General help and weight loss/exercise apps - any recommendations?

[Panicmode1]

I'm 50, still having regular periods (very dull - although the past couple of months have had weird spotting and then flooding so I am hoping this is the beginning of the end). My chronic insomnia is worse than usual and I have had the odd hot flush where I thought I was going to melt on the spot. My mother had her ovaries removed due to 'pre cancerous anomalies' and my aunt died of breast cancer, so I don't have any female relatives to ask about what was 'normal' for them. Due to this family history (I have also had ovarian cysts), my GP has recommended that I don't take HRT unless I absolutely can't manage without it, and I don't feel that I'm there yet.

However, I am really struggling with weight gain, despite being very disciplined with my food - I don't eat sugar, cakes, biscuits, or snack between meals which I cook from scratch every day. I do have a glass of wine or two at the weekends (DH has quit alcohol, I'm not quite there yet...!) and have still managed to put on a stone in the past year, which I am really depressed about. I walk a fair amount (have a dog and commute to work on foot when I can), I go to the gym, but have a rotator cuff injury so my physio has banned me from doing any weights at all at the moment.

I'm being bombarded with apps for menopause weight loss "this really works", "no, this REALLY does" etc etc but before I commit to one - has anyone used one which ACTUALLY works and does what it says? Is intermittent fasting the way to go? And high protein, low/no carbs?

I was looking myself and have frequently been all excited only for them to want huge sums of money at the last minute.
I have the Downdog app for yoga which I do pay for but I use it daily. Between 30 and 60 minutes. I'm also walking more. As I live abroad and we don't have gym access this has had to do, and actually is something I've managed to stick with. But I'm very much looking forward to getting home and joining a gym so I can do all the dance type classes!!

I feel your pain @Panicmode1 If it’s any comfort to you, HRT does sod all (it seems!) to help with weight loss, so you are not at an automatic disadvantage compared to the rest of us! I believe all the diets work if you stick to them, but it’s finding one with good/meal plans you like that’s the tricky bit. You already sound like you are doing plenty that’s right. I would keep doing it but find ways to knock off some calories per day and see if that works. MyFitnessPal is good and free for tracking and logging calories. You can create recipes to save and reuse.

I previously tried Fast800 online. It’s low carb (and intermittent fasting optional). It was great that it plans out your meals, shopping lists and gives recipes. Bad that it it is so super healthy (in the extreme - tempeh, tofu, etc) with far too many cold and salad foods. It’s meant to be Michael Mosley’s diet, but recipes seem designed by young health bunnies living in Australia and lots of it is at odds with our seasons and colder climate in the UK.
best of luck finding something!

Thank you @AppleDumplings and @iamyourequal - I was hoping for the holy grail and someone to recommend Noom or Reverse Health or one of the myriad of apps I get exposed to on SM every day but when I look at the reviews they are really mixed, I'm not sure how genuine they are, and everyone seems to have issues with refunds or automatic billing.

I do think that I eat well (but hate tofu..!) - we really don't eat processed food and I do try and eat really sensibly - I think I will have to do the MyFitnessPal thing and just be even more discplined...and hope that my shoulder and back physio works so I can do some strength training again. My PT is good, but currently limited by my limitations!

For tracking menopause symptoms and information the dreaded change, try the balance app. There is a free version and the website has lots of good content.

https://www.balance-menopause.com/

As for diet, I can really recommned low carb combined with IF. If you want to learn more about it, watch Eric Westman on You Tube. And read the Case for Keto by Gary Taubes!

the flooding can cause anaemia …which makes flooding worse. You may need a blood test for low iron.

hrt protects against osteoporosis to some extent so weight bearing stuff should help….maybe ask your physio if there are yoga or other moves you can do….but walking is good but probably more than you are doing. So an hour a day on top….honestly that’ll make a difference.

my weight is starting to settle after a very difficult peri menopause and I’m losing weight to get back down from the 3 stone overweight I was….

Thank you @Unabletomitigate that's all really helpful; I downloaded Balance ages ago but had obviously forgotten about it....peri brain 🙄😂