Post meno weight gain

[Claymoreiron]

Fuming. Been slim most of my life but since I came through menopause and started HRT I have gained a stone that I really don’t want. It has just crept up on me. Not doing anything different.

i did wonder if it was my HRT but GP says weight gain is not related to HRT.

I am active. Walk dog everyday, at the gym 3 times a week lifting weights and playing netball. I think I eat healthily. So today I had porridge and a big salad for lunch with a bit of feta. For dinner I am planning pasta and tomato sauce. Not huge portions. I barely drink and very occasionally eat a bit of cake. No takeaways. For supper I might have a piece of toast and peanut better.

im going to have to cut down somehow aren’t I? I’m obviously having too many calories.Smaller portions (not that they are huge) I guess. Cut out any treats - even though I seldom
have any?! What a bloody pain. The thought of dieting and counting calories sounds so miserable.

I am 5ft 7 and 11 stone. Did try and hope it was muscle that increased my weight due to the gym
work. Grasping at straws……

Anyone else have this post meno? Can I do anything to avoid a diet?! I know I k ow…..

HRT certainly can cause weight gain, it's very common. I gained about a pound a week when I briefly tried it, with absolutely no change to my diet or exercise, and it came off naturally over the next few months when I stopped it. I really don't know why some doctors and other people insist that it doesn't cause weight gain, many people find that it does!

Carbs are the problem with post menopausal weight gain, and it's not a criticism but your diet looks to be carb heavy and very low protein. It's certainly not for you if you're veggie, but a low carb diet, high in healthy meat/animal (not vegetable) protein with healthy, natural fats is the most effective way for most people to lose post meno weight. High carb, low fat diets are the worst, and won't give your body what it needs to lose fat and be healthy, especially as we age. Intermittent fasting is a good tool too.

I highly recommend watching Emma Voysey on YouTube. She turned around her post meno weight gain and health following this diet. My sister has followed it, and feels so much better for it, though she's lucky in that she hardly had any weight to lose. Her IBS and bloating have gone, as has her brain fog, and she's got more energy and stamina.

I wish I could follow the diet, but although I eat some meat, fish and eggs, I don't like them enough for them to form most of my diet. This is the way that up to date nutritionists advise people to eat though, and obviously ultra processed food is a big problem as well as excess carbs

Thanks. Yep a vegetarian and definitely love carbs. When you search for scientific evidence te hrt and weight gain there doesn’t seem to be a definitive link but I know anecdotally many women experience it.

I think what often happens is that your metabolism starts to slow down during perimenopause, which coincides with starting HRT.
I was lucky enough to start a healthy diet and exercise plan at the same time so have actually lost a ton of weight. It must suck if you are already fit and healthy and find you still putting on weight.
The truth is the older we get the less calories we need.

I lost the menopausal weight gain on HRT - everyone’s different I suppose