I am after some advice on how to control weight gain. I am taking letrozole injections and zoladex injections and I have put on over a stone. I eat really healthy, eating salads, fruit and fish every day and I am still putting weight on. It seems all I have to do is look at food and I put weight on. Myself and my partner have been walking a couple of miles a day and I go on the exercise bike but nothing is shifting. I would be so grateful for any advice. Thanks again x
Hi Sunflower14
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Bernard
Hi Sunflower,
I noticed a similar thing happened to me when I started Zoladex and Letrozole. All the weight seemed to pile right around my middle and like you, I ate very healthy foods, walked a mile or two most days and generally looked after myself. It was infuriating! A lot of people I spoke to said its likely the result of the menopause from the meds.
I randomly came across an article a while ago which mentioned a few things that I’ve since been trying and I have found some of them to make a difference to me (I was able to lose a couple of kilos - its not much but we’ve got to get what we can right?!)
The article was here: aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/info-2018/weight-loss-menopause-belly.html
For me personally I found not eating after 7pm to give my body a good 12 hours of “rest” from digestion overnight made the biggest difference, which really surprised me. I also left a good space between eating meals, leaving a good 4 - 6 hours in between each one.
Drinking plenty of water was another thing.
Reducing my carb/starch intake (I am a sucker for fluffy white bread rolls and anything with potatoes in it) has also helped. I switched to the Hovis “Nimble” brand of brown bread as its very low in carbohydrates and sugars. I ate more of things like oatcakes (I found them to be a great bread substitute), nuts or nut-based snack bars, dates, brown rice or chickpeas for energy and protein. I found trying to live off fruit, salad and veggies made me feel weak and dizzy a lot of the time.
I also ate more at mealtimes so that I was fuller for longer, which I know sounds a bit mad, but I did find that it satiated my appetite better and I could go for longer than 4hrs without needing a snack or another meal. Sometimes I’d have a three course breakfast and not need to eat anything at all until teatime!
I read somewhere that you have to limit your fruit intake because its still a form of sugar (even if its healthy) so I cut down on fruit and only have a max of two pieces a day. Not sure if this has helped me though.
Weight resistance training is reputedly better than cardio based activities for women in menopause but I haven’t tried this as my main form of exercise yet. I do however know some extremely amazing people who weight train every day from their own home and have made incredible changes to their bodies.
I hope you find something that works for you! xx
I am on letrozole and yes the weight went up, especially around my middle.
In the last 10 weeks, I have lost about 10kg (without being on any diet) I have altered what I eat when I eat and my exercising has gone up (but I am not a fanatic about exercising) it is all about how I feel on any given day) I do not go to a gym or any classes I like walking and gardening so all in all nothing brutal.
I have stopped eating meat, but I love fish, eat more fruit jacket potatoes, dates as a snack instead of the usual butty or whatever else I stuffed in.
I drink lots of water, cut down on the cups of tea only 3 a day semi milk, I cook rice pudding no sugar or milk but cooking apples, dates for sweetness and plain yogurt when served - there are lots of ways to still have good food without feeling cheated.
I find if I can keep my mind active I do not think about food and at night time I have a glass of cold water with one of those flavoured infusions (its night time I tend to think about food more)
It is not easy when you love your food (and I do), cut back a little at a time - that way your stomach gets used to less and the cravings are not so severe-plus the weight will stay off for longer than any crash diet.
The best feeling is when you stand on the scales and you have lost weight NO matter how little just knowing you are lighter than yesterday is the best feeling there is.
Good Luck
Poppy xx