53 Year Old Woman Returning to IM

Hello. I tried saxenda recently for weight loss and while it definitely was helping me lose weight , the side effects are not manageable for me, even at low doses. If I had no job then maybe I could white knuckle it but I can barely function on it. I also tried some other medicines and I just think all of them are problematic and put me at risk of gaining it all back when I stop them. So what I want to do is return to intermittent fasting. It worked great for me 11 years ago when I was in my early 40s. (Then I got off of track but that’s another story) Now I’m 53 and officially in menopause. Are there any other women in my age group dealing with menopause who have had success with IM? I’m looking for some inspiration. I’m scared I waited too long to deal with my weight and hormonally I won’t be able to lose unless I go the medication route. Thanks for listening!

Answer

It’s not too late. Yes, menopause causes some changes but they can be dealt with.

I have been losing weight since May, not sure how much because I don’t weigh myself, but the jeans I was wearing then, I can slip out of without unbuttoning. And they look really bad! Luckily, I have various sizes from years past.

Although it seems my belly fat is taking longer to lose than other areas, it is shrinking.

Here is an article I found: Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50

You can do it.

Answer

I’m over 50, losing weight doing IF, usually one meal a day, sometimes 20/4. The important thing for me is to keep my calories at a consistent 1200 per day. If I go over by even a bit, I stop losing. I also do mainly low carb. Not keto though. I’ve lost 40 lbs so far, 20 more to go. When I hit a stall for more than 2 weeks I do a week of strict keto, still keeping at or slightly lower than 1200 calories per day. This always kick starts my weight loss again. When I was younger I could lose more easily, over 50 we can still lose, but may need to be more disciplined with keeping calories and carbs down.