Menopause and out of shape ( with pics ☹️)

[Sallysister68]

I am 56 and went through the menopause last year. I feel completely out of shape, I’m 5ft 2 and 8st now. I have put on about half a stone in the last year and can’t seem to get rid of it.
Can anyone offer advice? I eat a very healthy diet and walk a lot but have never been a gym person.

@Autumnleaves82 intermittent fasting and the reverse Pilates app are working for me. You can use weights with some of the exercises. Am also going on 2 long walks a week. Gardening also burns off a lot of calories. I also get less aches and pains after the Pilates.

@Autumnleaves82 I drink 2 litres of water a day the only other thing I drink is tea . I probably drink too much of it . I eat a bowl of mixed fresh fruit every morning ( I make up a large bowl and eat it over 3 days) with apples, grapes, strawberries and blueberries.

For lunch I eat a piece of salmon, I have this most days . A couple of times a week I eat a chicken breast instead. I eat nothing with it.

I cook a meal from scratch in the evening. I have 4 children, 3 still of school age and one at university . We all eat together with DH .It’s usually chicken with pasta, a chicken curry, spaghetti bol, chilli con carne, fish which I eat with salad ( I do chips for everyone else). I use plenty of vegetables in my recipes.

I don’t snack between meals. That’s it really.

There’s really no such thing as ‘toning’ OP. What people mean is they want some kind of muscle definition or shape from muscle and they want less fat.
So changing your fat/muscle ratio. It’s perfectly doable and you’re in a great place to start.

Weigh training, aside from health benefits, can alter shape and create more of an hourglass and make you feel great.

I think you need to tackle it on 3 fronts: general activity, diet/small cal deficit probs about 100-120 g protein/day calorie counted, strength training/progressive overload/lifting heavy/structured programme.

I don’t think it’d take long for you to see and feel results.

You might like Emma Storey-Gordon on IG. She’s evidence based and not a whack-job. She has a good podcast called ESG Fitness.

You’re very slim but have very little muscle. I’d work on building muscle, so strength training. That’s what people mean when they talk about “toning”.

It will make you look leaner as well as standing you in good stead for the future. Think of functional strength too - all well and good being slim but you want to go into your 60s being able to carry your shopping in, put your socks on easily, get out of a chair without using your arms, balance on one leg.

Getting to age 56, surviving the menopause, caring for 4 kids and getting to the grand total of 8 stone is pretty damn good. Your diet is excellent so…I dunno what more you want to hear, more exercise if toning up is what you want to do? You must look at other women your age and realise you look pretty damn good? I count myself as slim and I’m ten years younger and more than two stone heavier.

Your diet can definitely be tweaked. You need protein with every meal.
Ditch the high quantity of fruit for breakfast (high sugar and carb) - have a quarter of what you have now each brunch but add either two boiled eggs or a large portion of Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese or cheese or walnuts/pecans.
Then add leafy greens to your salmon - wilted spinach leaves for example.
Then for dinner scrap the pasta/potatoes/carb and just eat the meat and non starchy veg.

I don’t calorie count but if I eat like above, the weight comes off. I did do a BMR quiz that said for my height, weight and age and moderate activity level (5ft 2, 8 stone and 53) my daily calories just to keep at current weight was 1200 which seems like very little. So we need less food as we age especially as petites. I think instead of the total calories though, the protein/fat rather than carbs is more important.

Don’t take any notice of the posters saying your diamond shoes are too tight - everyone’s circumstances and expectations of how they wish to feel/look are different.

I'm a bit older than you, but similar size and shape (5'3" 8 stone), although a bit more hourglass (more defined waist, bigger boobs). I also have long legs, short waist for my height, so I know firsthand that putting on weight around your middle has a big effect on how you feel and how clothes fit.

For starters, I'd say, you look great and, while I am advocating being realistic - you are just not going to look the way you did at 25 - I don't think it would take much for you to feel happy.

In terms of exercise, you say you walk a lot - do you mean incidental walking or fast walking aimed at raising your heart rate and burning calories? I'd aim for some of that, plus start with some wall sits and planks - three or four reps of 30 seconds each and build from there. If possible, add in a couple ten minute bursts of fast walking during your day (build up to wearing a weight vest). A couple pilates sessions a week will strengthen your core and glutes and do wonders for your resting posture. Weights are a good idea as you age, but I don't think you want to go overboard, adding too many new things at once or it will feel overwhelming.

That said, I've never counted calories or fasted, but I think I would starve to death on your diet. Are you hungry? Do you feel like your energy flags during the day? As you get older, I'm a big advocate of eating for skin, hair and bone health. It's much more appealing to have glowing skin and thick hair than it is to be stick thin. I think you need more healthy fats, high quality whole grain fibre and protein. I'm not a big breakfast eater (and I do eat plenty of fruit) but I think a breakfast without any fats or protein isn't doing you any favours - I'd add in some of both. Do you eat eggs, olive oil, nuts, avocados, dark chocolate, anything fermented?

I do agree it's a good idea to get a bone density test at menopause. Are you on HRT?

Thanks @JMAngel1 I will struggle with your breakfast choices but will definitely give it a go.

The lunch and dinner I can definitely do, I think cutting out rice and pasta will hopefully help me. I agree we really need to eat much less as we get older.

@user499978802 I don’t like eggs and never eat chocolate, I use a lot of olive oil. I have very thick long shiny hair and very good skin. I don’t drive so I walk everywhere not for exercise really. I’m not on HRT . I could definitely add some nuts to my diet.

Do you lift weights? I think that’s the single most important thing you could do!

No but I will take the advice from this thread.

Yes, but as you get further into menopause, maintaining that becomes more of an issue, so my point was to keep that in mind.

And yes, I think walking is very good for weight control, but I do think as you get older it needs to be a bit more intentional - we live in London so I walk loads, but I did notice a real difference, post-meno, when I added extra (very brisk) walking to my usual amount.

Do you not eat chocolate because you don't like it or for other reasons?

I will definitely try to add in brisk walking in @user499978802 .I stay away from chocolate, sweets, crisps and cakes etc. My skin looks very good for my age and I do think that this is part of the reason. I think not drinking alcohol also helps at least for me.