Help: 30 lbs menopausal weight gain!

[lavna]

I gained 30 + lbs at menopause and I don’t know what to do anymore! I have a big menopot (I look as if I’m pregnant!). I went from a size 10 to a size 14 in 2 years and the weight is still creeping on.

A little bit of context : My last period was 2 years ago so I guess I’m post menopausal but I don’t think my hormones are stable yet as I still have hot flashes. I’m on HRT but the correct dosage is hard to find. I lost some weight between 2015 and 2017 but since about 2018, it started creeping back on and as of today, I’ve gained 30 + lbs. I’ve always been very conscious about what I eat and I try to follow the food guide and the generally given advice to avoid putting on weight. I stay in shape and do Cathe workouts 3 times per week. My sleep is not very good though and I wake-up often during the night (I’m on a waiting list to be tested for sleep apnea). I had some blood tests in the last year (for diabetes, thyroid, cortisol) and everything is normal.

I wonder if anyone has any ideas/experiences that could give me hope regarding this weight gain. Maybe I need to make some changes in my lifestyle or the way I workout (ex. : should I exercise longer, more often, less cardio, more cardio, etc). I don’t think that this is only a vanity problem as a 30 lbs weight gain on my 5’3" frame, especially around the waist, can’t be very healthy. I sometimes feel as if my metabolism needs a boost! I know that I can’t expect to lose all the weight that I’ve gained but being able to lose some of it would be great for my health, my morale and my wallet! Any advice would be welcome.

TIA
Nathalie

[fitloon]

I am not in menopause yet, but my ob/gyn did test my levels and I'm in the beginning of perimenopause so I'm trying to be as prepared as I can.

With that disclaimer, I have just discovered Pahla B (https://pahlabfitness.com/) and I know there are threads about her on this board. She has many YouTube videos and a support group on Facebook called The Killer B Hive. Her target audience is women in menopause and/or over 50. Her advice is actually less intense workouts but on a consistent basis.

Hope that helps. I'm sure more experienced ladies than I can chime in here.

[bubbles76]

I have no experience in this, but I read these threads to be prepared for what's to come . Do a tag search on "menopot" and "menopause" and multiple page threads pop up. I hope you find an answer that works for you. The consensus seems to be diet overhaul (whether that is cutting out certain foods or less foods) and less intense workouts. Good luck! I'll be watching this thread

[donnamp]

I would definitely check out Pahla B, as fitloon mentioned. She has a few free guides and lots of videos and information on You Tube. At first you may feel that you are not going to get results by doing less but for some people that does seem to be the ticket. As Pahla B explains, as we get older, go through peri and meno, our bodies don't recover as quickly as they used to. This is perceived as stress in the body which for some people causes weight gain/inability to lose weight. Additionally, the slower recovery time also may mean that we are able to do fewer workouts if we try to go all out all the time. Pahla's formula seems to be one "push" day a week, two light/active rest days per week and 4 moderate days per week. Although she is very chatty in her videos she does offer lots of encouragement and good information.

She also puts out a free mini-challenge each week - basically a rotation using her You Tube videos. She posts two rotations -one for people looking for weight loss and one for people looking for body shaping.

That is just one suggestion, others may have different experiences.

Donna

[NancyW]

Counting calories. My Fitness Pal.

[desderata]

For me, post menopause, losing fat is 90% about the calories, although what I eat obviously matters in terms of health and how satiated I feel. I lost 30+ pounds of fat post menopause, had a terrible 2 years, and 10 lbs crept back on. I’m taking them off now, and it requires strict eating and working out between 300 and 360 minutes a week. The weight didn’t creep back on because of my hormones, it came back because I became very lax about what and how much I ate, and sat too much when I wasn’t working out. We have to consciously move more and eat less after menopause, because our lifestyles tend to become less active. It is possible to lose all the excess fat, but it’s not a lot of fun.

[lavna]

Originally Posted by fitloon

I am not in menopause yet, but my ob/gyn did test my levels and I'm in the beginning of perimenopause so I'm trying to be as prepared as I can.

With that disclaimer, I have just discovered Pahla B (https://pahlabfitness.com/) and I know there are threads about her on this board. She has many YouTube videos and a support group on Facebook called The Killer B Hive. Her target audience is women in menopause and/or over 50. Her advice is actually less intense workouts but on a consistent basis.

Hope that helps. I'm sure more experienced ladies than I can chime in here.

Originally Posted by donnamp

I would definitely check out Pahla B, as fitloon mentioned. She has a few free guides and lots of videos and information on You Tube. At first you may feel that you are not going to get results by doing less but for some people that does seem to be the ticket. As Pahla B explains, as we get older, go through peri and meno, our bodies don't recover as quickly as they used to. This is perceived as stress in the body which for some people causes weight gain/inability to lose weight. Additionally, the slower recovery time also may mean that we are able to do fewer workouts if we try to go all out all the time. Pahla's formula seems to be one "push" day a week, two light/active rest days per week and 4 moderate days per week. Although she is very chatty in her videos she does offer lots of encouragement and good information.

She also puts out a free mini-challenge each week - basically a rotation using her You Tube videos. She posts two rotations -one for people looking for weight loss and one for people looking for body shaping.

That is just one suggestion, others may have different experiences.

Donna

I'll definitly look at her offerings.
I have to admit that doing less intense workout worries me a little bit as I'm worried of losing some strength and cardio capacity.

But as I read the many posts in his thread, it looks a key to weight loss seems to be to move everyday instead of doing longer workouts 3-4 times/week.

[lavna]

Thanks for all the replies so far! I love reading all your posts. It's good to know I'm not alone.
I really appreciate it.

I might not be able to answer all of them (writing in English takes a lot of time as it's not my first language!) but I'll try to respond/react as often as I can.

What I'm realizing is that food is still very important. I like the comment that said that not all calories are equal. Moving more during the day seems key also.

Nathalie

[Gams]

I’m in the same boat. The only thing that worked for me was counting calories. Sadly, the older I get the more I realize just how little food my body really needs. I have been working out consistently for about 2 years. I alternate weights and cardio, doing something every day, but I didn’t start losing the weight until I cut back on the calories.

[sbh]

Originally Posted by Gams

I’m in the same boat. The only thing that worked for me was counting calories. Sadly, the older I get the more I realize just how little food my body really needs. I have been working out consistently for about 2 years. I alternate weights and cardio, doing something every day, but I didn’t start losing the weight until I cut back on the calories.

I'm finally post menopause. 15 years of hot flashes and night sweats. I gained a lot of weight too and was able to lose it by counting calories. Sparkpeople worked for me, I continued working out at a lower intensity.