Menopause Ideas

If you have always been okay with your weight and now are seeing that your slacks are getting tight. It’s very possible you may be getting into Menopause weight gain.

We have all read that obesity causes lots of ailments, so let’s listen to this menopause “wake up call!”

Bloating is annoying and we don’t like to feel fat. This bloating may be the beginning of a bigger problem. Perhaps, not just a pound or two, but perhaps 10 to 15 to 20 to 25 to 35 to 40 + pounds over the year, maybe?

This terrible onset of weight gain is what is happening to me.

Up until recently I weighed 145 lbs. I wasn’t too unhappy about this weight, having never been thin, and didn’t mind being a size 14. It worked.

But then in the last 6 months I started noticing that if I didn’t move buttons over, then I wouldn’t be able to wear my favorite outfits anymore, or any of my outfits. I knew one thing, I didnot want to go up another size. I knew if I let myself do that, I may keep letting it happen. And then loosing weight would be even more difficult.

So, one plan I had was to get my sewing kit and move many buttons to accommodate my growing limbs and bulging stomach.
Moving the buttons made me happy and I was fine for a couple months, then my family noticed my weight gain and approached me on it.

Embarrassed, I cut back on my food intake, I knew it would be more healthy for me to loose ten to thirty five pounds I was carrying around and didn’t need.

Luckily my daughter and husband and sons wanted to loose weight also, so we made it a family game. It took the pressure off all of us knowing we all had to loose some weight, we were off to a good start.

My husband offered $100.00 to the person that lost the most weight by the end of the summer. So, my daughter joined a gym with her friend, and the rest of us walked, used exercise equipment and counted calories. Our common goal was 1200 calories each per day.

Because of my anxiety about going on a diet and the expectations, I didn’t loose any weight, but I didn’t gain any weight, which was a start in the right direction. This summer I did not gain weight.

is a helpful cookbook to plan menus with and is another cookbook to browse through and decide on menus. Getting motivated with this helpful book is a start in the right direction

You will want to have some comfy footwear to start your walking exercises. You will need good footwear that supports your feet. Also, consider the purchase of a scale , to weigh in on in the morning. Checking your weight on a scale every other day or weekly is a good tool in your weight and diet and exercise decisions.

My daughter won the bet, and one son lost weight, we others, occasionally walk or jog in the evening routine and wear a reflective vest . If we jog, we go for about 20 minutes, if we walk we go for about 30 to 60 minutes.

By changing your eating habits, to include leafy grean vegetables you are getting on the right track. By having a salad with a meal, you are getting fiber and that helps in your digestion process and can fill you up. I have have dessert now and it is a salad. Once a week I treat myself to ice cream or apple pie, but it is in moderation. Some fat gram counting can be helpful, ask your doctor before starting a serious diet and see what is recommmended.

I have been losing about 1/2 to 1 pound a week. I feel very happy about my new eating habits. One tip I have for you is monitor your sugar and unhealthy snacking. If you can eliminate sweets, and some unhealthy snacking here and there, then that’s good. Sometimes sugar and salty foods can be like almost addictive. Perhaps only have one cookie and five potato chips as you try to begin the elimination process. It sounds silly, but if you think about your snacking and sugar intake seriously you maybe able to change your eating habits for the better. Not having these foods in sight is best.

Recently I attended a birthday party. My willpower was low and I had a small piece of sugary cake loaded with gooey frosting. I ate it slowly to taste every bit, then I wanted another piece, so my will power had to kick in. But I think maybe I should of had more will power the first time. But if you are at a birthday party or some celebration, we all need breaks from dieting. Just start all over again after your event.

Have you thought about getting a “walking buddy” or an “exercise buddy” or a “diet buddy” or just have will power and make it happen for yourself? If you work and there is a parking lot near by, you can walk there. Or if you get there early, walk then. I don’t want to lecture you, but only give you some hints. Ask a colleague to walk with you at lunch.

We have heard over and over again from a lot of media that over weightness can cause heart disease, diabetes, and other disease complications.

If you haven’t been too good about counting calories over the years, maybe now you should look into it. Even if you don’t get a disease in your older age, you may be come uncomfortable with extra weight, why live an uncomfortable life when you can be more healthy?

Here is a fun exercise video to use when you don’t want to walk outside for exercise. Don’t delay, it is your life, try and get some willpower and make your life healthier now!

Using a smaller dinner plate or putting your entire meal on your plate in a modified smaller version can be a good way to eat dinner. Put the left overs away immediately and only eat what is on your plate. Anything you don’t eat, save for later if you are hungry, eat anything on your plate only. Then use some will power.

I hope these common sense diet tips will help you! I am not a dieter, but I want to be around in a comfortable way to enjoy my life as I get older. Good luck – you can do it!