My name is Diana, and Im a non-loser...Im 46 and a half
I have lost a pound or 2...but nothing to write home about!!!!!
Still have TOM...increasing lately every 3 weeks, and like Niagra falls...so could be body changes happening...but all else seems the same.

Don't you think they should start a menopausal/HRT and weight loss section?
When I see some one lose all this weight I think that that person is very young and don't allow myself to get inspired by them.

Does anyone know how to start something like this?

P.S. In my opinion, menopause and perimenopause should not be grouped together.

It would be neat to start a special area about this...
I'm not too worried about perimenopause and menopause being lumped together. One leads to the next, and its good to carry the information on for those getting to menopause. It's all about your hormones changing, and making different things happening in your body. Good to stay informed from all areas and all friends.

I was thrown in surgical menopause 18 months ago so I am on hrt and a host of other meds that since my surgery i have been put on as well. I have a hard time losing now. I have lost 5 pounds this past month. and that was a struggle. pounds were coming like falling off before menopause what a difference after wow. But I would not be fit to live with if I wasn't on hrt that is for sure. my children, husband, dogs . family and friends would have to commit me if I wasn't on hrt. I fully understand about the comment about the small animals and children not being safe. I had never had pms ever but this is a hold new level of hormones pms is like a walk in the park next to menopause. So I feel not losing weight fast enought or turtle like is just something else to deal with I would not go off hrt. Ok so what was the orginal question? thats menopause for you with or without meds . lol
Shoshie
having a little blond moment over here.

my menopausal moments began 12 years ago...i had to have a hysterectomy at 42 and was put on hrt immediately...that didn't seem to affect my weight, just my psychosis! i do know many, many women who gained weight right after starting hrt and fought it all the time...it has been since i quit drinking and drugs...and i believe age is a great factor.

for me, i was in desperate need of putting on some weigiht...i'm 5'2 and when i went into treatment i weighed only 92 lbs...in 6 weeks i put on 35 lbs. and after that it just kept coming on...of course, i kept putting the food into me...it just tasted SO good and after years of near starvation and bulimic episodes -not for weight gain, but for drug enhancement- i just couldn't get enough to eat...i crossed the line in that first 6 weeks and never looked back...then i quit smoking, and decided to try atkins again since it worked well for me once before...that was over 2 and 1/2 years ago...i've been unable to loose over 8 lbs. since...now i'm gaining as a result of the advantage bars and shakes i started (only once a day, mind you) in california...i was swimming every day and walking...i'm going to ask my doc some questions about this today...he was the one who initially recommended atkins to me several years ago, having had success himself...i'll let you all know what he says...

yes, i feel we could use a special thread for us...any admins out there willing to give it a go?

nancy

I would love to have a special section for those of us struggling in this area. It is hard to read success after success story and feel like I am always coming up short in the weightloss! I think we could be a real encouragement for each other too!

I really hope it can be done!!!!

OH and my vote would be to keep peri-menopause and menopause together

Ya we should keep the 2 together...we all learn from each other...I'm not taking any HRT yet, but I am if you count the thyroid meds....BUT, I do know Im getting to menopause (not many symptoms/ but my age says so). I have noticed I can get right bitched off at PMS time now though!!!! Weight loss/ whats that?

I am so happy I found this thread. I started low carbing in January and gained 13 pounds. In Feb I switched to Atkins and l lost maybe 3. I am SO FRUSTRATED!

I saw 3 doctors. One found a uterine fibroid tumor( heavy bleeding) the size of a tennis ball. Iron was low but we fixed that in a month. All blood tests and special thyroid tests came out fine.
I am using progesterone cream and lots of vitamins but no perscription drugs.

Unless I start eating only 1000 calaries a day, I can not seem to loose weight. I have not had one cheat in 6 months. No sugar, flour, starch, pasta, rice. NOTHING. Calories were around 2500. I dropped to 2000. Then my doctor suggested 1500.

Now my doctor is suggesting Meridia to jump start the weight lost. It is supposed to kill the appetite Anyone know anything about this?

She also said that she would not be opposed to stomach stapling. I said NO WAY. In the past I have lost over 150 pounds. I also just lost 100 pounds over the last 2 years on low/no fat, high carb diet so I know I can loose weight. The question is why is the weight not coming off?

I am seriously thinking about taking the Meridia.

Any thoughts?

Menopause is very different from perimenopause. With all respect intended, if you haven't been there it's hard to relate. The drugs(HRT) and end of the menopause cycle change everything. If you perimenopause woman think you are having trouble with your weight now, wait til the hormones!!!!
Menopause symptoms;
1).Your weight increases without changing anything after hormones.
2.)You start getting thick around the middle like men do.
3) You lose bones and muscles which contributes to weight gain.

I could go on and on... hair changes, your breast change, skin, vaginal area, memory...... yada yada yada.
It is not a pretty sight. And i don't want to make this a foren a bitch session about menopause, just a place where we can share what works and what doesn't in the weight loss process .

Pam

I take a pretty high dose of premarin and I am losing weight very slowly I also take bp med and thyroid as well. maybe you are taking in some hidden sugar or salt?
shoshie

If I'm reading this right, none of you are on HRT. How can you talk about something you are not a part of????How can you really relate????I not saying that perimenopause is not a trying time, but it is different from menopause!

I wish some one would join this that can speak from experience with taking hormones.

Pam

easy now.
I know for me that just in the past 6 weeks have I started to lose weight and inches. I have been on meds since dec 2001 . I have found it much harded to lose weight since I was on my meds then before. So I work much harded at it.

Pam,
I am on HRT. I have been for some time now. I personally was throw into with emergency surgery. I am 41. I know how
hard it is to lose weight. Like I said before I just started to lose weight again. I thought that I would never start to lose again and I am surpriseing myself. I understand your frustration but until you are in menopause you really don't know how bad it can get. You think that the things that you are feeling and the night sweats that you get are bad but until you are in it full blown you are really clueless. Kind of like labor you think it is not to bad or maybe that it is but by the end you are really in pain. It is the un see what can I say. But I will share my woes with anyone I can maybe help or even inspire.
Shoshie

i have a story just like many others here.