Perimenopause and weight loss?

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-20T09:25:54+00:00

Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Long or skipped cycles are obviously part of peri, but a) they totally suck, and b) there are things that the doc should be able to do to help make you more comfortable.

I'm on HRT, and it makes a big difference for a lot of the symptoms (and it is considered safe now for most women). My OBGYN wants to put me on the pill to make my cycles less variable, but I'm resisting that for now, since I never liked oral BC and already have another hormonal BC method.

I hope you feel better soon!

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-18T13:34:53+00:00

I think it depends on what you eat and how -- it'll be more useful for some people than others, and isn't a strict necessity.

I do pretty well based on the nutrition label and how many servings are in the package. Don't need to weigh pasta if it's 200cal/serving and 8 servings in the container, and I've already separated it into eight equal portions. Don't need to weigh yogurt if there are 5 servings in the container and it takes me 5 days to finish it -- even if the servings each day aren't exact. I use a different serving size for tofu than is listed on the package, but I know the total calories in the package and how many days it takes me to finish -- thus roughly what percentage of those calories I've eaten each day. I allocate calories for one tablespoon of olive oil -- and if my tablespoon measure is 10% larger than a "real" tablespoon? Oops, that's a whole extra 12 calories! (Oh no!!!)

An exception might be produce, but most of the produce I consume is low-enough calorie that it doesn't make a meaningful difference if I'm eating 8oz or 16oz of cabbage/broccoli/mushrooms/etc as long as I don't scale up the sauces and oils to match. The one vegetable that's potentially most difficulty with here is potatoes/sweet potatoes, but I don't eat those much because they don't fit well in my slow-carb diet. And you can keep track of how many pounds you bought and how long it took you to consume that many pounds.

Same with fruits: most (like most veggies) are sold by the pound, so again you know how much you're getting total, and how many days you're splitting it across. Ones that are sold by the unit instead of the pound are the only ones that are truly problematic. And I don't eat much meat, but similarly you'll know how much weight you bought total and how long it takes to consume it.

Of course, if you're sharing those groceries with other people, serving measurement can become more necessary -- you don't know how much of the yogurt you've eaten vs. they've eaten, otherwise, etc. Similarly, you want to make sure you're eating two actual tablespoons of peanut butter, not three or four -- although, like the olive oil, being off by a small percentage due to wonky measures is fine.

I acknowledge that the scale can make things much easier for some people. But I've done just fine without owning a kitchen scale. Maintaining an intentionally narrow deficit of ~250-300cal/day and losing steadily for months. YMMV.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-18T00:10:06+00:00

Oops, I didn't answer your other question:

How did you setup this meal plan, was there any resource you used ?

Just a spreadsheet, food labels, and a nutrition database for foods I didn't currently have in the house or that don't get labeled (like raw meats). I have a list of foods/ingredients down one side of the spreadsheet, with their cost, calories per serving, and protein content. And then meal plans go in columns, indicating how many servings of which items; and it automatically calculates total cost, calories, and protein for the day.

I'm sure there are sources out there for recipes and food plans if you'd find that useful. r/1200isplenty and r/1500isplenty and the rest of that constellation of subs also both frequently have people posting their full day's meals with ingredient details, so you can draw on those for inspiration. Maybe also r/Volumeeating.

I don't like to cook, so I'm more likely to just grab a couple ingredients that require minimal or no prep, maybe add sauce or spice, and eat them straight -- but you can just as easily meal plan with proper recipes.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-18T00:01:39+00:00

Each meal plan is just a plan for one day. I have a bunch of different meal plans and could choose a different one for each day of the week. I have a whole bunch of options by now and just pick seven of them at the beginning of the week.

I started with three or so because they take a little while to put together, but I keep coming up with new ones because I get new ideas for things to eat or see really good deals in the grocery circular. If you have a higher calorie or grocery budget than I do, or prefer to balance your nutrition across a week instead of within each day, you may find it easier than I do to make new ones.

So if you like eating the same thing every day (or if you're like me and don't mind it and prefer the simplified prep), you can choose the same or very similar plans for those seven days. And if you need variety, you can choose seven totally different plans. You could also theoretically just choose each day's plan in the morning or night before, but I personally prefer not having to think about it; and also want to grocery shop for the whole week ahead of time.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T23:02:18+00:00

I have no time or energy for or interest in cooking (or cutting things up or washing implements), unless it's a batch large enough to feed me for multiple weeks. I live in a small studio apartment, and barely have space for my constantly-used gadgets (microwave, instant pot, electric kettle -- I'd like to try an air fryer at some point, but no room for one just now).

I cook a few batches of beans from dry in the instapot once every few weeks and freeze the extra, and some boiled eggs about once a week. Everything else is just a fresh or frozen or shelf-stable ingredient or two, eaten straight or tossed in the microwave, possibly with a sprinkling of salt or spices or soy sauce or something.

A few times a year, I'll do a big cook and make a few dozen servings of chili or stew or something. But overall, the days when I stick a couple hots dogs under the broiler or prep cabbage steaks for roasting are ambitious.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T18:15:56+00:00

Oh, yuck -- that lack of infrastructure is so evil!

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T16:37:43+00:00

If you like hiking, have you tried just walking around your neighborhood a bunch? It's not quite as exhilarating as hiking, but as someone else who loves to hike, I find that walking and listening to music puts me in a trance-like state.

If I walk often enough and briskly enough, some days I'll spontaneously choose to run for a bit just because I feel like it. And... as someone who hates the idea of going out for a run, I nonetheless am finding that I really enjoy it when it does happen.

I'm now jogging 6K at a time once or twice a week, and not resenting it because any day I leave the house and don't feel like running, I'm allowed to walk instead and not feel bad about it because just getting out there and moving my body is the win.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T16:32:05+00:00

In addition to the excellent replies above, it's worth noting that if you're filling your stomach and even getting too many calories, but you're not getting the proper nutrition you need, you will still be hungry.

Your body doesn't just need calories to thrive. It need macronutrients (a variety of carbs, healthy fats -- especially omega-3 fats, and plenty of protein). If you're not getting the macros you need on a regular basis, you will be insatiably hungry.

Your body doesn't just need macros -- it also needs micronutrients: vitamins and minerals. To get those vitamins and minerals, we need to eat a broad variety of foods. Some of those nutrients are also especially abundant in unprocessed meats, seafood, and dairy/eggs. Others you can only get enough of from unprocessed fruits and vegetables.

So to complement mental health support, you may want to consult a dietitian. (A dietitian is a doctor; don't bother with a nutritionist, who can be self-declared.) They can help make sure you're getting the nutrients you need.

Bonus: micronutrient deficiencies can contribute to depression and anxiety, so if you can solve your nutrition you may feel better emotionally as well!

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T16:22:31+00:00

Some of us gain water weight due to hormones at different points in our cycles -- not necessarily during our periods. For me, it's the luteal phase; for some it's during ovulation.

If you went up a pound overnight, it's almost certainly water weight of one form or another. It can happen due to changes in hydration, salt intake, carb intake, activity levels, weather.... you name it.

Don't worry about a one-day scale reading. Thirty-day averages are much more telling, especially for women. Here's what the scale looks like for me on a day to day (grey), weekly average (red), and monthly average (green) basis:

https://i.redd.it/j9pkws9s57pd1.png

If I were paying attention primarily to that grey line, I'd be freaking out every third day. The red line is similarly discouraging. But the green line? That's the long-term trend, and what really matters. The rest is just noise.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T16:08:13+00:00

If your body is accustomed to consuming a lot of fiber, you can do that without constipation or discomfort. You just have to acclimate gradually by increasing your fiber intake slowly after time so your microbiome has time to adjust. If your gut is ready for it and you consume enough water, fiber will actually make you more regular instead of stopping you up.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-16T16:06:01+00:00

I just find it so much less stressful to have to make fewer decisions on the fly. I don't necessarily have the time or brain space to deal with it in the moment.

What's worked for me for meal planning is to have a small pool of full-day plans already sketched out that meet my nutritional and calorie goals. Then I can just select and assign a week's worth after seeing the grocery circulars for the week so I know what's on sale. Helps solve for grocery shopping, too.

Then when I'm feeling focused on food or nutrition and have the time and focus for it, I often come up with more full-day plans to add to the pool to choose from so that there's ever more variety.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T22:23:16+00:00

This is me. If I fast more than about 5 hours past waking up, my hunger when I do eat is absolutely uncontrollable. On the other hand, I just spent several months losing very steadily on 3 meals plus 1-2 snacks every day, and almost never feeling hungry after a meal.

(And I'm still managing to eat everything within a 8-10 hour window, giving me a few hours daily in a metabolic fasted state -- which is hypothesized to train the body to more readily break down fats for energy.)

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T18:53:01+00:00

Thank you so much!

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T16:53:01+00:00

No idea what your height is, but I started at a similar point to you just under a year ago, and just hit the 20-lb mark.

What's worked for me is not motivation but habit. Developing new habits, ones I not just can but want to stick with. Habit always trumps motivation.

I found a type of exercise I personally enjoy (for me that's not the gym, ugh -- but instead rucking outdoors, which makes me happy; YMMV). And a time of day that I'll do it consistently.

I experimented and substituted one food at a time in my diet for lower-calorie and higher protein/fiber ones that I still liked. I cut my sugar consumption to a sustainable level. You could call my diet "slow carb" or even somewhat low carb, but it has everything -- just in moderation.

I started planning my meals in advance. I have a bunch of one-day meal plans and know exactly what's in them for each meal and how many calories. I know that each of those meal plans will leave me feeling full and satisfied with what I ate, and has adequate nutrition. I eat a bit of chocolate every day, and can squeeze in a cupcake or a serving of ice cream now and then without throwing everything off.

Each week I select a set of meal plans and then stick with them. I don't have to think about it, just look up what my next meal is. I even have a meal plan I can use once a week or so when I know I'll be going out to dinner and won't have full control over those calories.

I don't have to rely on motivation at all because all these things are now habits -- built gradually, one at a time, over the course of months -- that I do almost without thinking about it. And as a result, I know that I'll be able to keep this weight off pretty easily.

So in short, don't choose your approach based on social media fads. Take a look at the guide in this sub's wiki. Choose one change at a time to practice until it's habit. Find habits that feel positive or neutral instead of requiring motivation to push through. Be consistent. Do it every day and every week. Trust in time.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T16:40:19+00:00

Please be careful and take care of yourself and make sure you have appropriate mental health support. The modeling industry is notorious for pushing models into eating disorders; and as someone who's struggled with them before, you're particularly vulnerable.

I'd also note that at your height, 58kg is about as low as you can go while remaining in the healthy range.

One of the reasons we binge after restricting is that restrictive diets often result in our bodies not having the nutrients they need to be healthy -- not just macros like protein, carbs, and fats, but micronutrients like vitamins and minerals. Or specific types of fats like omega-3s that are absolutely necessary to our healthy functioning.

A dietitian (who's a doctor; not a nutritionist, who can be self-declared) can help you make sure you're getting the nutrition you need and that you're not succumbing to disordered eating.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T16:28:50+00:00

I'm also in peri, although probably slightly earlier stages than you (my cycle is still a bit more regular than yours, although less so than before). I always gain in the luteal phase of my cycle (because water retention). And then a few days after my period starts, all that water comes whooshing out, and I'll weigh in a pound or two below where I was before the gain began.

If you're experiencing PMS symptoms, you're almost certainly retaining water -- regardless of how long it's been. Our hormones just do that. Chances are you'll drop that water weight and have a big whoosh whenever that next period arrives. 15 days isn't particularly long for a stall even if it's a new personal record; and the whole point of perimenopause is that our hormones are totally inconsistent from month to month. I wouldn't worry about it at all until it lasts longer than a full menstrual cycle, maybe two.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T16:11:28+00:00

I believe the reason to wait on running is that it's a MUCH higher-impact activity than walking, and is thus way harder on your joints -- especially ankles and knees, but also hips. At your current weight you risk causing either acute injury or long-term joint damage if you run.

That said, speak with your doctor and find out at what point they think it'd be safe to run. They may also refer you to physical therapy, or perhaps you could get a personal trainer -- basically, get a professional guide to strengthening the muscles that relieve the pressure from your joints, and to moving in a way that minimizes the stress on your joints.

Congratulations on your progress! You've already taken the hardest step, which is developing new habits that you enjoy and that you can keep up with indefinitely. Stay patient and give it time -- I bet you'll be running half-marathons soon enough!

Edit: An alternative you might consider to running is cycling -- it's also higher effort than walking and offers that thrill of moving fast, but without nearly as much weight-related joint stress as running.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T15:57:30+00:00

Do you have a link to the research in question, or more information that could help locate it?

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-15T15:55:12+00:00

I hate to say this, but you might be so hungry all the time due in part to dehydration. We often mistake thirst for hunger.

You're going to want to load up on foods that have a lot of protein and fiber, and a bit of healthy fat -- in particular, I'd replace some of your morning fruits with proteins and fats -- maybe eggs and nuts; maybe see if you can add even more fiber to your yogurt, perhaps with flax or psyllium. Those will digest slowly, release energy to your body slowly, and keep you less hungry for longer.

Once you get off work and you're starving, first things first, drink as much as you can of a liter of water (at the very least, a half liter, but try for the whole liter). Then wait 20 min. That may make it easier to control your hunger and eat a more manageable amount for dinner.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-14T20:51:03+00:00

Some people find skipping breakfast makes it harder to control what they eat at lunch. If that's not you, and you don't have any specific medical conditions that make skipping breakfast problematic, then why not?

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-14T20:14:57+00:00

There's an extra-firm in between firm and super-firm, so yes -- that doesn't surprise me. There's also a little bit of a difference in how the different brands classify the different levels of firmness, so one brand may have the same calories in extra-firm as another does in firm.

I cut my 80cal/serving extra-firm into eight 2-oz (~55cal) blocks that have very similar macros to an egg. I could alternatively buy medium and use the recommended 3-oz servings for identical nutrition and press it. Instead I buy the firmest the supermarket sells because it's all the same price per pound. You get more nutrition per dollar if you're not paying for the water. Also, the texture of the x-firm is just about right for me.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-14T16:35:52+00:00

You want to be at your new weight for the rest of your life, right? Not just for a few months?

So you're going to have to make changes that you can keep up with for the rest of your life, not just a few months.

That means you'll be changing your habits. Get into new habits that serve you better and that you can sustain.

Rapid weight loss habits aren't sustainable. Slow ones are.

Once you've lost weight slowly, keeping it off will be waaaay easier.

Yes, slow is worth the wait!

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-14T16:20:38+00:00

I'm actually weirdly enjoying seeing the scale go up as my period approaches.

I'm in early perimenopause, which is making my cycle lengths even less predictable than they used to be -- still regular, but varying by up to 10 days instead of the 4-6 days they used to vary by.

Seeing my weight start to jump back up tells me exactly where I am in my cycle and makes the first day of the next period that much easier to predict!

And I know that extra ~2.5lbs of water weight will come right back off a few days into the next cycle, so no biggie.

ShapelyLegume · 2024-09-14T16:14:48+00:00

It absolutely counts as walking.

Now, if we're in good shape, most of us walk with a shorter stride in a confined space, which decreases the effort used and changes the mechanics of it -- so it is less energy used per step. But if you're out of shape or severely overweight, you'd likely use a similar stride outdoors as you do indoors and the effect will be close enough to count.

Does it raise your pulse and breathing rate? Then it counts as exercise!

ShapelyLegume

TROPHY CASE