karencoutts wrote:
Thanks, UK2ME, I need the luck to get rid of these hot flashes.
You can post here every Friday to let us know how it's going for you. I seem to be losing weight from increasing the running mileage. I also do not eat breakfast until I have finished running because I read that
you burn 20% more fat that way.
The other step I am taking is to be more conscious of my portions, to drink more water, and to choose fish, vegan or vegetarian when possible if we are eating out. I found it useful to keep a log of what I ate and the calories using My Fitness Pal. It served to highlight that I was taking in more calories than I thought. Once you gain awareness of how much you are actually eating, you can stop counting the calories if you want.
Now that I know that the intermittent fasting (IF) wasn't giving me hot flashes, I might try that again. Although the main purpose of IF was not fat loss but longevity, the side effect is definitely weight loss. You might want to try the plan I was referring to in the beginning of the thread. According to the author of the 5-2 Fast Diet, Dr. Mosley, he believes that it is a lifestyle that is easy to follow for the rest of your life because you eat normally 5 days of the week, and fast only 2 days. On "fast days" you still get to eat, but only 500 calories. It is very hard at first, but I found that it got a bit easier. It is especially challenging for us because we prepare meals for the family even when we're fasting, which makes it harder to avoid eating! At least you won't have to prepare separate meals for yourself and the family. You can eat what they eat, just less on your fast days.
Thanks for the article on fat loss; I'll share that with my weight loss class after I read the full text in the British Journal of Nutrition. Again, I'm avoiding my nutrition studies by posting here ;-)
Anyway, I also just returned from having blood drawn to monitor my hormone levels. As I have gone down to 120 lbs from an average of about 130, I have had hot flashes return and the dreaded sleep disruptions that accompany them. After I find the results, I will likely have my hormone replacement adjusted for the fifth time. Replacing what time has taken away has made a HUGE difference in my quality of life (mostly sleep related and therefore everything else). If you have access to it, I would encourage any woman of menopausal age to consider hormone replacement.
Now, I need to get back to training for race weight in March, hopefully IM Cabo San Lucas! 105 lbs, here I come!
DFL > DNF > DNS