Menopause hair and weight gain

[AuntSalli]

I have absolutely beautiful curly hair even if I say so myself it is in little ringlets down my back so cute. I used to kind of really embrace the Aussie surfer chick hippy look, looked a bit like a blonde Andie MacDowell I suppose.
However.

over the period of the last three years I have put on two stone my face has dropped so I look like Skeletor from Heman.
my hair has taken on the consistency of a bog brush.

last time I had highlights he insisted that I went a bit warmer and more of a honey tone that my usual platinum blonde money pieces and frankly I just look like it’s a cheap box job after eight weeks when it was quite the opposite.

my hair is quite long so I’m conscious that the ends are probably for five years old.

I just really don’t want to look like a 47-year-old despite the fact that I am help !

Hair colour is easily fixed next time you go to the hairdresser. Hair quality is a mix of ageing, products and diet. You might benefit from an olaplex treatment once in a while (nr, 0 and nr 3) , buying good quality products such as redkin extreme care, and then looking at your diet. Whatever made you gain 2 stones might have had an impact on your hair quality as well. Supplementing with a high dose biotin supplement might help whilst you fix that.
I have very long hair too, and I am older than you. Hair require more care as we get older.
What do you eat?

That’s actually a very fair point I don’t need a lot but what I do we is far too carb based because I’ve gone right off meat.

I need to make a lot more effort to eat proper protein don’t I just feels as though the wheels are falling off completely the last 2 to 3 years.

I am not from UK and I find this macro obsession quite weird, and somehow damaging.

Don't focus on carb, protein and such, but on food. Beans, lentils, chickpeas in a salad, soup or stew with a lot of vegetables, herbs, spices, are still carb rich and good for body, soul and hair. Beans are very rich in biotin, which is the most important nutrient for hair quality.
Think food more than macronutrient and remember that the countries which are protein heavy are also the heaviest in term of population. Australia meat 3 x a day vs Japan, rice 3x day. The difference is how much they eat.

I don't eat any meats, and I eat for health , so I make sure I have several colours of vegetables every day. You are what you eat. A kiwi is carb, but so rich in mineral and vitamins. Why would anyone consider it the source of weight gain. Carrots, sweet potatoes , are all on the no-no low carb list, but both do wonder for skin and hair as they are very rich in vitamin A. A vitamin A deficiency will cause hairless.

Consider your portions as well. Italian women eat pasta every day, but their plate is way smaller and never loaded with sauce or cheese the way it is served in most countries outside Italy.

If you were to focus on a nutrient, I would say, go for fibre. Everything else will fall into place. There is also emerging science on how gut health impacts hair.

It is easier to blame a macro than oneself. You just ate too much of the wrong food. Now you need to eat less, and eat the right food. It will take time but that's fine.

That does make perfect sense I guess I should’ve probably been more specific in terms of what I’ve been eating has been refined carbohydrates. A lot of the issue is the cost of living crisis I’ve been desperately trying to keep the food bills down whilst filling up myself and my son who won’t eat a lot of stews etc so all the funds are directed at him with his meat and three veg.

that will definitely need to change this winter. To the benefit of both of us.

How old is your son? Three veg is a good starting point. Pulses are very cheap, so this is a positive point. I made this the other day, www.theguardian.com/food/2022/aug/27/vegan-celery-saffron-white-bean-stew-recipe-meera-sodha delicious. The most expensive item would be saffron which you can leave out as one day I forgot to buy it and just increased cumin and turmeric and tomato paste.
Think about nourishing your body more than punishing it by restrictive something. Frozen fish is often cheaper, the real one, not crumbed or processed, and seriously, think different portions.
A niçoise salad, French beans, tomatoes, olives, red onion, hard boiled egg and tuna from a can, has everything in it.
Soups several evening per week is healthy and nourishing,.

I actually used to be a lot of soups and the BOL ones are on offer at the moment so I’ve stocked up on them I do like a bit of multi seed bread to dunk in to them though so I have to be careful.

I was reading that stress can be a huge part of weight gain do we believe that ?

Stress can alter hormones such as cortisol and make gain some weight , but not two stones. Stress can make you over-eat and then you gain weight. That's overeating.

Fair point on your side, no bread with the soup!! Until you have reached your weight loss goal or you are sabotaging yourself.
And if you can, make your own. Shops bought are very watery and won't fill you as much.