Piled on so much weight due to menopause

[Fatusername]

I can't use HRT but I'm piling on the weight at half a stone or more a week at the moment. I'm meticulously recording my meals and weighing them:

This is typical

Breakfast: 0% greek yoghurt, apple and cinnamon
Snack: banana
Lunch; pasta and salad
Dinner: Grilled meat, 2 or 3 veg portions and a carb.

My calories are totalling 1400 or less a day.

Where am I going wrong?

Before menopause I was consistently 10 stone, after menopause I'm now over 14. I haven't had a period in over 2 years and it has been confirmed by blood tests (I'm at the young end of the normal age range for menopause) I've been thoroughly investigated as a result of my age.

Why are you being so argumentative? Not being able to lose weight IS a menopause issue.

@Fatusername do you mean half a pound a week? This sort of tallies with the numbers you have given.

Or do you really means half a stone a week as stated. Which is probably impossible.

I’ve found that eating very few carbs and replacing with protein is the only way.
Like you,I felt I was hardly eating yet piling on lower belly fat. I was experiencing an insatiable cravings for carbs.

I think the main reason for my weight loss so far is replacing carbs with protein and vastly reducing sugar.

Ive cut back on milky coffees and drink Americanos now.No sugar.
For breakfast, I’ll only eat if I’m hungry … boiled egg/s with some mayo and avocado.

Mid afternoon a handful of peanuts and or a snack tin of tuna.
Dinner perhaps grilled fish/ chicken and lots of steamed veg but not potatoes.
i only drink milk in tea. I used to like a glass of milk but I’ve replaced it with No Sugars Oat which I now prefer in my coffee too. I don’t eat bread but also I don’t miss it.

In addition, I also do vigorous exercise at least 3 times a week.
If you can’t do this for health reasons, can you go for a gentle walk or a swim ?

The carb cravings have gone. The weight is slowly but steadily reducing.

Are you 12?

Thank you. That sounds like it's taken a lot of effort to turn it around but more than worth it.

Carbs, especially potatoes and bread, give me a feeling of insatiable hunger too OP. I am a similar age and weight to you and have to sit on my behind at work for 40 hours a week so it is a battle. I am starting low carb and possibly intermittent fasting again this week as it's the only thing which has ever worked for me.

I’m assuming it hasn’t gone on for as long as that and is a more recent, more aberrant gain.Op if it’s that much, there’s probably some water retention going on.

I wouldn’t cut calories further, but the banana and pasta might, sadly, be a bit too carby at the moment. I’d switch in eggs for breakfast or lunch, maybe with smoked salmon on occasion? That will help with the hunger and will peel back carbs. There are also some good casserole and curry recipes that use yoghurt instead of cream or coconut milk and which make a hearty warming/ comfort food style meal with plenty of meat and protein but low carb.

Why are you being so snappy?

OP is struggling; she’s posted for advice. If you don’t believe her op for whatever reason, scroll on.

Well what you have said doesn't add up. Half a stone a week for how long? You've been post menopause for a year. Surely you've not gained half a stone a week for a year? Also it's impossible to gain anything like that kind of weight on the food you say you're eating.

If OP is telling the truth she needs to get to the doctor urgently. If not, she's wasting people's time.

I’m 3 years since my last period but the weight gain for me started suddenly in the last 6 months.
Maybe that’s what OP means. Even if it’s an exaggeration it doesn’t matter. OP is struggling with weight gain.
I don’t understand why some people are arguing about it.
Obviously some of the weight will be water because, if I’m correct, for every gram of carbs consumed we gain 3 grams of water?

You don't permanently gain water when you eat carbs! Your body uses it and excretes it.

It does matter if she's exaggerating because you can't give advice based on incorrect information.

That’s what I’m thinking. I’m assuming the gain hasn’t been piling on at that rate for two years.

Carbs can cause water retention, and op has quite a bit of carb built in which might no longer be sustainable for her, even if it was before. Op is the breakfast apple a fresh apple, or stewed with the cinnamon? And then banana as snack, pasta lunch and carbs again with the evening meal comes to quite a bit of carb, even if the calories stay reasonable.

It isn’t a bad idea to see the gp however op. In the meantime, play round with swapping in more protein. Pasta every day is something many people couldn’t do. Shame as it’s yummy!

Well obviously the water is excreted but continuously eating carbs means that water weight will be higher.
No one said it’s permanent.

But if you replace the carbs each day, it’s not as final as that.

Daily pasta lunch is something I think a lot of people’s systems would become sluggish on. Children can do it!

Hi OP. I am also menopausal but on HRT which I appreciate you can't use.

I am 5ft6 and easily lost 8lbs in a month by reducing to a strict 1200 cals a day and a ton of fast walking.

I then had surgery in the early summer and managed to lose a further 2lbs whilst completely and totally sedentary.

I did this by only eating a meal once a day, though I'd have coffee and a bit of dark chocolate every now and then through the day. Not eating carbs really, though I generally find I'm not bothered about giving them up as they are just 'vehicles' for the tasty meat or fish.

I ate a lot of fish, avocado and edemame beans with salad.

I have low blood pressure so can't fast, hence the small bits of dark chocolate periodically.

I also ate quite a lot of fruit and Greek yoghurt as I can eat a lot for fewer calories.

Not being able to loose weight is an eating too many calories than you need issue.

you don’t mention drinks, milk in tea? Do you weigh your food?

Eat more protein and drink lots of water during the day. Look into taking herbal supplements for menopause symptoms.

I should also add that I've gone back to eating porridge (made with water) for breakfast and have started to gain weight again - oats make me want to eat my own arm two hours after I've eaten them, unlike for example smoked salmon and eggs.