Share Your Experience With Weight Loss After Menopause

I have read a lot about how much harder it gets to lose weight after menopause, and I have certainly noticed changes in how easily I put on weight during the pre-menopausal and peri-menopausal phase compared to when I was younger.

What has YOUR post-menopausal weight loss experience been like?

I can't really speak to the experience of weight loss after menopause as I'm not quite there yet, but I would love to hear from any of you who would feel comfortable telling me and my other readers about your experience.

My current plan is to keep calm - except for when I'm not in the mood to be calm - and maintain a steady pace as far as eating as healthy as I can manage and exercising regularly, such as light aerobics for cardio fitness and weight lifting for strength building.

What Is Your Menopause and Weight Loss Plan?

Have you ever WANTED things to turn out a certain way, and then instead of taking action, just waited to see how things turned out?

If you answered yes to that - how did things turn out? The way you wanted? Or maybe not so great... When I have sat back and waited to see how things went instead of making  a plan and taking action, things turned out pretty darn awful! Fate can be cruel, and truly, that is an understatement.

If you don't want to trust your future to the cruel hand of fate, this is a great time for you to take charge of your destiny and develop your own menopause and weight loss plan.

I'm not a medical professional, so I can't give you medical advice on weight loss, other than to chat with your doctor about your concerns - but I can tell you what has worked for me and offer you a place to share your own experiences if you feel like it.

As I move into the menopausal phase of life, I notice my weight shifting around, settling around my middle, and I've noticed a few unkind kicks from gravity, too.

I started my own weight loss plan a year ago - and actually it was for t sake of being able to climb a flight of stairs without having to gasp for air. I gave up second helpings at meals - except for when my family goes out to eat at a buffet - then - I can indulge in seconds - if I feel like it. After a bit over a year - I rarely ever have the desire to go back, even at buffets, because I am simply used to eating less. A miracle that has left me a touch over 35 pounds lighter. I also started lifting dumbbells but didn't stick with that past the second month.

My next change, and I decided to do this one as a New Year's resolution, is to add exercise a minimum of 3 times per week. To help myself keep on track with this, I've programmed the aerobics classes and cardio-mix classes I can attend free as a perk of my YMCA membership in my planner with a one hour early notification to make sure I'm up and have time to drive in for the classes.

I would love to hear about your plan for managing menopause and weight control, or if you think it's crazy to make a plan like this, I would love to hear that, too, so feel free to comment below - if you want to.

3 Tasty Foods for Weight Loss and Muscle Building

Whether you're still focusing on a New Year's resolution to get fit, or you're just in the mood to get busy fighting the 'middle age spread', this post on eating tasty foods that help you lose weight is for you.

If foods for weight loss and muscle building make you think of chewing on a cardboard box, I'm here to say - it doesn't have to be like that. Check out this short, easy list of tasty foods that will kick your weight loss efforts into high gear without boring you  to tears.

3 Foods for Building Muscle and Losing Weight

1. Brown sugar teriyaki glazed chicken - that's right - I said brown sugar. To make this, spray a light coat of non-stick cooking oil in the skillet and pan-fry the chicken till it's almost cooked through. Toss in about 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, a dash of garlic powder, a  dash of white pepper, and about 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Finish cooking the chicken through and serve over steamed vegetables.
2. Egg white omelette with cubed garlic-chicken and mushrooms - You can also use bits of leftover brown-sugar-teriyaki-glazed-chicken for this - just make the omelette the same way you would make nay omelette. The flavor punch comes from the combination of mushrooms and chicken cooked in garlic and other spices. 
3. Pita Joes: Use ground lean ground beef, turkey or chicken to make sloppy joes. Serve the lean joes in halved pita bread or even a burrito shell with a fresh salad or your favorite steamed vegetables.

These weight loss-inspired food ideas are great because they are lean protein sources and are loaded with flavor, and taste great when served with most vegetables. 

Let me know what you think if you try them, and feel free to share your own favorite weight loss and muscle building food ideas.

Seriously... Is That.... a Whisker? A Short Tale of Unwanted Facial Hair

When I looked in the mirror this morning, I noticed something I hadn't seen before... a dark thick hair coming out of my left upper lip. It had a couple of friends around it, too, other dark hairs, threatening to turn my upper lip into a Magnum PI-worthy flavor saver.


How did I fail to notice these unwanted facial hairs before they turned into a mini-stache? I don't normally put on my reading glasses and look closely at my reflection in the mirror... that's how.


Tweezing Facial Hair


So, to get rid of my woman-stache, I grabbed my tweezers, braced myself, and started plucking. It hurt even more than tweezing eyebrow hairs, but I kept going. Then I rubbed some cold peroxide on my slightly swollen red lip. When it was time to leave the house, I put on foundation to cover the redness, and now everything is back to normal. I plan to spend a little time searching for information on hair lighteners, but if I don't find one I like, I have to admit, I'll pluck the little stinkers when they come back, no matter how unpleasant it is.


So, what about you? Have you had any trouble with unwanted hairs growing in places where they never were in your pre-menopausal days? If you do, what methods do you use to get rid of them?

Menopause and Weight Loss Can Kiss My Butt

I was planning on starting out this first post I'm putting up here - for the year - as an article about menopause and weight loss - you know - about sticking to resolutions or reviving them even you've slipped a little already - since it's 10 days into the new year - hey - it happens...

But what I really feel like saying today is - screw it! I'm old enough and strong enough to take the blasts menopause symptoms are giving me - and if anyone (other than me) doesn't like my weight - well, they can refer to the title of this post so they know where to kiss...

Now, I'll be back plenty this year to talk about healthy lifestyles, how I lost and kept off 35 pounds - so far, and ways to ease menopause symptoms. There are even a couple of fact sheets listed in my 2014 publishing schedule - which is really more of  a loose guideline because - well - because that's what it is.

So, enough about my "hey world - deal with it" attitude - how is the year starting out for you? Did you make any resolutions - and if you did, how are they going and is there any way this fat and cranky perimenopausal woman can support your efforts to make your life better?

Just leave a comment below if you feel like answering. If you don't, that's cool too. I hope you have a great 2014, and I hope you'll stop back often to see what's new here and to share your experiences and favorite tips with the rest of us.