The FastDay Forum

I'm 59, 5'4 and also post menopausal, I had an early hysterectomy at 34 and by 35 had started "the change"! I still had no problems with my weight until I hit about 45. I always had a rounded tummy but was very slim. Then, what happened??!! Overnight I sort of exploded into an apple shape, my midriff is now bigger than my tum (and boobs), and I've never been such a funny shape!
On a positive note the 4lbs I've lost so far has been off my middle, from looking about 9 months pregnant I now look about 5!!! So we will keep going and see what happens.
Toni x

Hi,
my post might not show up yet as I have just joined. I'm 53 years old
I too am about 3 years post menopause. I was a lucky girl in my earlier days and never put on weight no matter what I ate. I think part of this was I was in an active job and did exercise a bit. As I approached menopause the weight crept on. I am currently overseas in a country where food is great, cheap and plentiful. I find myself in the obese category and weigh a lot more now than I did when pregnant with my children.
My waist is disappearing and my tummy and thighs are huge. So I am also in the bigger middle category.
I hope this diet will work for me. I can feel the extra weight on my feet every time I get out of bed and I do not like it.
It is good to no I am not alone

[Tracieknits]

Welcome to the forums, HealthierMe!

Hi
Tdstephens60', I was just the same. Hysterectomy at 37, no weight problems until about 4 years ago. Suddenly, I became barrel shape ( biscuit barrel shaped probably!).

Take heart everyone, I have been on 4:3 since mid Jan and went to buy a dress last week for a special occasion. As usual, I took a load of shapeless size 16s to try on. All were huge. I eventually bought a 'waisted' size 14 and it is slightly too big.

Hooray. I have a waist again....

Hi EveS,
WELL DONE you, thats fantastic. How much weight are you losing a week on average with the 4:3? This is my second week of doing 4:3 and i lost 3lb last week so was encouraged by that but also know that there may be weeks without a loss. I am worried when that happens i may throw the towel in. I have 2.5 stones to lose before target which is the reason i chose 4:3.

Interesting thread. I'm there too being 59 and about 5ft 8 I've never been particularly small but healthy and active. Lately though the weight crept up and as you all say there was this funny roll appeared around my middle. That was never there before. Since starting this WOL I have lost just over a stone so far. The waist is on its way back I'm pleased to say.

As above, 58 and 5ft 8in. My tummy ' envelope' appeared out of nowhere; also gave up smoking 7 years ago.

All going well now though; shape is changing, weight is dropping and energy levels hugely improved. Almost a stone off in 6 weeks. Very pleased.

Stick with it!

56 5'3" had hysterectomy at 44. Skinny whilst on HRT but once off developed the weeble look. It is going at last! This WOE is for life!

mx3lady: to thank people for a post just click on the 'thumbs up' symbol to the right of the thread title in individuals posts.

I have just returned from the doctor's and she has persuaded me that I should come off the HRT, which I have been on for fifteen years (there was a break of three years as well, but then I went back on it), following a hysterectomy. When I was off it before I didn't notice any exceptional increase in my weight or waist but I have always 'yo-yo'ed', so I probably just put it down to that. I have never had much of a waist, Trinny and Susannah would describe me as a'column', but I certainly have a tummy when at the top of my weight range!

Now I finally have to give the HRT up, I just hope that I won't undo my weight loss on the 5:2 - twelve and a half pounds in seven weeks. However if I do, then I shall just have to deal with it and I'm sure that with this WOE that will be possible!

Stay strong!

Well I never, so many of us having the same problem !!!
I've always struggled with my weight, but prior to early menopause (aged 39) & stopping smoking (aged 45) I did (just) manage to control it. Approaching the big 50 and it's just not possible any more ..... the other thing is that any weight used to be nicely (ish) distributed but now it's in rolls around the middle!!
I didn't know that the sleepless nights were also due the menopause!!

Anyhow, back to 5:2, the first fortnight had a good weight loss but the last fortnight I have clearly been having the plateau that everyone mentions - but I am not giving up that easily, the posts about plateauing have helped a lot & I am SURE that the weight loss will soon be happening again

Thank you for starting this post mx3lady

All of the above! Gained a pound a month for two years peri and post menopause and my shape changed to loads of fat above the waist..and a fat back. Yo yo diets since. Losing a few centimetres round the waist, after losing four pounds in first four weeks, and nothing in following three weeks. So going with the actual shape changing as progress.
Yes, 56 IS the new 36

Hi all......I am a newbie started on Monday 18th March....I too gained a lot of weight going through menopause....bit of a yo-yo dieter for the last 20 years or so!.....my shape has changed to a pear in the last 5 years .........I'm 58 and on the end of menopause and I found taking Remifenen before going to bed helps with sleeping. I am currently doing 5:2 and this is my second fast day so hoping to report a weight loss next week!.......stay tuned

So it's normal then. What a relief. Me, 60, apple from beanpole over last 20 years. OH said my back looked slimmer when I tried on a jacket yesterday, more shape hurrah! (Jacket still too short for me though sadly.) Grandsons tomorrow all day so may try the 1000 cal limit again as a mini 4:3. A play day is a good work-out too as I spend the day crawling, rolling, running up and down stairs, smiling and laughing. Love it! :0)

Yes sadly we have our hormones to thank for the increasing middle.... But this way of eating really seems to be making a big difference for me. I'm 62 and had resigned myself to never being able to keep the extra weight off that has appeared since I was hit with a chemopause in my late 40s. I'm only 5'0 and had got to 68kg. After 2 weeks of calorie restriction and 10 weeks of 5:2 I have something of a waist again and have lost over 8kg. I cut out alcohol for all of January and now restrict it to a max of 3 days a week, which really helps. And because I am small I realise that I have to learn to eat a lot less than I had become accustomed to, so I am busy learning new habits.
One thing that worries me is the potential for bone loss along with weight loss and I am considering supplementing with Calcium and vitamin D. Anyone have and thoughts, or better still, knowledge about this?

Thanks StowgateResident for the thumbs up advice!!
I too was on HRT for 16 yrs following early hysterectomy aged 34.....fantastic.....while i was on the HRT... then taken off it at 50 due to breast cancer risks etc, it was then that my waist dissappeared, hot flushes began with a vengeance and my libido shrank to almost nothing. I begged my consultant to put me back on HRT but to no avail!!! So i gradually worked my way through the flushes and now at almost 57 they have all but dissappeared.
Oh dear I think i've painted a gruesome picture but no 2 peoples experiences are ever the same and hopefully yours will be better than mine but if you have the option KEEP TAKING THE TABLETS lol!!
Good luck any way, you've done so well up to now with your weight loss i'm sure it will continue.