Hormones, peri menopause, menopause and whole 30

[Rainfall]

Trying to stay motivated. I did the 30 days and have continued to stay on plan except for very small amounts of wine on 3 occasions. Yet, I have not lost an ounce. I am 44 and in premature ovarian failure (like menopause) and have recently started bio-identical hormones after a year of synthetic hormones. My doctor tells me that if I keep eating cleanly, the weight should start to come off in SIX months!!?!? Does anyone have an experience with a similar situation? I need to hear some success stories. Please!

[ShannonM816]

Can I ask, how much total do you need to lose? Because if it's not that much (say, less than 30 lbs), it just seems to take longer than if it's a lot, no matter what weight loss method you're using. For comparison, I need to lose over 100 lbs.  I just finished my Whole30 yesterday, and lost 7.3 lbs. I had a total hysterectomy about six years ago and therefore I'm post-menopausal, and take no hormone replacements.

 

Also, keep in mind that there's other things than weight that can indicate an improvement in health. This article might give you some ideas: http://www.whole9life.com/2012/08/new-health-scale/. They do stress that Whole30 is not a weight loss program, it's a program to improve your health, the weight loss is secondary. Maybe for a while don't weigh yourself, and instead make a list of things that have improved from you changing the way you eat. Do you have more energy? Better moods? Clearer skin? Healthier hair and nails? There's bound to be something you've noticed that is better now than it was before -- focus on that.

 

Anyway, best of luck to you. Hang in there, and the weight will come off -- but in the meantime, try to relax and not worry about it. (I know that's hard. Not five days ago I was going nuts wanting to step on the scale, just to see, because I couldn't just trust that this would work -- I mean, I was eating avocados every day, how could I possibly lose weight? I just couldn't trust that it would be okay. I think now my goal is to only weigh once a month (or maybe even less, if I can manage it), instead of weekly as I had been before this, in an effort to learn to not worry about that number so much). 

[Alisa25]

I too had a complete hysterectomy 4 years ago.  I was not over weight at the time,(maybe a little underweight)..  but have gained 12 lbs since.  I'm 52,  and while I know this is not a weight loss program I want to learn how to eat better and STOP the weight gain.  I'd be happy to lose 5lbs..  But like Rainfall said.. it is gotten so hard.  If eating Paleo will help I'm all for it.  It is hard to get your head around eating all this fat and meat.   Before I started I hadn't eaten RED meat in about 7 years.  I now enjoy a nice grass-fed hamburger patty or steak!  I finished the Whole30 on Oct 15th..  got on the scales and saw 3.5 lb gain!  freaked out.. the next morning it was gone!  So...  yes, put the scales away and trust that your body will respond.  I've never eaten healthier then I am now.. 

[Rainfall]

Thank you Shannon and Alyssa, I appreciate your insights and advice.

I'm should weigh 138, I'm 155. I was about 145 for ages until a year ago when my symptoms became unbearable and I started taking the synthetics, then I gained 10 lbs. I didn't weigh in during the initial days, and I would be happy if my weight stayed the same, but my clothes fit better. Alas, I still feel like a little sausage. I'm definitely less gassy and more alert on whole 30 than I was before, but I'm still not sleeping through the night, and therefore tired during the day, my hair continues to fall out, my nails are still brittle, but my skin is a little softer. I know I'm healthier, but I don't feel it...yet (I hope!) I know my imbalanced hormones are the problem, not the diet, but I really need to hear from other women who may have been in a similar situation and stuck out and experienced success a few months down the line and from women who plateaued and then pushed through it. The other thing getting me down is that I did with some friends and they all had amazing success. Please share your stories.

[Bet]

Hi, I am in full menopause, not on any hormones. I have been able to lose about 12 pounds on two W30, mostly around the middle. I took a break after my first W30 this summer and we were on vacation and I did indulge a bit and gained back a few. So I did another one in September. It is definitely doable, but I do think for those with hormone issues, it will take longer. While I would love to lose more, I'm concentrating more on being healthy and continue to explore new foods that I can make/eat that will keep me that way. As long as I'm not eating a bunch of junk, I think the weight will take care of itself eventually.

[Rainfall]

Thanks Bet. My plan is continue to eat pretty clean (whole 30 plus a little wine and dairy) for the next week because it's my birthday and my fiancé is taking me wine tasting (planned a long time ago). Next Sunday, I'm immediately going back on the whole 30, hoping my hormones will have stabilized a little by then. That way, my thirty days will be up by thanksgiving and I can indulge in a glass of wine with my family. I'm also going to watch my salt intake more closely.