Perimenopausal, obese and frustrated

[Anonymous]

I read somewhere that women gain an average of 5 pounds during the time around menopause. I am 50 and I have gained 40 pounds over the last 7 years. I also started an SSRI at that time. Before that, I was effortlessly thin.lot and maintain a healthy weight. I am trying to change and I have been eating well and exercising for about a month and I have lost no weight. But, my joints are killing me. I am so upset about this. I don’t know what to do.

[Anonymous]

I’m the same. 50, perimenopause. Gained 17lbs since covid. Can’t lose. And just keep gaining.

[Anonymous]

You might want to track your calories. Even if you just do it for a little while to get a sense of whether you’re eating too many calories. There’s lots of apps that can help you do this. Even if you’re eating really healthy, it can still be too much.

[Anonymous]

I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

I am interested in Wegovy but I am afraid that I would be on it forever or I would gain the weight back.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

I am interested in Wegovy but I am afraid that I would be on it forever or I would gain the weight back.

Yep, that's how it works! Like anything else, it only works wheb you do it.

Honestly I'd love to be on it indefinitely, just like you might be on an SSRI indefinitely. I hope that becomes more typical. My doc says right now people mostly go off and then back on.
- DP

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

I am interested in Wegovy but I am afraid that I would be on it forever or I would gain the weight back.

Why be afraid of that? I’m not afraid I’ll use my glasses or my allergy medicine forever. Though to be honest, I never took the highest dose and take .5 (the 2nd smallest dose, of 5 possible doses) every 2 weeks. I’m fine if I take that for a long time

[Anonymous]

It's the SSRI.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's the SSRI.

This and getting off of it may not make you drop the weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

I am interested in Wegovy but I am afraid that I would be on it forever or I would gain the weight back.

Why be afraid of that? I’m not afraid I’ll use my glasses or my allergy medicine forever. Though to be honest, I never took the highest dose and take .5 (the 2nd smallest dose, of 5 possible doses) every 2 weeks. I’m fine if I take that for a long time

Exactly. I’m on Mounjaro and have no plans to stop. Down the line it may be a different med or different schedule but I’m cool with being on something for the rest of my life.

I lived 40+ years without it and struggled most of my life with weight. Don’t want to keep struggling

[Anonymous]

Weight loss drugs work. Only thing that worked for me. Many people stay on them forever. If you develop diabetes due to your size later on you will also need to be on drugs forever. So why not just be thin on this rather than that second scenario?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I gained about 25 in 4 years in my mid 40s and probably would be like you and gained 40 pounds eventually. I take Wegovy and truly think it should be part of the conversation for menopause. It’s only now that I realize how much my hormones were affecting appetite and cravings.

I am interested in Wegovy but I am afraid that I would be on it forever or I would gain the weight back.

Who cares?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Weight loss drugs work. Only thing that worked for me. Many people stay on them forever. If you develop diabetes due to your size later on you will also need to be on drugs forever. So why not just be thin on this rather than that second scenario?

I'm also taking it, and I get the point about being on other meds forever, so why not this one. The difference here is that it's not tested for lifelong use. I'd be happy to take it forever, and I sort of feel like what it is doing is simply leveling my hormone levels or sugar levels to where they are supposed to be--which suggests that it's better to be on it than not on it. But it makes me nervous that it is so new and we've not seen a generation take it 'forever.'

[Anonymous]

Weight loss drugs work. Only thing that worked for me.

But don't they help because they suppress your appetite? I'm not OP, but am literally eating 1300 calories a day, tracking carefully, and not losing any weight. I can't imagine eating a lot less than that, not because I can't control being hungry, but because food is necessary for nutrition.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Weight loss drugs work. Only thing that worked for me. Many people stay on them forever. If you develop diabetes due to your size later on you will also need to be on drugs forever. So why not just be thin on this rather than that second scenario?

I'm also taking it, and I get the point about being on other meds forever, so why not this one. The difference here is that it's not tested for lifelong use. I'd be happy to take it forever, and I sort of feel like what it is doing is simply leveling my hormone levels or sugar levels to where they are supposed to be--which suggests that it's better to be on it than not on it. But it makes me nervous that it is so new and we've not seen a generation take it 'forever.'

The first statin approved in the US was approved only 35 years ago but no one is making this argument about statin use - which is effectively a lifetime drug.