Losing Weight after 60. The myth of weight, menopause and age.

Post menopausal celebration!  Adventures in life, not so much with food.

Myth: Women in their 50s, 60s and 70s can’t lose weight.

Of course, you bought into the myth that once you pass menopause, weight gain is inevitable. 

Your body is proof.  Everyone says it.  You haven’t changed your eating habits, yet you seem to be gaining weight, year after year.

My experience of perimenopause and menopause consisted of hot flashes, heavy bleeding for 7 months, accompanied by suicidal thoughts.  I thought having a seven-pound human come out of my vajayjay was crazy town, but this new “woman’s” experience was blowing my mind. 

Menopause came at the height of my career. 

People were looking to me to be steady, effective and wise.  I would find myself in the bathroom stall at work wondering if I should check into the nearest ward.  I am making light of this now, because at the time it felt very dark. 

Using food to calm me.

These changes and my thoughts about them created emotions which I calmed with food.  The result? I gained weight.  I felt like crap.  I looked around and saw many women my age gaining weight too.  It was menopause.  Women couldn’t lose weight after menopause. 

With that thought, I surrendered to the sweetness.  If I had to go through this phase of womanhood, I would at least go down happy. I am amazed my body has survived all the crap I put into it, and how unkindly I treated it. 

I would have left myself, if I was not so attached! 

But, here was the myth.  Eating to my fill, especially pretty, sweet things was not producing happiness.  Instead, what I discovered were self-critical thoughts, feelings of being bloated, and forever shopping for black pants the next size up. Shame, embarrassment and self-loathing.  Forty pounds of it.  For others, it was 70lbs. or 100lbs.  We convinced ourselves we had no control. 

Why didn’t we question the idea that this was our fate?  There were plenty of women who were in normal sized bodies.  I proclaimed they were anointed with specialness and born LUCKY.

When I discovered these secrets to the universe:

          1. I can lose weight and maintain it after menopause.

          2. I can break 30-year-old habits. 

          3. I don’t have to eat my emotions. 

          4. I can choose to create a life I want.

If you have gone through menopause and can’t seem to lose weight, look at what you are eating; assess both the quality and the quantity.  Then look at what you are thinking. Get support.

After you review what you are putting into your body and your mind, you might find the results you are getting make more sense.

Choose a different action.

The fantastic thing about being over 60 is that I realize I don’t have to be limited by my past or what others think I should or could.  You don’t either. You get to choose. 

I somehow forgot that I had a choice, but when I remembered, I took a wild bet on myself and did something different.

Low and behold, I had different results. I am past menopause and maintaining a 40-pound weight loss and am living a fantastic life. 

I no longer have regrets about not trying (once again) to lose weight and treat my body better. 

Can you have just enough belief to get started?  Will you bet on yourself?

Choose a different thought.

Here's one:  It is not inevitable that you remain overweight after menopause.    

I'm excited to accompany you on a new adventure. If you are ready, let's get started.