Perimenopause and fitness- HELP!

[stmirli]

I am 47 and have been dealing with perimenopause for a while - hot flashes, cravings, mood swings, etc. I have found vitamins and black cohosh to help, but cannot seem to get my body to respond to my workouts. I have tried everything I can think of. I change it up, do longer sets, try new movements and workouts. The scale is stuck, even though I eat well and not too much. I feel stronger from my workouts, but do not see the results that I think I should.

Am I alone, or is this a natural progression? I am so frustrated! Is anyone else feeling the same? Any tips, Cathe?

[melagras]

Obviously not Cathe but I hear ya. You are not alone. I gained 20 lbs in 2007 when I was about your age thanks to my ob/gyn putting me on an anti-depressant "to help with the perimenopause symptoms." I no longer take it.

It is harder to lose weight as you get older. I somehow managed to get down to a size 6 from an 8 earlier this year but can't get the scale to budge any further. I work out three days a week with weights and three days of cardio. I have to really watch what I eat and no alcohol. UGH!!

Are you keeping up with what you eat? Try using sparkpeople.com. They have a free nutrition tracker. You will be shocked when you see it in writing. I know I was.

[geomom]

I am 48 and have been experiencing signs of perimenopause for a couple of years now. Mine are irregular periods and some moodiness, but nothing major.

I feel I have gotten great results from programs like STS and P90X. Really, my body looks better than ever. I have also recently started food journaling using myfitnesspal, and have lost 10 lbs.

This can be a challenging time in life but really, exercise is one of the best weapons we have to fight back. I also personally feel that heavy lifting is awesome for women our age. Instead of losing muscle and decreasing metabolism, we can add muscle and rev it up. I think my dedication to fitness and eating habits are really helping me through this time. Hope you find out what works for you!

[bonvivant]

Cathe mentioned this in a recent article from her newsletter: Cathe Friedrich - The 3 Periods When Women Are Most Likely to Gain Weight It would be great if she could expand on this since so many of her fans are over 40.

Sparkpeople is a great resource, but I also suggest tracking using Cathe's Workout Manager. You can track food and workouts like SP, but Cathe's software can give you a better idea of what your TDEE is. You can also get a better number for the amount of calories her workouts burn. Speaking of TDEE, you should really try to increase your lean mass. The scale may go up, but more lean mass helps you burn more calories throughout the day. Make sure you are increasing your weights over time because progressive overload gives muslces a reason to grow. Plus, all that growing burns even more calories, LOL!

Good luck to you. I hope Cathe can give more insight.

[stmirli]

It really helps to know I am not alone in this battle. I have gained 20 pounds in the last 2 years, so I have stepped up the workouts, and try not to miss a day. It is hard as I have more body aches, and I really love great food. I notice that I do not need half as much food as I used to. I appreciate your tips and think I need to keep a food journal, as that is something I have not tried before.

Thanks!

[nspire]

I just went to see my OB/GYN on Friday due to this very same issue. I'm 45 and am going through peri-menopause. It can be very frustrating, you exercise 5-6 days a week, eat healthy and you feel like you're getting no where. I feel your pain. Well, my doctor recommended to stay active and watch carb intake.

[Pippadog1]

Hi

I can understand where you are all coming from. I went through early menopause at 32. I didn't start exercising until then so really I can't really comment upon the exercise factor. But I did notice that when I went through the menopause the fat seemed to deposit on my waist area as opposed to my hips (which was previously the case).

I am on HRT and anti-depressants and find I do tend to put on weight more now than when I was younger. But I've never been a slim person anyway. I try now just to exercise for my health and try to eat cleaner. But definitely its harder to lose weight when you go through the change.

I'm just glad now that for me HRT has stopped the hot flushes and the quality of my hair and skin has improved.

Laura