There was a thread a while back about women in their 40s and 50s having trouble losing weight, and LOTS of 38-43 year old women posted saying they thought the other women just weren't working out enough or weren't accurately counting their calories. hahahaha I wonder how they are feeling a few years later.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to do intermittent fasting to keep my weight down. It worked. But all I did was watch the clock until noon when my eating window opened. No thank you. Eating disorder asking for trouble.
I refuse to be miserable in my 60s.

I switched to all day fasting two or three times a week. It’s become very easy and mindless and it doesn’t come with the nasty habits that having an actual eating window can encourage. I generally do Tuesdays and Thursdays and mix it up a little if I have a special event coming. I hydrate religiously and find it so freeing to have that time off from needing to fix meals. And then on the days I do it I find I don’t eat more than I had been when I was eating seven days a week, so it’s really helped me maintain a healthy frame.

Do you have kids? I'd still have to fix meals for mine.

Sure, I have kids. I taught them how to cook. They do Panini‘s or oven bratwurst or chicken Parm. Everybody knows Mom’s not cooking Tuesday or Thursday, unless it’s someone’s birthday and we plan around it.

I'd worry about setting up my teen DD who is prone to black and white thinking an eating disorder

I always tried to teach my kids proper nutrition and not “performative” nutrition. They know their bodies need certain things every few hours, or every day, or every couple days. They know skipping breakfast every so often as long as they still get the overall right amount of calories is fine. They know that skipping water is a non-starter. They know dumping too much sugar in their bloodstream at once will make them feel sick.

They know the difference between not eating because their period is making them feel crappy, not eating because they don’t fit into their prom dress, and not eating because you know your body is happy getting 2200 cal every 48 hours, regardless of the timing of those calories.

Eating disorders generally have more to do with feeling one has no control over one’s own life, rather than the precise eating habits of household members anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to do intermittent fasting to keep my weight down. It worked. But all I did was watch the clock until noon when my eating window opened. No thank you. Eating disorder asking for trouble.
I refuse to be miserable in my 60s.

I switched to all day fasting two or three times a week. It’s become very easy and mindless and it doesn’t come with the nasty habits that having an actual eating window can encourage. I generally do Tuesdays and Thursdays and mix it up a little if I have a special event coming. I hydrate religiously and find it so freeing to have that time off from needing to fix meals. And then on the days I do it I find I don’t eat more than I had been when I was eating seven days a week, so it’s really helped me maintain a healthy frame.

Do you have kids? I'd still have to fix meals for mine.

Sure, I have kids. I taught them how to cook. They do Panini‘s or oven bratwurst or chicken Parm. Everybody knows Mom’s not cooking Tuesday or Thursday, unless it’s someone’s birthday and we plan around it.

I'd worry about setting up my teen DD who is prone to black and white thinking an eating disorder

Anonymous wrote:It’s insulin insensitivity. You need to up your protein and cut out all sugar and cheap carbs. If you consume protein and veggies in reasonable portions, and no snacking between meals, your insulin levels won’t be constantly spiked, and you’ll lose the weight.

I followed my menopause doctor’s advice and it worked. After 3 months, I weigh what I did in my 20s and I have 2-3 cheat days a week where I eat what I want and have wine etc. It’s like magic but my dr assures me it’s basic biology.

This approach is what worked for me too. I am at my mid 20s weight and eat very well most of the time, but have a couple of cheat days every week.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to do intermittent fasting to keep my weight down. It worked. But all I did was watch the clock until noon when my eating window opened. No thank you. Eating disorder asking for trouble.
I refuse to be miserable in my 60s.

I switched to all day fasting two or three times a week. It’s become very easy and mindless and it doesn’t come with the nasty habits that having an actual eating window can encourage. I generally do Tuesdays and Thursdays and mix it up a little if I have a special event coming. I hydrate religiously and find it so freeing to have that time off from needing to fix meals. And then on the days I do it I find I don’t eat more than I had been when I was eating seven days a week, so it’s really helped me maintain a healthy frame.

Do you have kids? I'd still have to fix meals for mine.

Sure, I have kids. I taught them how to cook. They do Panini‘s or oven bratwurst or chicken Parm. Everybody knows Mom’s not cooking Tuesday or Thursday, unless it’s someone’s birthday and we plan around it.

My younger besties are horrified and incredulous when I tell them that it’s 1100 calories or less post menopause. I tell them enjoy eating while you can!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I used to do intermittent fasting to keep my weight down. It worked. But all I did was watch the clock until noon when my eating window opened. No thank you. Eating disorder asking for trouble.
I refuse to be miserable in my 60s.

I switched to all day fasting two or three times a week. It’s become very easy and mindless and it doesn’t come with the nasty habits that having an actual eating window can encourage. I generally do Tuesdays and Thursdays and mix it up a little if I have a special event coming. I hydrate religiously and find it so freeing to have that time off from needing to fix meals. And then on the days I do it I find I don’t eat more than I had been when I was eating seven days a week, so it’s really helped me maintain a healthy frame.

Do you have kids? I'd still have to fix meals for mine.

Anonymous wrote:I used to do intermittent fasting to keep my weight down. It worked. But all I did was watch the clock until noon when my eating window opened. No thank you. Eating disorder asking for trouble.
I refuse to be miserable in my 60s.

I switched to all day fasting two or three times a week. It’s become very easy and mindless and it doesn’t come with the nasty habits that having an actual eating window can encourage. I generally do Tuesdays and Thursdays and mix it up a little if I have a special event coming. I hydrate religiously and find it so freeing to have that time off from needing to fix meals. And then on the days I do it I find I don’t eat more than I had been when I was eating seven days a week, so it’s really helped me maintain a healthy frame.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It’s insulin insensitivity. You need to up your protein and cut out all sugar and cheap carbs. If you consume protein and veggies in reasonable portions, and no snacking between meals, your insulin levels won’t be constantly spiked, and you’ll lose the weight.

I followed my menopause doctor’s advice and it worked. After 3 months, I weigh what I did in my 20s and I have 2-3 cheat days a week where I eat what I want and have wine etc. It’s like magic but my dr assures me it’s basic biology.

Hmm, deprive myself and constantly feel miserable, or gain a few lbs and feel miserable. The choices SUCK, but I choose fat and happy, because I am going to enjoy life, and that includes food. And 10-15 pounds does not really make anyone "fat"

It is wild to me that concentrating on protein and veggies and not snacking seems "miserable." Maybe I am out of touch, but do most adults snack? Eating three meals a day with a focus on protein and veggies sounds fairly normal to me?

It’s natural to gain weight as you age, as my OB told me. If PPs are still eating healthily and exercising routinely, they are likely in very good health, despite the additional pounds. That’s the most important thing.

Anonymous wrote:Wait till you 50-52.
I was still considered “prime” at 45

Yep. For me it was 54-55, when I gained 50 (yes, 5-0, not 1-5) pounds, all around my middle, all in a short amount of time. Thus begun my 3-year odyssey to get it off. Bloodwork including thyroid are normal. My PCP sent to me various nutritionists, doctors specialized in weight loss, and health psychologists. I went to a weight loss center (doctor + nutritionist) who put me on Mounjaro and high protein/low calorie diet for 9 months. No weight loss but I became obsessive with tracking and protein grams. Not fun. 58 now and still carrying the extra weight. I haven't seen a menopause specialist, like the PP mentioned, so maybe I'll try that. Restricting and exercising have had no effect. It stinks.

Anonymous wrote:Sure if that’s what makes you happy!! Other people are happiest with different thing. I’m shallow and love fitting in size 6 clothes. I’m totally jazzed when I can throw on those size 6 cute cropped pants and a colorful top and head out for drinks with my friends feeling stylish.

It’s a matter of personal preference no?

I'm not throwing on anything, cute or not, and heading out for drinks with friends at 58. That ship has sailed for me.

Anonymous wrote:I never doubted the experience of others but thought it might be easier for me since I’m naturally thin, have been a distance runner all my life, and have always eaten healthy foods. Nope. I gained 10 lbs in 6 mos recently at age 44. I used to puff up a bit over the holidays but now it’s piling on and not moving like it used to. I haven’t started dieting yet, but something has clearly shifted in my metabolism.

To quote the PP above, it may be insulin resistance. Your body may have moved into fat storage mode from insulin being spiked all the time. Every time you snack between meals, insulin spikes again.

When it stays raised, you never get a chance to burn fat because your body too busy storing it. You end up exhausted and storing fat in the middle. Try no snacking for a week and see if you feel a difference after 3-4 days of it.

Wait till you 50-52.
I was still considered “prime” at 45

I never doubted the experience of others but thought it might be easier for me since I’m naturally thin, have been a distance runner all my life, and have always eaten healthy foods. Nope. I gained 10 lbs in 6 mos recently at age 44. I used to puff up a bit over the holidays but now it’s piling on and not moving like it used to. I haven’t started dieting yet, but something has clearly shifted in my metabolism.