I gained a lot of weight after the menopause here's how I finally lost it

I gained a lot of weight after the menopause and was in a really bad place, physically and mentally. I weighed more than 12 stone, which is big for my 5’7” frame and it was making me miserable. 

I know exactly how it happened – my diet was really bad, with lots of calorie-laden takeaways and snacking all day – but I was trapped in a pattern that I didn’t know how to get out of on my own. The worse I felt, the more I ate.

I decided I needed help and joined a gym in January last year. The first thing my trainer tackled was my diet – he gave me a calorie limit of 1,400 a day, which was a lot less than I was accustomed to and I found it hard initially, but soon got used to it. 

I had to eat a lot of protein, from lean meat and fish, but also a morning protein shake which really helped fill me up. I eliminated most of the less nutritious carbs I’d been eating, such as white bread, rice and pasta. In the first two weeks I lost 2kg, which was really motivating.

I was also training three days a week with weights, which was not something I’d done before – I’d always been quite intimidated by gyms. My whole body began to take on a different shape quite quickly, but more than that, I could see how strong I was getting. 

When I started to bench press about 40kg, it did amazing things for my confidence – I thought, “Wow, I didn’t know I had that in me.” The more physically strong I felt, the stronger I became mentally.

After three months, I lost a stone and a half (about 10kg), and I’ve maintained my weight at around 10 and a half stone for nearly a year. 

A huge added bonus was that the diet and exercise massively helped with my menopause symptoms. I had been experiencing the most awful brain fog, low mood, achy joints and poor concentration; I would even wake up feeling exhausted. 

But that changed quite soon after I’d started the programme. I’ve got so much energy now. I feel like I can do anything.

My workout week

I do resistance training around two or three times a week; I’ve loved learning about what exercise I can do, so much so that I’m training to be a PT myself now – my aim is to help other midlife women, who I don’t think get enough support. I do a lot of walking with my dog – around 12,000 steps a day – and I have a rower at home, which I really enjoy.  

What I eat in a day

I still monitor my calories and stick to about 1,800 a day, keeping with the principles of high protein and being mindful of what carbs I eat.

Breakfast: Yogurt with berries, banana and a scoop of protein powder; a good hit of protein early on fills me up and makes sure I hit my protein target of 140g a day.

Lunch: Tuna salad.

Dinner: Chicken breast with broccoli and a sweet potato with cottage cheese for an extra protein hit.

Snacks: I have a protein shake either after the workout, or mid-afternoon.

Lifestyle aids:

Carbs: I stick to a low carb plan and don’t have bread often, but I do have a complex carb like brown rice or sweet potato with my evening meal.

Caffeine: I have a coffee with breakfast, but no caffeine after lunch.

Alcohol:  I’m not a big drinker, so that wasn’t an issue for me, but if I’m out for dinner I might have a G&T.

Sleep: I sleep a lot better than before. I used to wake up all the time and that’s improved a lot, mainly through being more active, I think.  

Joanna's candlemaking business: jococo.london

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