Menopause

[MrsWembley]

I'm a lady of a certain age and all the usual tricks to lose a few pounds haven't been working. So, I've done some reading about why and and clicked on one too many adverts on my Facebook feed (and now they're constant!🤦🏼‍♀️) and I'm trying to lose a bit going by the common theme around mixing it up a bit to kick start my metabolism again, but without signing up for anything. However, I think I might need to.

Does anyone have any recommendations out of all the suggestions the algorithm is throwing at me? Noom comes up a lot but then so does some American dr or other who keeps telling me he knows how women over fifty's bodies work. Has anyone tried anything that actually does work?

I am 56 and have a layer of fat around my middle (waist 40 inches), over 2 stone to lose. I have given up white wine in the evenings and have started the Fast800. I am losing half a pound a day without exercising.

I don’t think it matters what plan you follow, do what you think will suit you, the key is actually sticking to it with no excuses. You have to be completely sick of being overweight and ready to kick your bad habits. It starts with going through your cupboards, meal planning and grocery shopping.

Thanks, but I've done all that! I've drastically reduced my alcohol intake, I have never really snacked so cutting that out completely wasn't a problem, I've used MFP to count calories, tried low-carbing it, tried going the other way in order to shake up my metabolism, (almost in a SW way). I do step twice a week and am trying to do beginners Pilates at home (done a few classes face-to-face but then the timing of them changed). I know I need to look at when I eat, as I do eat my main meal too late in the day, and I've read up on fasting but there seems to be some disagreement with what would work best for me. And then some of the menopause stuff I've been reading says that fasting will actually make it worse as it will mess with my cortisol levels!!!

Which is why I'm asking, does anyone have any experience of any of these plans that are specifically for menopause?

I'm 58 and doing intermittent fasting, 16:8 mostly. I'm losing weight, so far 2 stones and into my third stone. So far, I'm impressed with the effectiveness of IF.

I signed up and read/listened to Dr MaryClaire Haver, pretty common sense regarding healthy living (natural food, low processes, quality meat etc etc).
Her menopause advise is excellent, can’t say I’ve lost weight from her food approach (because I was doing it anyway).
All I can do is daily fitness, resistance bands, bike walk (variety of stuff) and eat less carbs.
I keep striving to get my weight closer to normal BMI, but my body loves an extra 10-15lbs…

Noom is good because it teaches you WHAT to eat. Diet is 80% but weight training and exercise will help you burn calories way faster than any other type of exercise.

try the book "why we eat to much" by Dr Andrew Jenkinson

I'm keen to try this. Are you also very careful about what eat having during the 8 hour window? Eg high protein, low carb

I’m 47 and have struggled for the last year while having hot flushes etc. was diagnosed with having a bad gallbladder. So had to go on 3% or lower fat diet. Have lost nearly a stone in a month.

Do you limit your calories in those eating hours?

I don't calorie count at all, but I do watch what I eat and try to make sure that the majority of what I eat, and prepare for family meals is home cooked, with minimal to no UPFs.

I'm vegetarian, and eat mostly plant-based. I've been vegetarian since my early 20s, so there's been no real change in my diet.

I was always slim, until I had the DC, and then began to struggle with my weight. I have an underactive thyroid which has made it harder to lose weight too, and fibromyalgia/CFS, which does seem to be responding quite well to IF.

I don't do calorie counting. It's hard to be accurate with calorie counting anyway, and especially when I'm cooking everything from scratch. I focus on healthy eating.

Interesting hearing about experiences of fasting. That's one thing I haven't really tried yet, as I said, the reading I've done says it could make things worse!

Maybe I'll give that a go? 16:8?

@MrsWembley who or what suggests that IF makes loosing weight "worse"?
all IF is, an overall reduction in daily caloric intake by missing out on an am snack or evening snacking.
you still need a good overall knowledge base of caloric value.

An increase in cortisol encourages the body to retain fat and slows metabolism. I've read random articles over the last few months and can't remember exactly where I read it, but I remember seeing somewhere that fasting can increase cortisol, or at least not reduce the natural increase in menopause.

And I don't see 16:8 as missing out on a morning snack! It's missing breakfast altogether!! Which I frequently do anyway when I'm busy!!