The WEIGHT battle!

I'm starting to really understand all those times "older" women told me to just wait till I was older because the weight is so hard to get off!  Boy I believe it!!! It all started after my hysterectomy a couple years ago.  All of my adult life I had weighed between 118 - 122, except for the 2 times I was prego. ha   I religiously weighed myself every morning.  I always told myself if I got to 125 it was diet time. LOL  I know some of you reading this are thinking she is cray cray and some of you have probably always been very conscious of your weight too ... even if you don't admit it..:>)  

Anyway, after my hysterectomy where they took everything because I had fibroids all over, the doc started me on replacement hormones.  

~Hysterectomy with ovary removal tied to weight gain. Women who have their ovaries and uterus removed - to treat fibroids, for example - tend to gain more weight in the years afterward than those who only have their uterus taken out or don't have surgery at all, a new study hints.~

I immediately started gaining weight.  I fussed every time I went to the doctor and he'd always say give the hormones time to get regulated.  It didn't matter how much I counted calories, I still gained weighed.  Then my thyroid quit working properly.  Which now I've learned that hormones and thyroid are all connected. I have hypothyroidism!

~Weight gain may signal low levels of thyroid hormones, a condition called hypothyroidism. In contrast, if the thyroid produces more hormones than the body needs, you may lose weight unexpectedly. This is known as hyperthyroidism. Hypothyroidism is far more common.~

  Both my hormones & thyroid all out of whack on blood work! My thyroid has been up and down.  They have tweaked my meds so much over the past 3-4 years.  My thyroid finally seems to be maintaining a good reading.  I had been hanging at a weight of 131 for awhile now until yesterday I went to the doctor and weighed 133! Another 2 pounds! GRRRRR   

Some people tell me it's muscle gain because around the time of my hysterectomy I had started heavy exercise and added biking and swimming.  I will agree some may be muscle, but this gut is not. LOL   I now have a roll that when I sit down it rolls over the top of my pants.  I can hardly stand it.  It hurts! I often find myself stretching up to make my stomach not roll over.  I believe we all have our very own "magic" weight number in which we feel good. Some may be 200, some may be 150, etc.  Mine, however, is not 133! I feel so bloated most days.  

My doc, which I do lover her...she's worked hard to get my hormones and thyroid lined up, has been recommending for months that I get away from anything with wheat in it.  I've tired and tried.  I'll give up bread, pasta, etc. for a couple days then it's like I run out of things to eat or maybe it's just my cravings get the best of me.  I don't have much willpower when it comes to food! I know that's hard for some of you to believe, but it's true!  I can hit the wall in a marathon at mile 18-20, and thru my willpower I can push myself to finish.  I can't seem to do that on giving up this wheat stuff.  There is so many things that have wheat in them! 

So how do you fight this battle at the age of 50??????  Found this on internet... so encouraging :(

~The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. ... Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors. For example, muscle mass typically diminishes with age, while fat increases.~

If any of you have tips, please comment.  I'm at a loss.  I do try to watch what I eat.  I feel most days I eat pretty good.  I just can't lose even a pound no matter what I do! So aggravating and depressing!  I know... I shouldn't focus on weight.  It's just a number.  I did threw out my bathroom scales.  :>)   It's just that I don't feel good overall.  I feel BLOATED.  

According to Prevention magazine here are 7 tips for managing weight after 50.

1.  Embrace weight training - "Once you hit 50, you've got about 20% less muscle mass than you did when you were 20. And because muscle is so metabolically active, muscle loss equals a slower metabolism. That makes you much more likely to put on (and hold on to) extra pounds, says Durbin."

2.  Get your hormones checked! - "Simply getting your thyroid, adrenal glands, and other hormone levels checked—and then taking the appropriate steps to bring them back into balance—can go a long way toward helping people in their 50s lose weight," says Burns.

3.  Choose activities that are easy on the joints.

4.  But don't slack at the gym.  Just because your joints are a little achier than normal...don't skip the gym.  

5.   See a physical therapist. - Physical therapy can help you rehabilitate an old injury or ease joint and muscle pain, setting you up for pain-free workouts.  

6.  Overhaul your diet (I need this one!!) - "To lose weight when you get older, you have to eat fewer calories," says Ferraro. "

7.  Get your stress in check -  "The solution: schedule your workouts like they're doctor's appointments, says Durbin. Sticking to a consistent routine can not only help ease stress but also help people stay on track with their diets." 

Maybe this summer when I plan to take a break from so many races, I will have the time to do some meal prep and focus on mainly eating clean.  All I know is I feel it's a struggle for me.  Maybe since I'm writing all this down it will become REAL.  They say to set goals, say them out loud and they become real.  My goals is to beat this dang bloating!  So I'm on a mission.  Maybe the next time you hear from me on the subject of weight... I'll have some good info.  Until then.... How do you beat the bloating battle?  I'm all ears. :>)  I do know exercise helps so I will not be stopping that because lord knows how much I'd gain if I didn't exercise! GEEZ  There are so many diets and tips out there.. how do you know the right one? 

D