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I am over 50.  I have been doing the Whole30 for 3 1/2 weeks.  I have been very strict with no slips.  I have had some results with sleeping and digestion, but it doesn't look like I have lost any weight or inches (though I have NOT stepped on the scale).  My clothes just don't fit any differently and I look the same in the mirror.  I'm wondering if this is just too many calories for a menopausal woman to lose weight on.  Is it common for a woman my age to have trouble losing on this cleanse?  Should I eat less?  I'm figuring I have to go past 30 days, but I want to know if I should change it up the 2nd time around.  Thanks for any help.

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It would be helpful to get an idea of a typical days worth of meals for you. Following the template, you want to make sure you have protein, fat, and carbs in the form of vegetables at every meal. Are you drinking plenty of water?

Remember this is not a cleanse as such, but rather a reset... giving your body a chance to rebound from prior poor choices. For some people it takes longer. I myself am 49 and on day 21, I don't feel like I have lost a ton of weight (we shall see) and my pants don't fit THAT much differently, but my energy is steady throughout the day and I am more aware of my hunger signals. Most importantly, food has stopped being a major focus. I think for me it is as much a mental shift as a physical one. My advice is stick with it!

Be sure to read It Starts With Food too.

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I am 59 and I agree that things change after menopause. W30 is not for weightloss specifically but it does tend to happen with truly healthy eating. I agree with the above post..keep at it for 30 days and be patient.

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Thank you for your comments.  I will stick with it; I was just wondering whether to make my portions smaller on the next go-round.  I am happy to use it as a reset, but I was also hoping to lose some inches in the process...I need to.

I eat 1-2 protein servings at each of three meals.  (I thought about making those smaller.)  I have at least one large portion of an on-plan vegetable at each of 3 meals.  I have also had a on-plan fat serving and fruit serving at almost every meal.  I wait about 4 hours between meals, but I am rarely hungry at the next mealtime.  I just feel like maybe this is too many calories for me and I should cut back on the protein and fat. ( I have already cut back the fruit servings because I could.)  I wondered if anybody had the same experience, because I thought maybe it was a difference in metabolism for an older woman.  I have read It Starts With Food and this circumstance was never addressed.  Let me know how you do and I will do the same.  (I am going to step on the scale after 30 days just to see.)

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I am almost 55 and have been on plan since early April. It takes longer to show consistent weight loss at our age so stay with it. Since April. I have lost about 13 pounds which isn't much but a consistent loss over time with no hunger and good ability to workout-I expect you are doing some kind of exercise regime(weight training esp for post menopausal women is key). I eat only one piece of fruit a day, maybe 2 if I have a long workout.

Slow and steady-today I weighed and I have not been at this weight since junior high!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thank you, Cayenne.  Your post was encouraging.

I got on the scale after 30 days and I had only lost 2 lbs.  I measured my waist and gut area, which is where I need to lose the most, and I had only lost 1/2 inch.  Yes, I have been working out and doing strength training about  2X/wk.  I am going to hit it for another 30 days and see what happens.  I will decrease my fruit and my nuts and try slightly smaller portions to see if I can make some progress while still avoiding too much hunger.  It would be nice to hear from the Hartwigs or other moderators, if they could make some suggestions.  Anybody know how to get in touch with them, directly or indirectly?

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The difficult thing about working with post-menopausal women is that it's probably not about your food. You can try cutting back a LITTLE on protein and fat, but I'm doubtful that's going to make a difference. (One piece of fruit per day vs. two is really not the deciding factor in these cases.) At this point, hormonal balance and chronic stress are far more significant factors in weight loss. We often refer this population to a functional medicine doctor, to do some tests to see where hormones are, and perhaps supplement to rebalance, as lifestyle modifications alone are often not enough to get them where they want to be.

 

You should look at lifestyle factors, however, as chronic stress also has a significant impact on hormonal balance and weight loss. Are you sleeping 8-9 hours a night? Exercising smart (not too much, not too little)? Managing life stressors effectively? These things all play a role, along with food quality.

 

My recommendation is to continue eating well, and be patient, as weight loss in this population happens far more slowly. If you want to take things to the next level, you can certainly work with Dallas as part of his functional medicine practice, but know that isn't a quick-fix either (generally, he works with people for a minimum of 6 months).

 

Best,

Melissa

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naturallylate,

I'm over 50 too. I ended up doing the Whole30 for 50 days (messed up on day 20 so had to restart) & I found that I didn't start to lose inches around my tummy, hips and thighs until after day 30 - then it started dropping slow and steady. I think ladies in our age group will sometimes take a while to balance out and start losing enough in our midsection to drop a clothing size. I'm in a size 10 pants (loose and comfortable) and I started out a size 12 that was really too tight to be comfortable.  I lost weight in other areas like face, bust, arms before I started to loose the weight in my tummy, hips and thighs. 

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Thank you, Cayenne.  Your post was encouraging.

I got on the scale after 30 days and I had only lost 2 lbs.  I measured my waist and gut area, which is where I need to lose the most, and I had only lost 1/2 inch.  Yes, I have been working out and doing strength training about  2X/wk.  I am going to hit it for another 30 days and see what happens.  I will decrease my fruit and my nuts and try slightly smaller portions to see if I can make some progress while still avoiding too much hunger.  It would be nice to hear from the Hartwigs or other moderators, if they could make some suggestions.  Anybody know how to get in touch with them, directly or indirectly?
_______________________________________________________________________

 

I know Melissa responded above, and that may be the sort of response you were seeking, but I thought I'd throw in my two cents' worth too.

 

Considering that average healthy weight loss is between 1/2 lb and 1 lb per week, you lost weight at a healthy rate.  And the fact that your waist decreased meant you lost inflammation and possibly fat in your belly.  I read Melissa's response to mean that hormonal treatments may be necessary to support a healthy diet in post menopausal women.  But what I see in your results is a steady and sustained response to Whole30 eating.  What many of us experience with rapid weight loss is really loss of total body inflammation.  Many of us don't really deal with fat loss and body composition changes until we've been eating this way much longer than 30 days.  I started to see significant changes in body composition after about six months.  I just had a lot of inflammation to lose and that came off rather quickly.  But for my body to start to really be different?  Much longer.  This is, based on what I see here on the forums, irrespective of gender, age, and menopausal status.  So if you find Melissa's remarks about post menopausal women helpful, by all means pursue those avenues she suggested.  But please also keep in mind that you really did lose weight at a steady pace (one of our male moderators, Tom, reports that he lost two pounds per month for many months, and never ever lost more than that in one month).  You did lose belly fat.  And you were able, in 30 days, to reset old food and lifestyle patterns.  I think you did great, and I hope you feel encouraged by your results.  :wub:

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Hi, I am 55 so this topic is good for me. Of course I would love to lose some weight, but I am concentrating on being healthier. I do know that I must get rid of some of my belly fat to be healthier. I am only on day 6, but I already feel different. I feel a lessening in the frequency and severity of my hot flashes (which means I can sleep better) so hormones are already adjusting. I also have eliminated my sugar crashes by eating larger, more protein based meals and not eating in between.

 

I am also doing the AI Protocol, so not having eggs, nuts, seeds or nightshades (which I knew I was sensitive to so was avoiding anyway). I am hoping that doing all of this will lessen the inflammation in my body to help with various issues. I am also on anti-depressents, and ideally would love to get off of them, but one step at a time.

 

I know I have to start exercising. Maybe some nice walks and weight training for a start.

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I can relate. It seemed like I was eating so much food but I actually was eating better food. I am 59 years young. I am 4'9 inches tall. I have lost height since menopause about 2 inches. I have cut down my portion sizes and stop eating when full. I think that has been the biggest change for me on W30. I am beginning to wear my smaller size pants. That is exciting,

Is your height a factor in the amount of food you eat?

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I think it's overall size. Since the portions are usually based on hand size (two palms of protein, as many eggs as you can hold in your hand) it's natural that smaller people would eat less.

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I SO appreciate everyone's comments on this forum!  Isn't it just good to know we're not alone?

 

I'm thankful for Melissa taking the time to respond to some of our questions.  I will say I was a little discouraged when I read her solutions, simply because I was with a functional medicine doctor for a few months and it ended up costing me about $100 every time I saw him.  He was constantly prescribing another supplement.  One of the reasons I wanted to do the W30 was to see if I could get my metabolism straightened out without having to take pill-form supplements all the time.  (Not only the money, but I HATE swallowing pills!)  I suppose if I get desperate enough, I might see about joining Dallas' practice (though I don't know how that would work long distance :-\ ).  But for now, I'm going to just keep at it.  I'm in the 2nd week of my second 30 days--so about Day 42.  I feel great and have also had some of the benefits others mentioned in regard to hot flashes, sleep, digestion, energy, cravings, etc.  So it is definitely worth it!

 

I still haven't seen any significant improvement in the way my clothes fit or the size of my gut though, which of course I am anxious for. I was encouraged to hear about Tom from AmyS and her thoughts about healthy weight loss.  I have cut back my portions just slightly and am trying to increase my water intake.  I am also trying to get all my food eaten by 6:00-7:00 pm (which is hard at my house!) and then refrain from eating in the evening when the rest of my family is snacking.  I will stay off the scale until my second W30 is done and then I'll let you all know how I've done.  I think at my age, I'm going to have to be satisfied with slow & steady weight-loss, as Melissa and CRCBN said.

 

My best wishes to all of you that are participating in this forum!  Hang in there girls!

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I'm 61 and just finishing up Day 29.  The first week and a half I dropped about 10 lbs, but like a previous poster pointed out, it was inflammation... (the reason I went on the Whole 30 to begin with) I have gone down one size, and my upper body and face are smaller, as well as my abdomen and thighs.  I haven't weighed myself since that first week, but I feel I have leveled off and I don't expect to see the scale any lower when I weigh myself again in a couple of days. 

It definitely IS harder to lose weight at this age.  Another factor I don't know if anyone mentioned is medication.  Don't know if you are currently taking any meds, but that can also slow down weight loss.   

The nuts had to go, I had to cut down my portions just a bit, and add more vegetables.  And step up the physical activity.

 

Best of luck!

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  • 2 years later...

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