Menopause and Weight Loss

[cheftrina]

I wanted to start a discussion of the peculiar problems confronting women going through menopause, specifically as to weight loss. I, for one, am finding it difficult to lose, as well as having the usual set of symptoms (got 'em all!!).

Anyone want to kick it off?

[April]

Well, I think you kicked it off, and I'm glad you did.

I have much to say regarding this (was there ever a doubt???!), but time constraints just now do not permit me to do so.

Be sure that I will write an epistle and ask questions this evening after I get home.

[MaryKay]

I'll jump in here too. I don't know anything, but I am heading into it. I'm 49 yo, and don't have any real symptoms yet. Course, my mother (who I inherited the d**n migraines from) had an easy time of it. No real symptoms, just stopped. I'm hoping I inherit that from her also.
But , I do know from reading that perimenopause can also cause the slow weight loss. Which I am thinking may be contributing to my weight loss crawl. Cause I do work at it , SO HARD, but it doesn't seem to be helping. But, at this point, I do feel like it is a WOL for me. I'm quite happy with what is going on, very happy with my meal choices, and don't feel like I'm missing much of anything.

[Shelleyg]

Welllll.....I had a hysterectomy at an early age, but looking back, I do think since my *surgical menopause*, losing weight has, for the most part, been next to impossible.
I have read many articles, and of course with the new debate on estrogens and provera contributing to breast cancer, many women simply are at a loss of how to handle the *symptoms*. Thankfully, I have a very compassionate and caring FEMALE gyn Dr. and she agreed to low dose HRT for me. Of course, Dr Atkins promoted going as low as possible on the estrogens also. I think we will hear more on this from the medical community as time goes by. I know for me, low dose unapposed estrogen therapy is what seems right at this time; things may change at some point, but this is how I am handling it at the moment.
Just my $.02

Shell

[Maggie]

low dose unapposed estrogen therapy is what seems right at this time

That has been my choice as well to address the usual symptoms, a particularly rocky emotional roller coaster which started in my late forties, and my bone density issues discovered at the same time.

I have felt so much better since I started. They will peel my vivelle dot off my cold dead body.

p.s. I started this way of eating about six months after puttin on the patch. I did have a very slow time of it, but I wasn't in a hurry.

[cheftrina]

I've been having a very different experience, Maggie. I sailed along the first year on lc, losing and feeling good. Some perimenopause symptoms, but nothing big...irregular periods (where I was always regular as heck); a skipped one here and there. Then, when menopause set in for real, I stopped losing. Bam. I haven't gained, which is good, but otherwise, nada. Been at the same weight-give or take a pound or two-for a good six months. I've tried every stall-breaker there is, and zilch.
Have all the other symptoms lately, too: hot flashes, mood swings (hoo-boy, those are fun!), night sweats; you name it. I'm not miserable, but I would love to lose this stuff. I have thought about HRT, and the reading I have done makes me a little nervous. I figure, if the symptoms get any worse, I'll consider it, but just being uncomfortable isn't worth the risk. I have no bone density issues, fortunately, thanks to coming from good Scandinavian peasant stock. I'm just not sure what's right. I have a new doctor, and I'm going to discuss it with her.
The stall thing is really getting to me, though. How unfair is this?! I'm just concerned that it isn't temporary; I've still got a good 45-50 pounds to go to goal, and what once seemed to be do-able is now looming large.
I agree, MaryKay, that this woe makes me feel better, and even if I don't lose I will eat this way, just for the fringe benefits. But it is discouraging.

[Shelleyg]

Trina,
There are some *natural* options for menopausal symptoms. I've seen them at the HFS. I think one of the top sellers is a product called estroven? Also there are the topical creams(estrogen) that are supposedly good for the *flashes*.
I should really look into them more also, just to be more educated on them.
Sorry I can't shed more light, but they might be worth investigating.

Shell

[cheftrina]

I have seen those, too, Shelley, and I am going to ask about them. It seems that most of them are herbal, using black cohosh and wild yam, and many contain soy. I use soy products now, but who knows how much is enough to have any effect? Maybe my symptoms would be worse if I didn't use it.
I am going to do some reading on these products; if anyone out there has any first-hand info, I would appreciate it.

[laffingbead]

I find that using 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil and 1-2 tablespoons of ground, toasted flax seed does help with the night sweats and hot flashes.

I feel like I have stalemated on weight loss. I gain so easily and lose so poorly right now! And, I have a huge appetite most of the time! I also find focus has been very hard to keep.

[April]

The women in my family go through the change early. Grandma went through it at 36, Mom went through it at 38, sister, Sandy, started at 39, and I started at 39. When I say ?went through?, I mean that that is when the pre-menopausal symptoms began. It took at least 6 years for Mom to ?get through? it. I?m still ?going through? it. It?s been difficult for three generations of us to convince doctors (male doctors, natch) that we are, indeed, menopausal at such a young age. I?ve finally convinced my doc and gyn that I am. A few years ago, my periods were very spotty, yet HEAVY. I?m not going to go into graphic detail here, but suffice it to say that my once normal periods, lasting the usual 5-to-7 days, turned into a nightmare of lasting just 2 days, with everything exiting the body in all at once. It was very scary and nearly impossible to work my job. I went to see a gyn and he told me about a uterine thermal balloon therapy, so I had that done and that completely remedied that situation. All the while, I?ve been enduring night sweats, hot flashes, followed by hours of being cold, dry skin, and acne.

And then there?s the mood swings. I don?t even wanna talk about those just now because this morning I am in one, raw mood for no apparent reason. I hate that. I really, really hate that.

As for the weight loss ? well, you all know that I went from 352 down to 189 in 23 months. About one month after I hit the 189 mark, I started having those heavy periods, and then 6 months later I had that balloon inserted to stop the bleeding. I still have a period, but lasts about half a day, with minimal bleeding. I also began noticing the night sweats around that time.

I also started noticing that it was difficult to lose weight at that time.

My doctor told me that I need to take HRT, but I?m wary of doing that for the mere fact that Dr. Atkins said that taking hormones can make it nearly impossible to lose weight. Well, going through menopause makes it nearly impossible, too.

Does anyone here take HRT and still lose weight? The only way I seem to be able to lose weight and lose it consistently is to cut calories waaayyy back (to, like, 900 every other day), and to walk about 3 miles each day.

[April]

Wow. I've been SOOOO snappish the past few days. And I just went through a hot flash like you wouldn't believe, and it's only 4:30 in the afternoon.

It's gonna be interesting to see if I can lose the 6 pounds for the 4-week challenge. Seems like this menopause stuff has me on hold alot.

We'll see....

[BC]

April, I was on HRT when I lost (and I still am, although it needs adjusting). However, I was on bio-identical HRT which was specifically compounded for me based on my hormone levels as tested in periodic saliva tests. During perimenopause, it's not unusual for hormone levels to bounce all over the place, which means your needs will change over the course of time.

I really recommend Dr. Christiane Northup's book "The Wisdom of Menopause" as a wonderful place to gain insight into the process, and learn about the alternatives available for uncomfortable symptoms, including the inability to lose weight, which in itself, can be a symptom of hormone imbalance.

By the way, looking back I realize that I was starting to have perimenopausal symptoms by probably age 38. Northrup says the whole process takes 7 to 13 or more years if we really know what to look for, whether we are showing overt symptoms or not.....

I'd like to throw in here, though, that IMO it's important to remember that stress can be a big reason we don't lose weight, too. By the time we get to this age (and with our bodies doing strange things) we generally have plenty of stressors in our lives, and our adrenals may be having to pump out beaucoup cortisol to deal with even normal activities. Stress = cortisol = fat storage.

[April]

Well, there's absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I have major stress in my life. I'm trying to learn how to deal with it better and to remember: "Don't sweat the small stuff, and it's ALL small stuff."

I was doing pretty darn well with not stressing about ANYTHING when I was taking the percocets the doc prescribed when I had this last carpal tunnel surgery.

But, alas, those are gone...the stress is back...WAAAA!

Seriously, though. I never tried to use a chemical or anything else to absolve stress or cover it up. I've always just tried to "deal". John seems to think that I manufacture stress because I seem to think that things "ought to be" a certain way, and when they aren't, my world is off kilter, and I get upset.

Which, I do.

So, I'm now looking into ways of NOT becoming stressed over the tiniest things. It's going to be a long road, I'm afraid. But I'm sure I can do it if I just focus.

Thanks for your reply, Bren.

[BC]

Yup, know what you mean about the percocet!!! What man, me worry?? :silly: Really, I'm the same much the same, a perfectionist at least about my expectations of myself. There are a lot of stress reduction techniques out there--meditation and yoga among them. As you know, I'm a big fan of yoga. But for a lot of people, even making time for stress reduction is stressful.

There are also ways to support your adrenal glands so that you can handle stress better, and that's the other path I'm trying to learn myself right now. An LC diet, fortunately, really helps, so we've got that going for us. Two books were recently recommended to me and I've just started going thru them:

"Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrom" by James L. Wilson

"The Cortisol Connection (Why Stress Makes You Fat and Ruins Your Health--and What You Can do About It) by Shawn Talbott

Schwarzbein's second book also has a lot of info on adrenal health.

There are certain vitamins and minerals which support the adrenals, some supplements that can help, and prescription adrenal cortex extracts for the worst cases. Of course there are things to avoid, too, and one of them, unfortunately, is caffeine.:( Now that's stressful!!!

[heykim]

i went in for my annual yesterday,,, something new.. THIS time they handed me a questionaire to fill out beforehand... asking about stuff i never was asked before.. how much dairy.. grain..meat vegetables...i ate.. ODD.. wonder why they are asking things like that..(thinkng some survey for statistics ).. anywho... got to the LAST question which was A. how many sexual partners have you had in the past 12 months.. (i resisted the urge to ask if the ones after the bar closes count..*L*
B. how many sexual partners have you had in your LIFE.. well.. pigheaded wench that i am.. i left THAT one BLANK.. i DARED them to ask me.. had my answer ready... welll.... including that naval fleet...
GOOD GOD.. since when can they ask you THAT kind of question.. well.. hell.. i guess they can ASK you anything... but still... i wonder how many answer it... and out of that .. how many answer it TRUTHFULLY.... how many of you would?