How to Lose Menopause Weight - A Personal Journey

MY OWN QUEST

I wondered what the doctor meant when she said, "Your estrogen levels are very low, I think we'll do some more blood tests".
"What does that mean?" I inquired.
"I think you're going through an early menopause." she explained.
"I can't be. I'm only 36!"

To cut a long story short, she was right, I was wrong. I was going through the menopause and there was absolutely nothing I could do to stop it. Overnight, I suddenly felt like an old woman inside. I also felt very stupid because for years, I had taken an almost obsessive interest in female health-related matters but I didn't recognize the obvious in myself.

When I look back, all the signs were there. My periods had become irregular over the past year, I'd gained a lot of weight even though I was still exercising. I felt tired, weepy and seemed be overheating, especially during the night. The last thing I thought of though was the menopause. In fact, I'd considered almost anything but that! Polycystic ovaries, thyroid problems, depression, exhaustion, fibroids...anything but THAT!

I immediately had a new set of worries. What about aging, doesn't the menopause cause wrinkes? What if I want another baby? Will my hair start thinning? Will I get osteoporosis?

Worst of all was the outward sign. My ever-thickening waist. I had always been reasonably slim but had gained around a stone over the last year and the waist-definition I had before had gone completely. I used to look in the mirror in puzzlement wondering just how I could have changed shape. I now had a kind of "thick" waist, a sort of "straight down" figure now where it used to be hourglass, with a rounded abdomen which was once flat.

Now I knew the answer and I was devastated. I felt like someone had cheated me out of years of my life. Every time I looked in the mirror I imagined wrinkles and saggy skin and saw a middle-aged woman looking back at me, not the young mid-thirties woman who had been there last week.

Of course, in reality, I can't say I really looked older at that stage. What did concern me though was the weight gain and I made it my mission to learn how to lose menopause weight.

I read and researched avidly.What I learned was depressing. I found out that to avoid gaining weight, a woman would have to reduce her calorie intake by around 10% and increase her exercise just before the perimenopause. Well, excuse me but you don't know you're going through the perimenopause at the time so how on earth can you know when to start reducing your calories?

The more I read, the more annoyed I became. It's almost as if we have everything going against us once we become menopausal!

So, I made it my business to learn everything I could to give me the best chance possible to lose menopause weight and to get back to the weight I was in my early thirties.

What struck me was that I couldn't "mess around" any longer. Gone were the days when I could go on a near starvation diet for a few weeks and lose a few pounds quickly (and then put it all back on straightaway!). Now I had other issues to think about. For example, I knew that not eating enough calcium could put me at risk of osteoporosis. I also knew that what I ate could either contribute or reduce those horrible hot flashes. I also discovered that certain foods improved my sleep quality and moods.

Also, as I felt so tired, it was just no good scraping by on less than a thousand calories a day. I needed energy. I had a busy life. However hard I tried, I just couldn't find a diet I liked which would show me how to lose menopause weight.

MY DIET

I figured that I understood the principles of healthy eating and that I could devise my own to help me lose my menopause fat. I based my diet on a "Heart Healthy" plan I had uncovered in a magazine. It worked-slowly but surely. What I found hardest of all though was not having any solid "structure" to the plan. Sure, it gave me guidelines, but it didn't tell me what meals to eat. It was an uphill struggle, (in fact it was really hard!) but I got there eventually.

Right now, in my mid-forties, my weight still fluctuates and I have to be very careful with what I eat. My diet is healthy but I do have occasional treats. A couple of weeks away on holiday when my guard is down and I can easily put on half a stone!

I tend to follow the principles of eating at least 5 portions of fruits and vegetables, lots of complex carbohydrates such as brown rice and wholemeal bread, lean proteins in moderation and plenty of fiber-rich foods. I also drink at least 6-8 glasses of water per day. I avoid sugary foods where possible, only drink a couple of units of alcohol per week. I limit my consumption of fat and I never put salt on my food.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO READ MY FREE NEWSLETTER?

Amongst other things, I now write about menopausal weight gain as it is a subject very dear to my heart. I really understand how difficult it is to lose menopause weight and how distressing it is to see yourself getting larger and larger. We all know that we should lose weight but doing it is just so hard. There are healthy diets around that will teach you how to lose menopause weight and I recommend one such diet on the link below. It is particularly good as it comes with various menu planning tools and is extremely user friendly. It has been consistently ranked as number one in numerous diet comparisons recently.

You can also find details of how to subscribe to my completely free newsletter, via the link below-I'd be delighted if you'd join. I'll be sending out lots of hints and tips about how to lose menopause weight and other menopause issues-my personal contact details are on the subscription acknowledgment should you wish to ask me anything menopause related. Hope to see you there!

You will also find my personal contact details on the newsletter subscription page-please feel free to email me.

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