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.

@JaffaCake70 Did you mean to post on the 7lb thread?
At the gym I can't do the treadmill because my knees are fecked. So I do the cross trainer / elliptical. Do half an hour of that set to 10 incline and 10 resistance and I do a bunch of cantilevered weights three sets of 12 reps on four machines plus a free weight bingo wings exercise.
But I probably need to change it up a bit.

Just being believed has helped me. Some (younger?) posters tell you that you are underestimating your calories, but I know it's not that.

I'm listening to Jason fung on youtube, he certainly believes in the metabolism slowing down. I may do a fast, a proper one, I was doing 800 twice a week but that didn't give me noticeable results. Maybe I lost a lb doing it for a whole month.

Makes sense about metabolism slowing,- but exercising doesn’t seem to boost it anymore?
im wondering about HRT too…I did well on menopace before so I might come off the HRT.

I have done well for a couple of weeks, lost 2lb and felt better - but lapsed on my bad evening snacking habits yesterday. My willpower is very closely linked to sleep and I have really struggled with insomnia as a peri symptom. Just started HRT and progesterone is helping but had a couple of bad nights again.

Everything I’ve read recently is you need to build muscle as we lose it so much in these later years and it burns more energy so it would make sense to me if we have 10% less muscle then we’ve burning less fuel so it gets stored as fat. It’s also interesting reading about “weight set point” too. Mine keeps drifting back to the heaviest I was after having my second child even though I lost 3st over a year after having her. Just through heathy eating, breastfeeding and exercising 3x a week body weight stuff it still took me 6mths to lose the last stone. I kept it off for 5yrs but it’s all gone back on in the last 2yrs of my 40s… so frustrating

Yeh, my set point has changed. it used to be 9 stone 4 and in a couple of years, it's gone to 10 stone 7. wow.

I blame keto. Early 2020 my weight had drifted up to 10 stone and I felt enormous and embarked on a keto diet. I quickly got down to about 8 stone 10 and felt thin. I kept it up for about a year but then I cracked and went MAD for carbs and piled on all the weight I'd lost plus an extra stone. Early 2023 I was 11 stone and I decided to try again but just low carb this time, walking and calorie counting.......... But the weight isn't coming off, well half a stone in 15 weeks. And it's stalled. I feel this could be it because I feel very healthy and full of energy so I don't think there is a big loss coming.

I'm wondering if I should try strict keto again, just to lose 7lbs and then slowly slowly introduce just nature's carbs to try and maintain that new weight for 6 months.

Apparently you should lose weight 5% at a time, then maintain it for 6 months to try and reset your set point.

@xPaz exactly the same previous and new weight points!
intetesting about the keto…but half a stone in 15 weeks is good, I’d take that!

Does testosterone help does anyone know?

I came across this thread as I've inexplicably gained 10 pounds in the last year or two and I'm pretty certain it's menopause related as I'm eating the same and exercising the same as ever.

I'm determined to shift it as everything I wear feels too tight and my shape has changed.

I'm trying to cut right back on alcohol and bread and sweet things but it's not easy especially when lack of sleep makes me crave all those things.

Anyway I'm hoping that following and contributing to this thread will keep me motivated.

Whats working at the moment for me is fasting 14hrs every day, less carbs, less sugar, I don’t drink alcohol, I’ve gone wheat free, I’m trying not to snack just 3 meals a day focused on more protein & veg on my plate than carbs. No calorie counting but being more mindful about my food. I exercise a min 30-min a day mostly dog walk or short cycle it’s normally an hour of walking over the day. I’m losing 1lb a week but I feel in control of my eating for the first time in a long time. My mindset has shifted after a health scare so I’m hoping I’ll just carry on like this. Im trying to add in some body weight stuff in prep to lifting weights as that’s the next step, I just get bored doing weight stuff and I’d love to get back to running again as I love the buzz that gives, even a 25min run is a fab mood boost.

So I've weighed myself this morning and I've gained a pound over the weekend.

I had a feeling I had because even though I went to the gym yesterday and Saturday and went for walks both days too, I did eat a lot of things I shouldn't be eating (Coronation weekend is my excuse on this occasion).

Back to the plan today, I haven't had any breakfast yet as my berries are in a bowl defrosting, I'm having fruit and fibre cereal with mixed berries (raspberries, strawberries, blackberries and blueberries) a few chopped almonds and a scattering of mixed seeds with skimmed milk.

Just out of interest, what do all of you eat for breakfast?

Was going to ask the same question!
im now back on calorie counting- good chat with friends this weekend. My friend lost 2 stone last year on low carb and high protein.
she said it is all now back on and her body really craves carbs. She’s finding it impossible to lose weight.
so, trying 1200 a day, we shall see.
I might have an egg on toast.

I generally skip breakfast and eat at lunchtime but because am taking Fybogel you need to eat with that so am sometimes having something.
Typical breakfast might be a banana.
100g low fat Greek yoghurt with a drop of honey or some berries - maybe 15 or 20g.
A slice of toast with a little butter and marmite.
At the weekend I might have a poached egg on toast or some scrambled egg. Only ever one slice though.
If any of my meals start going over 300 calories I get a bit anxious so...

I have coffee for breakfast, eggs for lunch.

For breakfast Full fat Greek yogurt approx 125g few berries and few almonds & linseed, with milky coffee eaten 14hrs after dinner and I’ve had a 35-50min walk with dog before breakfast. I think exercise whilst fasted really helps.

I'm still pushing on with Keto and another 3lb down this week which I'm surprised at. So no 10st 10lb. I've found a milk alternative as I'm not supposed to have milk 🫣 alpro unsweetened almond milk is actually quite nice! Who knew .. I'm AF and have been for a while so no calories consumed in alcohol. Giving up the Pepsi max has been hard going!! I seem to be having lots of headaches lately so need to up my water I suspect. Has a cheeky cake for the coronation and my god it was delicious! Need to focus on getting my steps on target this week, far too much time spent in a chair at my laptop.

I'm steadily losing about 1lb a week by following (loosely) a 16:8 pattern (dinner by 7:30pm, next meal 11:30am next day), usually scrambled eggs & toast/large salad and tuna/ Bol veggie pot. I walk my dog for 45/60mins before WFH in the mornings.
I've also cut down snacks and alcohol and upped exercise to a 30min weights/hiit home workout every day rather than every other day.
It's working for me as I don't feel I'm depriving myself of anything, just being much more conscious about what I eat, saving the odd treat for the weekend when I really enjoy it.

Just checking back in as the thread has gone a bit quiet and I really want it to keep going as I've been finding it helpful to share experiences.

I'm now on berries, almonds, seeds and yogurt for breakfast.

Salad (with a hard boiled egg) 2 ryvita thins with lowest fat Phliadelphia, fruit (6 pineapple chunks, an apple and an orange) and low fat yogurt for lunch.

Small dinner, last night was a small vegetarian quiche with oven baked veggies (new potatoes, carrots, onions, red pepper).

Options low cal hot choc at bedtime.

I'm also going to the gym 3 times per week. Doing half hour exercise bike, half hour treadmill on 5% incline and some weights each time.

Still haven't plucked up courage to put cossie on and go for a swim but I'm definitely thinking about it, and my new cossie is pretty!

Please share your eating and exercise habits :-)

@JaffaCake70
Breakfast is a bowl of porridge, just oats and water, nuked in the microwave. 4am.
Work food over the 8hrs I'm there is one thin sliced white bread ham sandwich and 2 cereal bars over 2 breaks.
All good till i get home.
Tea is usually.fries and small pizza/ chicken burger/ chicken dippers. Basically anything quick and easy out the freezer. We eat normal food on a weekend!
I bike 5 miles to work, 5 miles home. Generally walk 3-5 miles after work.
I work in a manual job in a factory so on my feet lifting, bending, stretching.
If I'm very tired I can empty the fridge in 10 mins when I get in from work, I have to come home and go straight out to avoid that- hence I don't generally have snacky food in.
Doc thinks I have Ibs but we've narrowed it to dairy intolerance.
My guts are not a fan of too much gluten, fibre.

I am losing at last! Maybe a lb or 2lbs per week as well. Very slow but steady, I hope, and sustainable. I am about half a stone overweight. I want to lose it all and keep it off by the end of the year because I yo-yo. My belly is noticeably smaller.

Diet: Mine will be different to most people's because I am Asian and vegetarian. This makes low carb very tough because I am used to rice or parathas. The rest of my diet is healthy, but reducing the carbs is incredibly difficult, especially as the rest of the family eats them. Protein is a challenge too because I don't eat meat.

I am fasting for about 14-16 hrs. Breakfast at 11 is Greek yoghurt with fruit. Lunch I struggle with because I need a quick low carb meal. Currently an omelette or low carb wraps with veggies. Getting bored of that already.
Dinner is usually Asian food- daal or a "curry" or paneer with vegetables and a tiny portion of rice or cauli rice, depending on how bad my rice cravings are. Snacks are nuts or a piece of cheese.

Exercise: Most days I walk over 10 k and lift weights for 20 minutes. That's all I can be bothered to do. Not a gym person.

That’s great @BansheeofInisherin !
im finally losing a bit too.
ive abandoned the high protein and low carb and back to old fashioned calorie counting- 1400 a day.
im still focusing on protein to feel full, and not eating pasta etc but I do have a slice of toast or some rice.

I'm doing Ok this week, not having breakfast , holding out until lunch time around 12 - 1. Boiled eggs, ham and salad mostly. Chicken Caesar yesterday for a change - minus the croutons as not Keto. I've replace milk with unsweetened almond milk and its surprisingly good. Evening meals are a bit tricky .. salmon and broccoli yesterday chicken and roasted veggies today. Snacking on plums, nuts and berries. Definitely more water than usual which has always been my downfall-as in not drinking enough! Saturday morning weigh in will reveal if it's working.. 🫣

Just a quicky as I'm getting ready for work:

2lbs off this week! I'm very happy with that 🎉

This coming week, I am planning to roast a big pan of vegetables and store in the fridge for both Dh and myself. Also making a couple of chickpea salads. The trick is to always have healthy food available so I don't reach for toast. It's a pain to constantly be mindful though, but no way around it.

Also, does anyone have reccos for sugar free protein bars? I am new to them. Are they healthy at all or full of nasties? As I said before, I struggle with protein.

Hi

I'm also vegetarian and struggle with finding sources of protein.

Any advice on high protein meals, especially dinners, would be much appreciated 👍🏻