Surviving peri-menopause/menopause? Help needed

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  • lynne_p
    lynne_p Posts: 173 Member
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    Bump
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    One week of strict diet (weighed & counted everything) and movement; eating just under my caloric goal of 1300 (excluding exercise calories) . . . and didn't lose ANY weight. I stayed the same. Well, I should be happy I didn't gain weight. Still 152 pounds and a size 10/12. I am only 5'4".

    I can't weight to go to the regular doctor on Monday. I called the ob/gyn and the nurse said to start with the regular doctor.
  • SmallMimi
    SmallMimi Posts: 541 Member
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    Agree with those who indicated a lower carb intake. Keep mine at about 120-140g.
  • poedunk65
    poedunk65 Posts: 1,336 Member
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    my advise as a husband? Get your husband a gun so he can blow his brains out! LMAO

    Just kiddin of course. My wife went thru perimenopause and it was VERY dificult to say the least.

    Quick tempers, hot flashes, emotional wreck. Hard to deal with it as a man because there are no answers to any given situation and how a woman will react.

    Her doctor was of no help either, she tried homrones which made it worse, she was depressed due to physical body chnages.

    Her sex drive was and still is very low and she suffers from low self esteem.

    Good luck ladies it is a tough situation.
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    "my advise as a husband? Get your husband a gun so he can blow his brains out! LMAO "

    To make it worse, our daughter is almost 12 years old . . . .
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    120-140 in carbs?

    I looked back at this week, and I am between 127 and 175 in carbs a day. I'd say I average 155ish. If I try lower, I don''t want to feel "weak" exercising.

    Do you feel weak at 120? I tried Atkins a long time ago, and it was no carbs/25 carbs. I felt sick and my side hurt.

    Seems like a stupid question, but, what's your "rule" to keep it at 120-140? One slice of bread? Cereal? What do you keep in the back of your mind as you are choosing what to eat?
  • susanlittle1
    susanlittle1 Posts: 2
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    I'm 47 and I think I started noticing change at 44 or so my new high for weight was 160 instead of 150.... then the cravings along with missed periods.. the cravings was off the charts (sweets/carbs). I saw a dr. that specialized in peri-menopause symptoms she prescribed progesterone, my cravings went away but the weight did not drop... I reached a high of 210 in 3 years. So at 47 I started 3 weeks ago a serious 1200 calorie diet and have lost 10 lbs. Every doctor says my metabolism is hypothyroid borderline... so that was the reason for gain. I hate PERIMENOPAUSE... everyone doesn't gain weight but I did and only in the belly. I'm determined though I will win this fight!!!
  • Nerys52
    Nerys52 Posts: 86 Member
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    I had perimenopause since turning 40 yrs and now I am 52 yrs and in menopause , not easy , take just one day at a time
  • AngelaKoder
    AngelaKoder Posts: 24
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    Hormones affect EVERYTHING. I don' loose weight for a whole year after having a baby (I've had two) because my hormone levels aren't what they should be. It's impossoble to loose weight if the hormone balance isn't right. Maybe talk to your Dr to see what they suggest.
    Sorry for your struggle. I know it's very common. I know 3 other people going through the same thing. Doesn't seem fair to not eat AND exercise, and still feel fat. :(
  • jlapey
    jlapey Posts: 1,850 Member
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    I'm 42, 153 (down from163 in 4 months) I eat healthy homemade foods and workout 3 times a week (strength and cardio). I think 1200 is too low, at least for me. I eat 1400 instead. Weight loss is slow, but happening. I definitely see changes despite the scale.
  • happycauseIride
    happycauseIride Posts: 536 Member
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    I would lean more toward Insulin Resistance as well. And have your thyroid checked again. You describe a lot of the symptoms that I have at 37. I have been hypothyroid since 2006, but since I have lost 35 pounds it's trending to hyper instead. If your weight has changed at all your thyroid levels may have changed too. If you are borderline normal, suggest to the doc you get put on meds anyway to make you feel better. Don't let them treat it by numbers, treat it by symptoms.

    In the mean time, watch your carb, sodium and sugar intake. Try to eat as clean as possible and drink lots of water and water only. Maybe bump your calories to 1350-1400 instead of 2000. You are already exercising, maybe change your exercise to something different. Keep working on what you are doing and don't get discouraged.
  • vawahoofan
    vawahoofan Posts: 10
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    Your post is so so much me! I am same age, same weight and built the same way. I also was a minny in high school as well. Wish both us of luck!
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I'm 54 and STILL in peri-menopause WTF!! My last period was this past July. Ugh. Anyway after maintaining a heathy weight for years through a healthy diet and exercise I started to pack on the blubber in my mid-section a few years back. It's very discouraging when your exercising and eating right and still blowing up!! Here's some things that I did that have really worked -

    1 - Upped my protein (which previously had been too low) to between 80 and 100 grams a day
    2 - started weight training/ strength training with weights heavy enough to challenge me (if you can do 12 reps it's too light). Use compound moves!!! (squats, lunges, bench presses, pushups, pullups, overhead presses). Google for ideas or get the 'new rules of lifting for women'.
    3 - changed up my cardio!! I was a steady state cardio kind of girl - I switched up to HIIT's and calisthenics
    4 - EAT!! 1200 is too low for most of us. Slows your metabolism down to a crawl.

    In a nutshell, at our age, with changing hormones we are losing our lean muscle mass (which is also slowing our metabolism down). Very bad..cuz muscles burn calories!! Hence the value in LIFTING HEAVY WEIGHTS.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    120-140 in carbs?

    I looked back at this week, and I am between 127 and 175 in carbs a day. I'd say I average 155ish. If I try lower, I don''t want to feel "weak" exercising.

    Do you feel weak at 120? I tried Atkins a long time ago, and it was no carbs/25 carbs. I felt sick and my side hurt.

    Seems like a stupid question, but, what's your "rule" to keep it at 120-140? One slice of bread? Cereal? What do you keep in the back of your mind as you are choosing what to eat?

    Here's my thoughts on low carb - bleh. Totally NOT sustainable for me. I eat between 200 and 220 grams a day, have two pieces of bread a day and fruit and veggies and a treat! Low carb is for some people BUT not for all.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
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    I run on the treadmill. My "goal" is to run 2 days a week, figure skate 3 days a week (one of those days is a super high workout of 90 minutes on the ice, and I do a day of Yoga (Sunday). When I run, I run about 3 miles, in total, doing intervals. Monday & Wednesday are running days. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday are figure skating days. Sunday is Yoga. Friday should be P90X Core or Kick boxing. But, work and life gets in the way.

    (Running is hard as I sold my feet to the devil when I was a child in exchange for unforgiving pairs of figure skating boots. I have bone spurs, a torn archilles, plantar fasciutus, and surgery on an ankle tendon due to cysts that formed. I still put the feet in the boots and go "crampy numb" for about the first 10 minutes on the ice.)

    I had my fasting blood sugar checked earlier this year, and it was perfect. But, I didn't get the stress test. I had one when I was 38 & pregnant. Passed it then. But, it's been 6 years.

    Ok, I am going to try to cut the carbs. But, damn, I had a banana today. It looked so good, and it came from our tree ....

    Fresh fruits and veggies ARE healthy!!!
  • dawnerika
    dawnerika Posts: 22 Member
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    I don't know if anything I say can help or not, but your experience is similar to my own. I'm 48 and always had a very fit, athletic figure, despite the fact that I was diagnosed with Hypothyroidism over 20 years ago. For me, it has only been within the past few years that weight has piled on and perimenopause has been an issue. I had been thinking about posting my own topic, much like this one, concerning this subject, because I have yet to find a solution. What I have noticed is that I gain, what I consider to be, a ridiculous amount of weight in the week prior to my period. I'm talking about 4 or 5lbs! Then I lose it or nearly all of it, the following week. Water retention? I don't know. It's making weight loss that much more difficult, obviously, with a seesaw effect such as this. I've managed 13 lbs so far, but I can see that unless I find some solutions, this is going to take me years!
    I can't speak as to anything concerning diabetes, because it's not something I know a lot about. I'm learning as I go, about protein/carbs, etc.
    I always suggest to people to continue requesting tests for thyroid issues, though, because it is one of the most overlooked, but abundant conditions. Also, hereditary.
    I hope you find out more info and will check back here, because I'd love some answers to the issues with belly fat. Good luck!
  • BroiledNotFried
    BroiledNotFried Posts: 446 Member
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    My weekly progress. I ate VERY cleanly (under or at my goal) and exercised almost every day this week. Guess what? I gained 2 pounds this morning. I can't wait to see the doctor tomorrrow.

    I had my thyroid checked about 9 months ago. It was A-OK. I last had my blood sugar checked about 2 years ago. It was also AOK.
  • vawahoofan
    vawahoofan Posts: 10
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    I wonder if this will help?

    Cinnamon and Weight Loss

    Cinnamon has a regulatory effect on blood sugar levels and simultaneously increases insulin levels in the body. It imitates the biological activity of insulin and increases the metabolism of glucose. Since high blood sugar levels can lead to increased storage of fat by the body, cinnamon helps prevent this increased storage of fat and enables you to lose weight. In addition, it influences the manner in which sugar is metabolized by the body and prevents the transformation of the metabolized sugar into fat. Cinnamon also delays the passing of food from the stomach into the intestine. Hence, you feel satisfied for a longer time and eat less. This helps you lose weight. Cinnamon also helps the body to process carbohydrates more efficiently and this assists you in losing a few pounds. Studies show that abdominal fat is more sensitive to the effects of cinnamon than fat from other parts of the body.
  • kimberliiw
    kimberliiw Posts: 242 Member
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    I've been in menopause about 4 years now and the weight loss definitely slows down. Exercise/activity seems to be the key for me, but the hot flashes are still killer. I thought I would like them because I'm always cold, but instead I go from extremes... cold to feeling like a sun has grown in the center of my body.

    As for the husbands, lubricant is your friend in bed.
  • lauriem1966
    lauriem1966 Posts: 134 Member
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    "my advise as a husband? Get your husband a gun so he can blow his brains out! LMAO "

    To make it worse, our daughter is almost 12 years old . . . .

    I went thru puberty when my mum was going thru menopause, it was awful!

    I am seeing a doctor on Friday because I think I've started menopause or perimenopause....periods every 2 weeks, super heavy, cramps like I was a teenager again, and I'm hyper-emotional. No hot flashes or anything like that yet but I feel bad for my husband and kids because of my mood swings. I thought maybe I was depressed but then my stupid period came AGAIN and I realized it was probably that time.

    I'm 46 in less than 2 weeks and my weight loss has been slow but steady....averaging .6 pounds a week. I tend to eat lower carb and I think that helps.

    We should start a support group on here.....

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