I’m 57, 5’ 6” always been trim around 10 stone tops. But since menopause it feels like I have no control over my weight gain and zero ability to lose any! I’m now 13 stone and so miserable. I did C25K through lockdown and I worked at our hospital too (I’m a retired nurse) so no snacking . I’m off booze (!!!), off bread and sugar but the weight is still creeping up. I had success with keto and lost half a stone in 2 weeks but I just didn’t feel well on the diet. Anyone else my age with these issues, I’m sure hormones are something to do with it but I REFUSE to give in!! 👹
Thanks guys !
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Janey1974
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Hello and welcome to the Weigh Loss Forum Janey1974
You are absolutely right about hormones being responsible, but there is a solution, have a read of this and see why good hormonal balance is so important healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
Keto is a difficult choice, but many of our members have great success with reduced carbohydrate, moderate fat diet, see the LCHF forum here
If you haven’t already then please read the Welcome Message in Pinned Posts here healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... Please read it carefully so you can find all the information you need to find your way around the forum.
As a peer to peer support group we rely totally upon mutual encouragement. Nothing beats joining in, reading posts and replying to others. Our Group Weigh-in and the Daily Diary are probably the best places to start
If you haven't already taken it, here's a tour of the forum
I am the same height and age as you, and in October I weighed 3kg more than you do. I was active (though in a sedentary profession). I exercised every day, at a minimum and hour walk, and could cycle 100km with confidence. I was also obese. Now I weigh (google google) 10st 3lb,and can cycle 100km after having had nothing but black coffee and water in the last 20 hours.
I have been doing intermittent fasting and low carb, high fat. I may or may not have been keto, as I haven't measured ketones and I have never had keto breath. But I did have keto flu. It was miserable. I felt low energy, tired, headaches, insomnia. It lasted well over 2 weeks. I am guessing 4.
Can you try keto again, and try to power through the 'flu? I think it' s your body adapting to a different fuel source, but the internet thinks it's about missing electrolytes. Probably a combination. If you do it, look at upping your electrolytes as well as plenty of veggies.
Yeah, it's harder with such a demanding job. Can you feel blah for a month, and do what you need to do?
Interesting that it’s keto that is the most effective for you and I am so happy for you to have lost that weight ! It must feel GREAT to literally not be ‘weighed down’ by it and I want that feeling so badly.
Intermittent fasting also works for me , I like not having to think about food etc and to give my system a rest. No problem sticking to it 👍🏼
I can tolerate feeling ‘blah’ for a month absolutely! Particularly if it’s for a purpose and the end goal is important to me. I guess it’s all about timing and with lockdown easing my shifts are also reduced... time for ME!!
Really appreciate your interest and support . Did you use any apps for keto? Or books maybe? There’s so much out there now it’s hard to know what’s effective.
I came at it via Fast800, which I followed for the first month. It was a good introduction, and kicked me off to with an nice one & a bit stone loss in the first month. I used a calorie counting app to count my carbs until I got the hang of things. And I have used this site (here, and the LCHF and fasting areas) for support.
I have resorted to proper fasting a few times to push me past weight plateaus, and that will be a tool I will use to keep my weight in check in the future.
I’m same going through menopause and struggling with weight and sleep. I’m 55yrs of age and have tried every kind of diet. I am also a nurse and have started a new job in April at height of lockdown. Xx
Hi I'm 57,5ft 2 and 13stone having the same issues. I've just finished couch to 5k also. My body shape changed slightly but my weight has stayed the same. I've no idea what to do so I've joined this group hopefully to ty and find some solutions
I hope you'll follow all the links that IndigoBlue61 has given Janey1974 and this one fatismyfriend.co.uk/ and will also become an active member of our community.
Hi Giner, yeah with the running I noticed slimmer legs, maybe hips but still that tummy and extra layer of covering that added up to EXACTLY the same weight after the programme as before! So so frustrating ... and my fam all getting bored with me droning on about it.
I felt the same as you - 56 and since menopause weight going up and up and getting frustrated. Joined here last week, started calorie counting, and realised my portion control was way off, and was eating a lot more calories than I realised. I've lost 3.5lb in my first week and hope I can keep up with it.
Have been reading up on here, and it seems the low carb is the favoured option, but I will try sticking to calorie counting for now, as I love my potatoes and rice.
Hi Blind Side, you’re right about portion control and I am def guilty of ignoring that. I’ve tried using a smaller plate and that makes you eat less straight away. 3.5 lbs is brilliant, well done 🤩
Same here Janey - I was 8 stone and now almost 12. Aged 52 and probably peri-
Meal replacement shakes have worked for me in the past and I intermittent fast anyway - everything seems to work just once. Before going back up. I am aware of the Australian study that suggests metabolic rate plummets after a 2 week calorie restriction - so no diet should be longer than 2 weeks. I am very fit too. Walking, cycling and running, I lost weight after adding some weight training a few years ago. But it always comes back. I am disheartened with all the messages here as it seems it will be worse in a couple of years or so.
I have had my Resting metabolic rate measured at a university physiology unit as I suspected something was up. It is 778 calories per day!! v low metabolism and they told me it is genetic. I can up my intake if I exercise a lot I suppose but then again that would mean not much more than 1000 calories per day! Also used to love my food.. all of it, fat, carbs, healthy - was vegetarian for years too (difficult to be low carb with that one)
I hope you'll follow all the links that have been provided for Janey1974 and will also become an active member of our community. I'll add another into the mix healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh...
And good luck to you Saladshopper! The science helps, i hadn’t thought of checking my metabolic rate but it makes sense. Honestly I’m going to ANYTHING to stop the creeping scales y’know? 😆
It sounds like you’ve been working really hard and that despite the lack of weight loss, am sure that your health has benefitted! I too have been doing the couch potatoe to 5k in my garden during lockdown, whilst shielding.
I’m currently going through the perimenapause and was similarly struggling with mood and weight. Following a consultation with a nutritionist, I changed my diet to include significantly more protein than I was eating. This has resulted in feeling more satiated, less moody, tearful and weight loss! Also, had blood tests at GP and vitamin D levels were non-existent, so taking daily vitamin D and feel much better.
You'll find all the information you need about the forum in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... including a Welcome message, the Daily Diary and the current weigh in: a good place to start is by joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Take your time exploring. This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊
PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone
Hi Tallulah, It’s so good you went to your GP, sometimes it’s an obvious deficiency that is easily resolved. I too am trying to eat more protein but it’s actually quite difficult to eat the recommended amount and I don’t like the shakes at all. So much trial and error involved . Good luck with the nutritionist, I think I’ll try and find a good one too 👍🏼
I was in the same boat until I started to drink more water and do intermediate fasting. I've lost 25 lbs so far and still going.
WOW!! I’m def going back to intermittent fasting , it makes sense and stops me thinking about food ALL the time . 25lbs is fantastic, you must feel great!
Hi - I'm 5'6" and 56 years young! My weight has crept up over the years but my stable weight has been 14 stone 4lb and a curvy size 16 - I can get away with this due to my shape but am always trying to reduce it - I got down to just under 13 stone 3 years ago and was a size 14 and felt great but then went back up to 14 stone 4lb again. Since lockdown I've put on 6lbs and feel huge - I have an extra bottom sitting on top of the existing one! Even though I had a few stone to lose before this new gain, I felt OK about it. Now, I cannot seem to lose the weight - I eat relatively healthily, walk around 6,000 steps a day, do Yoga & Pilates stretches daily and try to be good with a little naughtiness, I like a glass of Prosecco. I don't think that I eat enough to be the weight I am - so yes, I think it's got to be down to hormones!
Yes, it definitely comes down to hormones. Insulin, leptin and grehlin are the important ones and they are usually pretty messed up as the decades go by.
Here's a straightforward guide to eating well phcuk.org/wp-content/upload... If you use that as the basis of your shopping and cooking, you shouldn't go far wrong
You'll find all the information you need about the forum in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... including a Welcome message, the Daily Diary and the current weigh in: a good place to start is by joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Take your time exploring. This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊
PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone
Thank you so much, this is a real eye-opener - I've saved these documents and will have a proper deep-dive into insulin spikes with foods, hopefully this will be the answer for me.
Hi Worcsgal, I too am curvy, which means the weight distribution is sometimes deceiving to the scales! I’m a midwife and know how hormones change women’s bodies ... but at our age they change a lot more too. I’m going to read all the useful links on here and see how best to regulate my hormones and hopefully get some weight off . Glass of Prosecco sounds fab! Good luck 🌸
Janey ..your post could have been written by me ! I exactly the same as you . Height (an inch shorter ) but the weight ..always around 10stone. I am now 13.6 !!! And I am so depressed I can’t even tell you. I do everything in my power. I walk. I fly round the house like a loony doing jobs. I eat clean. I eat fruit. Don’t eat bread. I ditched the booze ages ago. I lost the taste for it. I totally get everything you are saying.
So I wish you well hun. And I’ll read the reply’s with interest . X
I recommend heading over to the Daily Diary and sharing your meal plans there, so you can get some useful feedback. Here's a straightforward guide to eating well phcuk.org/wp-content/upload...
You'll find all the information you need about the forum in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... including a Welcome message, the Daily Diary and the current weigh in: a good place to start is by joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Take your time exploring. This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊
PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone
Hi Buttons.. we are deffo the same person ! 😆 Isn’t it driving you mad tho, all the effort and zero return. There’s got to be a better way and I’m determined to find it! I could t believe the scale when I saw 13 stone 😪
Sorry for late reply Janey . I’ve just found out that my cholesterol is very high. (I eat clean and fresh, don’t drink or smoke btw). Probs hereditary (I was orphaned hence the ‘prob’ ) and also my Blood pressure is high. So got Blood pressure tablets too. So, I’m hoping 🙏🏻that the meds will help and therefore have a better impact on my ability to loose weight. Isn’t it great . Alongside the wonderful menopause too 🤷🏼♀️🙈!!
Why not join in with forum activities? The support and information sharing are second to none. I recommend joining a weekly weigh in and using the Daily Diary. You'll find them in Pinned Posts
Hi Janey, yes I'm just like you, did keto and lost 17lbs in one month, fabulous result but can't seem to loose any more. Had a little trouble staying on track. I still need to loose 2 stones. I like the plans so I'm going to try starting exercise, have a bad back, nurse!, so have to take it gentle. It does seem like every time I eat a cake I put on a lb, this menopause isn't easy.
Not many members stay at the keto level of low carb eating. Most use that for an initial 2 or 3 weeks, then gradually move to a more relaxed low carb level.
You'll find all the information you need about the forum in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... including a Welcome message, the Daily Diary and the current weigh in: a good place to start is by joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Take your time exploring. This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊
PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone
Lack of effective exercise during lockdown is what I put mine down to! Being shielded, I haven't been out and have to stay in till Mid August!
Too much good food and no appreciable moving has helped me gain a stone since lockdown started, I get out in the garden as much as possible, but Here in Wales it can be a bit of a lottery, the weather is changeable, basically, wait 15 minutes and you can be in another season!
I am with you in that it is a struggle. Having had an early menopause my weight has crept up. I am back to the dieting but I do know for me the only thing is calorie counting. It works!
Before I eat that biscuit I realise I have to run 2.5k to burn the calories. I had no idea how many calories I was eating until I started measuring my food. I was horrified.
Try to write down everything you eat, have treats and don’t deny yourself anything. If you have a glass of wine/slice of thick toast laden with butter one day don’t beat yourself up. The following day just reduce your calories.
I need to lose another 14lb and I can do it, I hope 😃
You'll find all the information you need about the forum in our Pinned Posts healthunlocked.com/nhsweigh... including a Welcome message, the Daily Diary and the current weigh in: a good place to start is by joining a weekly weigh in on the day of your choice, and using the Daily Diary, where members share their meal plans.
Take your time exploring. This gives you a tour of the forum healthunlocked.com/?tour=true and, along with Pinned Posts, will show you how things work. I hope you'll become an active member and we will see you joining in around the forum 😊
PS the app doesn’t give access to all parts of the forum so we advise everyone to get rid of the app and log on to the full website using the browser on their phone
I just wanted to share my story with you hoping it will give you some comfort. Last June I went to the drs can’t remember why now but during my visit they did the whole weight and girth measurements- safe to say I felt totally ashamed, at 52 I was going through the menopause and like you was on my feet all day as a nurse in a vets. I would snack on the copious amounts of food clients brought in telling myself after the rubbish day I was having and for how busy I was I deserved it.
Well I didn’t! And I actually dread to think how many uncounted calories were going into my body. From the day I walked out of the drs once I had discovered my weight I decided enough was enough at 5’2” I was 14 stone 3 !!! Wearing a size 18 uniform and barely able to get out of bed in the morning with the pain in my swollen feet ! I have had one partial knee replacement and am waiting for another so all round I was a mess!
I downloaded the “my fitness pal” app finding myself wanting to eat whatever I wanted not wanting a faddy diet but more a change in lifestyle to start with my menopausal brain hated it and was super angry with everyone and everything but... it soon learnt that it was t getting it’s usual fix !
Just over a year later I’m 9stone 9 and a size 10 - there were sometimes weeks when the scales didn’t move at all despite me sticking ridgidly to the programme but I was still determined- so janey I felt how you feel but trust me there is light at the end of the tunnel - menopause has a lot to answer for, interestingly since I’ve lost the weight lots of the menopause symptoms have abated ? - still got sore knees, but that a different story Janey you’ve got this - hope my story helps
Well, Janey1974 , you've started something here! Seven newbies have replied, with similar concerns: Celia63 , Buttons10 , Worcsgal , Talullah1 , Saladshopper , TotalNewbie1 and Giner , as well as other forum members.
You could be a great support for each other during your time here, so why not head for the weigh in tomorrow morning, and join in with the Daily Diary when you have planned your meals for the weekend.
Hi. Bit older than you I think, but I too had put on weight through the menopause particularly around me midriff. Started Dr Michael Mosley's Fast 800 plan in February and I am now 2.5 stone lighter. Never been in to counting calories but check things out easily on my phone, planned my food each week and just gave it a go! I also began Couch to 5K and can now run for 30 min without stopping having gone from being unable to run for 1 minute 12 weeks ago.
This isn't supposed to be a smug post, but if I get COVID I wanted to give myself the best chance of getting through it by losing weight and breathing a bit better.
I really wish you well. I promise you if I can do it you really can! Good luck.
It’s really comforting to read a number of posts talking about the same issues that I am experiencing. I too am 5ft 6 am 55 years and struggling to lose 25lbs of excess - mainly tummy weight! I am fairly fit doing a run most days as well as Pilates and cycling frequently at weekends but still struggling. Lockdown has been difficult as I know it has for many many people as snacking seems to be a way of filling my day - not good! Carbs are also a comfort when the day is full of stresses - again not good.
Like everyone is saying here, I just need to bite the bullet, expect to feel a bit ‘blah’ at times but crucially stick with it. I am sure I am not alone when I say I can be an exemplary dieter for 4/5 days at a time!!
I would love to post my success story on this forum of my 25lbs of weight loss - so I will keep on keeping on!
You are definitely not alone and yes it is harder as we get to "a certain age".. My story was similar to yours, early fifties 2st weightgain . Managed to lose it in my 60s and kept it off for the past 6 years. It isnt easy but it can be done. Read as much info as you can on this site, try the best route for you ( calorie counting or low carb whichever suits you best) . Good luck and stay connected cuz it's the support that helps.
Hi. I'm 50 . 5 foot 7.and I'm doing low carbs cut right down to 25grams carbs.. And I got bad stomach.. light headed and diarrhoea . Its my second week now. Bought keto sticks. Said I was in ketosis within 2 days and I lost 4 lbs first week. And this week lost 5pounds. But i don't feel right. This is my first post.
Hey! I totally understand your concern. I went through a lot of diet related issues for a long time as well. If you're keen on trying something vegan and which uses herbs, research more on the Ayurveda diet and lifestyle. It is a holistic approach to balancing your body and mind. Hope you figure out a solution for your body type. Let me know if you need any more info regarding Ayurvedic approach.
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Fed up 😭
Fed up!
Fat & fed up! 
Fed up with over eating !😒
