish... any advice anyone?

No advice I’m afraid but solidarity and sympathy.

I’m in exactly the same boat. Considering coming off HRT to see if that helps manage the weight gain.

I do cardio 3 times a week, strength training 3 times a week, walk at least 10k every day with the dog. Sometimes a lot more. Low carb, high protein, no ultra processed foods and yet I keep gaining weight.

so depressed about it. Weighing up whether the terrible anxiety will come back if I stop and whether that’s preferable to not being able to fit in my clothes :-(

Have you seen Secret Eaters? What struck me when you said you 'only' have X & 'only have Y' and "a normal meal" etc.

You walk for almost 2 hours every day and do 4-5 classes which are... an hour each? 45 minutes each? Weights or cardio? And barely eat except for wine-booze-normal-meals... something doesn't add up.

How old are you?

Maybe low carb high protein foods are the problem.

I eat lots of UPF and don't have a weight problem. Maybe I should recommend UPF...

I'm 10 stone and 5'1
So I am overweight and it won't come off. I keep going though. Weight used to drop off me when I dieted in my younger years. I good at dieting. I know what to do, or I did. I am off for a work now as diet alone isn't working so if I can walk off 3,500 cals per month that's a pound per month. Slow. The world's slowest diet.

If you are inside the normal range and menopausal (like me) it's going to be slow.

I have started to weigh myself once a week but only compare it to what I weighed a month before and that method shows progress. Slow progress like I said, but don't give up. Keep going. I had a six week plateau from mid Jan to end march but then a kilo came off.

What's upf @lljkk ?

Menopause does this

However fat scales are not accurate, they can be wildly out, I wouldnt rely on them to tell you what percentage fat you are.What is your waist measurement?

Your weight doesnt sound excessive at all

Could your toning up continue and your stomach will get firmer over time, not necessarily dependent on weight loss?

A lot of women find their calorie intake has to be quite low at this time of life to lose weight, so low in fact that its not livable.

I came here in solidarity until I read your regime. I’m just lazy and eat crap however when I do try it just doesn’t budge anymore like it used to

UPF = ultra processed foods, lots of MNers believe in magic good foods & magic bad foods. UPF get styled as "magic bad foods" : like one bite of a Dorito or a bit of Nutella on your toast makes you instantly unwell & fat.

I'm always impressed on these threads by the people who never had a single over weight moment in their lives, or a single health problem (physical or mental), until menopause. Lucky sods you !!

I have been struggling to lose weight exactly the same as OP, eating all the right low carb healthy unprocessed foods but staying the same size for ages. I'm 50 and on HRT too. Finally decided I needed to make another change and started intermittent fasting and it's started falling off. I eat between 2 and 7pm and the rest of the day drink water and black coffee. I'm honestly finding it so easy and instinctive, like it's the right thing for me, and feeling much healthier and less bloated.

Ultra processed food

Sorry, just saw that you got a reply

Ah, thank you. I am trying to avoid UPF.

Wine is a upfront though. Actually even quorn which sounds healthy, it's a UPF.
I have quorn fillets at least once a week. Can only eat so much meat.

Are you tracking calories?

This works for me when I can face it. I'm up at 6 doing horses so it's a long time until 2 😑

The ONLY thing that works for me is intermittent fasting. Specifically 17:7 rather than 16:8.

I use the fastic app (free) to track it, and essentially means I have a brew with milk (generally frowned upon) for breakfast then nothing else until 11/12, then a simple small lunch and tea, finish eating about 6.

I can lose 1-2lbs a week doing this. The millisecond I come off it and eat a breakfast then I gain a stone.

I also don't drink alcohol anymore 😖

I sympathise- I am post menopausal and pre diabetic and needed to lose 5stone- I have ate like a saint , totally cut alcohol and have managed 1stone 10lbs off in 6 months. Low carb, (almost Keto) IF, I've varied it up. 10,000 steps a day . I am however on low dose beta blockers (for blood pressure ) which I don't think help having read up on this . It just seems the older you are the harder it is to shift it

If you're saying wine is a UPF, it's not. It's processed but not ultra processed.

Come over to the ozempic boards. I've lost nine pounds in four weeks, of menopausal fat that absolutely nothing would shift x

With that amount of exercise perhaps you should up the carbs? Joe Wicks program helps with that and the macros and lots of people find they only start losing once they follow the food plan.

Good news @CosyCoffee
I eat very healthily but do have one bottle of wine per week id say. Which I could cut out I know. Maybe I will...

I'm early menopause (34) took a few years to work out that it was menopause and during that time and now I can not physically lose the weight. I went onto VLC 600 calories running every other day. Daily hit and no drinking at all and could not lose anything. I still can't now even on HRT and just started testosterone. I've been down about it but decided to stick to 1400 calories so I can eat good with the occasional treat and not worry about my new body. I am tempted to enlist DH in weighing my boobs as the hrt has made an already ample pair even heavier and bigger.

I also do IF, I eat between 11am-6pm and that works for me. I also eat off a side plate rather than a full dinner plate. I do eat carbs as low carb makes me miserable as sin. At 50 I am currently the same 8 stone 10 that I have been for years but am aware that could all change as the menopause digs it’s teeth in further!

R u weighing and measuring yr food or just eyeing the portions?

Lift heavier weights and by building more muscle you'll increase your metabolic rate. It's a simple fact that you need to expend more calories than you consume. How you achieve that is up to you. You really need to track everything you consume properly and a higher protein diet will help you build muscle.

Did you take your measurements when you started strength training? Have they changed?