I'm not heavy, but I find it inccreasingly more difficult to keep weight off. I can't eat much without gaining. If I do go up a few lbs. it takes near starvation to lose it, so I try to catch the lbs. when they're only 2-3 and then get them off. It's very hard to do though. I'm 50 and definitely in peri-meno...nearer meno.

Ditto here. I'm quite thin, but can't eat near what I used to be able to. Unfortunately losing weight is pretty basic - consume fewer calories, increase activity if possible...same old boring advice!

My whole adult life I have eaten a very high fiber diet (lots of fruit & veggies & whole grains.) I am firmly convinced this enables me to ALSO be able to consume lots of stuff like cream cheese danishes and cocolate peanut butter icecream...all that fiber speeds food right through your system so it doesn't have time to settle down antwhere. :) Thaty's my theory anyhow.
Oh - and I absolutely refuse to buy food advertised as low-fat, sugar-reduced, "lite," or low calorie. I think food like that is evil and makes people gain weight.

And I have four dogs & walk them a lot!

> Oh - and I absolutely refuse to buy food advertised as low-fat,
> sugar-reduced, 'lite,' or low calorie. I think food like that is evil
> and makes people gain weight.
>
> And I have four dogs & walk them a lot!

i'm working on increasing the walking bit. unfortunately my dad's family has always been heavy to obese so i am battling the urge to consume ice cream as well as the genetics to keep that ice cream with me forever! =)

but like youi dislike the current fad of low calorie/fat free crap on the market now a days. i tried the miracle of nutrasweet when it first came on the market a decade or so ago and ended up with blinding headaches - the weight lost wasn't worth it! not only that but when i stop eating and drinking foods with nutrasweet i gained back every pound plus some others wandering around lost. yuk!

figured it is better to change my idea of portions and when i eat than try to eat stuff i don't like.

thanks! ann

I am 50 and also in Peri. In the past yr I've learned that Exercise and keeping yourself active has a lot to do with weight gain. I'm not a big believer in strict diets but do believe in portion control. That way I'm never deprived of my favorite foods. Drinking lots of water helps. Stay away from carbonated beverages. They make you retain water weight. Eating smartly and keeping yourself on a regular exercise routine; walking, biking, working out to videos are a great place to start. It's worked for me. I'm back into the clothes I couldn't wear a year ago...Good Luck

I know this is probably not going to get a lot of support from the anti-drug bunch, of which I am a part time member. I had put on some weight in the past year or so and I quit smoking in July and had my ovaries removed in August. Two weeks ago my doctor put me on welbuterin(not sure about the spelling) when I talked to him about my weight and the trouble I am having getting it off. I know that it is an anti-depressant not a weight loss miracle drug but he said weight loss is a side effect. I thought what the heck I can try it. I am liking the results. I do not feel drugged or sluggish or speeded up at all but have lost about 3-5 lbs. in the last 2 weeks. Good luck.

"i can lose my keys, my cell phone, my tv remote, even my mind but not a pound. sigh."

Meant to say earlier, that's a really funny line, true too!!
Good luck with weight loss...it is definitely tougher to lose or just keep off as we get older. Yuck, ptooie.

No question about it - as one gets older it is harder to lose weight. I am 66 years old, quit smoking 6 years ago, gained 10 pounds and was never able to lose it until I started exercising "in the zone," which is 70-80% of your maximum heart rate. It really works. I got Bob Greene's (Oprah's trainer) first book and followed his recommendations.

Exercising rigorously was the only way Oprah could lose weight and she's kept it off.

Of course since I'm retired and the fitness center is within walking distance, it's relatively easy for me to exercise. I can see how it would be a problem for working women, although some manage to do it. Bob Greene recommends exercising in the morning because it speeds up one's metabolism which is what helps to lose the weight.

I sort of suspect that the "common knowledge" that weight loss gets harder with age may actually interfere with people losing weight. I'm 47 and lost 30 lbs on Weight Watchers last year. It was not a struggle--during the times I wasn't losing I wasn't really sticking with the program.

Yep, I've had hot flashes and the four-week/three-week/three-week/six-week cycle thing going and I'd lose my head if it wasn't attached. But I was able to lose weight without any draconian fad dieting or obsessive exercising.

I was on weight watchers a couple years ago and gave up. I followed it strictly and didn't loose a thing. I became very frustrated.

I went on a diet called prism and it helped a bunch. I need to get going on it again,as I have gained back and shouldn't have stopped.

Basically it was no white flour and no sugar, low fat and no more than 1200 calories. I felt wonderful and it worked for me when the others didn't. Sometimes I think you have to find what works for your body.

I saw Oprah on something yesterday and she said she lost by eliminating white flour and sugar. It sure worked for her!

I am on thyroid medication. If you haven't had that checked you might want to consider that too.

I'm in prism. Sounds a lot like prison and sometimes it feels like it. I don't need the tapes, the videos or any of the rest of it. I am a diet veteran and there isn't too much about food I don't know BUT I do need the group support - especially having someone to report to so I am doing a program anyway. I hadn't done portion control in a long while so it was good for me to remind myself just how big a 3 oz. piece of meat is anyway. There has been less spiritual content than I would have liked, but I made up my own "resolution" because the Prizm resolution is ungrammatical and that drives me nuts. What I remind myself daily is that I am not in this alone. If I ask for grace it will be given to me. In fact, I don't have to ask. I am just expecting grace. This time I won't be white-knuckling the whole thing. Isn't this what they say in AA? Let go and let God.

Hi folks -
At 44 years old I have topped the 200 pound mark. In fact I'm dangerously close to 300. My peri-meno symptoms have come and gone for over 10 years. Yeah I know, they told me I was 'too young for any such thing'. Well explain that to my poor son when he was the only one around during my uncontrollable fits of 'mood for no good reason'. Anyway, I have had poor metabolism all of my life. The one thing that seemed to work was a 1500 calorie 'diabetic diet' I got through a HMO I was with for a short while. It at least worked to some degree for me when nothing else before or since has. The weight came off S-L-O-W-L-Y, but it did come off. Then I had a change in living accomodations and life style. That ended my ability to keep only the foods in the house that went with this diet. I was cooking in several shifts for all the coming and going people in the house - two kids in school on different schedules, myself and my spouse on different shifts for work and a home-bound father-in-law that wouldn't eat unless someone sat down with him to dine. Now the kids are gone and my father-in-law has since passed on leaving only the two of us. There are still food differences to deal with but once I ''find that diet'' again I will definately be going back on it. You may try talking to your doctor or a nutritionist (that's where I got mine) at your local hospital, medical center, nursing home, or where ever you can find one about this. It was an 'exchange' type diet with choices and variety. I was able to still snack on ice cream in moderation (my person big weakness) and still loose weight because I exchanged that fat content with something else that I did without instead - like salad dressings and butter/margerine products. There was plenty to eat and I never went hungry - I only had those relentless cravings which have gotten worse with age (I blame them on the peri-meno thing too). Exercise is very important. Unfortunately for me it is not ever going to come close to being enough. I get LOTS of exercise and it does nothing to even keep 'additional' pounds away, let alone bannish any that are already hanging around. I too said I would get serious when I go to 200 pounds. I'm fairly tall and large framed (HONESTLY!) and at 200 pounds I wouldn't be too bad. Well it's long gone now. I'm getting older and more than a little concerned. I have some health problems - Orthopedic and Pulmonary. This effects my exercise limits even more. Hind site, I should never have let things get this far out of hand.

Just my '2 cents'.

Stardust

Like others here I used Weight Watchers and can say 'it works'! I didn't go to weekly meetings but I did journal via the computer every day and checked in on the WWs website and forums. If you don't journal, it won't work!
Through WWs I discovered I ate out of boredom, not hunger.
I'm 57 and haven't used HRT in over 16 years.

Ponderinstuff.....I have a friend who is on thyroid meds and she has a heck of a time losing weight. When her weight starts going 'out of control' she knows her meds need to be checked.

Txseahag-
What is your dosage of Wellbutrin?
Thanks, Mary

Hi Annz, I've managed to loose 10 pounds! not a big accomplishment for 3 months but at least I'm going backward.

I did have my thyroid checked and it was borderline so she bumped it up a little and it did help. I have still found that I loose best when I eliminate the white stuff and sugars. Maybe it's just my metabolism, but that is what works for me. Evidently a book called sugar busters says it is the best for meno women trying to loose, that's what some people on another forum said. I haven't read it.

I just found out my estrogen is low, so I'm not sure how all that is effecting this.

I was getting really slow and sluggish, with resulting weight gain over the last two years. I started getting hot flashes several months ago, and in desperation started taking LOTS of soy products. Not only did the hot flashes go away, but I felt twice as energetic, and weight loss is much easier now. I am 48 and my gyn tells me my bloodwork indicates I am menopausal, havent had a period in three or four months now. I have a soy protein powder supplement(spiru-tein brand) mixed in soy milk for breakfast, and a soy protein bar (I like the Zone diet ones the best) for lunch. If I need a snack, I eat a small handfull of roasted soy nuts. I have lost forty pounds since October, and the last ten were impossible to budge until I started the soy supplements.

Wow, this is really old... but Davissue if you are still there, are you still eating soy products?

Is the soy related to hormone balance which affects our ability to lose weight?

I'm starting to think that the more I try the harder it gets. A few years ago I lost weight without even trying just by taking 2 15-minute walks every day and eliminating the afternoon cookie I had with lunch. That was it. I lost 20 pounds without any effort. What a difference a few years makes (not LOL).

Jen

I'm 52 (almost 53) and when I was approaching 50, I started getting the "poonch" - about 15 lbs. of it. Although not extremely overweight, I joined WW recently. My first weigh in, I lost 1.5 pounds. I'm on the Core program, eating what I want until I satisfy my hunger. I've noticed that since I'm not eating sugar profusely (donuts, cookies, candy), like I was, I've got more energy. It definitely is harder to lose weight the older one gets :(

I am 41, in peri according to my doc, have a host of health issues, but I got a better asthma drug and went back to jogging... up to two miles a day...STILL having weight issues! I am not fat,just maybe 10lbs overweight, but I am having my period in just under 3 weeks and spending 2 of those weeks PMSing from hell. Two years ago, 2 miles a day wouldn't have quite been the struggle it is now, and I would have dropped weight like a stone... I would really like to scream... I never had to diet in my life...being a runner and all...but now, apparently, I will be the fattest runner out there.

When I turned 40, the weight started increasing rapidly. I NEVER had a weight problem before, not even after having 3 children. When I was 41, I joined Weight Watchers and learned about portion control, and I started exercising for 30 minutes a day, 6-7 days a week. It has taken all of that to bring me back to my original weight when I was younger. I have accepted the fact that I will always have to watch what I eat and exercise faithfully if I want to stay slim. I suspect it will get even harder as I approach 50!

I've found that carbs really keep the weight on me, and that I do much better without them. The problem is........they're soooooooo good!
I was also on Wellbutrin for awhile, and put on alot of weight, even though it was supposed to be one of the only anti-depressants that would take weight off.
I'm 55, and I've also discovered that I can feel alot heavier, even when I haven't gained weight.....because all the fat has shifted around to the middle. I guess that's the "Buddha Belly" I heard about!

CatherineT -- You're soooooo right about carbs being soooooooo good! They are my downfall. I've considered trying a lo-carb plan for a while (South Beach) but I am reluctant because it became such a fad. I know some people who went from eating a steady stream of refined sugars (sweets, white bread, etc.) all day long to avoiding almost every carb including whole grain breads and fruits which contain fiber and minerals and vitamins. That's throwing out the baby with the bathwater! Sure, they lost a lot of weight fast without needing to exercise, but they could have accomplished the same goal by cutting out the refined sugars only which is a lot more sensible and healthy. Eliminating healthy foods just because it has any carbs at all is not healthy eating if the only goal is to lose weight. Anyway... didn't mean to get on my soapbox about that, I'm just explaining why I shy away from any lo-carb "diet". I'd rather eat lower carb, eliminating the sweet snacks and desserts while also getting daily exercise. But, they're soooooooooooo good! 8-)

moderation is key in everything... moderation... if you just eat right, you shouldn't be too overweight...

Ah, Heathen1, you are so right. The catch, however, is "IF you eat right". That is what I had to learn last year when I lost over 15 lbs. Portion control is critical, too. And, of course, exercise!