Fat Fat Fat.....

erm, Im feeling really really guilty now as Ive just bought a fairly large coffee cake because it was half price.
I have tried various diets but find my impossibly sweet tooth sabotages me every time. Also living alone I do buy a lot of microwave meals Well done all of you who have lost weight you have that essential thing, discipline !
 
Another vote for slimming world. If you are an eater (like me) and love your carbs SW is perfect. I have been a member for 10 years & at my target weight for 8 years. Once you find the eating plan ( its not a diet) that works for you whether it is SW or weight watchers I recommend keeping your membership going as it keeps you focused. Group support is the way to go.
 
HeresHoping said:
Hello, and welcome to my world.

Did you know that menopause can very well be responsible for all those things?

Carbohydrate-laden meals? You may think it's to do with budgets - and it might be - but actually, it's a thing. You know, you're happily thinking 'I'm doing quite well, three days of being good..' and bam! Out of nowehere you need to have something really, really, really sweet. Or something really salty. But usually carbs will have to feature heavily for the day.

Extremely active and still fat? Yup. A thing. I was walking at least 3 miles per day. Cycling 15 miles 4 - 5 days per week and trying really hard to be good over the summer. Total lbs lost in 2 months? 4. And no, it's not muscle.

And being petrified because you are out of breath walking sometimes. Yup. Very much a thing.

Let me tell you a little anecdote that might amuse you. You are not alone. Although I didn't have the unfortunate situation that pushed me in to menopause, for which I am sorry and hope that you are ok now otherwise, I can utterly and totally empathise.

This summer (yup, cycling 60+miles per week up and down N Yorkshire's finest, walking miles every day in pursuit of children on ponies on hacks or just walking ponies) I had to run 150 yards to rescue an equine related situation and found that after 50 my heart was in my mouth, my breaths coming in great gasps and my head was pounding. I reached the horses in distress and their slightly more distressed - on seeing me - owner and almost blacked out. Horses were abandoned as I was helped to somewhere sensible to regain my breath...some 25 minutes later.

Oh.

Then, a few days later, walking up the hill, that little heart pounding thing, slightly breathy thing.

Then walking up the stairs.

Sometimes, just talking.

And on some days, feeling as though you just can't take a satisfying breath.

Don't Google. Especially if you are also an ex-smoker.

I went to the Dr in an absolute panic and she pulled a load of blood to check iron levels, and sent me for a spiro test. Everything normal but she did suggest that my iron levels could be a bit low (even though in the normal range for the results) which would account for the breathlessness, and possibly the carb cravings.

Then I started to get a pain under my shoulder blade. Really, don't Google - it messes with your head and the pain starts to migrate all around your ribcage. Back to the Dr to demand a chest x-ray which I then couldn't actually go and have straight away because I was going to see my Mother in Cornwall so spent a week frozen with fear and of course totally unable to breathe because of the fear. A few days ago I found out that low desks are frequently a culprit of under-shoulder blade pain (along with sleeping with a large labrador stuck between you and your partner), so I hoisted up my computer onto a shoebox on top of my desk and the relief has been unbelievable. :o I am not dying, it seems, although I am right now trying to summon the courage to call up for my chest x-ray results. Anyway, back to you.

In desperation, as you do, I found a great forum - menopausematters.co.uk - where I found a whole load of people with the same symptoms as me. All because of oestrogen spikes or complete loss of oestrogen. The change causes us to put on weight where we probably wouldn't have done previously - around our middles rather than our hips and backsides - which of course will make our hearts work harder, and oestrogen spikes, or the other extreme, lack of it, can affect our lung function and oxygen uptake. So, some days we will feel out of breath, other times we will be able to run (aerobically as opposed to sprinting) without a hitch.

So, the only thing to do is to do address it, I think. I used to do triathlons and things before my children came along. Doing weights as well as the cardio stuff was the quickest way to extreme fitness, but without that sort of goal it is kind of off the motivation radar.

I have discovered HIIT. And www.thebodycoach.co.uk. Your blood sugar diet should tap into that quite well. But if you could afford the £7.99 for the Lean in 15 book, I think it's well worth it. 6-10 minutes of strength building exercises per day, and a focus on proteins and low GI foods seems to be THE answer. If I had £147, I'd join in his 90 day plan. Have a look at the website for some truly motivating result.

I hope this essay has given you a little hope and some fears have been quashed. If you want a motivation partner, I'd be very happy to be on the other end of the line. I need one too. I have 2 stone to lose. And some breath to catch.
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OMG Thank you so much Hereshoping - you have really helped and I have had a look at the menopause matters website and will read more later. I dont want to blame everything on the menopause but in my experience it has been hell on earth - Im going to PM you after work if thats Ok - thank you so much for pointing me in this direction - really apprecite your postxxx
 
Just wanted to say to everyone who has posted these brilliant ideas THANK YOU - I hadn't even thought of half of these and feel a bit silly that I thought 10k steps would cut it when it comes to weight loss when clearly I need to look at other forms of exercise as well. I have a friend who is going to join Slimming world in Jan so will join with her I think BUT I have started now - I am a sod for a glass or two of wine after a hard day at work but have cut that out this week and am reading some books on Blood Sugar/Med as well. I cant tell you how your posts have motivated me to start now and a massive well done to all who have lost weight already - Hope to post on here one day a good result as well - THANK YOU ALL xxx
 
Biglets Mummy said:
OMG Thank you so much Hereshoping - you have really helped and I have had a look at the menopause matters website and will read more later. I dont want to blame everything on the menopause but in my experience it has been hell on earth - Im going to PM you after work if thats Ok - thank you so much for pointing me in this direction - really apprecite your postxxx
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No worries :). PM away. I'll try and check my messages this evening. I haven't quite got to menopause yet, but everything is going haywire and it's horrible. It has been going wrong for the last year or so. My yardy friend says I look haunted. I've been walking around literally petrified so I know how you feel.
 
I'm a bit late to the party. We're quite similar.

I'm 46 and like you had health issues 8 years ago that plunged me into (drug induced) menopause. I'm insulin resistant due to something else too, just for good measure. I got absolutely huge, size 24. Mentioned it to my oncologist and GP for years who both said, "Oh it's the drugs, there's nothing you can do."

Sod that, I thought. I tried lots of things by myself but nothing worked. I kept researching doctors and eventually found a fab endocrinologist who really understands the whole relationship between no oestrogen, insulin and weight gain. He's put me on a ketogenic diet supervised by a dietician. I've lost 16kg (about 2.5 stone) in 7 weeks. (BTW, dietician said I should be aiming for 15k steps a day. Sometimes I don't quite get there but mucking out, lugging feed and grooming seems to make up for that nicely!)

I've had to cut all booze, sugar and starchy carbs. Still get carbs from nutritionally dense sources like fruit and veg. And I feel great. Even though I love my boozes, I don't find myself craving it like I did and the results I'm getting help keep me on track.

There's lots of keto diet resources on the web. Go have a look. Highly recommended.
 
Biglets Mummy said:
Just wanted to say to everyone who has posted these brilliant ideas THANK YOU - I hadn't even thought of half of these and feel a bit silly that I thought 10k steps would cut it when it comes to weight loss when clearly I need to look at other forms of exercise as well. I have a friend who is going to join Slimming world in Jan so will join with her I think BUT I have started now - I am a sod for a glass or two of wine after a hard day at work but have cut that out this week and am reading some books on Blood Sugar/Med as well. I cant tell you how your posts have motivated me to start now and a massive well done to all who have lost weight already - Hope to post on here one day a good result as well - THANK YOU ALL xxx
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For the glass of wine after a day at work - I deliberately cut out any alcohol Monday to Thursday partly to (try to) keep weight down but also through fear of too many bad days at work putting me at risk of an addiction to alcohol. Having certain designated non-drinking days might help cut down on the empty calories of wine etc.
 
I find every good day you have will motivate you to have another and as you see your waistline shrinking it spurs you on - I think middle age for us girls is crunch time to either accept it or lose it and I think you are making a brilliant decision in deciding to lose it. Imagine how fab you will feel getting back on your boy with a trim figure that looks good in your breeches :) maybe put a picture on your fridge of you on a horse at the weight you'd like to return to? Well done - you CAN do this xx
 
I lost 3 stone in about 1 year before my daughter's wedding in August this year. I am 52 and the excess weight crept up over a couple of years and I hated it. I found cutting out sweets and white bread etc very helpful. I drank no calories, I only ate them. (not counting milk in tea and coffee).
I'm 52 and well and truly menopausal, its annoying as hell because weight loss is very hard work once the metabolism slows down. But it can be done, I just had to persevere and not fall off the wagon even though the weight loss was very slow. I swam a couple of times a week in summer and ran (more like shuffled) 3 times a week in winter. I also have a beautiful retired tb who I enjoy hand walking all over the place. But I dont think the hand walking does much for weight loss, but I really enjoy it.
As far as cooking goes I always have a pumpkin soup or vegetable soup available. I cook it on the weekend and have it during the week, plus whatever else I am going to eat. This way I never get too hungry so am not tempted to eat burgers or fried chicken etc on the way home from work.
I cannot tell you how much happier I am now the weight is off. I have maintained it for 3 months now and find I don't need to be as strict as I am no longer trying to lose weight. I still run/shuffle twice a week or swim twice a week and that's enough to keep the muscle tone and I'm not worn out by it. I have never been inside a gym, they just don't appeal to me. I have to be careful to not get exhausted by exercise because then I eat too much to compensate.
Good luck. I thought I couldn't lose it, but I did. If I can do it anyone can. It is so worth the effort!
 
Well done for telling everybody , barely anyone would do that :)
You've got to have some courage for that!

I've always been a fitness freak, which is quite embarrassing.. :o flat stomach and abs, I'm in no way a muscle lady. I found a love for all things healthy, like fruits and vegetables, very healthy low cal meals, get a healthy diet book and all the meals will be very quick and they will get you in the mind frame to want to achieve :) when you want to carry things such as water buckets tense your stomach while you hold them. I'm not the best for advice but I'm sure I can give you a message.
10k steps a day with your dog is a good start, but maybe bright and early in the morning do 2 miles not steps with your dog and run for 10 mins in that. And do the same thing in the evening or the other times you walk your dog. Gradually build up your running time and eventually you won't be out of breath in walk, you'll be able to run almost 2 miles :)
Having blueberries in your diet stimulates weight loss too :)

I'm not the best at advice, but I can happily give you a message with some of my ideas :) good luck and you're doing amazing.
 
I'm doing it the old fashioned way and counting calories. I've had approx 1500 a day . This way I can have anything I fancy as long as I allow for it. I've cut out alcohol for all November as a kick start but can have a glass or two over Xmas if I count it. I'm extremely active average 13 - 18000 steps a day done up to 26000 on occasions!!!! I've lost over 1/2 a stone so far this month . I'm 51 struggled all of my life weight wise and it has stopped me doing many things. Will never be a size 10 I would look awful but a size 12/14 would do me im a size 16 now. I'm here for pm's if you want to too x
 
I'm 50 now and lost over 2 stone the first half of this year. Calorie counting (myfitnesspal) a new fitbit (15k steps minimum) and the weight came off, but I had to be around 1000cals a day as anything more and I did not lose weight. According to the BBC calorie calculator I need around 1400 to maintain weight, a lot less than the 2k people talk about.
 
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