OK now I know what PPLP is.
Got to get the book. Looks doable.
THANK YOU!!!!!
200/5.2= 38.6 minimum protein per meal. right?
BTW I will have more thoughts on menopause later.
Got to walk the bumpus hounds right now. (cardio you mentioned)
;o)
Your friendly Elfgirl

200 pounds with a height of 5'2.....minimum protein requirement is 34 g. per meal, which is about 4 oz. of meat :-)



LOL, thanks....I was lucky in the fact that my perimenapausal symptoms began AFTER I lost the weight, and sense, weight gain has been the only symptom that I haven't yet experienced. I am pretty determined to digest as much info as I can so I can stay on top of my hormones, and hoping as time goes on that am able to do that!

Enjoy that nectarine....just don't eat the whole thing! Only half if you can, 1 medium is a whole 13.8 carbs.

oh---I meant that my weight, 200# is divided by the number 5.2.
I gathered this from reading posts on PP forum.
shows that limited info can lead astray.
My height is 5'9".
Thanks for trying to calculate for me. Don't I need =/- 40 grams?
Oh, MeBLady, I read your story...I too shed tears when your dad made it.
Wish I had mine back. You are a special one.
As people here realize. So glad you are living well and you know so
much...
Oh NO I just realized that unsweetened cocoa powder has 3 GRAMS CARB
per Tablespoon. (is that level or rounded? lol)
;o)

Oops, I answered before looking at your stats as well.....the PPLP book has a chart that just tells you the protein requirement. The first book makes you do a calculation.

At 195 pounds, 5'9 in height, your minimum protein is still the same -- 34 g. per meal. You'll stay at 34 until you hit 170 pounds, then it goes down to 27.

You can have anywhere between 30-40 g. of carbs (or less, if you like) per day. Typically, you don't want to have two servings of fruit in one meal, the sugar could get to you and could cause some cravings. You can have 1 serving of fruit with a veggie, or even an LC tortilla or slice of LC bread.

IF you are going to spend both your carb servings on fruit for one meal, tho, best to do so in the morning, or eat them a couple of hours apart.

The situation with my dad that is in my success story was very scary, and a HUGE wake up call for me. He believed fully he was dying that day, but you'd never know it by seeing him now. He cheats on his diet and has gained about 20 pounds back, but still medication free and doing really well.

And how tall are you if you DON'T do yoga?

Seriously, Elfgirl, I only wish I could help you, but I'm floundering as much as you, if not more so. I saw the NP again, and got even more supplements. I haven't been sleeping, so she started me on some natural estrogen from a compounding pharmacist. She'll be adjusting my dosage every two months until we find what works. I'm also on progesterone 2 weeks on and 2 weeks off. Also a bunch of supplements to bolster the adrenal function. Also some stuff for cortisol.

It's costing a small fortune, but at least she said that we would probably start weaning off in August, and by October I should be taking only the basic multi-vitamin and probably the fish oil.

She didn't bring up what I'm eating, so I didn't either. She wants me to eat a minimum of 15 carbs per meal, and would prefer that I get in 90 carbs per day. Not a chance. I tried adding more carbs in, but I get bloated and gassy. Never good. So, this week I've gone back to the carnivorous lifestyle, and the bloating went down (rings are loose again) and no more gassiness. Funny, no more constipation either! That's got to tell you something right there.

I'm down to only a couple things in my wardrobe, and I've decided that since it looks like I'll be this size for a while (at least through the summer -- not to imply I've given up ... I haven't by any means), I'm going to treat myself well and buy some nice clothes.

I look at it this way. I feel frumpy. Why look frumpy? Won't looking frumpy make me feel even more frumpy? Ummm, yea, it will. So I figure if I look good, I'll start feeling good and treating myself even better.

It's all about me, after all!

(And why the heck not!)

Back from shopping. Great success, though I really wanted a suit. Could only find casual clothes. That's ok, too. Didn't like some of the sizes, but then again who cares. I tried on 12s that fit perfectly, some even a tad loose (a wee tad!), and some 14s that were too tight. The problem is with the cut of the clothes, not me.

Onward and upward. The good thing was that everything was on sale -- huge, like marked 40% off and they took another 50% off at the register! So, I was able to get Liz Claiborne and Jones New York (my favorite names) at bargain basement prices. Not bad!

Hi Bawdy!!

I haven't read through this entire thread but I do want to share my menopause experience with you. Maybe it'll help?

I'm now 56 yrs old and I started my journey 2 years ago...in the middle of menopause!! I actually think that my doing this has helped me to control my symptoms.

I do take Estroven at bedtime each night and have for the past 18 months. I take 1 extra strength and 1 regular strength. I think that its helping me.

I too have been having sleep issues for several years and have resorted to many things to knock myself out. I now take 6 mgs of melatonin, 50 mgs on bendaryl and the estroven. I'll do just about anything to fall asleep!! I just do not want to resort to sleeping pills.

I can tell you that without sleep, the weight does not move. My scale is much nicer to me after a good nights sleep!!

Have you been checked for anemia? I was very anemic from years of heavy TOM.....it was not until I got that straight, that my body really let go of weight.

Hope any of this helps!!

Hey Bawdywench,

I just love the name...
You are a lot of fun! & great advice! I have been reading your posts on other threads.
I think of the shopping instinct as a hunter-gatherer
thing. Highly intuitive at its best. When I lived in Maine...well let's just say
that the only hunting and gathering I could access easily was for
roots 'n berries. ..and in competition with bear and moose ;o). Speaking of which...I of course have water retention at times and have discovered that dandelion root and leaves work well (for me) as a gentle diuretic. I just let 'em go in the garden...and friends give them to me. I throw them in salad at this time of year. I did some research and apparently dandelion is 'potassium sparing' so you don't get so depleted. It is the 'mild edema' remedy of choice for many herbalists.
Also, I use celtic sea salt...lower in sodium and high in trace minerals AND
I buy naturally cured bacon ends from a local farmer and I WASH them.
That is I cut up the pieces, freeze in meal-sized portions and before cooking soak them in 2 or 3 hot water baths to remove excess sodium. It Works.

I just ordered the "Slow Burn ..." Eades book...since I am working out and mowing and gardening and therein pulling or twisting some ligament or muscle every other day...The book addresses that injury tendency in middle age onward and also the need for muscle mass to effectively burn fat...looks very interesting. I think it would work well with a light yoga routine =/or nap.

I had a lot of sleep problems earlier in the M process. It is so common and can contribute to depression and stress...higher cortisol and the hated belly fat. (Well...my mate claims to love my belly fat but he is a physicist from southern India and in addition to having really unusual stuff in his head at all times..has a REALLY different idea about feminine beauty than most Americans) I, however, can and will do without the belly. I am sure he'll get over it hehe!! Maybe he'll develop an appreciation for the chiseled look...hopefully not until I have at least a nice bicep bulging.
Since starting this low carb thing again, I am also having trouble sleeping.
I think I need tryptophan. I used to consume a carb snack and occasional hot milk before bed to help me sleep...but it doesn't fit into this regime, now...so the sleep thing has to improve.
Got to work on that. I will share anything I figure out. Please let me hear of whatever works for you.
There are some herbal and homeopathic and meditation things.
I did make a violin recording which people say kind of makes you nod off.
I was very sleep deprived during recording. But seriously some kind of sound effect might help you train yourself into sleep. Even white noise.
As for the digestive problems you have with carbs...I was wondering if you might have some specific food sensitivities? Have you investigated that?
I have that reaction to certain things...like wheat and soy.

Anyhoe, good news is that (my experience) menopausal chaos tends to improve if you're health conscious...and generally conscious. For me, patience and optimism were in short supply but I would have gotten through it better if I had known what I know now. At 51 I did not expect this outcome....I really do love being in my own skin now in a way unparalleled. And finally due to this LC diet I am losing dress sizes slowly. YAY! Down to a loose 16. Have size 10 jeans hanging in my closet.
We can do this.

Amen.

5'8 1/2" without yoga. Used to be 5'10". scoliosis not osteoporosis. sigh
Regards, Your Friendly Elfgirl

I have been suffering from hot flashes and weight gain for the past NINE years. I have tried just about everything with limited success. One of my problems is that I start off taking my supplements and creams as prescribed but then start forgetting. I have a friend that is menopausal and has a bioidentical hormones pellet injected into her hip or butt about every 6 months and she says it makes all the difference in the world. As soon as I get the $ to do it I am going to try it. I figure that it will be cost effective considering how many supplements and diet aids I've tried. The link to the website that explains it if anyone is interested is www.sottopelletherapy.com/.

Bawdy, have you looked into food intolerances? Eliminating certain foods (and adding more fat) was my "magic bullet". I was stalled out a year ago in perimenopause when someone on here recommended Dr. Elson Haas' book called the False Fat Diet about how food intolerances cause inflamation and "false fat". It sounded outlandish at first, but I was willing to try anything.

Low carb (30-40g ECC/day) + avoiding foods I am intolerant of has made it very easy for me to lose weight while eating more food and more fat than ever before in my 35 years of dieting (1800 calories instead of 1100-1400 pre-menopause, and now 65% good fats with some coconut oil every day). By completely avoiding my most problematic foods, wheat and soy, and keeping casein (milk protein common in lower fat milks and cheeses and things with added "milk solids") as low as possible, I was able to reach my goal after a steady weight loss - the last 10 lbs actually came off faster than on any low carb or high carb diet I've been on, even though I was in the transition to menopause. I am officially in menopause now, but with virtually no symptoms, and these are the only things I have changed in the past year. Eating more fat seems best for keeping my hormones (including thyroid) balanced. After more than a decade of having borderline low thyroid, I am now normal.

In retrospect I see that many of the hot flashes I had in the past were caused by foods I am intolerant of (soy, sunflower seeds) or work-related stress. Now I only get warm flashes if I eat a lot of coconut oil at one sitting.

FWIW, I was on thyroid meds and tried progesterone cream 3 years ago but quit after a few months because individually and together they seemed to cause spotting, bloating, cramps & bad moods. Soy caused similar symptoms, so I reduced my intake back them, which helped, but I completely cut it out last summer, which was even better. It may just be me, but HRT & thyroid drugs made my perimenopausal symptoms worse, not better, so I haven't touched them in over 2 years. I wonder if these foreign substances cause inflamation like certain foods do in certain people?

I've been taking Ca+Mg+VitD pills before bed for several years, so I don't usually have a problem sleeping. Switching from a 2:1 to a 1:1 Ca/Mg content, which I did ~8 mos ago, seems to help even more. My mood is mellow all day now, whereas I was an irritable b!tch for most of the last 40 years.

Gee, so I guess it's not just me having problems!

Actually, the past couple nights I've been sleeping better. Maybe all these supplements are helping. My problem isn't falling asleep, it's waking up in the middle of the night. And sometimes just plain tossing and turning all night long. But, as I said, the past couple days have been better. I even woke up this morning feeling like I have energy to burn. What a difference!

I seem to do best when I do a mostly carnivorous lifestyle. I eat a lot of fat, probably 70 - 80% fat in a day, and meat (mostly red meat). I've cut out dairy except for butter for a week now.

My typical menu is:

Breakfast: 3 eggs fried or scrambled, topped with butter

Lunch: Good portion of meat -- turkey or chicken topped with butter, beef topped with butter, or tuna with lots of Miracle Whip

Dinner: STEAK!!!!!! Need I say, "topped with butter"?

What I've found is that I get a little gassy after eating chicken or turkey, but not if I eat red meat. Does that seem odd? It's not the butter, because I have that with the red meat, too.

DH loves English muffins, so occasionally I have one in the morning with him. Not too often. Other than that, no carbs.

I survived (yes, survived!) a very long thread in the War Zone called "The real human diet is a carnivorous one." I didn't agree with everything, but there were some really good points brought up.

I've always believed that carbs are absolutely not necessary for humans to thrive. That's simply not how we evolved. Yes, early humans ate a little plant matter, but only when fat and protein were not available, and CERTAINLY not in the quantities that are recommended today. And today's vegetables and fruits are NOTHING like they were back in the day. Ever try to pick enough wild strawberries to even make up a handful? It would take you hours. They're tiny.

There's also the idea that since plants contain toxins to keep from being eaten, and we don't have the enzymes to break down these toxins (like sheep and cows do), veggies really aren't good for us. And that roughage is just that -- it ends up abrading the digestive tract and causes microscopic damage.

I'm not saying I buy into this completely, but I'm leaning in that direction.

In my own experience, I find that if I eat even 20 grams of veggies a day, I need to take a fiber supplement because I get terribly constipated. If I eat NO veggies, I don't have a problem with constipation. Proteins and fats are easily digested; plant matter is not.

So that's my rambling for the day, at least for the morning.

Oh, I should probably explain my username. I ususally try to explain it once I've been in a thread for a while, because it always causes comments.

In Maine, a lot of times you see guys parked on the side of the road selling all kinds of things out of the back of their pickups -- birdhouses, bikes, all kinds of stuff.

So one day DH and I were driving along and there's this guy selling winches, except his sign said "Wenches for Sale." Without skipping a beat, DH said, "Well, if they're bawdy, I'll take two!"

And the rest is history!

Bawdy,

I am back. This thread was rather deep into the others so I hope that you see this. Do try the coconut oil. I have used it twice and each time I lost close to 4 lbs. I am going to keep it up this time. It is well worth the price.

Hi, Black! I've used the coconut oil and it doesn't seem to affect me one way or another. But thanks. (I have a subscription to this thread, so I'm notified whenever there's a response.)

It's funny. I was in a clothing store the other day, and I had been trying to decide between two sizes (12 or 14 -- yuck!). When I was finally ready to pay and took it all up to the register, the sales lady said, "So you want the 14?"

"No," I said. "I REALLY want the 10, but that ain't gonna happen!"

Then I mentioned this dang menopause and gaining so much weight. Three women behind me all chimed in. You, too? I gained 10 pounds in a month? Yea? Well I gained 30 pounds in 2 months!

It was then that I realized I'm truly not alone!

Okay, okay, okay, you have tried the coconut oil. How much have you been taking? I am asking because it is so surprising to me that I lose when I take it. I read that for best results you should take 3 1/2 tablespoons a day. I don't take that much but I do put a big gob in my evening coffee. I think that is upping my metabolism at night ( metabolism is slower that time of day ). I am going to continue it as long as I can afford it and see what happens.

Another thing, what is your doctor saying about this sudden gain?