Post menopausal, normal weight = no results

(Susan) #1

Now week 4 and I quit counting calories, added more fat, bought MCT oil, have bulletproof coffee for breakfast, incidental carbs only (e.g. green pepper in my ground beef), and I’m gaining weight. I don’t have a lot to lose (like 8 pounds), I don’t have diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia or other chronic health problem, and have never lacked in energy levels or alertness.

I’m 59 and 133.4 as of this morning. I started at 132. I was hoping to lose SOMETHING before surgery I have scheduled for June 6. While 1.4# might not sound like much, it means I don’t fit in any of my summer clothes (I was 125 last summer) as well as being the opposite direction I want to go.

I’m think if I’m doing this program is for weight loss or at worst weight maintenance, maybe it’s not the best idea for a post-menopausal woman with a normal BMI and no metabolic health problems.

Anyone else in a similar situation?

(LeeAnn Brooks) #2

I can’t speak to the post menopausal issue, but I will give you my observation in the 7 weeks I’ve been on Keto.
Weight fluctuates a lot more day to day than on LF diets. I believe one reason is due to the dehydrating effects of Keto and our continuous attempts to rehydrate and get our electrolytes in line. I don’t worry about small gains because they are typically followed by a bit larger losses. Even an occasional spike is not uncommon, but it’s quickly lost. So long as the overall trajectory is downwards, it’s a win for me.

I lost a lost faster and consistently on low fat diets.

So why am I doing Keto?

Because I gained back every single time I lost weight on a low fat diet and then some. I’ve been everything from a size 4 to a size 18 and back again a half a dozen times in my life.

If I can sustain weight loss on Keto by adopting a WOE that I can do long term, I’m perfectly fine lossing weight slower. The one thing I’m determined is that the yo-yo stops here. Even if I don’t reach my desired weight completely ever, I will be happy to lose some and maintain.

(Cathy) #3

I think you have answered your own question. You are not losing weight (which seems your primary goal) and you have no health issues aside from an upcoming surgery. Keto is not doing what you hoped for which is to lose a few lbs…

There are a multitude of reasons why this may be as each of us has our own unique situation biologically speaking. I would suggest you go back to your ‘tried and true’ weight loss methods and maybe as a health consideration, stay away from the worst of the carbs like sugar and wheat as a preventative thing.

If you really want to stick to keto then come to the understanding that it may require more work and adjustments. Fasting may be the key for you. Some people are very insulin resistant without outward signs. Dr. J. Kraft’s work is a telling read. Fasting can help reduce the resistance.

Best wishes for your surgery.

(Jeanette) #4

I’m 52 and menopausal (for a few years now) I’m 5’2" and 120 lbs. I started gaining weight around my middle for the first time about a year and a half ago, related to menopause. I was on keto for a few months last year and experienced the same thing you did. I only needed to lose 10 lbs to fit into my clothes again but I didn’t lose weight. At first I actually gained weight. The macro calculator I used I think was the problem. They’re all different in my experience. The one I used had me eating 1500 cals a day to lose weight but others had me eating 900 cals a day to lose weight. I recently decided to go on keto again (after living a low carb lifestyle for the past year and not gaining or losing weight) but this time I’m being extremely strict with my macros and I measure all my foods. I’m eating about 1200 cals a day, I’m moderately active, and the weight is dropping off for the first time - actually got my waist back. I’m keeping my fat intake at around 80% and protein at about 15% and net carbs at less than 5 %. I think that what I’m doing is extreme for the average keto dieter but after menopause I think you need to really watch your macros and food amounts super closely. I was eating more protein the first time and I’m wondering if my body is just good at converting protein to glycogen because now with very low protein I’m finally losing. I’m also measuring and weighing everything I eat seems to make the most difference for me - not sure if you were doing that. I love reading how other dieters don’t feel hungry or don’t need to measure food amounts and still lose weight. Even with my fat intake that high, I’m hungry at times and this is okay and normal even for keto although a lot of people claim you should be eating fat when you get hungry - I don’t agree with that - I want my body to use its own fat. I think that after menopause, hormonal changes, how much free T3 and testosterone you have are essential components of weight loss for a woman. I will add that I had a low dose bio-identical testosterone implant done about two weeks prior to me retrying keto and I’m not sure if that little boost has made the different. I read about it after looking into some treatment for just feeling not myself after menopause and between that and the keto dieting, my energy levels super high and I’m sleeping really well.

(Susan) #5

Thank you, yes, I was advised “don’t count calories, just eat fat!” Calories count still, though. Im used to 1200-1500 calories for loss/maintenance. I took a much more sedentary job a year ago and wham 10 pounds. My usual strategy wasn’t working so opted to try Keto. Thus far, though, it’s not doing the job. I think I need to do 1200-ish calories…be it keto or otherwise. And all “diets” seriously underestimate how much I can eat, lol. Full? Hah! :joy:

(LeeAnn Brooks) #6

If you’re going to count calories, you should NOT go hungry. You need to eat enough to feel full. If not, your Keto adaption phase will be hindered.
Make sure your eating higher fat foods that help you feel satiated.

(Auden) #7

I just added his book to my to-read list - thank you!

(Norma Laming) #8

The key for me has been eating less. Be wary of all those bouncing fit men in Twitter: their lives and their bodies are different from yours in a way they will never understand, whether they are doctors or not. I would go so far as to say that any man who needs to post his half naked body online is not someone who can help a post menopausal woman.

In 2018 I was quite unwell and lost even my small keto appetite. So I didn’t eat when I wasn’t hungry. When I was really unwell I didn’t eat for a couple of weeks.

Now everything has changed. I eat less and I stop when I no longer wish to eat. I skip meals if I’m not hungry. It’s a lot easier at weekends.

I’m strictly meat and some green veg, though I’m not bothered if I don’t eat veg. I avoid cauliflower because adding fat to that causes me to overeat it and I’ve realised that it is far too easy inadvertently to go over the low carb limit by eating veg. So I focus on meat. I eat one proper meal a day, just what will fill a bowl and my priority is meat, to get my protein- I don’t need a lot as I’m 5’2” but that’s what I concentrate on.

Also though I have one or perhaps two coffees with cream I eat far, far less fat than I did before and, for me, that’s key. Yes, don’t be afraid of fat but eating fat is not a magic potion to make you lose fat. Post menopausal women need more protein but less food overall, in my experience

(Carrie) #9

Hi there

How are things going with keto for you now? I’ve been searching through the forum for items on menopause and found this thread.
I am post menopausal 3 years after surgical menopause, age 49.
I’ve been keto for 2 months and my weight loss has been 8lbs total, but that was all in the first 2 weeks, since hen my weight has stalled.
I’m starting to wonder if any more weight loss is just not going to happen for me.
I’m on Tibolone HRT. My macros are good, I’m doing everything right, I’ve been skipping dinner this week to help induce a fast, and kick start something, but nothing…

(Susan) #10

Keto was a complete bust for me. 3 months in, purple keto strips on testing, and nothing, not an ounce lost. Worked good for my husband but I lost no weight and cannot attribute anything beneficial from the attempt.

(b9b714e271076ca269b8) #11

Are you gonna keep going?
Hubby thinks i need to up my cardio.
Ive been so lethargic i just barley get my work done. Are you lethargic too?

(Susan) #12

No lethargy, no mental fog, no other issue to overcome; I just wanted to lose some weight. So, no, I didn’t keep it up as there were no results for me.

(mole person) #13

I’m also post menopausal and insulin sensitive but keto worked perfectly for me. I lost the 25 pounds I’d put on over the last decade and sit now as trim as I’ve ever been at 107 lbs at 5’5.

The trick for me was exactly what @Hermione said. After I lost the first ten pounds on basic lazy keto I stalled out completely while my husband kept losing steadily. I started 16/8 IF and kept reducing my window until I was comfortable with OMAD. That alone dropped me the next ten pounds, even though it was still lazy keto with zero tracking of any sort.

Then I stalled again. I still wasn’t satisfied with my belly so I decided to track a bit to see what was what. It turned out I had a massive carb leak in my coffee cream. I was drinking more than my macro just in my daily coffee. I tightened that up and cut back on my nuts which I was also over indulging and those last five pounds flew away.

One thing a lot of people get bad advice about is that they should eat loads of fat on this diet. It’s true that fat is your carb replacement, your main energy source. However, if you have weight to lose you want some of that fat to be coming off your body and so trying to stuff in your full fat macro is completely counter productive.

So I don’t try to eat loads of fat. But to be honest, at maintenance I find that if I eat the amount of protein that my body seems to want (about 45 grams) and I’m strict about carbs, than my percentage of fat still tends close to 80%. But that number only needs to be that high if you DON’T want to lose body fat while staying on a ketogenic diet.

(Cancer Fighting Ketovore :)) #14

Maybe you could post what a typical day looks like, food-wise. Maybe you have some hidden carbs. And if not, maybe someone can help you tweak things to get better results.

Also, have you checked out the menopause section on the forum?

(Carrie) #15

This is all very interesting, I think menopause does make things more difficult, stubborn weight is so hard to shift. I think I’m going to have to try intermittent fasting to try and get out of this stall. I’ve heard others call it PISS, post induction stall syndrome.
I will carry on, I hate the thought that I’ve put myself through nearly 9 weeks of tracking EVERYTHING to give up, and miss the opportunity of ploughing through the stall and start losing weight again. But on the other hand I wonder if it’s just not right for me?
I have to lose some weight, and I know people say it’s a WOE and think of other achievements, but I really NEED to lose some weight. Arggrrr
I will carry on, I’ve got a cold/virus at the moment, so I will wait until the end of the week before I start IF.
Should I do 18:6 with nothing in between except water? Perhaps for a week?

(Janelle) #16

So, curious, what are you eating now? Have you found what works for you?

Without changing anything, I kept gaining weight the closer I got to 50. I’ve lost around 20 lbs in 5 months on keto. I’m pretty sure I would have gained at least 5 the way I was going (no fast food, but eating bread and the occasional Cheeto).

(Carrie) #17

Hi, I’ve stuck very strictly to keto for 9 weeks, but haven’t lost any weight in 7 weeks now…
I have coffee with cream for breakfast
Roast chicken thighs with mayo and salad for lunch (several days a week, but it’s usually meat+mayo plus salad).
Then a coffee with cream in the afternoon
I’ve been skipping dinner last week, but when I have had dinner it’s something like meat/green veg.

(Janelle) #18

@Cd6569 - is the reason you’re eating so little because you’re not hungry? You’ve basically listed less than 1,000 calories. It’s counterintuitive but actually try eating more for a week and see if that helps. Start watching your added fat too - you can reduce it after a while for fat loss as you should start to burn your own fat.

I know it’s frustrating. You can find me complaining on this forum in 10 or 12 places. I’m seeing an obesity specialist to lose 80lbs - about 60 to go. He checks my waist size and fat % every 3 months. So far, he’s happy with the small gains I’m making - which tells me that a lot of people (who are not always online and on forums) also have a slow go. I know he’ll recommend some fasting soon. I don’t like it. I get none of the euphoria that people talk about. If you want to experience me being crabby, talk to me during a 24-hour fast. Can’t imagine what I’d be like after a few days. Likely despondent.

Anyway, there are sometimes small victories and I encourage you to see those. Are you losing anything off your waist? Pants a little looser?

(Carrie) #19

No, my clothes aren’t looser either, I’m quite frustrated by the while thing now, but I will keep going for a while longer because I’ll feel a total failure if I quit now.
I’ll try to eat a bit more perhaps but within a time limit. Thanks for your help
What hours do you fast? And what do you drink while fasting?

(Janelle) #20

If I’m doing IF (one or two meals a day) then coffee w/ a small squirt of liquid Splenda. If a 24 hour fast, just water. I really don’t do a 24 hour fast often though.

Reminder - going back to what you were doing before is probably not the answer. My extra 80lbs was doing a number on my body and I could only see it getting worse the closer to 50 I got. I kept saying, “I’m going to lose 50 by 50!” Instead, I kept gaining a little bit at a time. I haven’t continued to gain - so there’s that!