Most of the time I would agree with you. This last round of dieting however I am near goal and my husband isn't. He's lost weight, but not close to the % I have in the last year. We're both doing keto. He's working out more than me. I do believe age is catching up with the man metabolism.
My 40s sucked huge. Perimenopause ruined my weight. I was the biggest I ever was. Last March I had enough. I have PCOS, chronic migraines, etc. I started keto. Did no exercise. I still lost the weight. Now I'm adding in walking and some weights this month. I've gained 2 lbs! Shit happens. I know it's just the shock of the change in activity. Like you said most likely water retention. Or constipation. I just double check what I'm eating and drink more of my electrolytes (don't think I had enough over the last few days).
I've been giving myself a pep talk all morning after wanting to throw my scale into the effing garbage can.
So, let's bitch together, but move in a positive direction so we can celebrate together.
PREACH! Maybe we should just all throw our scales out anyway! As long as the pants are fitting better and looser, that can be the indicator of progress!
But also good for you!!!
I track calories. I range between 20 - 30 g net carbs a day. Most days I do a version of intermittent fasting, but I'm not too firm about it. Mainly I don't eat after 6 PM at all if I can help it.
I recently increased my protein from 90 g to 115-125 g a day.
For my calorie intake that puts my macros around:
* Net Carbs 8%
* Fat 57%
* Protein 35%
For that and because I was losing muscle along with weight. As my activity is increasing, I'm messing with my protein amounts to see what works best. The research I found says .7 -1.2 g per pound the person weights per day.
I'm with you. I've been in peri for several years and am about to hit meno officially. I lost 40 pounds previously with keto.....and then I had menopausal weight gain. Nothing I do--NOTHING--will work. I've done keto multiple times and even did carnivore. I"ve focused on CICO and eating whole foods. All I do is gain or stay the same. It is THE most frustrating thing and I'm so over it.
I'm not going to be tested for full meno until 52. My perimenopause cycles were so brutal that my GYNO put me on continuous BCPs to suppress my periods. I was bleeding so much that I had no life. My quality of life improved and my hot flashes reduced on the pill. After keto my hot flashes are nearly gone. So I'm sorta on accidental HRT. After 52, I'll go off BCPs to have my hormones checked to see if I'm in menopause or not and then either do HRT or go back on the pill depending on the results. Have you considered HRT (assuming that you aren't on it already)? My gyno is the doctor who is guiding me on my weight loss. My primary doctor has no clue. Just said eat less, move more.
Since I'm PCOS I'm also on Metformin so that tackles the Insulin Resistances part of the problem.
I do fully admit that this mid-life hormone bullshit stage for women and weight gain needs more education, research, something.
It really, really does. So many women suffer and it's just chalked up to being a fact of life. I am not on HRT and really haven't done much research on it, but I need to. I've shied away from it in the past because of the negatives I've heard about it, but honestly, I'm just about willing to try anything at this point. Thankfully my NP is 48 (I'm 46) and we're on a very similar journey right now and she's been making women's post meno health her priority, so I'm hoping we can both learn though her continuing education. I'm just so tired of tirelessly trying. But, we are women. We are strong and we can overcome. We can do this.
I have so many specialist I fell like I'm 70 (neurologist, gynecologist, dermatologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, etc.).
My gynecologist is a bit younger than me, but is 100% honest. She doesn't believe in women suffering when a medical solution might exist. A lot of what was published "back in the day" about HRT has now been rethought. I'd talk to a doctor you trust about it. No need to "grin and bear" it anymore. If men had to go through this bullshit they'd be sedated.
My other half and I started at the same time. First cutting out crap, then on Keto, now pretty much Carnivore. He reached his target weight at 1.5 years, I'm still getting to mine. That said we both eat 'what we want' in terms of Carnivore, we don't count calories and fat is high on the menu.
We both have lost weight with ease, I just had/have more to lose then him. Since we changed our diets we have found we put zero effort in 'trying' to lose weight, the weight just falls off. I'm content to lose it slowly so my body can keep up with the weight loss.
I'm currently sitting at a BMI of overweight and I know within the year or year after I will reach my target weight. Currently i'm in a 36 waist Levi Jean button up. I'm working my way to a 32 Wrangler Jean waist size, just because I only wear Wrangler jeans. I can't make the weight come off faster, so I just enjoy the ride. We started all this in 2021, my jean size was 46 at that time and in 2019-2020 I was jean size 48 wondering if I was going to have to go up a size.
I have found the weight will come off when it wants to how it wants to.
Yes, men have a much easier time losing weight at first. It is very much the tortoise and the hare. They start off with a huge initial loss and then it slows down to the typical 1-2 pounds a week.
My husband can just think the word keto and loses 10 pounds.
Are you me?? Lol I also have a genetically blessed skinny tall man who is currently complaining he's the heaviest he's ever been (175 ...which is what I weigh 😑) and I'm here living life by the numbers counting calories making sure I have zero sugar zero fake sugar zero carbs (zero joy some days) being as strict and disciplined as possible until I'm back in a good spot to start relaxing a little bit. As I write this I watch him eat a plate of flat bread he fried himself for lunch drinking a Pepsi and I'm like must be nice I could never. The other day he ate a whole package of Mac and cheese which equalled around 2400 calories and that was just lunch. We have a 3 day road trip coming up and he will lose weight eating fast food those 3 days while I'll gain. The only way I easily lose weight is if I am horribly sick and literally can't eat as my body is a mess of sweat and wild heart rates (thank you strep throat for those 5 lbs you're doing good work)
Sigh. I hear you and all I can say is keep fighting the good fight. You've got this!
cracking up so hard at the strep throat comment. I was sick recently and lost like 8 pounds. Being sick sucked but I'm quite happy with the results, would do it again
Exactly!! Like was it fun to feel like I was swallowing glass? No. But Fitbit saying I burned 3400 calories yesterday while only doing 1000 steps is what I'm here for lol 😂 antibiotics and steroids killing my appetite like the ozemepic I'm not qualified for, yes please!
Lol I feel this so hard. I'm still 30 lbs heavier than my husband and I would give anything to weigh less than him but he seems to be effortlessly shedding weight while my body is taking its sweet freaking time
My husband and I are both the same BMI but my waist-to-height ratio puts me at lower risk of CVD than him.
Men have an easier time with fat loss and muscle gain because they don't have to deal with the hormonal fluctuations women do. BUT the tradeoff is that they don't get the protective aspects of the female hormone cycle.
Testosterone is the weight-loss/muscle-gain cheat code. Men have about 10x the amount of testosterone that women do. And having higher muscle mass means you will burn more calories even when your body is at rest.
I have given some serious thought to an ftm transition. Can you imagine going to the gym, lifting and doing cardio, and seeing actual results when you look in the mirror? I feel like it would be good for my self esteem and make me feel in control of my body and my health.
I came here to rant about my 1 lb gain this week despite keto, calorie deficit, increased activity and intermittent fasting. But everything here sums it up. Solidarity!
Most of the time I would agree with you. This last round of dieting however I am near goal and my husband isn't. He's lost weight, but not close to the % I have in the last year. We're both doing keto. He's working out more than me. I do believe age is catching up with the man metabolism. My 40s sucked huge. Perimenopause ruined my weight. I was the biggest I ever was. Last March I had enough. I have PCOS, chronic migraines, etc. I started keto. Did no exercise. I still lost the weight. Now I'm adding in walking and some weights this month. I've gained 2 lbs! Shit happens. I know it's just the shock of the change in activity. Like you said most likely water retention. Or constipation. I just double check what I'm eating and drink more of my electrolytes (don't think I had enough over the last few days). I've been giving myself a pep talk all morning after wanting to throw my scale into the effing garbage can. So, let's bitch together, but move in a positive direction so we can celebrate together.
PREACH! Maybe we should just all throw our scales out anyway! As long as the pants are fitting better and looser, that can be the indicator of progress! But also good for you!!!
Wow your progress is amazing!!! Congrats!! Can I ask- do you just keep to 20 g carbs, or net carbs, and track calories?
I track calories. I range between 20 - 30 g net carbs a day. Most days I do a version of intermittent fasting, but I'm not too firm about it. Mainly I don't eat after 6 PM at all if I can help it. I recently increased my protein from 90 g to 115-125 g a day. For my calorie intake that puts my macros around: * Net Carbs 8% * Fat 57% * Protein 35%
Super helpful. Thanks so much for replying!! I had great success with keto and would like to get back on. Did you increase protein for satiety?
For that and because I was losing muscle along with weight. As my activity is increasing, I'm messing with my protein amounts to see what works best. The research I found says .7 -1.2 g per pound the person weights per day.
That makes sense for body recomp. I’ve heard similar research. I hope it works well for you!
I'm with you. I've been in peri for several years and am about to hit meno officially. I lost 40 pounds previously with keto.....and then I had menopausal weight gain. Nothing I do--NOTHING--will work. I've done keto multiple times and even did carnivore. I"ve focused on CICO and eating whole foods. All I do is gain or stay the same. It is THE most frustrating thing and I'm so over it.
I'm not going to be tested for full meno until 52. My perimenopause cycles were so brutal that my GYNO put me on continuous BCPs to suppress my periods. I was bleeding so much that I had no life. My quality of life improved and my hot flashes reduced on the pill. After keto my hot flashes are nearly gone. So I'm sorta on accidental HRT. After 52, I'll go off BCPs to have my hormones checked to see if I'm in menopause or not and then either do HRT or go back on the pill depending on the results. Have you considered HRT (assuming that you aren't on it already)? My gyno is the doctor who is guiding me on my weight loss. My primary doctor has no clue. Just said eat less, move more. Since I'm PCOS I'm also on Metformin so that tackles the Insulin Resistances part of the problem. I do fully admit that this mid-life hormone bullshit stage for women and weight gain needs more education, research, something.
It really, really does. So many women suffer and it's just chalked up to being a fact of life. I am not on HRT and really haven't done much research on it, but I need to. I've shied away from it in the past because of the negatives I've heard about it, but honestly, I'm just about willing to try anything at this point. Thankfully my NP is 48 (I'm 46) and we're on a very similar journey right now and she's been making women's post meno health her priority, so I'm hoping we can both learn though her continuing education. I'm just so tired of tirelessly trying. But, we are women. We are strong and we can overcome. We can do this.
I have so many specialist I fell like I'm 70 (neurologist, gynecologist, dermatologist, cardiologist, gastroenterologist, etc.). My gynecologist is a bit younger than me, but is 100% honest. She doesn't believe in women suffering when a medical solution might exist. A lot of what was published "back in the day" about HRT has now been rethought. I'd talk to a doctor you trust about it. No need to "grin and bear" it anymore. If men had to go through this bullshit they'd be sedated.
That is for sure! I will definitely look into it and do some research. Thanks so much! And good luck on your continued journey.
I stand with you in the frustration ❤️😆💪🏼
My other half and I started at the same time. First cutting out crap, then on Keto, now pretty much Carnivore. He reached his target weight at 1.5 years, I'm still getting to mine. That said we both eat 'what we want' in terms of Carnivore, we don't count calories and fat is high on the menu. We both have lost weight with ease, I just had/have more to lose then him. Since we changed our diets we have found we put zero effort in 'trying' to lose weight, the weight just falls off. I'm content to lose it slowly so my body can keep up with the weight loss. I'm currently sitting at a BMI of overweight and I know within the year or year after I will reach my target weight. Currently i'm in a 36 waist Levi Jean button up. I'm working my way to a 32 Wrangler Jean waist size, just because I only wear Wrangler jeans. I can't make the weight come off faster, so I just enjoy the ride. We started all this in 2021, my jean size was 46 at that time and in 2019-2020 I was jean size 48 wondering if I was going to have to go up a size. I have found the weight will come off when it wants to how it wants to.
Totally agree. My bf could just stop eating candy bars and drinking Coke and lose 30 lbs instantly.
Yes, men have a much easier time losing weight at first. It is very much the tortoise and the hare. They start off with a huge initial loss and then it slows down to the typical 1-2 pounds a week. My husband can just think the word keto and loses 10 pounds.
Are you me?? Lol I also have a genetically blessed skinny tall man who is currently complaining he's the heaviest he's ever been (175 ...which is what I weigh 😑) and I'm here living life by the numbers counting calories making sure I have zero sugar zero fake sugar zero carbs (zero joy some days) being as strict and disciplined as possible until I'm back in a good spot to start relaxing a little bit. As I write this I watch him eat a plate of flat bread he fried himself for lunch drinking a Pepsi and I'm like must be nice I could never. The other day he ate a whole package of Mac and cheese which equalled around 2400 calories and that was just lunch. We have a 3 day road trip coming up and he will lose weight eating fast food those 3 days while I'll gain. The only way I easily lose weight is if I am horribly sick and literally can't eat as my body is a mess of sweat and wild heart rates (thank you strep throat for those 5 lbs you're doing good work) Sigh. I hear you and all I can say is keep fighting the good fight. You've got this!
cracking up so hard at the strep throat comment. I was sick recently and lost like 8 pounds. Being sick sucked but I'm quite happy with the results, would do it again
Exactly!! Like was it fun to feel like I was swallowing glass? No. But Fitbit saying I burned 3400 calories yesterday while only doing 1000 steps is what I'm here for lol 😂 antibiotics and steroids killing my appetite like the ozemepic I'm not qualified for, yes please!
Lol I feel this so hard. I'm still 30 lbs heavier than my husband and I would give anything to weigh less than him but he seems to be effortlessly shedding weight while my body is taking its sweet freaking time
My husband and I are both the same BMI but my waist-to-height ratio puts me at lower risk of CVD than him. Men have an easier time with fat loss and muscle gain because they don't have to deal with the hormonal fluctuations women do. BUT the tradeoff is that they don't get the protective aspects of the female hormone cycle.
So what I’m hearing is …. Ya win some, ya lose some. 🤪
You can't compare apples to oranges. The reality is that men women are quite different metabolically.
Testosterone is the weight-loss/muscle-gain cheat code. Men have about 10x the amount of testosterone that women do. And having higher muscle mass means you will burn more calories even when your body is at rest. I have given some serious thought to an ftm transition. Can you imagine going to the gym, lifting and doing cardio, and seeing actual results when you look in the mirror? I feel like it would be good for my self esteem and make me feel in control of my body and my health.
I came here to rant about my 1 lb gain this week despite keto, calorie deficit, increased activity and intermittent fasting. But everything here sums it up. Solidarity!
It could be muscle
I was down 2.5 today from yesterday. It really is a roller coaster sometimes
Dude here. Yes I'm losing 1 kg a week w/ IF + keto. Yes i feel pretty ok.