Post-Menopausal Diet Study

[WeirdEyes]

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2006-02-07-diet-fat-women_x.htm

 

Cutting fat alone isn't enough, women advised

By Rita Rubin, USA TODAY

 

If you're a postmenopausal woman, simply trimming the fat from your diet isn't enough to protect against heart disease or breast or colorectal cancer, a government-sponsored study of nearly 50,000 women reports Wednesday.

 

Researchers caution that women shouldn't view the news as an excuse to throw up their hands and go whole hog — or whole cheesecake or whole bag of chips, for that matter — with their diets.

 

If you're overweight or obese, as were most women in the study, you need to not only cut calories but also eat more fruits and vegetables to reduce your risk of heart disease and cancer.

 

In other words, switching from regular Oreos (160 calories, 60 from fat per serving) to reduced-fat Oreos (150 calories, 40 from fat) won't make much difference. If you must have Oreos, go for the Oreo thin crisps, at 100 calories, 20 from fat, per serving. Better yet, whenever the cookie urge hits, eat an apple or back away from your kitchen and take a walk.

The new findings, which are published in The Journal of the American Medical Association, come from the landmark Women's Health Initiative. The initiative is best known for showing that postmenopausal hormones do not protect against heart attack and stroke.

 

In addition to the hormone studies, the health initiative also randomly assigned 48,835 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79 to one of two diet groups. About 60% were told to continue eating what they wanted. The rest were asked to cut fat intake to 20% of total calories, eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables — the very minimum set by current government guidelines — and eat six servings of grains a day. The women were followed for an average of eight years.

 

Over the course of the study, women in the low-fat group on average reduced their fat intake from about 38% of calories to about 29%. They lost only a pound more than the woman who followed their usual diet, probably because they replaced high-fat foods with lower-fat, simple carbohydrates that contained just as many calories, says Stanford University's Marcia Stefanick, chairwoman of the Women's Health Initiative's steering committee.

 

Waiting until midlife to cut the fat might be too late as far as cancer risk, says Jacques Rossouw of the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute and Women's Health Initiative project officer. The hypothesis that a low-fat diet reduces cancer risk arose from studies of countries in which people ate relatively little fat their entire lives, he says.

 

Other evidence of the importance of early health habits comes from the ongoing Nurses Health Study, which has found that eating too much animal fat is linked to a higher risk of premenopausal breast cancer, says Walter Willett, chairman of the nutrition department at the Harvard School of Public Health.

 

Dietary advice has changed considerably since the Women's Health Initiative study's launch in 1993. Population studies such as the nurses study have switched the focus from total dietary fat to types of dietary fat and weight, notes Michael Thun, vice president of epidemiology and surveillance research at the American Cancer Society.

 

For example, the Department of Agriculture's 2005 Dietary Guidelines say it's OK to get as much as 35% of your calories from fat, as long as fewer than 10% of total calories are from saturated fat, and you avoid trans fatty acids.

 

Says Sidney Smith, a University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill cardiologist: "The dietary strategies are much more than just 'Don't eat fat.' I think it's important to get that message across."

[Sandycruise]

Shelia, I LOVED that article. Can I be a Peri-menopausal voice in this thread? TO be honest, I have trouble discussing too many specifics on this topic at COuntdown Club because it is sort of insensitive to the guys. ALot of guys just don't want to know about periods and all that. (Even our most sensitive and warm guys at the club!)

 

I know these weight problems and changes in my body are the result of early peri-menopause and I am really feeling motivated to jump into this and be a winner over it all! It seemed like such a mystery to me, but, little by little I see things more clearly and I feel like I am having clarity about how to handle it.

 

I hope we hear from others to learn how to best handle this challenge!

[WeirdEyes]

Sandy ~ Great idea about this thread being a support for us "women." ;) I understand about not posting stuff like this on the Countdown thread. I hope others will join us and hopefully we'll get some tips and support.

 

Any more peri or post menopausal women out there that need help with losing weight or maintaining? We need to unite!

[BuilderMan]

Count me in too!

 

I've vowed that I will not get like my grandmothers were nor my mother now.

 

What I've done over the past couple of years is increased my fruit and veggie intake and switch to whole grains (including pasta). It's nice to know that I'm doing the right thing!

 

Sandy, I agree that men just do not understand what we women go through physically when we start peri or post menopause. They say they understand, but they don't! Just watching our bodies take on a different shape even if we keep our weight the same is depressing!

 

Lynn

[donna_me2002]

Waiting until midlife to cut the fat might be too late as far as cancer risk, says Jacques Rossouw

 

I found this out the hard way!

But I feel its never too late so bring on the fruits and veggies :)

[WeirdEyes]

I've increased my fruit and veggie intake also. I've cut out all sugar and refined carbs. This is a big deal to me because I'm a junk food junkie. I find that the fruits definitely feel me up more than a piece of cake.

[BuilderMan]

I've increased my fruit and veggie intake also. I've cut out all sugar and refined carbs. This is a big deal to me because I'm a junk food junkie. I find that the fruits definitely feel me up more than a piece of cake.

 

Dittos! If nothing else, I feel the best I have probably in my whole adult life.

 

Lynn

[Sandycruise]

 

Sandy, I agree that men just do not understand what we women go through physically when we start peri or post menopause. They say they understand, but they don't! Just watching our bodies take on a different shape even if we keep our weight the same is depressing!

 

Lynn

 

Hi everyone!

 

Hi Lynn,

 

I didn't mean they don't understand. If any would it is our men in countdown club. No wonder they've been married so long because they are real keepers! I just felt awkward because this is not really an in depth conversation that I'd have with any man other than maybe my doctor. I wouldn't really go on and on to my step-daughters either because they can't relate. So it isn't just a man thing, it is also an age thing.

 

I know just what you mean about watching my body change and it can be depressing. I was feeling helpless because I could not admit that I had to step things up a bit. Now, I see that all women after 40 need to step things up a bit to maintain let alone lose. IT is all about simply accepting the truth of that. I actually feel so much better just giving in to the reality!

[WeirdEyes]

Sandy ~ I understand what you mean. I'm trying to get my DH to understand and he's been great about it. He can't "relate" though. He can lose weight without even lifting a finger. Not fair!! LOL

 

Lynn ~ When I ate the junk food over the weekend, I felt awful. I think that is why my stomach is hurting again. I do feel better today because most of that food is gone from my body. I was thinking of doing some sort of detox, but don't know what to do. Any ideas?

[BuilderMan]

Sheila - I don't know of any detox methods other than just being strict on your WOE. I would love to get some info on a good detox method like a body cleans that wouldn't be harmful.

 

I think men in general are more in denial of getting older and their bodies changing too than women. We have to deal with the menopause thing and that's a big reminder that we're getting on in years, but men don't have that thing going on. Maybe that's why so many men think that their clothes are shrinking in the dryer instead of the real reason! LOL!

 

My GYN, who is a female about 1 year older than me, told me that exercising regularly and vigorously is one way to help with the menopause symptoms and the effects on the body. I guess that's one reason I've turned into an exercise junkie.

 

Lynn

[Sandycruise]

 

My GYN, who is a female about 1 year older than me, told me that exercising regularly and vigorously is one way to help with the menopause symptoms and the effects on the body. I guess that's one reason I've turned into an exercise junkie.

 

Lynn

 

I guess just another good reason to exercise. My GYN. did ultrasounds and an endometrial biopsy to rule out other reasons for my symptoms and other than some cysts that I've known about for years, I am A-OK.

 

EVen before I was peri, I know the exercise really helped me to get rid of stress and stay relatively stable.

[BuilderMan]

Sandy - That's good news about your tests! My SIL has some cysts too and (I think) she's having surgery sometime this spring.

 

Lynn

[WeirdEyes]

Sandy ~ Great news that you're ok. I had huge cysts on my ovaries 7 years ago and had to have them out. I regret doing it now, but they recommended it.

 

Lynn ~ I believe exercise is the key for us. ;)

[BuilderMan]

As much as exercising can be time consuming and takes a lot of our spare energy, I have to agree that it's a key thing.

 

At our age, and with our hormones, our WOE is only the start. We need to keep moving to keep the metabolism from going into hibernation.

 

Alas, a lot of the time we just don't have those spare moments until late in the evening to devote to ourselves and by then we're exhausted from the day.

 

Sounds like an excuse, huh? I've said this before on the other thread, but for the benefit of anyone that is starting to read this thread I'll repeat myself....I break up my exercise times into mini-sessions throughout my day. I try to get some in at lunch, after work and before dinner and then again after dinner usually along with my DH. I don't have time to do it all at one time and this seems to have as good of an effect for me.

 

Lynn

[WeirdEyes]

Lynn ~ I really wish I could break up my exercise. As it is now, I get home around 4:30, get on the NordicTrack around 4:45 for 45-60 minutes, and then have to cook, clean, laundry, etc. DH will help cook some, but not a lot. He'll chop up anything that needs it and will cook veggies. Needless to say, by the time I hit the bed, I am exhausted. And DH wonders why I stay sick all of the time. It is because I'm TIRED!!! ;)

[smoothdancer]

Well here is my 2 cents!. I have no idea what I am Pre, Permi, whatever. I just know I have not had a period in a year in a half. When my body started to change I really had a time finding information that fit me.

 

I did purchase a book by a women Dr in which she describes her own experinces of menapause, coupled with medical information as to what is happening. It is a great book. She discusses using a combination of natural vitamins to combat and jump start the weight loss. Very similar to the formula Atkins uses for vitamins. I tired it and it did help. I cannot take a diet pill, it makes my whole body race to much, yet the vitamins did not do this to me. If anyone is interested in the book I will try to dig it up and find the author.

 

As far as the changes, I think I am one of the lucky ones. I have not had any hot flashes, but I now can no longer sleep through the night, and have expereinced the weight gain all in my middle. I found it very hard to take off any weight, but now I am starting to be successful. So far 12 lbs...yea!

 

For me the key was just not to give up. The weight loss started very slow, but once I started to loose weight, it then became consistant week to week. For me anyway, I also had to find a way to make my life more stressfree, and that (I think) aided in the loss.

 

Turning 50 is a different time for me, and absolutley has had changes on my body. Try to explain that to my husband is just useless so I dont try!

[cmjaffe]

Being "peri" (I think) I'd really love to find out the name of the book Smoothdancer (neighbor, if it's not too much trouble). Could you remember some of the supplements recommended? Is it perhaps Dr. Lark's book (think that's her name, I get alot of e-mail "solicits" with really 'intriguing" lines but then there's the "sales pitch" before any true info is given, and most of her supplements are rather pricy. Would pay for them if I could get a "true -- first hand testimonial".

Carolyn

[Sandycruise]

Sandy ~ Great news that you're ok. I had huge cysts on my ovaries 7 years ago and had to have them out. I regret doing it now, but they recommended it.

 

Lynn ~ I believe exercise is the key for us. ;)

 

Shelia,

 

WHy do you regret having the cysts removed?

[Sandycruise]

 

but I now can no longer sleep through the night, and have expereinced the weight gain all in my middle. I found it very hard to take off any weight, but now I am starting to be successful. So far 12 lbs...yea!

 

For me the key was just not to give up. The weight loss started very slow, but once I started to loose weight, it then became consistant week to week. For me anyway, I also had to find a way to make my life more stressfree, and that (I think) aided in the loss.

 

Turning 50 is a different time for me, and absolutley has had changes on my body. Try to explain that to my husband is just useless so I dont try!

 

THat is me! I am just not sleeping through the night! A couple hours and I am up and awake. I end up being groggy and less-than-alert during the day, though. Thank GOD for computers at least. THe internet is my best buddy in the dead of night!

 

Your message awas very motivating. Thanks

[smoothdancer]

Ok CF, you have motivated me to find the book. The author is Christine Northrup, MD. The book title is "The Widsom of Menapause". The vitamins that she recommended I purchased at GMC:

 

L Carnitine - metabolic booster - 500 Mg a day

Chromium Picolinate - 250 Mg a day

Coenzyme Q10..(I think aids in heart circulation.)

 

She also suggest to get daily intake of Vit E and C, which I get thru Green Tea. Trader Joe's has a great green Ice tea. (Althought it is kind of costly)

The combo of these vitamins has had a positive effect on me... I am sold! I hope you enjoy the book as much as I have.

 

Sandy... yup I do the same.... The way I look at it is there is no sense just laying in bed when sleep just is not going to happen... I surf on my PC for a while then go back to bed. Then of course come 5:00 AM when I am finally tired, and then get up late for work! I seem to do OK though with not much sleep.

 

The up side to all this .... Last December we went on a short cruise, and you would not believe the fantastic sunrise I caught from our balcony, while my husband slept away!!

 

Good Luck, everyone!

[WeirdEyes]

Sandy ~ I regretted having my ovaries removed at such a young age even though I needed them to be removed. I was 33 when I had my ovaries out and 27 when I had my uterus out. I have been plagued with "female" problems ever since I was 11. My body has been in surgical menopause for almost 7 years. :eek:

 

Smoothdancer ~ Thanks for the info. I might have to look into buying that book and in the vitamins. My new female MD told me that I wasn't taking enough vitamins. I take One-a-Day Women's and she said it wasn't strong enough. I'm waiting to go back to see her for her to recommend what I need to take. I have a feeling it won't be cheap. ;)

[BuilderMan]

Smoothdancer - Thanks for the info! I take everything you listed except for the Q10, but my DH takes it so maybe I'll start that one too.

 

Sheila - Could you expand on what your Dr. said about carbs and menopause? Did she give you a max number per day? Does that include all carbs or just the "bad" ones?

 

Lynn

[WeirdEyes]

Lynn ~ The doctor was talking about ALL carbs. She said a max of 28 grams per day. We didn't see eye-to-eye on that. ;) I told her that I was going to eat good carbs and that's that. LOL She said that after we hit menopause, our metabolisms slow down and that we have a hard time processing carbs. She might be right, but I can't live without them.

[BuilderMan]

Sheila - I think avoiding carbs altogether (28 grams is pretty much altogether IMHO unless that's NET carbs) is unreasonable and unwise. Our bodies need some carbs to function well. I'm with you on this one...I can't live without the good carbs either nor will I!

 

Lynn

[Ship Addict]

Hello ladies. Mind if I jump into your conversation?

 

I have no idea if I am perimenopausal or what, I just know that I am 37 and I have been dieting like crazy since mid December and I just can't seem to lose the weight! I have been on LA Weight Loss since then and I have only lost 13 pounds so far. I also jog 25 minutes about four days a week. I have not given up though. I keep hoping one day the scale will start going down . . . It is just so frustrating because I have NEVER been this good on a diet before and the weight is coming off so slowly. My goal date was April 25, but I am beginning to wonder if I am going to make that.

 

Someone was asking for some kind of detox for junk food -- they always tell me at LAWL if I eat something bad, increase my water consumption by 2 glasses. You should be drinking 8 glasses a day. If you have a high carb meal, drink 10 glasses. You can also drink a cup of hot lemon & water (about 1 TB lemon juice to a coffee cup of hot water) as soon as possible after you eat the "bad stuff." They also say to drink 2 cups of hot lemon water around the time of your period to help counteract any bloating.