Just Joined - Menopause Stinks
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LB30
Posts: 109 Member
Hi Everyone,
I'm new to this group and thankful that I've found it. I have just been told by my doctor that I am peri-menopausal. I just thought I was crazy and lazy.
My doctor gave me a referral to first see someone who specializes in nutrition therapy (as opposed to the wine and caffeine therapy I leaned towards. Ha!) to try to balance things out before going straight to hormone replacement. She studied under Dr. Weil, so I know this will be from a holistic approach. Has anyone gone this route? Were you successful?
I have gained 20 lbs in the last 18 months and am back to my old post childbirth weight after having kept it off for 8 years. I'm sure I've earned a few of these extra pounds, I haven't been as diligent as I once was, but I didn't think I was slacking 20 lbs worth. Obviously, I ate more and moved less, but it seems like there are some mitigating circumstances that have made counterbalancing that a little more challenging; fatigue, anxiety, sleep disruption, achy/stiffness, forgetfulness...etc. I'm looking forward to reading through/hearing what others in a similar boat have done.
I'm new to this group and thankful that I've found it. I have just been told by my doctor that I am peri-menopausal. I just thought I was crazy and lazy.
My doctor gave me a referral to first see someone who specializes in nutrition therapy (as opposed to the wine and caffeine therapy I leaned towards. Ha!) to try to balance things out before going straight to hormone replacement. She studied under Dr. Weil, so I know this will be from a holistic approach. Has anyone gone this route? Were you successful?
I have gained 20 lbs in the last 18 months and am back to my old post childbirth weight after having kept it off for 8 years. I'm sure I've earned a few of these extra pounds, I haven't been as diligent as I once was, but I didn't think I was slacking 20 lbs worth. Obviously, I ate more and moved less, but it seems like there are some mitigating circumstances that have made counterbalancing that a little more challenging; fatigue, anxiety, sleep disruption, achy/stiffness, forgetfulness...etc. I'm looking forward to reading through/hearing what others in a similar boat have done.
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Replies
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Hi and welcome. Everyone here understands how you're feeling!
I've been trying to "eat for menopause". It helps!0 -
Thanks. :-)0
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Welcome to the group! I had gained about 40 pounds during my marriage, so when I started eating better, it was as I became peri menopausal. Then menopause gave me food allergies and I couldn't eat a lot of carbs. So basically, it hasn't caused me to put on weight.
The caffeine and wine diet is heavenly though, isn't it? ❤️❤️❤️0 -
Welcome I am post now, but I remember the many annoying symptoms I went through.
I did not want to go onto hormone replacement therapy, and never did. I did take Soy Isoflavones with cycles of Black Cholosh (not sure of spelling), these helped take the edge off of my worse symptoms. 
It would be interesting to hear what your new nutritionist recommends. 0 -
Thanks ladies. I will meet with the nutritionist at the end of January (assuming my insurance covers) and I'll let you know what she says.0
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I hear ya!... ,my life has changed dramatically. some days I want to get into a hole and never come out.0
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Me too. I need a reset. I want to try carb cycling but I am scared of getting ravenous and bingeing.0
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I started on here6 years ago next month. The MFP plan worked perfectly for me. I lost 40 lbs. but sometime in the last 4 years the hormones shifted and the weight loss/maintenance rules changed. I've gained 20 lbs and it feels like starvation is the only way to budge the weight. And when I go back to eating normally (and by that I mean about 1500-1600 calls a day) it comes right back.
Very frustrated!0 -
I started on here6 years ago next month. The MFP plan worked perfectly for me. I lost 40 lbs. but sometime in the last 4 years the hormones shifted and the weight loss/maintenance rules changed. I've gained 20 lbs and it feels like starvation is the only way to budge the weight. And when I go back to eating normally (and by that I mean about 1500-1600 calls a day) it comes right back.
Very frustrated!
And frustrating to read that we're just not counting carefully enough.
I'm working a HELL of a lot harder to maintain now than I ever did to lose. And yes, the minute I blink, I gain 5 and have to grit my teeth to get it back down.0 -
I'm also tired of reading about improper counting and weighing. I'd doing the same thing I was doing when I was losing (and maintaining) in the past. Sadly, my body is not responding the same. I fully understand that a calorie is a calorie, but I also understand that my 40 something body does not respond the same as my 30 something body did. I now avoid posting on the main boards because while I don't dispute the 'science', I think there is more TO the science. So right now I prefer to read from those who, whether we can explain it or not, understand the dilemma. 0
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I started eating lower carb because my significant other was ordered by his doctor to do Atkins. Surprisingly, most of my menopausal symptoms disappeared or were greatly lessened. This was back in May. A happy side effect is I also lost 22 pounds so far.
One thing I have read is that we become more insulin resistant and this is why lowering carbs can be key.0 -
I started eating lower carb because my significant other was ordered by his doctor to do Atkins. Surprisingly, most of my menopausal symptoms disappeared or were greatly lessened. This was back in May. A happy side effect is I also lost 22 pounds so far.
One thing I have read is that we become more insulin resistant and this is why lowering carbs can be key.
Yup. I see more and more evidence that we become more insulin resistant.0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »I started eating lower carb because my significant other was ordered by his doctor to do Atkins. Surprisingly, most of my menopausal symptoms disappeared or were greatly lessened. This was back in May. A happy side effect is I also lost 22 pounds so far.
One thing I have read is that we become more insulin resistant and this is why lowering carbs can be key.
Yup. I see more and more evidence that we become more insulin resistant.
No! No! No!
Y'all stop saying those ugly things!
Sigh. I think you're right though.
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since menopause, I have become gluten sensitive (learned through testing)., Clearly there is something to this. I too gained weight through menopause and am now struggling to take it off. You really have to be good to see any results! Great that we can support each other.0
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Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »I started eating lower carb because my significant other was ordered by his doctor to do Atkins. Surprisingly, most of my menopausal symptoms disappeared or were greatly lessened. This was back in May. A happy side effect is I also lost 22 pounds so far.
One thing I have read is that we become more insulin resistant and this is why lowering carbs can be key.
Yup. I see more and more evidence that we become more insulin resistant.
No! No! No!
Y'all stop saying those ugly things!
Sigh. I think you're right though.
Hubs has downloaded SEVERAL pubmed articles for me. I really think it's true.0 -
Hello Ladies... Just thought I pop in and join the discussion. I am 41 and I'm in the midst of "The Change". I've noticed the weight gain (especially over the holidays), my work schedule has been crazy and I haven't been able to work out like I was before - The entire month of December was very stressful with work and my dad being in the hospital. But I'm not experiencing the depression - I'm dealing with RIDICULOUS ** HOT** FLASHES ** - and I mean crazy hot flashes. And some anxiety/irritability but that's about it so far.
I've started reading up on and using essential oils - my sister-in-law is big into using them so we'll see if some of the "potions" help.
My Hubby got me a Samsung Gear Watch that has a step counter for Christmas - very cool. I do feel better now that I'm working out again... I think that has been the best medicine for me so far.
But I have considered learning more about a low carb diet, Which will be hard b/c my hubby makes home brew that is REALLY good but I think for the most part I could do it for the day-to-day meals, and pick a day on the wknd to treat myself. 0 -
Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »Sabine_Stroehm wrote: »I started eating lower carb because my significant other was ordered by his doctor to do Atkins. Surprisingly, most of my menopausal symptoms disappeared or were greatly lessened. This was back in May. A happy side effect is I also lost 22 pounds so far.
One thing I have read is that we become more insulin resistant and this is why lowering carbs can be key.
Yup. I see more and more evidence that we become more insulin resistant.
No! No! No!
Y'all stop saying those ugly things!
Sigh. I think you're right though.
Hubs has downloaded SEVERAL pubmed articles for me. I really think it's true.
Can you share some links of the articles?0 -
here's a general summary:
https://www.womentowomen.com/insulin-resistance/insulin-resistance-what-is-it-and-how-we-can-heal/
If you buy into it, it's basically prescribing the south beach diet (It doesn't say that but that's what it describes). I already eat that way... the research articles below refer more to adding back HRT/BHRT.
Some of the research articles are either available off pubmed, or are summarized off pubmed.
http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/8405521
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9847982
and this one on hotflashes and insulin
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/772465
here's some general, non pubmed ones
http://www.womenshealthnetwork.com/pcosandinsulinresistance/how-to-avoid-insulin-resistance.aspx
https://www.glowm.com/section_view/heading/Endocrinology%20of%20the%20Perimenopausal%20Woman/item/82
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/23/12/1731.full.pdf
a nice one on wine and insulin https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Michael_Davies9/publication/11352160_Effects_of_moderate_alcohol_intake_on_fasting_insulin_and_glucose_concentrations_and_insulin_sensitivity_in_postmenopausal_women_a_randomized_controlled_trial/links/0deec53b7f0f2dcd8d000000.pdf 0 -
ChangeIsADecision wrote: »Hello Ladies... Just thought I pop in and join the discussion. I am 41 and I'm in the midst of "The Change". I've noticed the weight gain (especially over the holidays), my work schedule has been crazy and I haven't been able to work out like I was before - The entire month of December was very stressful with work and my dad being in the hospital. But I'm not experiencing the depression - I'm dealing with RIDICULOUS ** HOT** FLASHES ** - and I mean crazy hot flashes. And some anxiety/irritability but that's about it so far.
I've started reading up on and using essential oils - my sister-in-law is big into using them so we'll see if some of the "potions" help.
My Hubby got me a Samsung Gear Watch that has a step counter for Christmas - very cool. I do feel better now that I'm working out again... I think that has been the best medicine for me so far. But I have considered learning more about a low carb diet, Which will be hard b/c my hubby makes home brew that is REALLY good but I think for the most part I could do it for the day-to-day meals, and pick a day on the wknd to treat myself.
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Which essentials are you using and how do you apply them? My hot flashes are crazy too. I can't tell you how many I have a day. Trying to find some relief.0
