Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!
Replies
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I've been in perimenopause forever now ... well it feels like it. And I sure do talk about it!!
I talk to my doctor, my gynaecologic-oncologist, my pelvic physiotherapist, my mother, my friends my age ...
According to my gynaecologic-oncologist, I probably went into perimenopause at about 42 or 43 years of age. When I was 48 in 2015, I had gained weight because I had not been exercising, but decided to make a change. And throughout 2015, I dropped back to the weight I had been most of my twenties and thirties.
I did that by meticulously sticking to my calorie limit and exercising lots.
I maintained that weight through 2016 and 2017, mainly through exercising lots ... and not going too crazy with my diet.
Unfortunately, in 2018, my husband had a very serious workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury. My exercise quantity has diminished a lot and so I've put some weight back on.
However, I know that it is easy enough to lose ... I just have to meticulously stick to my calorie limit and exercise lots. When I do, I start dropping the kilograms.
And not having periods every 3 weeks, like I did from about 2014 to 2018, is fantastic! I'm not in menopause yet because a period still crops up every few months ... but the long gaps in between mean I can exercise much more consistently without cramps, floods, and all sorts.
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also FYI OP here is a thread with a lot of talking about it that you may find helpful: https://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10482404/is-it-over-yet-the-perimenopause-thread#latest5
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I've been in perimenopause forever now ... well it feels like it. And I sure do talk about it!! I talk to my doctor, my gynaecologic-oncologist, my pelvic physiotherapist, my mother, my friends my age ...
According to my gynaecologic-oncologist, I probably went into perimenopause at about 42 or 43 years of age. When I was 48 in 2015, I had gained weight because I had not been exercising, but decided to make a change. And throughout 2015, I dropped back to the weight I had been most of my twenties and thirties.
I did that by meticulously sticking to my calorie limit and exercising lots.
I maintained that weight through 2016 and 2017, mainly through exercising lots ... and not going too crazy with my diet.
Unfortunately, in 2018, my husband had a very serious workplace accident which resulted in a severe traumatic brain injury. My exercise quantity has diminished a lot and so I've put some weight back on.
However, I know that it is easy enough to lose ... I just have to meticulously stick to my calorie limit and exercise lots. When I do, I start dropping the kilograms.
And not having periods every 3 weeks, like I did from about 2014 to 2018, is fantastic! I'm not in menopause yet because a period still crops up every few months ... but the long gaps in between mean I can exercise much more consistently without cramps, floods, and all sorts.
Yes, I'm 53 and the only sign of upcoming menopause is larger fibroids and heavier bleeding. For the last few years, unlike the rest of my life, my periods have been like clockwork. (And torrential, although tranexamic acid does help.)
I talk to everyone logical about menopause, from a "Where the heck is it?" perspective - my mother, my aunt, my sister, my GP, my GYN, etc. No hot flashes yet. I will be having another FSH test next time I have blood work, but those results don't really tell me anything I didn't already know - menopause is somewhat closer, but not here yet.3 -
paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
[/quote
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.0 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
I'm not sure that anyone "sailed through" menopause; they just mentioned not gaining weight. To be clear, while my mother did not gain weight, she did have hot flashes for 10 or 15 years.
However, perhaps there is something to be learned from women or cultures who do have an easier time with menopause, for example, Japanese women eating a traditional diet: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/1998/07/980727080103.htm
FYI, on online forums you are never going to get responses exclusively from your target demographic, so if you adjust your expectations you will likely have a better experience 9 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
[/quote
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
"dreaded life change that nobody talks about" implies taboo. You probably meant it lightheartedly but it's still out there.
Welcome to mfp! 😀3 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
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I had no symptoms of peri-menopause, but menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes are horrible and debilitating. I get 10+ per day and they're not just a warming sensation. It feels like I've been dropped into a pit of fire. Insomnia makes the rest of life more difficult because I'm so tired. It sucks big time and I lost my sense of humor about it a long time ago.
However, I haven't had any weight gain. I keep active and watch how much I eat and all is well on that front.5 -
I’m another one who found peri bad but menopause itself easy. I got nearly to the needing a blood transfusion stage several times during peri, felt awful all the time, lost an ovary to a (benign) tumor. Menopause itself has been fine - in fact, although I’ve been menopausal for five years now, I keep feeling nervous because I never did have a single hot flash and wondering, did I really get off that easy or is something different going to happen any day now? My main “symptom” has been that my skin is finally clear most of the time!
@saggynaggy65 I feel like even though you asked specifically for experiences of people having a bad time, it’s important for all kinds of people to share their experiences since so many different people might read this thread. I had heard so many stories of how bad menopause was that I was really dreading something that turned out to be fine. Every woman is different! And I hope you feel better in the future.8 -
VioletRojo wrote: »I had no symptoms of peri-menopause, but menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes are horrible and debilitating. I get 10+ per day and they're not just a warming sensation. It feels like I've been dropped into a pit of fire. Insomnia makes the rest of life more difficult because I'm so tired. It sucks big time and I lost my sense of humor about it a long time ago.
However, I haven't had any weight gain. I keep active and watch how much I eat and all is well on that front.
I have the exact same symptoms as you VioletRojo. I tried everything from diet and exercise to spending tons of money on nutritional supplements that really didn't make me feel any better. I started HRT last week on the advice of my doctor and I find that I am already getting some relief. There is nothing worse than breaking out in a sweat when you are not doing anything physical! I can't wait to get a good night's sleep again! This has been going on for 8 months now and I'm soooooo tired! Thank you so much for sharing your story.1 -
HRT, for those who can take it, is the bomb imho. It's a shame that many doctors are still unnecessarily wary of it. I've been on it just over a year (peri underneath), no more hideous night sweats, and despite a hefty weight gain for other reasons, my fat distribution pattern is the same as it's always been. Nothing 'extra' has gone on around my mid section, and now that I finally have my *kitten* together with eating like a health conscious adult again, weight is coming off as per expectations, and waist is doing its usual slightly quicker than everywhere else thing - nearly 2.5" in five weeks.
So my N=1 experience of weight loss in perimenopause whilst on HRT, absolutely no different to weight loss prior.4 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »VioletRojo wrote: »I had no symptoms of peri-menopause, but menopause hit me like a ton of bricks. The hot flashes are horrible and debilitating. I get 10+ per day and they're not just a warming sensation. It feels like I've been dropped into a pit of fire. Insomnia makes the rest of life more difficult because I'm so tired. It sucks big time and I lost my sense of humor about it a long time ago.
However, I haven't had any weight gain. I keep active and watch how much I eat and all is well on that front.
I have the exact same symptoms as you VioletRojo. I tried everything from diet and exercise to spending tons of money on nutritional supplements that really didn't make me feel any better. I started HRT last week on the advice of my doctor and I find that I am already getting some relief. There is nothing worse than breaking out in a sweat when you are not doing anything physical! I can't wait to get a good night's sleep again! This has been going on for 8 months now and I'm soooooo tired! Thank you so much for sharing your story.
I'm on week 2 of HRT, so I'm hoping to see improvement soon.
Edited to add: This took me by surprise as both my mother and sister had NO symptoms with menopause. No hot flashes or anything.1 -
While I did gain weight after menopause, (about 25 pounds over 5 years) I don't think menopause itself was a big part of that.
During that time, we moved, I stopped work (was seasonal work), lost my Y membership and the money for a new gym membership, walked less, was dealing with an undiagnosed Vit D deficiency, ate too much, etc.
My weight gain was mostly the same pattern as before - mostly hips and legs, chest, arms, and face. I did get just the slightest amount of belly fat which I never really had before, but still minor.
The belly fat has proven to be a bit stubborn even though I now weigh what I did 6 years ago.
As far as peri-menopause and menopause symptoms, I was pretty unlucky. Hot flashes started about 3 years before menopause (as often as several times per hour). I have literally changed PJs 4 times overnight due to night sweats. Just last year my new gyne recommended a HRT patch which has finally ended 8 years of 25-100 daily hot flashes. I also sleep way better now than I have for 8 years. I got all the other common symptoms of menopause, too.
It is/was all still better than endometriosis pain, though. That was excruciating for 35 years.4 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information.
I've had almost every symptom in the book ... all but 6 of them ... and I can't take HRT.
(https://www.facebook.com/MenopauseNow/)
But I'm not sure what you mean by winning the battle.1 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
Yes ... I've been through about 10 years of perimenopause hell. But now that my periods only come once every 4-6 months, it's easier. I will be delighted when they finally stop.
My weight has been the least of my worries.1 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
Yes ... I've been through about 10 years of perimenopause hell. But now that my periods only come once every 4-6 months, it's easier. I will be delighted when they finally stop.
My weight has been the least of my worries.
Just remember: when you hit menopause you enter a great stage of life, at least as far as expenses go. You no longer need sanitary protection and chances are good you will not need incontinence protection for a decent amount of time, YMMV.
Perimenopause took about 10 years for me with the symptoms getting worse as time went on. I started taking a soy based supplement to help with the symptoms but that gave me fast growing cysts in my breasts so I had to stop. I am really, really enjoying being post-menopausal.3 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
Yes ... I've been through about 10 years of perimenopause hell. But now that my periods only come once every 4-6 months, it's easier. I will be delighted when they finally stop.
My weight has been the least of my worries.
Just remember: when you hit menopause you enter a great stage of life, at least as far as expenses go. You no longer need sanitary protection and chances are good you will not need incontinence protection for a decent amount of time, YMMV.
Perimenopause took about 10 years for me with the symptoms getting worse as time went on. I started taking a soy based supplement to help with the symptoms but that gave me fast growing cysts in my breasts so I had to stop. I am really, really enjoying being post-menopausal.
Already I chuckle to myself when I walk by the feminine products in the store.
It's probably been a year since I've bought any ... I'm just using up my stock when necessary.
And I've been seeing a pelvic physiotherapist who has been very helpful giving me exercises to ward off potential bladder issues etc. I highly recommend pelvic physiotherapists!1 -
I had my very first hot flash last month and I live in Canada where it’s freezing- ladies it was awesome! I barely even needed blankets at night! Honestly I’m excited of this whole process.. no periods and your own personal furnace😂3
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saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »saggynaggy65 wrote: »paperpudding wrote: »Paperpudding anecdotal evidence n=1.
Did not gain weight at menopause.
Gained weight gradually over 10 years or so pre menopause - so called middle age spread.
Started weight loss in Jan 2013, then age 49 and pre menopausal. Lost 10 kg in 10 months to get to healthy BMI.
Then maintained weight, still logging ( albeit mostly in loose approximations ) from then on.
Last period in August 2018, then aged 54.
The amount of calories needed for maitenance did not change from Nov 2013, when I reached goal weight, to now, over 6 years later despite starting before menopause and now being clearly past it.
PS as an aside, nothing much else changed either - I have the same job working at around the same hours, the same finances, lifestyle etc - which also supports Ann's theory that lifestyle changes account for more of this common weight gain than hormonal changes
PPS as another aside, I don't find menopause to be some taboo subject nobody talks about nor a 'dreaded life change'
Certainly a common topic talked about on these forums and IME ( which, yes, I realise isn't everyone's) nothing much changed at all - except of course no more periods and some minor hot flushes. Mildly annoying more than dreadful, to me.
Consider yourself one of the lucky ones. My symptoms are a living hell and so are a lot of other women's! Nobody I know ever talked about menopause or told me about the symptoms of menopause so I don't agree with you there. I actually find your remarks to my post rather snide than helpful.
Bit lost as to what you found snide (clearly so are a couple of other posters)
You asked "Is it possible to go through menopause without gaining weight, if so share your secrets"
So, I answered yes, according to paperpudding n=1, yes it is possible and shared my 'secrets' of that.
Well, my experience anyway - no great secrets in it.
and like I said I dont find menopause a taboo subject nobody talks about- perhaps you do, I can't nor did say what are ok subjects where you live.
On MFP it certainly isnt taboo - there are many threads discussing it.
and yes I'm sure like all health and life experiences, luck plays some part - again I didnt say otherwise and not sure why you are getting defensive about that
[/quote
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Well your thread title asked if it was possible to go through menopause without gaining weight and share your secrets of how - and I answered that question.
Not sure what information you were looking for if not answers to your own question.
You said it was a topic nobody talks about - me saying I hadn't found that to be so doesn't mean I sit round drinking tea and talking about it all the time either.
And I gave you a thread specifically on this topic in order to help you.
A simple search will no doubt find more.1 -
saggynaggy65 wrote: »
@paperpudding sorry for the remark but I didn't find your advice (or some others) very helpful in regards to my post. In my original post I stated, "If anyone is FIGHTING the menopause battle and has won, please share your secrets!" And by saying battle, I meant, you are having symptoms! Clearly you and some of the other ladies sailed through the transition and that's awesome, but I wasn't looking for that kind of information. On another note, no menopause isn't a TABOO subject where I am from. I find it funny that you keep saying that you think that I think it is. People in my circles generally don't sit around drinking tea and talk about menopause all the time. I also didn't realize there were a lot of threads discussing this topic, since I just started MFP yesterday.
Your thread title is "Is it possible to get through Menopause without weight gain? If so please share your secrets!" so I answered the question.
Since you really wanted to know our experiences with the total menopause experience, not weight gain, I will address that. Perimenopause was hell, menopause was easy. During perimenopause, I had severe insomnia for about 3 days before getting my period. By this I mean sleeping a total of about 4 hours out of 72, then crashing for a couple of days. Played havoc with my ability to do my job. I also had the heaviest periods of my life, worst cramps, and the worst acne.
All my symptoms disappeared when my periods stopped so menopause itself was easy, just an occasional night sweat which I still get 11 years later. My libido also got stronger.
The one thing that didn't happen was weight gain because I was trying to lose and actually found it easy to do because the craziness of PMS stopped.
Yes ... I've been through about 10 years of perimenopause hell. But now that my periods only come once every 4-6 months, it's easier. I will be delighted when they finally stop.
My weight has been the least of my worries.
Just remember: when you hit menopause you enter a great stage of life, at least as far as expenses go. You no longer need sanitary protection and chances are good you will not need incontinence protection for a decent amount of time, YMMV.
Perimenopause took about 10 years for me with the symptoms getting worse as time went on. I started taking a soy based supplement to help with the symptoms but that gave me fast growing cysts in my breasts so I had to stop. I am really, really enjoying being post-menopausal.
Already I chuckle to myself when I walk by the feminine products in the store. It's probably been a year since I've bought any ... I'm just using up my stock when necessary.
And I've been seeing a pelvic physiotherapist who has been very helpful giving me exercises to ward off potential bladder issues etc. I highly recommend pelvic physiotherapists!
Yes, my mom is 82 and is having bladder issues. She went through "bladder training" but didn't keep up with the exercises. I took her to a URI/GYN last month - one of the doctor's first questions was if she'd been continuing the exercises. I'm 53 and should probably start doing those preventatively...1
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