Menopause/Perimenopause & Weight Loss Support Group

sschrock

I'll chime in here. I am 49 y/o. My GYN told me a few months ago that I'm almost at the end of perimenopause. I will go 2-3 months with no period, then spot/light flow for 2-3 weeks. I rarely have hot flashes, and if I do, they're at night only. I'm usually freezing cold! I notice my mood worsens when I've not had my period for awhile, then I feel more happy/normal when I'm spotting. It's like it releases all those pent up hormones! I am not taking any vitamins/supplements/hormone treatments specifically for peri/menopause. Libido is low after my period is over, but increases as the hormones build back up. Sex life is pretty good for being married for almost 30 years!

I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism 14 months ago, but I'm stable on my very low Synthroid dose (only 25 mcg daily). Here's my complicating factor in my weight loss journey: my heaviest weight was 278. I was pre-diabetic and my PCP said I had metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance. I took Metformin for years, but once I changed my lifestyle in Jan. 2016, I began losing the weight and got down to 202! He took me off the Metformin in July 2017, and I've started slowly gaining back some weight. I hover around 210-215. I'm frustrated with this, because my goal weight is 185, and now I feel I'll never get there no matter how much I work out, or how little I eat. I am trying to come to grips with the fact that high glycemic carbs are not my friends and that the Metformin was acting like a blocker for those carbs so I could get away with eating some bread, sugars, and potatoes. I am a confessed "potatoholic!" I could care less about bread, pasta, and rice. I like dark chocolate for a sugar, and fruit, but I stick to low-glycemic berries. I'm trying really hard to give up potatoes altogether.

So, after all this info, you can see I've got some complicated medical things going on. Is it all a combination of perimenopause, hypothyroidism, and MS/IR?? I work out 6 days a week doing a combination of cardio, strength training, and yoga/pilates/tai chi. I strive for 1500-1700 calories per day. I've been trying to eat less than 75 carbs per day too.

Any advice on how to get that scale moving back down again?? Any opinions would be appreciated!

Sabine_Stroehm

Hi all. Thanks for sharing your experiences here. It's important for folks to see how a variety of women experience peri-menopause and menopause.
I'll also remind women we have a group! http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/group/506-near-or-post-menopausal-group

I am now officially menopausal. My last period was well over a year ago.
My symptoms varied along the way, but by far the most difficult to manage were the lesser documented symptoms:
dizziness, brain fog, irritability, insomnia. And, probably, significant blood sugar control issues. I'm only really realizing this now that my hormones are settling a bit.

I read a ton, and ultimately chose to use low dose bio-identical progesterone and estrogen.

If you haven't yet read "The Estrogen Window" I do encourage it. For a more light hearted, and less concise read, "Menopause Confidential" is fun. (Both are available at my library digitally via Hoopla)

Cheers!