Weight gain and loss

Well, I have recently celebrated my one year hysterversary. I have been doing fine. Not really any big problems.

I am, however, experiencing trouble with losing weight. Before it was so easy. Eat right, excercise and don't cheat too often. I am doing the same now, but the weight isn't coming off. I lost 50 pounds before my surgery. I had emergency gall bladder removal 6 months after my hyst. So, does anyone have any advice on what's going on?

Ramona

Ramona,
It can be more difficult to lose weight once in surgical menopause. One thing I also found was that the first year post op it was especially difficult to lose weight. I was eventually able to shed the extra pounds I had put on before the hyst and have successfully kept them off.

Are you using hormone replacement? Do the hormones feel balanced? Hormonal imbalance can cause weight problems.

Here's two good articles on this issue:
Weight and Hrt
Weight and Menopause

Hi Ramona - I've been doing a lot of reading about exercise and it sounds like you have hit the dreaded "plateau". Apparently, exercise is a form of stress for our bodies. Because we're so well designed, our bodies adapt to normalize this "stress" factor. So, trainers are advising their clients to alter their exercise program about every 3 weeks so the body doesn't get a chance to completely adapt, since once it adapts, your metabolism slows down again and you plateau. I started back to exercise at 4 weeks post-op with regular walking and swimming. This week I'm starting stationery cycling and 10 lb arm weights. I plan to alter my fitness program every 3 weeks and, once the 3-month period is up, start doing Pilates on the Ball (great isometric exercise to firm up the core of the body = abdominal) and dancercise. Also, with summer coming on I can add cycling. I think the key is to keep your body thinking that things are changing and your metabolism needs to stay in higher gear all the time.

Another metabolism-boosting approach is to divide your food into 6 portions ... 3 small meals and 3 healthy snacks, each with some protein (peanut butter is considered a good fat now!). As we age (30+) we tend to lose muscle; dieting can cause you to lose more. Protein is essential to keeping your muscle mass and, as we all know, muscle burns more calories than fat - about 30-50 more per day!

And, studies have shown that women who eat low-fat yogourt or cheese 2-3x a day get the calcium the body needs to tell itself to burn fat more quickly.

You may want to get your hands on a copy of Prevention's Healthy Woman 2006. It is an excellent research-based guide to health and weight loss.

Good luck and keep us posted! Mary