Menopause - Help!

melagras

melagras

Cathlete
I just turned 50 and menopause is kicking me in the butt. I've been doing the monthly Cathe rotation since Oct 2010 (used my own rotation of Cathe DVDs before that time) and am seeing some muscle toning but very little weight loss. I've never been a lazy person and this is really blowing my mind. My doc said my thyroid levels are fine. Any suggestions?
 
I'm 46 and have been experiencing menopause symptoms for about a year and a half (yuck!). I've experienced the same thing with slow or no weight loss and the only thing that I've learned that has worked is increasing your workouts both weight training and cardio (ESPECIALLY cardio like hiho322 said above), plus really cleaning your diet up. I've also learned that I've had to reduce my calories more than usual to see weight loss (even while working out). I'm guessing it might be because I'm older and not requiring as much calories (who knows!). It's such a complicated thing to figure out since every woman experiences different problems with menopause. But keep at it and I know you'll find what works for you!

Julie
 
I'm having the some of the same difficulties; over the last year or so I've seen my weight slowly climb up even with all the exercise I do. I'm 52. My goal this year is to focus on losing all that weight so I've cleaned up my diet & I've been revving up my workouts. One thing I do, if my legs are giving out, is emphasize my arm movements. I'm not too big on jumps so I modify a lot but by adding extra umph with my arms, it makes a difference with my heart rate. Like Julie, I've also discovered that I don't need as many calories even with working out but I have to eat really clean & add more water. It's all trial & error but keep working at it & find what works for you.
 
I'll be 60 in April and finely cooled down after 15+ years.

I've found more cardio and less calories works wonders. Also zigzagging the calories. Lets say for example: Lower intake of calories for two days, then a larger calorie intake on the third day.

Good Luck,

Janie
 
One of the reasons I did'nt have any energy during menopause was because of hot flashes at night and therefore not getting enough REM sleep. I happened to mention this to a girlfriend at work and she told me about a herbal supplement she was taking called Phyto B. She told me her chiropractor/homopath Doc recomended it and that if it works for you it will work right away-the same day. I thought yeah, right, nothing works that fast. So she gave me a weeks supply and I did a little internet research and gave them a try. I should also tell you that I don't even like to take ANY medication unless absolutly necessary. The first night I slept all night, no flashes and I thought this must be psychosomatic behavior but after a week I also realized that another symptom that I did not even relate to menopause was gone too! I am 56 and still take this supplement. It has changed my life. I have not connection with this company but just wanted to share what worked for me in hopes of helping others.

Kat
 
Zig-Zag Calorie and Carb cycling

Hi there, I have been doing zig-zag calorie and carb cycling for awhile now. I follow the BFFM: Burn the Fat Feed the Muscle technique, 3:1 or 2:1 formula... 3 days low/1 day high... Of all of the diets I have tried, manipulating calories and carbs works really well. I am somewhat carb sensitive so I calorie/carb cycle. The way I plan my menus is, on days that I do intense exercise, I plan to eat more calories/carbs, say 1,500 - 1,600 calories, on my lower intensity days, I eat moderate to low calories/carbs, 1,290 - 1,350 or so... I am not always perfect, but I try to be on target with my macros/calories as much as possible. Before you can do this type of cycling program, you have to calculate the following:

- Your Daily Calorie Needs, based on your age, sex, height, weight and how much/many days you workout

When you calculate this it will also give you your "Maintenance" ... number of calories it takes just to keep you alive... the goal is to create a deficit, so from this point you can also calculate a 7-day zig-zag chart, that includes: Maintenance, Fat Loss and Extreme Loss. You can then prepare your food/menus based on these numbers. Keeping in mind that you will still have to tweak your numbers to get it right... There is some trial and error involved. As you continue to lose weight you will also need to re-calculate these numbers based on your current weight.

If you would like more information please send me a message... ~ Dee

PS: here is the website where you can do all those calculations:
www.freedieting.com
 
Hi Dee, Thanks for this explanation. I was attracted to this method because when I'm trying to loose weight, I put myself on a 1200 caloried diet. The pounds fall off, but I would so love to every third day, give myself some extra calories (esp. on workout days). This seems like a very sensible eating plan. Thanks again.
 
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