u/Federal_Raspberry425

i’ve gained about 12 pounds in the last 18 months without changing anything significant about how i eat or move. I know menopause affects metabolism but I didn’t expect it to be so sudden and so relentless. the usual things I used to do to lose a few pounds don’t work the same way anymore.
the frustrating thing is the advice i get is always identical. Eat less, move more, de-stress. I do all of these things. Something is definitely different about how my body is processing everything now and generic weight loss advice doesn't take that into account.
particularly the bloating is the one that bothers me the most. Some days I feel fine and some days I feel like I swallowed a balloon and can’t connect it to anything I ate or did differently. is this just something you live with or has anyone found something that actually deals with the hormonal side of weight and bloating rather than just telling you to try harder?

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i do a lot of solo day hikes, anywhere from 8 to 15 miles, and my trail food game is genuinely terrible. i usually throw a bunch of random stuff in my bag, granola bars, maybe some nuts, asandwich that gets crushed by mile 3.

i've been looking at what other hikers actually carry and there seems to be a big range from people who pack elaborate trail meals to people who just grab whatever. i'm somewhere in the middle but leaning toward wanting something that's actually nutritious and filling without requiring a stove or complicated prep.

protein is the thing i struggle with most on the trail.. Do you guys know any good protein bars for hiking? what are you guys actually carrying that works?