Anonymous
Can you lose weight if you are perimenopausel?
October 16, 2009 - 11:17am
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7 comments
I walk. I do Tai Chi. I watch my portions. I average between 1200 and 1500 calories per day and I cannot lose a single pound. I eat lots of vegetables. I eat better today than I ever did in my entire life and I cannot lose weight.
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Dear Anon
Thanks for your question and welcome!
Yes, most people can lose weight if they are perimenopausal. In fact, many women perimenopausal by about age 38. They may still have clockwork periods, still have babies, still feel great and not have weight issues, but they are perimenopausal nonetheless.
For an active person, your calorie intake is quite low. If you are actively exercising, eating very healthfully, eat small portions and only consume a maximum of 1500 calories a day, you may have an underlying health issue that's causing this.
I have a couple of questions for you. Eventually our metabolisms slow down, especially at 40 and beyond so weight gain is often a result of this. How old are you? And how much weight do you need to lose? Are you very heavy or just a few pounds over where you'd like to be?
You may have a problem with your thyroid that is causing your body to retain weight.
I think all round blood work should be done, to check your hormones, particularly your thyroid. It may not be working correctly and medication can remedy this and allow your body to function properly again.
Have you had a check up in this area?
I am 49 years old. Pretty close to turning 50. I am starting with a new doctor and have my first physical scheduled next month. One of the things that I have been doing is tracking my foods and exercise on a daily basis. I currently weigh about 181lbs and I am 5"5" tall. I would like to get down to about 150lbs. I have suspected that there may be an underlying issue that is preventing me from losing weight and I do plan on discussing this with my doctor next month. I am open to any suggestions.
Anon,
Congratulations on eating so well and being so active!!! I am in awe. And tracking your foods and exercise is awesome. I hope you plan to take that tracking to your doctor when you go!
I agree with Susan C about having all your blood levels checked, for your hormones (estrogen, progesterone and testosterone) and your thyroid levels (T3, T4 and TSH). Your doctor may also test your cholesterol and blood sugar to make sure all is well there.
I am wondering if you weight is spread fairly evenly throughout your body, or if it's more around your midsection? If it's the latter, you are not alone. Extra weight seems to land in our midsection in perimenopause and menopause, for a few reasons. Here are a couple of threads that discuss this:
http://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/05/07/menopause-belly-fat-w...
http://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/09/28/belly-fat-check-ckd
http://www.empowher.com/news/herarticle/2009/05/07/how-get-rid-menopause...
Does any of that sound like your weight issues? Or does it seem like yours are different?
Hi Diane,
Missy here. Most of my weight is in my midsection. I have been doing a lot of reading since I figured out that I was most likely perimenopausal. I do plan on taking my information to my doctor when I go next month because I really do believe that I should be losing some weight with my activities. The only time I actually lost a few pounds was when I fasted because of having a colonoscopy. I have no plans to continue fasting in order to lose weight. I figure the best I can do right now is maintain and wait till I have my physical. Thanks for responding.
Hi, Missy!
I LOVE your attitude. You are living a healthy life, and you're going to talk to your doctor instead of freaking out. I'm glad you have an appointment next month. Go armed with a list of specific questions, in case you get the "This just happens around perimenopause and there's not much we can do about it " answer! We are all individuals and we all go through perimenopause and menopause, and by golly there ARE things we can do about it. (Imagine if a man went to a doctor and said he had erectile dysfunction and the doctor said, it just happens, there's nothing much to do about it! That would never happen!)
You're doing everything right. Please update us after your appointment and let us know what you learn!