weight gain?too much to fast

Question
i am 50 in a week and i have several different issues,i have fibromyalgia but its a mild case,im perimenopausal,an have hypertension,(controled with meds) my quesgen is besides the muscle aches,BRAIN FOG,being tired alot,I have gained 20 lbs in one year,no major change in activity level I have a good diet and get daily exercise,1/2 walks mostly every daay with my very active 9mon old golden retriever so im not a couch potatoe,I started last year when the weight started to creep up ,riding my stationary bike 30 to 45 min every morn,ate a goog but low calorie diet for 3 months  I didnt drop a pound I became to frustrated i gave up ,I admitt i do have my popcorn snack at night an a brownie here and there but you just cant not have a goodie you go nuts.im very upset if i starve I get weak and feel worse and still dont loose.i know your metabolism changes as we get to be my age, and menopause dont help either but im going to be a porker in no time if i dont do something NOW but what? PLEASE HELP ASAP   linda

Answer
Dear Linda,

I certainly can sympathize with your frustration!  It sounds like you are trying very hard to get those 20 pounds off with healthy eating and exercising.

First of all, exercise is extremely important and you should definitely keep it up!  But in itself does not promote very fast weight loss (It would take a full hour a day, every day, to promote even one pound to come off at the end of each week).

To make sure you are walking as much as it seems, I would suggest you get a pedometer to log your usual number of steps.  You might find that it's low on some days because things came up to prevent you from your walks (rain, sore throat, too busy, etc)... and I speak from personal experience on this!  You should aim for 10,000 steps a day, optimally (which is about 5 miles).  If you find you are starting out with 3000, for example, just try adding another thousand steps each week to work your way up towards 10,000 (if you are doing well with 8000, then keep that up--it's very individualized).

Sometimes when people are focused on dieting, as you are, and then have a treat (brownie, evening snack, fast food because you're in a rush) you don't realize how often the treats are sneaking in--I speak from experience on this as well!  The best way to find out is to keep a diet diary for a couple of weeks.  This will give you the truest answer to how you're eating over a period of time, and whether or not high calorie foods are sneaking in under the radar.

In the meantime, be sure to see your doctor for a complete physical and to rule out any involvement of your thyroid gland.  Not uncommon in women, an underactive thyroid can cause weight gain and sluggishness, among other symptoms and can be easily remedied with a small pill!

good luck.

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