06 Jun Dealing with Weight Gain in Menopause
I’ve been really strict with diet and exercise lately.
I had to tweak my hormones at the beginning of the year. My body needed the tweak but it doesn’t react well and I put on over a stone in a few weeks – oof…
It’s soul destroying because WOW do I eat carefully and workout regularly.
This “occult” weight gain drives many peri menopausal women insane. It doesn’t matter how many calories you cut or how much you exercise it just appears.
I tried REALLY hard to make peace with it, to acknowledge that I’m 46, my body has been through ALOT and I eat carefully so maybe I just needed to get used to it.
But, I couldn’t.
I don’t love it when I open my wardrobe and nothing fits.
I don’t love it when I sit down and feel a big muffin top roll that is the same size as my boobs.
I don’t love it when I feel like there is something going on in my body and I can’t figure out what to do to stop it.
I’m not anti any of those things I just know I FEEL better when I’m in shape and I just believe in giving up on being the best version of myself.
I have given up on being thin. I got really thin during my divorce but I was going through a lot of stress and not eating very much so I would prefer something more sustainable, but I also don’t love being on a diet..
I’m 8 months into being carnivore.
I go through phases of being super strict and other times I’m being more “meat based” so I add in fruits and roots and honey. But this needed some focus so I did the maths and worked out my macros and went back to weighing food and tracking… it’s dull for sure but I’m 3kg down in 6 weeks with 3 kg to go. I even managed to not put on weight on holiday whilst enjoying the odd pina colada.
I’m actually really enjoying the process and I feel full and satisfied each day and I’m learning balance which I’ve always struggled with. I feel healthy, I’ve got more energy than I’ve ever had, I don’t feel bloated, my brain fog is better and I’m sleeping better…. That’s all a massive win.
I reduced the amount I was working out as well (surprising huh)
I do weights a few times a week
I do body pump once a week and I play tennis and cycle… it feels well rounded.
So a few kilos to go but it can take as long as it takes, this is a process and I want it to be sustainable, but best of all, I can fit my skinny jeans again. In a few weeks I might even be able to sit down in them 😂