Help: 30 lbs menopausal weight gain!

[fanofladyvols]

You can do it HIIT and reduce the impact...here's a a thread from Sherri that has a super helpful article http://www.videofitness.com/~vfwnk/f...d.php?t=220814

It is totally guided by you and your effort. You go as hard as you can for the interval. It isn't necessary to do it high impact.

[Nuggie's Auntie]

Originally Posted by Lori_Michigan

Just checking back in after a month -- I've been going to acupuncture for a month now and feeling SO much better than before. I can't recommend it enough!

I've also changed a few things --
-- I started spraying magnesium oil spray on my feet twice a day (I can't take it internally since it makes me sick). This has really helped my meno symptoms.
-- I started eating a light meal/snack about half an hour before bed. This has made a HUGE difference in how I sleep and I haven't been waking up with hot flashes or chills. I am also able to get up with my alarm and get going (and I feel rested). I eat a piece of cheese, some crackers, some almond butter, and some dried fruit.
-- I started drinking some electrolytes in the morning and during/after workouts. This has also made a huge difference. My acupuncturist thinks my electrolytes have been off for a long time and he actually recommended this. He said to just do it until I feel like I don't need to anymore. (I am also eating carbs/sugar in the morning and then just small meals the rest of the day. I feel this works well for me.)

I'm not sure if any of this violates the rules, but I thought I'd share what has worked for me in the past month. No weight loss yet, but my energy level is back to normal and I'm back to Cathe/Tracie/KCM workouts and alternating with Ellen/CS every other day. I had a 28 day cycle this month and my peri symptoms were barely noticeable this month. Not sure how long that will last, but I'll take it for now!

Lor, that's wonderful! I'm glad you're getting some relief. Are you feeling better still?

Originally Posted by Negin

I haven't yet read all of the replies. I don't have anything to add. I recently realized that I'm now post-menopausal. The cravings and weight gain have been the worst. I've never been so heavy in my life.


I'm learning so much from watching her videos (in order, of course!). I'm so grateful to have found her and wish that I had known about her sooner. I don't have her book, but my husband encouraged me to book an appointment for a consultation. That's coming up in the next few weeks.



Nuggie's Auntie and Donna, please accept my deepest sympathy.


This is so interesting and quite helpful to me. I'm also a classic overachiever. Maybe I need to look into this program.
HIIT workouts intimidate me, however. I've never done them. Does that mean high-impact? There's no way that I can do high impact at this point in my life and with my obesity.

You can definitely modify for impact. I can't do high-impact, either. The point is to get your heart rate up very high for short periods of time. If you can accomplish that with low impact (I can!) then you're fine.

So, my 'goals,' such as they were, have been completely derailed! In mid-July, I was walking in my neighborhood with a friend. I tripped on a pot hole and broke my collarbone. I had surgery two days later and have been recovering from that. I had to abandon my IF practice because I needed to take meds with food, and I was pretty much bed-ridden for a few weeks. I gained more weight. It was, honestly, the worst pain of my life.

Last Thursday marked 8 weeks post-surgery and I was finally given the green light to do some strength training. I've been back to my barre3 workouts, which are going well for me. Food wise, I'm focusing on nutrient density--trying to nourish myself as well as I can. I am very motivated to get better so I can resume my former activities. The kids started online school this past week, so it's tough to fit everything in (I'm basically homeschooling), but I'm doing my best. I'd really love to lose weight, but I'm choosing not to focus too much on it. I really want to just feel better!

Hope everyone is hanging in there.

[bzar]

i lurk at the myfitnesspal.com forum and one of the most encouraging threads i bookmarked was about the common theme of weight training for successful weight loss in menopausal women. no diet was referred to. these were the common habits:

1) consistent weight training
2) logging their food

many VFers here mention increased hunger from weight training, but on that MFP thread, none of that was mentioned, surprisingly.

[Lori_Michigan]

Nuggie's Auntie--wow, so sorry to hear about your injury! That absolutely sucks. No good deed goes unpunished! I sure hope you'll be on the mend soon.

I had a good month with weight loss and perimenopause symptoms. And then per usual, they all came back with a vengeance. I just can't win. Nothing I do ever works for more than a month. I lost a few pounds but then just gained it all back with a few more with my period. Sigh. I am still going to acupuncture, but it's not really doing anything any more. I am still doing my Cathe Live workouts and Tracie and KCM and Ellen/CS. But nothing works. I went up another bra and pant size. Feeling low again. Officially up 30 pounds in two years. I went and had all my yearly physical appts and even had ultrasound done. No fibroids or ovarian problems. Bloodwork normal.

I did track all my food into the myfitnesspal app this week, and that certainly is shocking. I will continue to do that this week. I won't venture into the food territory here though.

I also tried a product called Genesis Gold that is supposed to help the hypothalamus during peri. But it just made my already huge breasts swell even more. I stopped after gaining 5 lbs in two weeks. Again, sigh.

Perhaps back to lifting heavier weights. I can physically do it but I fear the hunger from it. Double sigh.

[donnamp]

Lori - ugh, I'm sorry to hear that all your symptoms returned. It must be endlessly frustrating.

Nuggie's Auntie - I'm so sorry about your injury. My DD broke her collarbone when she was 9 - I remember the ortho saying that for kids, it is no big deal, but for adults, it is terribly painful. My DD was miserable for about two days and then she was fine..and more annoyed by the limitations than anything else.

I'm still plugging away w/ my workouts....nothing new or earth shattering.

I had been doing quite a bit w/ Pahla B - but then I think I ventured into over-use injury territory - so I'm trying to come up with a new plan.

Now that we are getting into fall, I should make outdoor walks more of a priority. And, w/ working from home still - I should make a point of more movement during the day.

Take care -

Donna

[Lori_Michigan]

Originally Posted by donnamp

Lori - ugh, I'm sorry to hear that all your symptoms returned. It must be endlessly frustrating.

Thanks, Donna! You always brighten my day with your support. I can imagine that the people in your real life are also grateful for your kindness!

[Negin]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

You can definitely modify for impact. I can't do high-impact, either. The point is to get your heart rate up very high for short periods of time. If you can accomplish that with low impact (I can!) then you're fine.

So sorry to hear about your collarbone injury!
Happy to hear that things are improving with you.
Thank you for your helpful feedback!

Originally Posted by fanofladyvols

You can do it HIIT and reduce the impact...here's a a thread from Sherri that has a super helpful article http://www.videofitness.com/~vfwnk/f...d.php?t=220814
It is totally guided by you and your effort. You go as hard as you can for the interval. It isn't necessary to do it high impact.

Thank you for this helpful link!

[donnamp]

Lori - thank you for your kind words!!!

Donna

[Rivercat]

Originally Posted by Nuggie's Auntie

I don't follow his program to the letter, but I have really appreciated the work of Jade Teta. He's written a program called Metabolic Renewal which addresses these issues. ...

What worked when we were younger simply doesn't work anymore. Jade recommends short metabolic workouts ~3x/week, and lots of leisurely movement (slow outdoor walks, especially.) He suggests other stress-reduction techniques.

Nuggie's Auntie, I hope your collarbone is healing well.

Resurrecting this thread because I'm postmenopausal and my waist and tummy have expanded rapidly over the past few months. I took Dr. Jade's quiz and scored Type 6. My main question is whether there is anything magical about his specific workouts, or if other short metabolic/metcon workouts can be substituted? He says in his explanation video from the quiz results that his workouts are designed to alternate floor and standing moves with specific rest breaks.

I've been doing Pahla's Over 50 30 day program but working out everyday with the same trainer is hard for me even if I really like them, and some HIIT sounds appealing right now.

[Lori_Michigan]

Originally Posted by Rivercat

Nuggie's Auntie, I hope your collarbone is healing well.

Resurrecting this thread because I'm postmenopausal and my waist and tummy have expanded rapidly over the past few months. I took Dr. Jade's quiz and scored Type 6. My main question is whether there is anything magical about his specific workouts, or if other short metabolic/metcon workouts can be substituted? He says in his explanation video from the quiz results that his workouts are designed to alternate floor and standing moves with specific rest breaks.

I've been doing Pahla's Over 50 30 day program but working out everyday with the same trainer is hard for me even if I really like them, and some HIIT sounds appealing right now.

I took his quiz too, and I can't remember but I think I'm a 6 too. His diet is pretty strict and there's no way that I could adhere to it right now. I have tried his 15 minute workouts and I didn't much care for them. I like him as a person, and I think his ideas are great (I follow him on Instagram for daily inspiration!) but I think the essence of his program is simply calorie/carb reduction, walking an hour daily, 3x week higher intensity for a short time, and overall stress reduction. I didn't invest in his program since I read pretty much all of it through online reviews, but I think you could definitely substitute other workouts for his.

Long story short, I tried my version of his program for a few weeks and it did work, for about a week until the week before my period and all went out the window. I still haven't effectively lost any of this perimenopause weight gain of at least 25 lbs (I stopped weighing myself out of frustration). I feel good for a week maybe and then it all comes right back with a vengeance. Swelling, weight gain, tired, injuries, headaches, nerve issues. I have found nothing that works for me now that I've reached the 2-year mark (or more?) of perimenopause (and I still have very regular cycles!). I still work out and walk though, and I have tried charting my food in various apps to count macros/calories, just without success for more than a couple weeks. Sigh.