Keto women over 50

(linda) #543

Terry!
That’s wonderful news! Once you cross over into being fat adapted it can be so exciting and revitalizing. And sleep----OMG is so important. Thank you for the update. I need to follow your lead and be better about macros. We can keep this up and live a healthy life :slight_smile:
Big hugs!

#544

I’m struggling, ladies. I know the first weeks can be challenging, but there just seems to be so much affecting (negatively) my efforts. The emotional fallout from losing my brother is at the head of it. I wake up every.single.night. from the same recurring dream of him dying in front of me. This isn’t new…the same thing happened when my parents died. I wake up from that nightmare, gasping, and then proceed to cry for hours, and doze back off to sleep for a bit, until my alarm goes off. I wake up in a fog. The first few days/week on Keto, my sleep had improved, but now I’m back to the nightmare. That’s part 1.

Part 2…Despite being almost 52, “Aunt Flo” has not let up, and in fact, has gotten so bad- I can’t leave the house for the first 3 days. Cramps are right up there with contractions during childbirth. The actual flow is beyond imagination. I’m doing topical progesterone to slow things down, but it does not seem to have helped this time around. Going to keep trying.

Part 3. Since I can’t sleep at night, and I really need time out of the house, I’m heading off to look for a night-time job. My mind needs to be occupied with something else than the nightmare of my brother dying. And, I figure, the extra money will be nice. I love my kids dearly, but I swear they think my business funds are some kind of lottery cash they can dip into whenever. (I have my own business- but sales fluctuate so, I want more financial security and funds for new equipment.) I’m not telling my kids about this, either. If I can leave at 1030pm, and get home before 7am, it should be doable. I’ll need flexibility as Aunt Flo is so problematic, I can’t leave the house for 3 days. But, I’ve told my husband my plan. He supports it, and we’ll work through it.

I’m just at a crossroads right now. Not diving off the deep end, and going to back to carb-loading. Working a few nights a week would be more therapeutic than anything, and the extra activity would be helpful.

If anyone else has gone through this type of thing, and might want to share words of wisdom…I’m all ears (or eyes, rather). Have a blessed day, all!!!

(Cindy) #545

Have you thought about having an ablation done? The years preceding perimenopause, I was in the same situation. Crazy heavy periods so that I felt house bound, I’d stop bleeding for a week, and then be bleeding again. It got so bad that I became anemic.

Had an ablation done and within a couple of weeks, I was no longer anemic. I wish I’d had it done as soon as I knew we weren’t having any more children. The freedom of not having to worry about a period was amazing.

#546

WOW! I didn’t know there was such an option! I will check with my doc! Thank you so so so much for that!!!

(Cindy) #547

I didn’t know about it at the time, either. Very frustrating! In fact, my regular doctor wanted me to go for all sorts of upper and lower GI scopes because she thought I might have internal bleeding causing the anemia. Some random person mentioned an ablation to me, I talked to my ob/gyn, and the next week had it done. Never regretted it, only regretted not doing it sooner.

#548

Sounds like me a couple of years back. I tried topical progesterone and it actually made it way worse - periods became even longer and heavier (but then reversed as soon as I stopped rubbing that smelly and expensive damn stuff on myself).

Have you been checked for uterine fibroids?

#549

Yep, I had one about 20 years ago. Interestingly, it was the progesterone that succeeded in shrinking it down to almost nothing.
I know the stuff stinks, and I was going to try the pill form at some point. I actually quit taking Milk Thistle extract (for the liver), because it mimicks the likes of estrogen. I already have estrogen dominance, and I feel like the milk thistle is what made it worse. Now, it seems like I’m trying to reverse those effects wth progesterone. I’ll talk to the doc though!!!

#550

SecondBreakfast, I’m sorry to hear of your loss!

Magnesium deficiency is strongly related to severe menstrual cramps. It will also help with a good night’s sleep. Don’t bother with magnesium oxide as it is barely absorbed and only helps with constipation. I use Magnesium Bisglycinate, but Malate is good as well.

You are going through a very hard time, understandably.
I suggest you just try to track your carbs keeping them below 20 net and eat keto until you feel satisfied. That’s enough to do for now and forget about tracking anything else for a while. I suspect your monthly will become more reasonable after a while on lowcarb.

(Fay Howell) #551

Hello 53 here turning 54 next month. Been Keto in past and fell away, didn’t really know what I was doing. Did much reading and restarted 4 weeks ago. Have also begun daily walking and or elliptical. Ive lost 3 lbs. not much but body composition is definitely changing and Im never hungry ( I eat tho…) upped my calories last week and so much better…would love to support and get support here as well …

(Cindy ) #552

How are your results from switching things up?

#553

Hi! I’m leaping in here to introduce myself. I’m 52 and post-m.

I’ve been pretty low carb for years, but am really back on track since the first of the year. The first time I lost weight eating VLC (under 30g/day) I was in my 30s and it was definitely much easier to lose. Now, I have to do everything to lose 1-1/2 lb/week. I keep my carbs at 20g, I watch calories, and I’ve started IF. I’m not rigid about calories, but I’ve set a goal. If I’m hungry I eat more. But when I see I’m getting over the goal in my food tracker, it’s a good signal to put the breaks on and check to see if I’m really hungry, or if I just would like some more of whatever because it’s yummy.

I’m mixing up IF: Some days are 16:8, some OMAD, and I’m trying out a 40-hour fast once a week. I can’t say I’m loving it, but I want to benefit from the autophagy, as much as a weight loss boost. I’ve lost about 12 lbs. since early January and the pace has picked up a bit since I started IF.

#554

Just turned 53 yesterday and happy to say that I was also able to go off celexa after a couple of months of Keto. I’m 10 months in to Keto and can’t wait to celebrate 1 full year of Keto and medication free! :tada:

(Jane) #555

Welcome!

(Susie Hutchison) #556

I’m very afraid to tell my doctor. I have heart issues, two stents. This diet goes against everything the American Heart Association teaches. I’ve lost 35 pounds and my cholesterol has dropped 20 points.

(Edith) #557

Sounds like you have all the proof you need that you are NOT sending yourself to an early grave with keto, especially with the weight loss and lower cholesterol. I don’t remember how long you’ve been eating this way, but it is usually best to wait about 5 to 6 months before having blood tests because you are fat adapted at that point and cholesterol and triglycerides have settled down by then.

(Susie Hutchison) #558

I’ve been on keto 9 months.

(Cathy) #559

I’m 54 and have been Keto for over 4 months now. I’m doing it with my husband. I think that’s key. The household has to do it together. When we started, we committed not to cheat at all for 2 months. I had the fast 5 lbs off in the first week (water) then about 2 lbs/week for 2 months and lost 15 lbs. We cheated big time for Christmas week then got right back on it. Since then I’ve been stalled but this past week I dropped another 3 lbs putting me at a weight I haven’t seen since my 30’s! I feel great and look great!
I’m seeing a lot of excuses on this thread. The key to Keto is commitment. And believe it or not, it’s easier to be strict then to jump in and out. You have to be committed for the first 2 months until you are well fat adapted. Then you can afford to have a special dinner or snack because you’re a fat burner and will go right back into it. I usually extend my IF the day after a cheat to get me quickly back into ketosis.
I’ll finish by saying that I’ve never been able to lose weight. For 20 years I tried. Keto is easy. It literally falls off. You just have to keep your body in ketosis and extend your fast every morning and you’ll see results too. I say to myself, “1 more hour of eatting my fat,” when I start getting hungry!
I’m routing for you!

(Janelle) #560

Wait - in this thread? I’d beg to differ - it’s been very supportive. Before you decide it’s as easy as whatever formula worked for you personally, I’d cut people some slack. People come for advice and support.

Congrats on your success in any case. It sounds like it’s worked well for you.

(Georgia Johnson) #561

I’m 56 years old, been doing Keto for 11 months now and I have lost 65 pounds. I’ve been stalled for the last 4 months. I haven’t gained, so that’s a good thing. I think it’s because I’ve been making and eating a lot more Keto desserts. I really enjoy making all the new recipes I see. I still need to lose about 90 pounds, so I need to get back to the basics.

(Edith) #562

Hi @Coffeebarbabe, sorry I didn’t reply sooner. I just saw your inquiry.

Well… it’s been terrible, actually.

I’ve posted on other threads about trouble with heart palpitations over the past 8 months. Every time I think I figure out what is causing them, they come back.

When I started switching things up, I did actually start to drop some weight. The problem seems to be that I have to intermittent fast to really get some good ketones going and therefore burn fat. Once I’m really making those ketones my appetite goes way down and intermittent fasting with 2mad or 1mad gets pretty easy. The problem is I just couldn’t eat enough food in 2mad or 1mad and I started to feel terrible. The heart palpitations came back, I was cold all the time. So, no hunger, but not enough calories to keep my body happy.

I’ve also been having symptoms of idiopathic postprandial syndrome. I feel hypoglycemic a few hours after I eat, but my blood sugar is in the normal range. Somewhere during my researching, I found it could be caused by hormonal problems. I also read that insulin is important for making thyroid hormones and that keeping insulin too low can cause decreased thyroid function. I wondered it maybe that was what was happening. I think keeping my carbs too low may actually stress my body.

So, I upped my carbs and went back to three meals a day. Omg, I feel so much better. I’m back to my old self: not cold all the time, heart palpitations are better, sleeping better, and way more energy.

Then, I thought, hum, I am actually eating more. Maybe it’s not the carbs, but just the fact that I’m getting more calories and nutrients in my body.

So, that’s where I am right now. I told my husband I would rather feel good and be a little chubby than be athletically thin but having heart trouble and feeling terrible.

I’m still menstruating. My mom didn’t stop getting her period until she was 57. If I follow in her footsteps, I still have four years of perimenopause to go. :rage: I’m hoping that once my hormones are settled, I can get back into a deeper fat burning zone. I love keto, but it has really been a trial for me. I think being on the cusp of keto may be what I need for now. It’s the long haul. So, keto calm, yadda, yadda. :grinning: