Menopause weight redistribution

Anonymous
Why does lifting versus cardio make a difference? Thanks.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Now's the time to make lifestyle changes, now more than ever or it will only get harder. This type of weight gain is the worst kind and the most dangerous for your heart especially. I know you said you eat healthy and work out but that's all relative. My guess is both of those areas can be improved upon. You're going to need to increase protein intake, decrease your intake of processed foods to nearly zero if at all possible. Decrease alcohol consumption, as much as possible. Stop eating after 6pm, no more snacking. Don't eat again until 10am if possible. Snacking messes with your insulin levels which leads to weight gain around your middle, and eating late disrupts your sleep which also leads to weight gain. Lastly start lifting weights 3x's a week. Not those little 5lb dumbbells either. I mean lift heavy. There's a lot of discussion on this topic in this forum already, recently too.


You are dangerously wrong. Your whole post screams of a serious disorder.


I actually think this is great advice.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You can weigh less than you did pre-menopause, and you are STILL going to have more mass in your middle and less on other parts that used to have more muscle. That is a fact.

Your weight distribution is going to change as you age. Gravity is also at play. You can still be active, and eat less to keep from getting pudgy. I can't eat as freely as I used to. I weigh about 3 lbs less than I did when I was 40. But, I still can't comfortably wear the same pants that I wore at 40. That's super annoying. But, it's not a reason to give up.

Changes are going to happen. You can still make the best out of the biological changes and be your best physical self... which is not going to be the same as you were when you were 35. But, be the best 55 you can be.



I'm 48 and I've weighed 123 pounds since high school (except for one pregnancy). I just had to buy a size 6 in pants after wearing a 4 for my entire adult life and it's from the weight moving to my middle.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Why does lifting versus cardio make a difference? Thanks.


You will increase the amount of calories you need daily, more than with cardio.

You will increase your bone density, with is a significant concern as you age.

Muscle mass is important, too!

If you want to build muscle, you will need to eat enough food and protein. You’ll see some immediate gains as a beginner (nothing bulky, just, you’ll be like, oh, my bicep is there), but beyond that you’ll need to eat enough protein (and calories) and lift for hypertrophy (lift until failure, meaning, you can’t complete your second or third set because it’s too much weight).

Others can say it better than me.

https://theconversation.com/why-weightlifting-is-beneficial-before-and-after-the-menopause-204846#:~:text=The%20study%20found%20that%20perimenopausal,less%20stomach%20fat%20on%20average.

https://www.feistymenopause.com/blog/liftheavyweights


Anonymous
Why Adding on a Few Pounds as You Age Might Be Good for You

MONDAY, Feb. 8, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Putting on a few extra pounds in your 50s may add years to your life -- if you start off at a normal weight and your weight gain doesn't tip into obesity, a new study suggests.

But two outside experts cautioned that the findings are not a license to pack on the pounds, as study participants who started off obese and continued to gain weight over the years were actually least likely to survive into old age.

"If you are already heavy, getting heavier isn't going help, it will harm you," said Dr. Ann Rogers, who reviewed the findings. She's director of the surgical weight loss program at Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center.

For the new study, researchers looked at data from two generations of participants in the Framingham Heart Study, which began in 1948. They were grouped into categories based on their weight gain over the years. The study focused on body mass index (BMI), a measure of body fat based on height and weight, between ages 31 and 80.

Folks who started out at normal weight (BMI: 18.5 to 24.9) but gradually gained with advancing age lived longer than their counterparts who maintained their younger normal weight throughout their life span, the study found.

"For people with normal weight in early adulthood, moderate weight gain into overweight in later adulthood is associated with lower [death] risks compared to those who remain in the range of normal weight over the course of adulthood," said study lead author Hui Zheng, an associate professor of sociology at Ohio State University.

People who are overweight or obese in early adulthood and gain weight have the highest risk of dying early, he said.

But "modest extra body weight in old age, including lean tissue mass and fat mass, might provide protection against nutritional and energy deficiencies, metabolic stresses, the development of wasting and frailty, and loss of muscle and bone density caused by chronic diseases such as heart failure," Zheng said.

Younger Americans are becoming obese earlier than their parents -- and this is concerning, he said.

"The percentage of deaths caused by obesity has increased because the prevalence of unhealthy weight trajectories has increased," Zheng said.

The findings were recently published online in the Annals of Epidemiology.

Rogers said that the protective effect of some extra weight dates back to caveman days.

"You needed extra padding because if you got left behind by the herd, you needed enough fat stores to survive," she said. "Caveman days are over, but an old lady who only takes tea and toast may have a normal BMI, yet she is likely frail with low muscle mass and may be less likely to survive as a result."

Dr. Scott Kahan, director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C., summed it all up succinctly.

"A lot of weight gain is unhealthy, but a little weight gain in an otherwise healthy life is perfectly fine," he said.

So how can you tell if you're putting on too much weight?

"If you are gaining too much weight, your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar are likely going up, and that suggests it may be too much weight gain," said Kahan, who wasn't part of the study.

It's also how you feel.

"If your back and knees are hurting all the time and you are limited in what you can do because your weight weighs you down, that's another indication that weight loss may be helpful," Kahan said. "This is an important study, but don't go overboard and say it's OK to gain weight. Try to be healthy and moderate your weight."
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:You can’t. Realistically, you just can’t. It is the hormone change that happens with age that is the main culprit. So unless you can stop aging, this is inevitable. Your diet and exercise regimen can help, but it wont be a fix. You just have to accept your body wont be the same distribution and shape as it was in your 20-40s.


It IS true. We DO change as we age, and that's ok-it's OK to be a 50-something woman. I'm 52, healthy and fit according to my drs, but I don't look like my 20 yo dd, because I'm NOT 20.

Embrace the gorgeous, healthy woman you are, IMO.
robynmil@msn.com
Member Offline
Help is available to understand and to work on these menopause concerns which are so frustrating and so common. There are answers available from experts and support that can help from other women.

Give the number of these posts, I'd really love help in getting the word out about an 8-week Menopause Group that's available in person in Bethesda or online. Combines presentations from experts with a group discussion component. Please see my website (Robyn Miller PhD) or reach out with questions on this group or resources that I can connect you with re: gyn, mental health, sex therapy, nutrition, fitness specialists.
Anonymous
Anonymous wrote:Why does lifting versus cardio make a difference? Thanks.


Muscle is very metabolically protective, so much so that the amount of muscle we have in our 50s can indicate our risk of dementia. Muscle is where the body stores glucose, along with the liver, that pulls it out of the bloodstream and keeps insulin low. Muscle also helps boost resting metabolic rate. Building muscle also helps to strengthen bones, also very important as we age. It doesn't have to be weight lifting, resistance band and bodyweight programs can also be very impactful.
Anonymous
Mary Clare Haver has been extremely helpful in understanding this transition. She has a book and great social media presence with tons of free education!
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