Anyone else had to say goodbye to half their wardrobe?

[stirling]

Nothing really fits , it's so depressing. I seem to have gone up by almost two sizes despite healthy eating and intermittently fasting and walking for 40 mins daily

Just packed most of my lovely summer dresses into charity bags. Cupboard is half empty and I don't feel inspired to buy anymore.

Anyone else ?

Yes absolutely! Although I aren't eating healthy but I've never had weight around my middle until perimenopause hit. It is so depressing.

Me! But tbh I have lost many friends the same age this year and I’m still here so I’m counting my blessings.. I cleared my wardrobe this week and bought some cheap and cheerful summer dresses/tshirts/trousers in the right size and it has actually helped rather than looking in wardrobe and seeing nothing that fits

No - I am on HRT and I introduced working out with weights into my exercise routine, mainly to protect my bones but I think it has helped with weight control. I am late 50s and still fit all my clothes and have a healthy BMI - so it is definitely possible.

Yes must get a few cheaper staples.

Although you are eating healthily, you may be eating more than you think.
I don't believe in counting calories, but I eat very few carbs because the pounds just creep on round the middle. So the usual culprits like pasta, bread, cake, biscuits, rice, etc are a treat and only in small portions and all wholegrain.

I raided my local charity shop on Friday to get some stuff that actually fits - spent £80!!

About half of it's going back (they don't have fitting rooms so it's the only way to do it annoyingly) but I feel much more comfortable in the things I've got rather than my old stuff

It's not you. My clothes have shrunk too. I think it may be to do with them being in a confined, dark place or... Covid.

Glad I'm not the only one and yes I do think portions are bigger these days and I'm hungry , even if only eating healthy stuff. It's still extra food....

Yes but for the opposite reason. I have been in menopause/peri for what seems like decades and piled on the weight. Went to the GP for a menopausal moan in October about various things and long story short - she diagnosed me with high cholesterol and put the fear of God into me.

So I have had to totally overhaul my diet with no red meat, full fat dairy, booze, processed cakes/chocolate... and eat lots more oats, salmon and avocados. As a consequence I am 10kg lighter than I was this time last year and my jeans don't fit me. I wouldn't advise a high cholesterol diagnosis as a way of losing weight though.

It’s a lot harder for me than it used to be to stay at the same weight.

I have to track all my food, and walk for 2hrs a day. I have to measure pretty much everything. Thank goodness for Fitbit and myfitnesspal!

Interesting to hear your stories. Seems I'm still assuming I'm young and not doing enough to shift it. Argh!

My sister in law is 73 can still fit into the same size clothes as she did at twenty. But she works hard at it both physically, exercise, also yoga every morning. Only eats twice a day. If she eats a big meal at a restaurant, she cuts back the following day.

She's very disciplined rather like princess Anne

Yes.

I also had a meltdown at not being able to find any work trousers that fit. I have dresses and jeans but work trousers will not fasten as my waist has mushroomed, but if I go too much bigger in size they drown elsewhere.

But fuck eating less, I’m not spending my life miserable and hungry. I’d rather be fatter and have all the cake.

My tits have gone up a good 3 cup sizes and so tops are too tight too, and my waist is massive compared to what it was but the rest of me is the same.

46, definitely perimenopausal and can’t get a GP appointment for HRT.

Don’t get rid of them yet!! I did this, thought I’d never get into my old favourites again, so donated them to various charities.

3 years later, and after finally getting the old HRT sorted, changing my eating regime to the 16:8 fasting diet and introducing a good probiotic for bloating and finally fit into some of the dresses I didn’t give away. I’d donated a favourite pair of jeans and so regret it now.

It’s been a long slow slog and it’s so lovely to get into my old clothes again. I swear by the fasting diet, it works for me and I’m sticking with it, I feel so much better.

I was nearly in the same boat, trying and failing at cutting back and putting on more weight. At the start of the year I was more than 2stone heavier than when I started HRT and tipping into the obese bmi.

Decided to sort myself out as I was so miserable with it.

Joined a gym in Jan. go to HIIT classes twice a week.
Started fast 800 diet in February
Really upped my steps and downloaded couch to 10k in March. Starting week 8 this week.

Now within 6lbs of my pre HRT weight and determined to get there. I'm back into quite a few of my clothes and the rest I should be there in the Summer.

I wasn't ready to consign myself to feeling so rubbish and unfit and swapping my size 12/14s for 16s.

Took me a while to get in that mindset. I hope I stay in it!

"the start of the year I was more than 2stone heavier than when I started HRT"

This is me ... I'm thinking the HRT has made me gain weight!

@Snippit do you mind me asking which probiotic you found reduced the bloating?

I use Optibac gummies, it was recommended by my G.P, I’m now signed up for regular deliveries with them. Also, new research has discovered that the fasting diets increases good flora in the gut, which is interesting. I’m happy with my regime and certainly won’t be changing it now, 😬

You are not alone, through 8 years of meno, I put on loads of weight, went up two sizes.
Am now out the other side and despite eating the same, I'm losing weight. Not quickly, but it's going. So I'm not hungry, not missing foods I like, but still getting smaller. I reckon another 2 years and I'll be back to normal.

Thanks @Snippit I will take a look. I'm also fasting 16:8 and have really cut down on carbs, my usual methods of cutting down just weren't leading to any weight loss.

Definitely will be carrying on, I don't find I am as hungry this way so something positive (for me) at least is happening.

This is me 😫 really struggling with this extra weight!!! Determined not to give up.. I'm not ready to throw away the clothes just yet so have boxed them up for now. I'm treating myself to a new summer wardrobe to hide in and giving myself a serious kick up the arse.

I was already doing 5:2 so to go up 2 sizes is most disappointing. But I’ll be buggered if I am giving anything else up. I half heartedly thought about restarting my vodka and Marlborough Light diet that did me so well in the 90’s 🙈😂

Yeah I can relate. It’s a delicate balance between wanting to be slimmer and healthier (I know the two are not necessarily the same) and at the same time feeling I’m old and therefore do not wish to spend every waking moment obsessing over food and denying myself things I want to eat - which is what I do if I try to restrict myself even slightly. I’m 14 stone and would love to wake up 3 stone lighter but I just don’t have the willpower in me - especially as I have really complex autoimmune issues including lupus and I’m shattered all the time.

Yes - it’s piled on round my middle despite intermittent fasting and exercise, but like others I’m not prepared to spend the remainder of my days not eating some cake or nice bread. I’ll eat it in moderation but won’t give it up. When I think back to what I used to eat in my 20s when I was 7.5 stone 😮😂

Yes it does, and your breasts may get larger too!