no menopausal weightloss help from my dr

by Kim
(Federal Way, WA)

Two years ago i noticed i was gaining back the 30 pounds i had lost thanks to weight watchers. I mentioned it to my gyno and she (being in her 30's and a little overweight herself). "Well you just need to watch those calories" Really and i paid for those words of wisdom. Since then i have joined Curves and work out 4 or 5 times a week. And at least 2 times are Zumba classes and guess what ~ I've gained 10 pounds. But i do have more energy but i don't feel any better about my weight

Thoughts from Cari
Hi Kim
It really can be disheartening to have those pounds pack on regardless of your efforts and as for 'watching those calories'.... for myself, I've counted and watched enough calories to know that it is DEFINITELY not a way to live. I want to be able to enjoy what I call happy eating.

Menopausal weight gain can be especially difficult to deal with psychologically because you can feel like you're doing all the right things and still the weight you don't want seems to find you. I have taken comfort in the fact that if almost everyone world wide, regardless of culture or race, picks up weight around menopause then it must be because that is what nature has intended. So I'm focussing on being healthy rather than being thin. I indulge in what I call body fun (as you are) daily, for the most part I eat pretty healthily and in a ways that is body-wise and I know that when the time is right, and my body no longer needs it, my weight will lose me naturally. PS. the other thing to take into account is that when you're doing zumba and other exercise you're also converting fat into muscle which is a lot heavier on a scale than fat is. so you're improving your basal metabolic rate.

Kind regards
Cari