Dear Kayla,
I am menopausal. I’ve lost 17 lbs doing OMAD. I’m stuck on the next phase of weight loss. I would like to lose ten more pounds. I got down five more pounds but put that back on after a vacation (which I’m fine with). I’m not sure why my weight isn’t coming off now. I’ve been more consistent with OMAD and it seems I’m gaining instead of losing. I eat just over a smidge of normal portions at dinner. I do allow myself cheat day as you have recommended. Menopause is a whole different animal. Any thoughts? Do you think my weight loss will resume if I just stay consistent with this or do you think I need to change something? Many thanks for any thoughts you could share with me.
Best,
Heidi Hughart
Dear Heidi,
First of all, congratulations on dropping 17 pounds! Thank you for your question. I am not yet in menopause. I am 38 and creeping up on perimenopause, which I’ve heard is a real treat. Ha ha!
Let’s start with the good news: I’ve talked to many women who have lost weight during menopause. Another piece of encouragement: scientists say that your metabolism stays steady from age 20-60. If you’re in your 40s or 50s, you don’t have to worry about your metabolism slowing down (yet.)
Before we go any further, I want to remind everyone that I’m not a doctor. Talk with your physician about any troublesome symptoms you’re experiencing. I’m going to focus on the weight-loss challenges and some workable solutions. Let’s take them one by one:
Challenge #1: Low Energy
A lot of women experience lower energy during menopause. Some of this is due to hormonal fluctuations. Some of this is from the poor sleep that results from those same fluctuations. Low energy can be a double whammy: you move less, so you burn fewer calories. And you’ll have the inclination to eat to try to feel more energetic. Of course, this will cause the scale to either stall out or start to tick up.
One thing that can help is exercise. I know it sounds like a paradox. How are you supposed to exercise when you don’t feel like it? You have to decide that it’s important to you, and you have to make yourself get out there and do it. How do you make yourself get out there and do it? I find bribing myself is effective. I promise myself whatever I need to to get myself out there for my six-mile walk on days when I don’t feel like it. Those bribes range from a nap, a movie, permission to read the rest of the day away, or an extra-long coffee break with my husband. (The key here is to actually give yourself whatever it is you promised yourself. No backsies!)
Challenge #2: Emotions
The same hormones that cause you to get anxious, sad, angry, and irritated in your monthly cycle (aka PMS) are also flaring up during menopause. That emotional rollercoaster you’re riding can lead you to comfort eating. Emotional eating is a difficult thing to get under control because food is really, truly, comforting. It’s almost too good at its job. Knowing this is half the battle. The other half is to figure out an alternative to comfort eating that you will actually choose. Talking things out with another person, letting myself cry, journaling, making some art, praying, and going for a walk are the ones that work for me.
Challenge #3: Increased Hunger
Those hormones can also cause your appetite to increase. You might feel the urge to eat more, even if you don’t need the extra food. This is a frustrating situation. Your choices here are to either obey your hunger and stay where you’re at (or gain), or lower your intake and deal with some hunger.
Challenge #4: Life Changes
Added to this hormonal fun is the new phase of life many a woman finds herself in. This particular woman has for the past two or three decades been raising kids, making dinners, and running a busy household. But as the kids grow up and leave the nest, she finds herself feeling a bit at sea. There’s a void, and it can be tempting to fill it with food.
My oldest is turning 17 in a few months, and I have moments when the reality hits me that soon he will be moving out on his own. After that I find myself thinking about how in a few short years all three of my kids will have flown the nest, and how much I’ll miss having them around every day. It kind of rips my heart in two. And then I find myself wishing I had a pint of Ben and Jerry’s nearby to drown my sorrows in. But instead of heading to the convenience store for some Chunky Monkey, I either have a good cry or go for a walk. And since I’m not even menopausal yet, I can imagine that if I multiply my emotions by 10 or so, that might be a glimpse of what menopause will be like. Safe to say, menopause is not for the faint of heart.
So let’s go back to your issue, Heidi. You can lose the five pounds you had lost before your trip. You just need to stick with the same plan you were on before you went on vacation and be patient with the process. How much more you can lose on that plan is the real question. Weight loss slows down as your body reaches a healthy weight range. I found weight loss slowed down to fractions of a pound once I got within 5 pounds or so of being at a normal BMI (for me that was when I got to the high 150s on my 5’6” frame.) For what it’s worth, I found my quality of life didn’t improve when I went from 158 down to 142. There was a major positive difference from 222 down to the high 150s. But I felt equally wonderful whether I was at 158 or at 142.
A few years back I interviewed Kathleen Morris. She’s an author who lost 50 pounds as a menopausal woman. One challenge she talked about was the question of when is enough, enough. At what point do you say, I’ve lost enough weight, and now it’s time to begin maintenance? She had some good thoughts to share. Here’s a link to that video. It will play starting with her answer to that question. Yet, the whole interview is worth watching, whether you’re going through menopause or not.
I hope that helps you Heidi. I wish you continued success on the weight loss and maintenance journey.
Sincerely,
Kayla
Originally published May 23, 2023.
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