Fellow Menopausal Fatties

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Anyone care to join me in trying to lose some weight.

I really need to sort myself out but I seem to have zero willpower. I would love some company.

I will weigh myself tomorrow. There will be tears.

Well done on all the losses and progress.
15lb 1 here this morning. 6lb off now.
My fruit bowl is now full of fruit instead of junk and the only treats are on a weekend.
I'm still eating crap food during the week as I'm so knackered but I'm looking at it and halving it. Half the crap calories have got to be better than all of them.
Hoping to be 14 13 this time next week. That will be a big mental goal- I need motivation.

I'd like to join you all, but struggling with motivation. Also have both GCSE and A level exams so stress is pretty high. I'm 52, 5ft and my weight has crept up in the last few years and I'm the heaviest I've been outside of pregnancy at 10st11. Exercise regularly, recently started doing weights 2 times a week but my diet is hit and miss and I know this is where I need to focus but struggling with the headspace and worried the weight gain is getting out of control BMI just under 30.

@Neversaygoodbye teen sitting GCSEs in this house. I'm trying to stay out the way.
It's the headspace I struggle with too.

Been out for early birthday lunch today. Ate cheese and onion pie, chunky chips and mushy peas (delicious) followed by bakewell slice and a couple of cocktails. Currently on settee watching Benjamin Button and eating a big bar of dairy crunch.

Yep, it's cheat day but it's only going to be one day each week going forward, whereas I used to cheat Fri evening to Sun evening and gain all I'd lost during the week.

Back to the gym tomorrow too. I'm managing 30 mins on the exercise bike and 30 mins on the treadmill, followed by some light weights.

I might brave the swimming cossie tomorrow 🤔 not promising anything though, depends how many people are in the pool...

@xPaz Just popping back to say I read a thing by a nutritionist in the Torygraph at the weekend that said she knew dieters who reduce their calorie intake massively and up their exercise and as a result increase their cortisol which makes them retain fat.
Basically if your stress is high or you put your body under stress it releases cortisol and one of the consequences of that is it retains fat.
I do know that when I am sticking to my ridiculous regime and experience a plateau, if I let it go for a couple of days or go out to dinner one day then I might end up breaking the plateau and losing weight.
So I might try once or twice a week being not so calorie rigid and see if that makes s difference.

I've heard that to about cortisol, it's why the most recent advice is to do weights and then lower intensity cardio...there's a term for it but too early in the morning for my brain to engage.
I'm not making much progress on the healthy eating front, bought some exam treats for the kids but keep helping myself...the stress is just too much at the moment! Hormonal teenagers doing exams and healthy eating just don't seem to mix.

I am eating incredibly heathily and have still plateaued. Do I have permission to eat a bar of chocolate then?😊
My stress is quite high, but can't see a way of reducing. Sandwich generation stress.

I'm thinking of resorting to meal replacement shakes as can't tweak my diet much more.
I eat healthily and have reduced portion sizes. I'm normally active most days.
Well done to those who are losing!

Do correct me if I am wrong, but aren't meal replacement shakes and protein bars and all that stuff full of nasties? I haven't researched it properly, but I always thought real food is better for you? I tried Fulfill protein bars the other day, but they tasted really oversweet and weird.

Yes very processed.
I find the protein rice puddings really good though, processed of course but some semblance of ‘food’ and good to grab for brekkie, 13grams of protein.
eating mine right now 🙂

Yes but healthy proper food isn't helping me lose weight so I really don't know what else to do 😭

Fair enough!

I’m 87kg. 87!!!!!

I take 2 sugars with my coffee first thing, then no sugar, but today I only put one teaspoon in.

My plan is to have sugar in my morning coffee for another week, then stop it completely.
Have a big glass of water with apple cider vinegar in the morning.
Have a big lunch: boiled eggs/smoked salmon/avocado/goats cheese/hummus/falafel (not all of them at the same time 😂)
Replace my 4 o’clock cake and coffee with apple and peanut butter.
Have a salad or soup in the evening.
Stop eating at 6.30, just drink water/peppermint tea.

Make Saturday cheat day: macaroni cheese/open sandwich etc, salad in the evening, but I can have some wine or cake or sweets.

I swear it’s my HRT. Gone from a B cup to a G!!!

Can I join in please?

I'm not actually overweight but really struggle on a daily basis to remain slim enough to feel good in clothes. I don't do any specific exercise but walk a lot when I can. I eat 1200-1400 calories a day. I'm really good at accountability.

I'm finding it increasingly difficult to keep my willpower going. I know this way of eating is for life but I'm wondering if it's all worth it. Maintenance calories are 1450.

I've been considering HRT (I'm 63) but wondering if that will mean that I'll struggle even more.

Is there any evidence, o wise ones, that HRT means weight gain?

@BuddhaAtSea just popped on to say huge sympathy with going from a B to a G cup. I hate having huge fat boobs.

I'm sure I've gained weight on HRT but am reluctant to stop taking it as feel better in all other areas of my life

God please don't say HRT causes weight gain. I am starting next month.

@ageingdisgracefully it seems to affect everyone differently, so far only anecdotal that HRT can cause weight gain as far as I know, but some folk on here have gone off and gone on again and weight gain has definitely correlated.

Thanks @Twoshoesnewshoes .

@BansheeofInisherin Apparently there is no scientific evidence that HRT makes you gain weight and I was told recently that oestrogen is a natural appetite suppressant.

My issue with meal replacement stuff is that they're always sweet. I don't have much of a sweet tooth so don't want sweet bars and milkshakes, I'd rather have savoury stuff.
I have been less strict on the 1000 calories this week and I am two ounces away from dropping another pound so am keeping everything crossed for nudging down again.

In my experience, HRT only causes weight gain if the dosage isn't correct (for the individual who is taking it). So if you are on HRT, have gained weight, it's worth having your dosage tweaked.

For what it’s worth, I am 56 not on hrt and gained 2.5 stone in the last 5 years.

Quick check in.

I've lost another 1.5lbs this week. The weight is coming off slowly at a rate of about 1lb per week.

I'm now under 14 stone having lost 9lbs since March 16th. I've gone from 14st 8lbs to 13st 13lbs.

As someone who weighed less than 8st in my 20's I can't believe I'm excited to have broken the 14st threshold! But the weight is going in the right direction, my efforts are paying off and I'm proud of my progress (it's been hard work, I've cut my calorie intake a lot and I'm working hard 3 days per wk at the gym).

I'm not on HRT and at the start of my journey I had gained 2st in 2 years.

I'd like to get down to 9st eventually but I know that's probably not a realistic target so I'm aiming for 10st.

I'd like to lose a further 2st by Christmas, taking me down to around 12st, and then I'll lose the next 2st in 2024.

What's everyone up to this weekend? I'm off to my first festival of the year, Pulp are headlining, I've never seen them before & I'm V excited!

Have a fab bank holiday weekend everyone 😘

Well done @JaffaCake70 and enjoy your festival. I finally broke my 5 week plateau by actually being less rigid about my calories and gym. I hit 12s7. The last time I had a decent weight loss I didn't hit this milestone so I officially weigh less than I have done for the past six or seven years. So that's good. I was supposed to be under 12 stone for the wedding in a couple of weeks and that's not going to happen but my body is noticeably changing and clothes are hanging so I am feeling pretty good about myself again (having got really fed up in the plateau). I kind of hate that I have such strong reactions to losing a pound but when you put so much effort in and it makes no difference it's massively hard to keep going, so I am happy and relieved to see the scales nudging down again.
Keep going everyone.