When I was 35 I started having extra heavy periods which eventually became unending. For an entire year I hemorrhaged, waiting to get a job so I'd have insurance. At last, my insurance kicked in and I found a doctor, but by then my body was so depleted that I had to take vit B injections for months. Finally, the doctor said I had recovered enough so I had my hysterectomy. The doctor went in through my cervix, removed my uterus and sewed up my cervix. That was 35 years ago. When I was 40 I started taking HRT. Because I have no cervix, I can take unopposed estrogen. I continue that to keep my arteries flexible and my skin soft.

The upside, as mentioned by others, is that I never had another period. Can't say I missed them at all.

As far as weight loss goes, I think the slow down is more associated with age than with menopause. When I was younger, diets were more effective for me. Now I just eat LCHF for good health and mobility. I rarely lose anything.