Menopause making keto difficult
, medical review by Dr. Bret Scher, MD
in Diet Doctor community, Weight loss 
What are some hot topics among our members?
Menopause making keto difficult
Menopause is a topic that is brought up frequently in the Diet Doctor Facebook group. Specifically, many members express how menopause seems to negatively impact their results on keto, or how it makes following the diet more challenging.
Since we know that significant hormonal changes take place during menopause, it’s perhaps not so surprising that many women put on weight, or find that things don’t work like they used to. Keto sometimes helps, but not in every case.
So what’s our advice for menopausal women who struggle with keto? Anne Mullens compiled a list of the top ten tips in her much-read guide on the topic. They are as follows:
- Eat enough protein (keep in the range of 1.2- 2.0 g/kg/day)
- Don’t eat too much fat (eat to satiety but not more!)
- Try intermittent fasting or time restricted eating
- Watch out for carb creep (consuming more carbs than you realize)
- Cut out alcohol
- Avoid artificial sweeteners
- Begin weight training
- Get enough sleep
- Reduce stress
- Be realistic about how much weight you need to lose and the time it might take
Check out the full guide for a deeper explanation:
Top 10 tips to lose weight for women 40+
Many women in menopause find that along with other symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats and sleep problems, their abdomens thicken and their weight increases.
67 comments
The first suggestion is to limit protein to 1.2-1.7g/kg/day. For a female of 5'3", that could be as much as 103 grams of protein a day. The second suggestion is to eat fat to satiety, but not beyond. That is to eat fat until you are satisfied, but not overly full. There is nothing in these suggestions about staying hungry. Good sleep and movement are beneficial to most people.
Protein is essential at any age. The recommended range of 1.2 to 1.7 g/kg/day is not a small amount. Here is a link to our protein guide for more details on the range. https://www.dietdoctor.com/food-policy/protein How are you doing with the other items on the list like fat, carbs, sleep?
Post full surgical hysterectomy from Ovarian cancer- keto was really working great prior to the cancer, now it is just slower than slow - so frustrated- help?!?!?
In addition to the tips on this page, you may find this helpful.
https://www.dietdoctor.com/top-tips-lose-weight-low-carb-women-40
Hi, Mary! You may want to sign up for our free 2-Week Challenge! https://www.dietdoctor.com/low-carb/get-started
I'm menopausal. What am I doing wrong?
Annette, you may not be doing anything wrong! Even 2.3 lbs a month is progress!!! Sometimes it takes time for our bodies to heal and adjust to the new way of eating. Remember, the scale isn't the only, or the best, measure we have of progress. How is your appetite? How are you feeling with any health issues? How do your clothes fit? All of these are key markers that low carb is working for you even if you don't see a change in the scale. This article lists several tips for menopausal women. https://www.dietdoctor.com/weight-loss/menopause Check it out and see how you're doing with each step.