Menopausal weight gain - how do I shift it?

[Shortysoso]

Just tried on a load of summer dresses, some I’ve had years, six out of seven no longer fit because my middle had just expended.

I had my last period around Christmas and can’t believe how much I’ve put on.

I walk every day, go to the gym for six classes a week (cardio and resistance, one hour of stretching), eat healthily, in short I’m not doing anything different (have increased exercise) but I’m just expanding.

I never thought I’d say this but I’m considering that freezing, non invasive lipo.

I don’t expect to have a girlish figure, and that’s fine but this is getting silly!

Has anyone successfully shifted meno weight? How?!

Help!

Weight gain and changing shape are two different issues (I'm a GP).

As PPs have said, weight control/weight loss are possible - though not easy - post-menopause. Increasing your muscle mass will help to burn calories, so try to lift weights, as well as doing cardio: this combination is also the best for reducing your risk of osteoporosis. Look at your alcohol intake too - I depress my patients (and me ) by reminding them that each glass of wine has as many calories as a doughnut.

However, as your oestrogen levels drop, you will store more fat around your middle, even if you are slim.

Cross-post with Chester

hmmm.... I watched the ITV thing - I noticed both women talking were potentially making money out of the menopause - one promoting HRT from her practice, and the other from promoting her psychotherapy practice. They have the right to share their opinions and experiences of course, but they did seem one-sided to me.

Maybe its cynical me, but I am a bit wary of some of this sudden interest in menopause, and alot of it does seem to be (ironically) pathologising women and ageing in a new way ....

I'm very slim and tall.

I could not eat less.

My stomach has it's own idea and is WAY out of proportion. Nothing fits me now either.

I am super skinny everywhere else, I weigh the same as at 25. My clothes no longer fit.

Am only 48. 5 years into menopause and every year the weight gain round the middle gets worse. My legs get more like a chickens.

It is fucking depressing.

Am veggie, MAKE myself eat. Super healthy (apart from vodka and tonic)

I honestly think we have to accept it.

I did low carb and practically collapsed in the supermarket. It's not for me, it did make my stomahe slimmer though.

But I may as well just die now if that's all I have to look forward to in life.
Plus, I don't eat meat and prefer my fresh salads to suggested pork cracking thanks.

Embrace the fatness ladies!!! Only joking, it is fucking depressing. But like I said, I am fit and healthy from 5 gym sessions a week so at least that's something.

Struggling here too. Put on 10 pounds that I just cannot get rid of and have that hard, thick layer of fat on my stomach. I am very fit and walk up to 15km every day. I dread to think how much I would have put on if I didn't walk all that distance.

and all round!

Just kidding

sorry, not helpful, but some mirth is needed at times, as Chocolate reminds us.

YY Carol it's a hard layer of fat isn't it?

I have a flat, yet really wide stomache. I look so odd.

XXcstatic you have described my situation exactly. I am 8 stone, the same weight I was in my 20s (I'm 58 now) but have got a definite spare tyre round my middle now which has developed since my menopause.

@XXcstatic Its interesting what you said about Oestrogen levels as they drop and what that does to us. I’m on Tamoxifen and have noticed that although I’m still a size 10 I have developed a larger saggier tummy and thighs I don’t think I’ve put much weight on as such but shape has definitely changed. Sigh......

Am 52
I have a BMI of 19 (ish) I eat hardly anything these days. No Breakfast often no lunch. Dinner fish salad maybe some hummus and carrot sticks to ease hunger.
Have been on holiday eating the same but drinking a couple of beers and a glass or 2 of wine (still no breakfast and a salad with no dressing at lunch)
No ice cream no cocktails no pastry or bread or pudding. Still put on 3lbs
Hoping that cutting out the booze again will help me loose it.
It really is no fun.

It can be done honestly! don't despair!!! I'm through the menopause with no trouble. I did notice the weight gain thing but went on the Food Combining way of eating (it's not a diet, just a change in habits) as is the Paul Mackenna way of eating which I needed to stop the gain. It did .

Now I've given up sugar and chocolate which has made an amazing difference!!!!! I feel better, look better, sleep so much better.
My stomach is flattening!!!!!! I do stretches, dancing on an empty stomach. I do eat tasty good food . I don't feel deprived because losing the eye bags is worth a bit of denial.!!!

Oh I don't drink alchohol or fizzy drinks, or normal tea, I have green tea and mint tea, the occasional coffee, I drink loads of filtered water. With a couple of drops of ess. oil of mint in it. Good for sugar cravings.

Jumping on this thread too, I'm 52 last autumn out of no-where, and over the course of a fortnight, I suddenly gained 1 and a half stone. I didn't do anything different and it just seemed to 'arrive' and it does not shift. It's horrible and and I really dislike it, but there's no way I would consider an 800calorie a day diet - that would immediately put my body into starvation mode!

Ppeat I'm so glad for you that you sailed "through the menopause with no trouble", but I do wonder whether this is the thread for you in that case as you may find it hard to have anything helpful to say to those of us who are not sailing through.

I might try the alternate day dieting - that sounds appealing, and I have noticed - along with others a drop in appetite. So I probably only need two meals a day now with a light snack in between. I find it difficult to exercise (my goodness the cost!!) and am aware that Im in a bit of a negative spiral with it all. Reading that others are finding it hard too, and wheat measures they're taking to help resolve it is very helpful to me - so thank you to all those sharing their stories here.

Oh gosh - I've just realised that Im reviving a thread from August! Ah well, I guess it's still just as relevant now?

I'm exactly the same OP. I've put on 2 stone in the last few years. I'm on HRT as well, in fact that seems to have made me feel slightly more bovine and want to eat chocolate.

Eat less. Seriously. I put on 2 stone...doctor told me bluntly that was the only thing that would work. It did

I think this is key tbh, although you will have people coming on talking about fat macros and keto etc etc.

The Diet Myth is really interesting and basically says we all react differently to foods. So you need to experiment a bit to find what works. I'm currently restricting my calories to about 1400 and I'll report back!

Oh! Sorry! Zombie thread!

Yep. The only time I’ve lost weight recently was when going through an incredibly stressful time and I basically stopped eating, Half a piece of toast for breakfast, av small bowl of soup for lunch (a cup) and stuff all for dinner and hardly any alcohol. Lost a stone and a half....but wasn’t for me sustainable. Though reading some of these replies it’s the only thing to do...

I totally get the needing to build more muscle mass to compensate for that lost naturally as we age and to boost the slow down of basic metabolic rate.

Does anyone know how long it would take to restore / build muscle and what sort of exercise programme you would need to do?

Also can you do this if you are cutting calories to lose weight at the same time?

I have put on (another!) 2 stone in my ‘40’s and all of the other meno symptoms - on top of drop in BMR, muscle mass and oestrogen directing fat to the abdomen -create the perfect storm to conspire to weight gain - so add in raging carb craving PMT, low mood, anxiety, depression, irritation, lack of sleep due to these as well as night sweats and fatigue - leads to comfort eating, loss of will power and low motivation to exercise (also joint pain) - so its a v tough battle.

I have totally overhauled my lifestyle in the past 6 weeks and have lost 1:5 stone (another 2 to go). I have done it by creating new life long habits that I will not revert far from once the weight is lost.

I started with going teetotal as I was drinking 2 glasses of wine a night which once drunk kicked off my insulin so I craved carbs - so add in a big bar of choc and crisps to the wine - and this dirty little evening habit was costing me an extra 1000 cals a day - not to mention the deterioration of my BMR and MH.

Cutting the wine took at least 2/3 weeks before the sugar cravings stopped. Then I tackled the sugar and treats. This was tough but I did it by replacing them with v opposite tastes and textures - so Granny Smiths apples, nuts and cheese.

Then I cut right back on pasta, bread, rice - again replaced it with loads of veggies and protein. Basically stopped ready meals, take always, meal deals, cakes and coffees out etc.

Then I added in 16:8 fasting. So that I don’t eat before 11am or after 7pm - I squish all of my (now healthy) food into this window which means I am really full in the evenings which was my danger zone. I got used to not eating in the mornings within a couple of days and some days I can last until 3pm to eat - and I am finding that I am only having 2 meals a day.

I really feel loads better - my mood is not hostage to that low level subtle nagging hangover and my hunger isn’t raging triggered by sugars and refined carbs. So I feel v much in control. I have fallen off the wagon a couple of times - always an emotional issue - so I need to reflect on this. But I have lost my sweet tooth - had some of my fav chic cake for family birthday in Sun and it tasted gross. That reminded me of when I was pregnant I really went off chocolate (craved avocados) - so along with PMT carb cravings I can see for me there is some hormonal link.

I would say that I am through the thick of the meno - and it was emotionally and physically v difficult for me - I am not sure I was able - in the thick of it - to do what I am doing now.

I do walk a lot so I have a basic level of fitness and stamina - but I need to start a weight training regime to keep this going.

You don't need to accept it and uou don't need to go low calorie.

I'm fifty, clearly peri menopausal. And I do thr gym six days a week and eat low carb. I never count calories and have no cravings for crap.

I got up to a size twelve following a bit of a hedonistic summer. And am now back into my tens after doing this for a few weeks.

What you do need to accept though is you can't continue to Eat as you were. So find the right way of eating for you. In addition check your exercises classes, are you actually in there doing it to a level where you feel uou muscle ache, you get out of breath or are you coasting? Because it's very easy to do a class and not break a sweat if you play at it

I've just started to tackle my meno weight gain using the Weight Watchers App and to my surprise its working pretty well - if very slowly. I've lost a stone and a half since May and that's without starving myself and with eating out a lot
But I have totally cut out sweets and most carbs to replace with fruit and veg in copious amounts. I've also largely swapped red meat for fish and chicken. Its a change in diet that I think I can maintain long term - handy as I think it will take a while to get the rest of the weight off!

It's worth looking at Jade Teta and the metabolic effect.
Basically he advocates either
Eat less move less. Or
Eat more move more.

To eat less and move more makes you feel stressed, increases cortisol and lays down fat ( never mind the drop in oestrogen)
So if you want to keep enjoying food you have to move more. Then, dietary choices also come into play, all the kinds of things PPs have been quoting.

However, as your oestrogen levels drop, you will store more fat around your middle, even if you are slim

That's exactly what's happened to me and it's so annoying.

I still look slim, but my middle won't behave itself and I've put on
10Ibs over the past few years. I've recently reduced my alcohol intake to a purchased glass of wine only when socialising, not at home with a meal (as they tend to be larger glasses)! That's helping. I suppose I'll have to drop the carbs now.

Definitely like the idea of weight training. I've always been a cardio/pilates person, so perhaps that's what's needed.