I am female, 54.
Height 177cm (5’10”) weight 69kgs (152pounds).
I would like to lose 5kg (11Pounds).
Before menopause (around 50) my weight used to hover around 65kgs (up or down a kg) for most of my adult life. In the last couple of years it seems to have crept up bit by bit and despite me eating pretty well and exercising regularly. I am usually at 67kgs but now I am now at 69kgs.
I have used IF in the past and have done low carb etc., to lose pregnancy weight with great success. Over the last couple of years I have done IF for periods of time to get back down to around 64 or 65kgs, losing weight really fast and managing to keep it off for a while.
So I have just returned from a two month trip overseas and my weight has crept up a bit from not being able to be in control of food prep and drinking a bit too much and generally relaxing.
So for the last two weeks I have been doing IF (and low carb). I eat my first meal around 11.30am to 12pm (scrambled eggs, a protein smoothie, salad with protein and fats) - and then nothing until dinner at around 6.30 to 7pm (meat with vegetables or salad). If it get really hungry between meals I might have a small protein ball. My portions are small. I am often still hungry but resist seconds etc.
I drink only tea, coffee, water, fruit tea (I make it myself and no sugar), and the odd diet drink. I have about two alcoholic drinks a week and these are usually vodka or gin with soda and a splash of diet tonic.
I have lost NO WEIGHT at all in two weeks. I do feel better I guess from not drinking.
Exercise: Brisk walking with the dog for 45 mins to an hour a day. Tennis lessons twice a week, and play comp tennis twice a week. 25 workout session on a fit ball with weights three times a week.
I feel like I need to “shock” my body to get it going, but not sure what to do???
Any suggestions?
Hormonal changes are tricky. However, there’s things to consider:
Gut health can affect areas like weight loss and mental health. Alcohol and diet drinks that contain aspartame, sucralose, and other artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on your gut Flora, and they may be contributing to your body “not getting the memo.”
Another thing to think about is how many calories you’re eating. IF is an extension of CICO, so if you’re overeating your calories, you’ll gain weight even doing OMAD.
The other thing to consider is that if you’re exercising a lot, are you building muscle? Muscle is heavier than fat, so if you’re building muscle and maintaining fat (or losing little), your weight will certainly go up.
My guess is that it’s some kind of combination of those.
I am just a bit younger than you (not by much) but similar situation otherwise. I meet with a nutritionist and doctor for weight loss. Hormones absolutely impact weight loss, unfortunately. Don’t we know it!
When is the last time you had bloodwork done? CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) is really underdiagnosed in the US and UK. I lose more weight focusing on healthy carbs than I do proteins, as some proteins are very hard on kidneys. The primary test you would be looking for is eGFR.
We lose muscle mass faster now, so weight bearing exercises are critical. It has a significant impact on rate of weight loss, so it might help to add some band, weight or body-weight exercises to your routine. Not my favorite either but if it helps me get back to a healthier body/weight, I’ll suck it up. As always, check with a doc.
Insulin resistance is more likely with age. So back to the bloodwork to check.
Basically same advice I give anyone embarking on a new or thinking they might need to make a change of lifestyle. See your doctor, check that bloodwork, if able. The typical Eat Less/More Proteins advice does not work for many people. Just because something works for them, or me…
Nobody but you and your medical people are able to tell you what works best for your particular body.
Good luck!
How many calories are you consuming now and how many before when you were near your ideal weight? My guess would be that cutting back on the drinks could help a bit, alcohol causes you to retain water and also stops your body from burning fat.
2 things
I would say consider cutting the protein ball in the middle of the day as well as the diet drinks (when you’re ready, and if you’re willing)
This because raising your insulin at these times is going to slow down your progress— diet drinks raise your insulin even though they don’t have calories, and insulin is really the thing you’re trying to lower to get you to a lower “set point” of body fat.
The other thing is that sometimes it takes a little while for post menopausal women’s bodies to really get the ball rolling. The number I’ve heard is that it takes about 6 weeks in some cases to really build momentum.
A third thing (I know I said only two) is that for lots of post menopausal women there’s some level of insulin resistance, and to heal that you might need fasts in the more therapeutic ranges (24-36 hours), and a good balance is to do these about three times a week. If this sounds hard, I totally get you, but I think you might surprise yourself. Fasting is like a muscle— the more you use that “muscle” the stronger you’ll get, and you might surprise yourself at how easy it is eventually, just try to work up to it.
You’re also decently close to your goal weight— weight loss is much easier and faster when you’re very overweight, so that could be playing a roll as well.
As an aside, my mom is 59 and has been doing 36 hour fasts on alternate days (3x a week) for about 4 weeks, and she’s lost about 4,5 kg. When she started she struggled with even doing 18 hours, and now she almost prefers her fasting days to her eating days. She wants to lose 14 kg total.