Outsmarting Midlife Fat

L

lwseymour

Cathlete
I have been reading the book by Debra Waterhouse "Outsmarting the Midlife Female Fat Cell". I'm only 1/2 through the book and have lost my motivation to finish reading it. Am I misunderstanding the author? (Wouldn't be the first time I misunderstood!) But it sounds to me like she's telling me "hey, you're gonna gain 15 more pounds in late 30's and 40's regardless, so just accept it". Is this the case or does she get down to business in the last half and tell me how to not gain during perimenopause? I hope the answer is yes so I will have the motivation to finish it. But if the answer's no, I don't want to waste any more time.

Anybody read this book and what did you think? I must be missing something.

Thanks and have a wonderful holiday weekend!!!!!
Lisa
 
I think those books are horse***t to be quite honest.

I lost close to 80 pounds at 41. I don't believe that midlife has anything to do with it. Eat right and exercise and you won't gain that 15 pounds. Be a counch potato and pound down the Twinkies and you will. That simple.
 
Don't you believe it, Missy! I weight LESS than I did when I was 15 years old, and the SAME as when I got married (the first time) when I was 20......back in 1970!!!!!!! So there!

I had a fit when a doc put me on hormone pills that made me gain weight, and got a second opinion. No way am I going to let someone tell me to just accept a weight gain when I am very careful about how I take care of myself! So there!

You can read books, and I certainly encourage everyone to do it, but you still have to experiment and find out what works for you.
 
Yes, she does finally get around to what to do to minimize the weight gain and from what I remember (I read it about a month ago) it's common sense measures. First is exercise, she recommends 4 sessions of cardio per week, each 45-60 minutes long, and two whole body strength training sessions per week. As for eating, increase the fruits, veggies, whole grains and soy but otherwise no limits on what you can eat. Listen to your cravings instead of fighting them. Eat only when you are physically hungry and limit amounts to what satisfies but does not make you full, which she says is enough food that it would be about the size of your fist when chewed up. She recommends smaller, more frequent meals and I think she recommends not eating much late in the day but I'm not sure of that one. --Karen
 
Thanks Karen. I have many symptons of perimenopause so I was interested in this book because it's highly recommended on this forum. I must simply be misunderstanding her (the author) because it sounds like she's telling me that with regular exercise and eating right I can only minimize the weight gain. That discouraged me but apparently I'm misunderstanding her.
Thanks,
Lisa
 
Karen's right, Waterhouse does provide useful tips on keeping bodyfat low & pounds off after she tells you to face the music. It irritated me too but the info on exercise & eating techniques in the book is good. Personally, my appetite exceeds my energy needs since age 40, so a little insight helped.

Debra
 
I'm in the midst of reading this book and highly recommend it! For me it has helped tremendously in understanding that my female body is programmed to go through certain changes - exercise and proper eating will make the transitions easier but the changes will still happen. In my mid 40's (during menopause) my stomach ballooned out - I felt guilty, it had to be my fault yet my eating and exercising had not changed dramatically. From the book I now understand what my body was doing.
What I also like about the book is the humor mixed with the common sense. Why are we on this impossible journey to have twentysomething bodies? I'm now 6 pounds heavier in my 50's then in my 30/40's BUT I look and feel great thanks to strength training and better eating choices. Not to sound too preachy, I think the book's overall theme is attitude about ourselves and bodies as we get older - for me, an additional six pounds is a small price to pay for walking away from constant 'dieting' and scale number preoccupation. Instead I'm trying to concentrate on listening to my body in what it wants to eat, when and in what amount (this last one is the challenge!).
Chris
 
As you have seen in the other replies here, Waterhouse has solid advice if you don't take it out of context. She isn't saying you will gain a lot of fat in perimenopause. Just that it can happen.

Try reading Pamela Peeke's book FIGHT FAT AFTER FORTY. Peeke addresses how stress hormones come into play to affect out appetite in a big way. She also suggests methods to deal with it.

Her atricle in Shape magazine a few years ago on how stress makes you fat stirred up a great deal of interest. Her advice on food and exercise is sensible. She is a marathon runner and a medical doctor.
Take time to enjoy those who matter most to you & do all things in moderation :)
 
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