Would love to hear from post menopausal weight loss successes.
Answers
-
I am mid 60's. Menopause, meds and simply lacking the energy to make good food choices led to me reach 265 lbs in Jan 2021. In March 2021, I was told I was pre-diabetic, and that lit a fire under my a**
I returned to a food management plan I had learned during a program with a hospital weight management clinic. It was a diabetic-based plan and I had lots of success, getting down to 192 by Christmas.
I did really well for about 8 months. Then, we renovated most of our house over the course of about a year, including the bathroom and kitchen at the same time (not something I recommend for the faint-hearted). We live in the boonies, so we had to eat easy, microwaveable food for about 6 months because no delivery or take-out within a reasonable distance. We had prepped and frozen a heap of stuff, but I overestimated what I was burning working on our renos and gained 30 lbs back over time.
I have always been a starchy carb and sweet hound; my spouse and I both love to cook and bake. I got back up to over 220. Did I mention I'm only 5'4"
I started using Cronometer in the fall and lost some weight before the holidays, and of course gained most of it back. But I figured this would happen, which is why I started before. I began anew in January and was losing about a half-pound a week. This spring, I developed a digestive issue that severely limited how much I could eat at once, and what I could eat. I became a near-vegetarian pretty much overnight.
The benefit of the health issue was that I really wasn't hungry, and all of a sudden I was struggling to eat all the calories I was supposed to. I learned about protein powder and smoothies. I haven't eaten any baked goods or bread even in 3 months. I allow myself a meal of pasta, or sushi once a week: brown rice sushi (home-made), wholegrain pasta.
I eat backwards: a high-protein smoothie with one veg and 2-3 fruit servings, soy milk (unsweetened/unflavoured) is breakfast. Lunch is more 'normal': a protein (chicken, fish, cottage cheese, one whole egg with 2-3 whites, shrimp. I've had lean steak twice. Oatmeal for supper. Breakfast is all at once, but I spread everything else out over the day, eating a little every two hours; I have to set recurrent alarms on my watch, otherwise I forget to eat.
This is a complete turn-around for me. My spouse stills eats her normal often unhealthy stuff, but she can afford to. I am no longer interested by what she eats. My health is my priority now.
I have lost 35 pounds, most of that since March. I make sure to average at least 7K steps a day and get my 25 minutes of exercise daily as well. My arthritis is better, I'm sleeping better.
I was taking two blood pressure medications and one statin, plus another med for my stomach. I am down to one blood pressure med, at half the dose I was taking. My cholesterol numbers have significantly improved such that follow-up bloodwork in October may very well mean I get to stop the statin as well.
I even started a 4/3 fasting pattern a week ago to test it out for three weeks and compare if I lose more weight than by just limiting my calorie intake every day.
I will be having a major surgery to address my problem. I do not yet know when that will be. I am trying to lose as much as I can, healthily, before then. I am taking the approach that I am 'in training' for surgery.
Once surgery is done, I plan on continuing to a healthy, reasonable goal weight. I'm not trying to return to some 'ideal weight'. I plan on continuing to eat well and exercise, avoiding high-carb/sugar/processed foods for the rest of my life; my spouse is completely supportive. I am looking forward to once again being able to drink non-alcoholic white wine. I DO miss THAT.
Until my problem was diagnosed, gallbladder cancer was what was suspected. This is the third time in my life my treating physician (three different ones) has suspected I had cancer, and I have dodged the bullet.
I feel I should do what I can to try to avoid a fourth time because I figure a person can only be so lucky.
-
@zachiedoo As I read your post I thought of two resources that you might find beneficial. Mindy Pelz specializes in women's health and offers lots of information on menopause. She has written two books Fast like a girl and Eat like a girl. You can find her presentations on You Tube. I listened to her yesterday on Diary of a CEO....lots of information and suggestions that you might find helpful. I have incorporated a lot of her knowledge into my own protocol. You might be able to find her books at the library.
The second resource is Chris Wark. He was diagnosed with stage three cancer and his diagnosis was grim. He was recommended several sessions of chemo after surgery and decided to take matters into his own hands. He beat the cancer. He now works with cancer patients and has a program called Square One. I am happy to share with you that he is now presenting this program for free on the internet. There are 10 sessions and I just watched the second. I signed up for the free sessions online. I think you will find his presentations informational and encouraging given your current situation.
I respect your dedication and it appears that you are making progress with your new found determination. It is the consistent action that makes the difference and you are on your way. I hope that you check out these resources ...and you can take advantage of Chris offering his program for free.
All the best...you are a warrior and I hope that you find some information that resonates with you and is beneficial. Much success and health as you tread these waters.
-
Thanks for the positive input; I will check out the resources you mentioned.
