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[MrsMitch]

I'm flumoxed, ladies. I decided to get a few pounds off because my BP was higher than it should be. I was a bit concerned that whilst my metabolism seemed to have returned to pre menopause state since starting testosterone, I noticed the positive effects of testosterone seemed to be decreasing and I rapidly gained 7lbs in a week!
So I went to my usual go to diet to get some flab off which is low carb. In the past it's always worked without fail. End of week one I lost 7lb. End of week two gained it back even though I changed nothing I ate from the week before. Now at the end of 5th week, I've lost the 7lb again but cannot get any more off.
I've just had another testosterone blood test which shows my levels over double what they should be so I've been told to halve my dose.
I've never experienced not being able to loose weight and last week, I kept my calorie intake below 800 cals a day and after 7 days no change in weight.
I lead an active life,too, so I'm really at a loss. Any idea what could be going on?
I'm going to still keep my calories at 800 for the next 7 days but introduce 'good' carbs in that to see if it changes things. I have kept a calorie diary and am definitely not over indulging. I'm quite concerned tbh.

[Aprilflower]

Hii,
I've tried many different diet plans over the years.  Now I have managed to devise my own, which seems to suit, and have lost 10kgs.

Firstly I don't calorie count and 800 seems very low to me. 

I only have two meals a day, with healthy snacks in-between if needed.

I keep starchy carbs to a minimum but plenty of fruit and veg.

I don't restrict fats or dairy.

Doing this I don't feel hungry, and if anything my appetite has reduced.  I found fasting and colarie restricting diets hard to stick to and left me hungry and bad tempered.

Lastly, treats at the weekend are a necessity 😊

[CLKD]

Don't treat it as a diet because that immediately becomes restrictive.

MayB think about how your bodies requirements have altered over the years.  Until 20 years ago I could eat most things, in the last few I've stopped croissants, scones etc. as they would cause several bloating and nausea . Probably due to hidden fats and sugars.

Baked beans etc. are out due to bloating!  I cannot digest eggs so I miss the potential of 5 different lunch time meals 

DH has always cooked from scratch and we grew up with fresh, seasonal foods.  Then ultra processed crept in  .  We use our local butcher as often as we need to and DH catches our fish.  Tinned, frozen and packet veg are good standbys.

Perhaps if U kept a 24 hours food/drink intake diary for 3-5 days to see if there is anything that you could out/back on.   Alcohol for example is known to layer weight on as we age.  All fruits are good for us despite them having 'sugars' which the body deals with differently to those in cakes etc..  Don't ask me to explain it, it's all about converting into fructose, lactose or something similar - I didn't do biology in school 

Batch cooking for the freezer to take out that morning so that you don't pick as you are preparing your evening meal?  Treats are essential 

Is your BP caused by your weight and how often to you take a reading: best of 3 B4 breakfast is how DH checked his.

[MrsMitch]

Thank you ladies, you're so supportive as usual. I lost 14lbs in a month only 2 years ago which is why the sudden weight gain followed by inability to loose has shocked me. I know it's been harder to get weight off as I've aged and yes, i totally agree that treating this as a diet isn't good. So I usually use this method to kick start eating healthier but it never lasts!!
I cook from scratch, don't drink alcohol and my intake has consistently been 800 calories daily so that's why I don't get it. I'm now wondering if it could be the testosterone. I seemed to be mega sensitive to it after a few months and now, I wonder why I'm taking it as I can't notice any benefits.
Today I'm starting with introducing good carbs which aren't processed, as much as possible.  It's a wake up call to the fact I'm obviously the age where I need to make changes to how I eat permanently.
DH has been doing it with me and he's lost 1.5 stone, the git!!!

[CLKD]

800 isn't enough!  The body needs calories to burn off calories i.e. a Kal being a unit of energy .  We need to stop thinking of calories as part of a 'controlled eating pattern' rather than choosing kalories as a burning of energy.

Also I think that we burn off energy differently as we age, hence middle aged spread  .  Exercise is good 4 us but won't help with losing weight, we read an article recently but of course, I can't remember who the author is.

Have U had your thyroid function bloods done lately?  Underactive can B the cause of weight gain.

[bombsh3ll]

I was going to suggest getting your thyroid checked as well.

800 cals a day is really unsustainable though and crash dieting can really mess with your metabolism in the long run.

Has anything else changed? For example I take a very low dose of mirtazapine for insomnia and that really does cause weight gain as do many other medications that aren't always considered.

Even the fact you were too high on testosterone - that can induce a PCOS like phenotype.

I can't even suggest ozempic etc because they reduce the amount people eat, and you are already eating very little.

What about resistance training - are you doing any weights to maintain muscle mass? Exercise alone will not make someone lose weight if they are consuming too much or the wrong food, but it is still beneficial for weight management as part of your toolkit.

[MrsMitch]

I had my thyroid function checked last year and all OK so I'm thinking it must be the testosterone. I'm thinking I may stop it for 6 weeks as I don't appear to be benefiting from it any longer. That way I can see if I can shift some weight and if my bladder symptoms remain as they are (still not great). My libido went sky high initially but now it's back to non existent.
Aside from my testosterone levels, nothing has changed, no new meds. I have a very strenuous job (tree surgery, fencing & hedge cutting) plus walking the dog 1.5 hrs during the week and 3 hrs plus days off. I don't really want to start weight training or exercising as I'm lifting, pulling and general strenuous work all day!! All adds up to being miffed!
I like low carb, moderate protein as it does keep me full and give me energy. But obviously there is a change somewhere for it not to have worked.

[CLKD]

thyroid function - the NHS won't do extra testing if results 'are within normal limits'.  Patient have to pay for those tests.

Let us know how you get on if you stop the testosterone, that may be all that is required.

[SundayGirl]

I had my thyroid function checked last year and all OK

There's OK and then there's OK.
I think we can safely assume all that was checked was TSH?

[VioletAquarius]

During menopause it's easier to gain weight and harder to lose it.

And 800 calories a day is not enough. Not eating enough makes your body wonder when it's next meal will be, which causes it to store fat.

I would probably just eat healthy and cut down on sugars and fat,and if you are able, do some light exercise, but apparently there are exercises for menopausal women as normal exercises are not effective in menopausal women.

[MrsMitch]

I was doing a tweaked version of Michael Mosleys fast 800 which is based on 800 calories per day. But I was cutting out some of the carbs used in it and replacing them with protein. It is sustainable long term, is balanced and did work well for me only 2 years ago and people I know who originally recommended it. It just surprised me this time it didn't work!
But I've stopped testosterone so will report my progress in a week or so. Thanks again, as always ladies, for your helpful advice and thoughts.

[CLKD]

Eat when you're hungry Girl, eat!  My anorexia wasn't helped when I would get home from School, hungry but I was told "You'll spoil you tea if you eat now".  By tea time I was way beyond eating  .  Queasy, light headed ........ now I have to eat B4 my body requires energy otherwise I'm on my knees.  Not a pretty sight 

800 is never enough for men or women.  As suggested, the body goes into storage mode.  Much as I love some of Michael's ideas, that 1 - nope.  As low as that should be over seen by a dietician.

[bombsh3ll]

It sounds like you are already going above and beyond with exercise too, with your job and dog.

What's your body composition like? Testosterone increases both fat mass and lean mass in females, so it could be mostly bone and muscle that you have gained.

Of course some people can get water retention too which should come off quickly if it is that.

Is it the number on the scale or your shape/clothes not fitting etc?

Do let us know how you get on!

[MrsMitch]

It's a combination of clothes fitting and the BMI my GP surgery seems interested in every time I put in a repeat for HRT. I've never been skinny and didn't want to be. Size 12-14 my whole adult life at 5'7" until menopause. I'd always been able to eat whatever I liked until about 40 and looking back I must have been peri with weight gain being the 1st sign.  Now I'm size 16 but what I noticed is normally on this 'diet' I loose weight on my stomach 1st and this time round I didn't at all. My trousers are still tight and I read yesterday that weight gain in that area is common with testosterone.
I do have a fair bit of muscle because of my work, but not overly so and I don't think my recent weight gain has been muscle, just flab!
I'm currently just under 12 stone and my clothes would be comfortable if I was 11.5st but I'd prefer 11st. The one dreadful GP who always seems to be telling me she'd like me to consider coming off HRT, says she'd like me to aim for 10.5st! She phones me each time I put in a repeat for my meds to tell me being overweight and on HRT is a cause for concern, plus my recent elevated BP, so I'm glad that's coming down, if not much weight! You'd think she was personally paying for my HRT the way she goes on but fortunately the lovely GP I saw recently  didn't mention anything.
All that to say I know I need to permanently change how I eat because it's too hard to loose it! But I'll keep you posted and again, thank you all a million times 🥰

[Katejo]

It's a combination of clothes fitting and the BMI my GP surgery seems interested in every time I put in a repeat for HRT. I've never been skinny and didn't want to be. Size 12-14 my whole adult life at 5'7" until menopause. I'd always been able to eat whatever I liked until about 40 and looking back I must have been peri with weight gain being the 1st sign.  Now I'm size 16 but what I noticed is normally on this 'diet' I loose weight on my stomach 1st and this time round I didn't at all. My trousers are still tight and I read yesterday that weight gain in that area is common with testosterone.
I do have a fair bit of muscle because of my work, but not overly so and I don't think my recent weight gain has been muscle, just flab!
I'm currently just under 12 stone and my clothes would be comfortable if I was 11.5st but I'd prefer 11st. The one dreadful GP who always seems to be telling me she'd like me to consider coming off HRT, says she'd like me to aim for 10.5st! She phones me each time I put in a repeat for my meds to tell me being overweight and on HRT is a cause for concern, plus my recent elevated BP, so I'm glad that's coming down, if not much weight! You'd think she was personally paying for my HRT the way she goes on but fortunately the lovely GP I saw recently  didn't mention anything.
All that to say I know I need to permanently change how I eat because it's too hard to loose it! But I'll keep you posted and again, thank you all a million times 🥰

I am very similar size to you. 5 ft 6 tall and currently 11 st 12. I started experimenting with the Michael Moseley recipes and losing weight almost a year ago. I wanted to get back to the 11st which I was before lockdown. I managed to lose around half a stone last summer but I just can't get any further. I go up a lb and then back down a lb. The lowest I reached was 11 st  9 1/2 (just over 74 Kilos). I am on HRT. Even when I exercise, it makes little difference. I did 13 miles last weekend. A lack of exercise causes me to put weight on but, when I do exercise, I don't lose any weight. I just stay the same! I am also size 14.