Welcome! I'm new to the group, too, but I've noticed we all have a lot in common - no matter the reason for our menopause. I'm 53, so mine is natural. I've always been pretty active and watched what I ate, but the pounds kept creeping up anyway - and settling around my middle. I'm not ready to look middle aged yet, even if I technically am! I hope we will all succeed in beating the menopausal pooch!

Welcome to all 3 of you! :flowerforyou: I know you will find support and camaraderie here.

Things I've learned:
let the weight come off slowly - be patient but consistent
limit your sodium (I have mine set to 1500)
know your BMR and set your calorie goal to about 100 over your BMR
exercise
the MM - menopausal middle :laugh: - is our body's way of protecting vital organs as our hormones change

For the first time in over 15 yrs I am on my way to a healthy weight. I topped out at 172 for my highest after my almost 16 yo was born. I feel stronger and healthier than I have in a very long time.

I think the biggest part of my personal battle is accepting this and embracing what's happening instead of being so pissed off about it. I'm frustrated too.

I totally agree!

I am debating whether or not I should just put my scale in the closet and focus on measurements and how my jeans fit. If I work out consistently (I'm back to P90X2 5 x per week) and eating not just within my calories but healthfully, I should see some changes in that department. Right, RIGHT??????? Not sure what else to do.

It seems like through all of my cycles, as irregular as they've been over the last several months, there is always SOMETHING...some sort of symptom.....I just don't feel that same as I used to. Anyone else have that going on?

Glad you're on the mend!

Hi katiegc - I hear you...if it's not complete lethargy, it's a 2 day migraine, or all the symptoms of a period coming on...but no period...or bizaare low level pelvic cramping that goes on for days...or night sweats and insommnia ...always something 'not quite right'....I think I am particularly aware of these annoyances because, till now, I have had a very good run, healthwise (and otherwise too!)...as a result I am sensitive to every little thing...and I admit, I'm being a bit of a baby about it all...I just want it to stop! now! (thank goodness, there IS an eventual end to this...)

Hi Girls! I'm so happy to find this group. I've been going crazy for the last few months with new symptoms. I'm 46 and I've made an appointment with a woman Gyn who specializes in women "of our age".
Katiegc- yes, I feel like there's a new symptom every month. Lately for me it has been crying spells... for no reason. Also, the foggy brain is bugging me.
Annec0911- I've been getting all of those symptoms you mentioned.

Anyone try or know of anything holistic? Do things get better after you're done with menopause?

Hi, and welcome! Yes, yes and yes to everyone's symptoms. Glad to know I'm not alone and this is a great group. Because I had such a dramatic shift about 1 year ago, I met with my OB/GYN recently, whom I've gone to since before my children were born. Then, I had another meeting with another GYN who is also somewhat of a personal friend. Their advice was very similar and I would like to share with you what they said, along with my story, because I'm happy to have found this group. It has helped me trememdously on the mental/emotional front.

Of course I was in tears when I sat down with both of them. Because, well, crying spells (damnit, I didn't even have these when I was pregnant!) and just out of sheer frustration at my body seemingly careening out of control Everything felt way worse than it did even when I was pregnant both times (gained 70 pounds each time, fought HARD to get it off, but also knew at least I had a good "reason" for being overweight). Had always prided myself on staying in shape, watching what I ate (mostly, I'm a big fan of drinking wine, eating cheese and laughing too loudly on occasion). OK, back to the advice. See, my mind was wandering again.

My cycles had gone from a consistent 26 days to random 18 day ones. Then, I had a length of time when my cycles were 9 days, 11 days, then 13 days (yes, with 4 actual period days). Then I'd be back to 18, then 24, etc. Some cycles were almost completely symptom free, with usual, mild (for me) PMS symptoms. Others would be this horrible menagerie of symptoms. Intense bloating, breast tenderness, sleeplessness, hot flashes, you name it. So inconsistent and seemingly not controllable with any sort of consistent nutrition, physical exercise etc.

I tried taking naturally compounded progesterone, to "regulate" my cycle, from my stepmother's GYN, whom I went to a while back. Well, my cycles returned to 24 days consistently, however, all of the other symptoms were amplified.

My doctor explained it to me this way: Your pituitary and adrenal glands, directed by your brain, are basically telling your body every month to still go through the cycle. Your body, particularly your ovaries, some months, respond, "OK, no problem, we're on it!" You ovulate, the egg is not fertilzed (hope not at 46, sheesh!) the corpus luteum generates progesterone, the other two hormones respond in symphony (estrogen and testosterone) and everything is hunky dory.

Some months, your body responds, "oh hell no, we've had enough of this crap" An egg is not produced, no corpus luteum is produced, then the hormones and everything go to hell in a handbasket. Then, in a few years, your ovaries hang up the "Shop Closed" sign.

OK, so is this normal? Yes, every woman goes through it differently. I said, I don't mind irregular cycles and I'd prefer not to use hormones unless there is a real medical reason I should, or if I just can't take it anymore.

Both doctors said, "this is what women go through. This is it. This is perimenopause. Some women effortlessly breeze by, some suffer for several years. Some have irregular cycles, some just get longer cycles"

"But, I've always been healthy! I've always been extremely active! Why, why, damnit!" Then, of course, I started crying again. My one OB/GYN said, "You can embrace this time in your life or you can be angry about it. Society is just now learning and accepting what an important role this is in a woman's life. There will be things you cannot control about your body physically. When you are officially in menopause, this wildly fluctuating phase will be over and your body will settle into it's new self. You can choose to take hormones, which have helped millions of women, or you can see what your body does. What you are going through is normal. Normal.

Okay, I was willing to let my body do its thing for now. So my next question to both doctors was, "Well, what CAN I control? How can I be my best mentally and physically with what is going on?" I don't want to just ride off into the sunset with my pissy attitude and expanding waistline. I want to be a "hot mom". You know, happy, attractive, energetic...and most of all confident...which has certainly been lagging these last several months.

Both doctors said the same thing, which I'll paraphrase/combine. Increase aerobic/weight training activity. If you want to maintain or lose weight, the best thing is to add muscle mass. 5 days per week, 45 minutes per day minimum. Increase lean protein. The body increases it's metabolism to digest protein and you're fuller/satisfied longer. Reduce (not eliminate - whew!) caffeine/alcohol intake. Especially in women, once you hit a "certain age", apparently these two items, which we all know can dehydrate, the body takes longer to recover from. The body doesn't rehydrate as quickly as it used to. (Really? So now it's an expanding midsection, loss of mental acuity AND dehydration? What the hell?) Decrease sodium and refined carbs.

The biggest point they made is that consistency is more important than ever in these above points. Gone are the days of a major cheat/binge weekend and then it only taking a couple of days to lose it/get back to normal. My GYN/friend said, your body is going through enough crap without you adding 1/2 a bottle of wine, and a pound of cheese and crackers to the equation. (How did she know??) "Your body does not recover from these things quickly anymore. Welcome to your 40s. Put on your big girl underpants and take care of yourself" (she's 49 so she knows what she's talking about).

OK, enough rambling. All of that has brought me to MFP and now to this wonderful group. I am going to put on my big girl underpants and try to accept. But sometimes I think I'll still be pissy about it. My mother-in-law (67) said, "Enjoy your body today. At 35 you'll marvel at the differences from when you were 25. Trust me, at 55 I would've loved to have the body I had at 45. At 65, I felt the same about 55" Smart lady. Have a great day.

Hi, and I'm new too. I'm 46 and I've always been able to lose weight fairly easily if I put my mind to it. I've been active and healthy my whole life. After a broken foot a year ago, and some fairly major perimenopause symptoms, things just don't seem to work the way they used to! I'm happy to have found this group with its unique set of issues. I really appreciate hearing from other women going through the same thing I am.

This is me, minus the broken foot.
I am glad to find this group. I've participated in other online communities where moderators in their 20s repeatedly told me/us that age and hormones had nothing to do with weight loss. I always wanted to say: yeah? Come see me when YOU'RE going through menopause!

It's tough. And I'm wondering if I actually CAN get back to my goal weight which used to be so easy to maintain.
But I'll keep trying, and perhaps I can at least not gain. :-)

Yes to the sore boobs! And really, REALLY sore! For so long as well. And the cramping is really frustrating. Is it just our plumbing getting, shall we say, less efficient?? I'm sure we, like all women, just deal with it on go on with our daily lives. That is why we are so tough!!!!

I am trying to get back to my "fighting weight", where I feel happy, healthy and comfortable. I am 6'0" tall and small framed. Fighting weight for me is 155. I haven't seen that for 3 years. If it takes starvation and obsessive exercising, however, I might have to adjust this number mentally and physically. And I am more interested in measurements than I was before. Welcome barbette99 and I love your avatar.

Consistency over the last 10 days awarded me with a 3 lb weight loss, the most I've seen in almost a year. Sooooo, I celebrated with a giant churro. What the hell is the matter with me!!!!! :grumble: