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[jo61]

Hi Dandelion
I am like you gained so much weight and put it all around the middle it feels like my digestion system has stopped working altogether and like you googled it and found so many disturbing things. I was full of doom and gloom I am 3 weeks post op for hip surgery so not at all mobile, I then down loaded an ap (free) don't think I am allowed to name it. I started eating apples rather have chocolate and I enter everything into my ap it has all foods listed, what a shock I thought I ate so little but when I see how many calories I do consume wow because I forget that tea and coffee wine all contain calories. I have found this ap has motivated me to do more i.e I am struggling to walk but there I am walking around the block with 2 walking sticks and couldn't wait to put it in my ap not once but about 3 times yesterday . Last night I resisted a glass of rose wine cos I didn't want to put it in my ap and guess what got up this morning and I have lost 4lbs. I was convinced I couldn't lose weight and my tummy seems less bloated early days I know. There is a community blog so it gives a lot of motivation it is worth a try. I have downloaded it on my laptop

[Dandelion]

Hi Dandelion
I am like you gained so much weight and put it all around the middle it feels like my digestion system has stopped working altogether and like you googled it and found so many disturbing things. I was full of doom and gloom I am 3 weeks post op for hip surgery so not at all mobile, I then down loaded an ap (free) don't think I am allowed to name it. I started eating apples rather have chocolate and I enter everything into my ap it has all foods listed, what a shock I thought I ate so little but when I see how many calories I do consume wow because I forget that tea and coffee wine all contain calories. I have found this ap has motivated me to do more i.e I am struggling to walk but there I am walking around the block with 2 walking sticks and couldn't wait to put it in my ap not once but about 3 times yesterday . Last night I resisted a glass of rose wine cos I didn't want to put it in my ap and guess what got up this morning and I have lost 4lbs. I was convinced I couldn't lose weight and my tummy seems less bloated early days I know. There is a community blog so it gives a lot of motivation it is worth a try. I have downloaded it on my laptop

Hi

Glad you have found an answer to your weight loss and may you have a quick reovery from your op.

I'm worried that I am not getting the oestrogen out of my hrt pills.

I am also worried because I was peri for two or more years and vulnerable to osteoporosis.

[Sarah2]

Dandelion

HRT alone won't stop you gaining weight- it's not a 'cure' for weight gain. It's not logical to say that you are gaining weight therefore you are not absorbing oestrogen in your HRT. You  do need to stop worrying so much about whether the HRT is working and give it a chance.

Regardless of whether anyone takes HRT or not, weight gain in middle age is common - in men too. The fat tends to go on the abdomen. This is the most dangerous place as it is a sign of visceral fat- around the internal organs as well- causing diabetes and heart disease.

You need far fewer calories in middle age than in your 20s.

What are you eating and how much exercise are you doing?

We have tried to encourage you to try some kind of exercise - is this something you feel able to do? It will make you feel better in so many ways and help control your weight.

Why are you so worried about osteoporosis? Do you have any risk factors?

[Dandelion]

Hi

I am worried because it is peri that has made me gain weight.
I was slim before peri, very slim.

This is what makes me think that lack of oestrogen has caused the weight gain.
I've read on several sites that lack of oestrogen causes weight gain.

I am worried because I may not be absorbing the oestrogen in my pills. I am still getting symptoms despite being on 2/10 for two months. I do feel I have given it a chance to work but it is only partially working.

I am worried that as the femoston is not working, then I may not be absorbing oestrogen, and that, together with being perimenopausal for two years or more (early peri) with no hrt may be putting me at risk of  osteoporosis.

Thanks

[Sarah2]

ALL people in middle age gain weight unless they start to eat less or move around more.  It's to do with a change in metabolism. It affects women mainly after the menopause but are all women post menopause overweight? No- because they have found ways of controlling their weight by eating less and moving around more. It's not just about a lack of oestrogen.

I think you have some misunderstandings. All women go through peri menopause. It's the run up to menopause.
Not all women take HRT during peri to prevent osteoporosis- in fact the majority don't.

why not sign up to something like this and see how you go?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

How old were you when you started peri meno?

If you are worried about this then you need to make sure you have a good diet that includes enough calcium and Vit D- and do exercise.

Why not post what you normally eat over a couple of days and we can take a look- and tell us what exercise you are doing?

[jo61]

sarah that's the one I have downloaded,it is good and hope my enthusiasim lasts , I have gained weight without hrt when I googled my symptoms I was sure there was something wrong with my digestive system due to lack of estrogen. I might add that when I did try HRT I gained even more  weight quickly some people do, I am recently post menopausal and thought it was impossible to lose weight so now I have lost a few pounds I feel as if I can do this. I feel like whilst I was in the throws of peri and even now I overthink things and should not google.

[honeybun]

I  really think it's more to do with age and metabolism than meno.

Up until I was 40 I could eat anything and frequently did. I also had young children and was running around a lot. The weight started to slowly creep on. I was not peri at this age that did not happen until my late 40s.
I had a big rethink regarding what I ate. I did not diet I just ate the same but much much less and nothing between meals. The weight came off. Now,at 54, I am still quite slim but my body shape has altered a lot. I carry a bit of excess fat around my middle and nothing shifts it. I am 5ft 1 and weigh 8st 4 at the moment so not very overweight.
It's more age than anything else.

I agree with Sarah, you need to stop worrying. The worry is most likely to contribute to your symptoms and not feeling great.
Perhaps approach your GP with a view to CBT to help you sort out why you feel this way.


Honeyb
x

[Sarah2]

HB- have you thought about the 5:2 diet?
It might help shift the midriff bulge!

I'm not overweight but I do notice that I am more sedentary and although I do exercise, I am still sitting for a lot of the day with my work, compared to when I was younger.

[Rowan]

Here's a different take on the estrogen and weight quandary.

http://www.chatelaine.com/health/diet/how-having-too-much-estrogen-can-make-you-gain-weight/

For me personally any added hormones makes me more chunky. When I have a break from my patch I do notice the difference especially in the legs of cause it could be less water held tissues.

[Dandelion]

ALL people in middle age gain weight unless they start to eat less or move around more.  It's to do with a change in metabolism. It affects women mainly after the menopause but are all women post menopause overweight? No- because they have found ways of controlling their weight by eating less and moving around more. It's not just about a lack of oestrogen.

I think you have some misunderstandings. All women go through peri menopause. It's the run up to menopause.
Not all women take HRT during peri to prevent osteoporosis- in fact the majority don't.

why not sign up to something like this and see how you go?

http://www.myfitnesspal.com/

How old were you when you started peri meno?

If you are worried about this then you need to make sure you have a good diet that includes enough calcium and Vit D- and do exercise.

Why not post what you normally eat over a couple of days and we can take a look- and tell us what exercise you are doing?

Hi Sarah2

I appreciate your help, and here is what I think.

I'm worried because I could have started peri meno when I was 43 at the earliest.
I'm worried that the 2-4 years of peri meno where I did not take hormones has put me at risk of osteoporosis.
Osteoporosis scares the hell out of me, as I have no family to turn to or no friends and there probably wont be much in the way of a health service when i am elderly, and I have no money.

I guess I was about 43-44 yrs old when peri started. I am 47 and a half years old now.
The reason I am not clear about how old I was when peri started is because I used to be addicted to valium and at the time I was going through withdrawals where anxiety, depression, sweating, and feeling hot were also symptoms.
It's been said on the tranquiliser addiction forum that meno symptoms mimic withdrawals.
The withdrawawl based anxiety and depression were much much worse. They gradually got better but never fully.
This is because the perimeno kicked in unbeknownst to me.
I thought I was suffering residual withdrawal symptoms from 2009 to 2013, when really I was suffering peri.

HRT has partially worked for me. Everything is reduced, but I still don't feel I have my life back.
I know valilum withdrawals were not to blame, because I gradually reduced the dose and did not experience any worsening symptoms. I had symptoms from withdrawal of tranqs that were not peri, so I could tell.
The sweats were different. I only ever sweat on my upper body in peri and my scalp.
I can get overheated as soon as I feel stress even if I have not been physically exerting myself.

I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for  you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.

I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.

Even when I was thin I never excercised. I was always the sort who could eat loads and never bother about weight.

I think it's too co-incidental that the weight and the sweats etc came at the same time.

I don't understand why I cannot get oestragel and bio identical progesterone, when other women who femoston 2/10 doesnt work for, can get it and feel better.
I would love to hear from peri women who's oral hormone dose is not enough, and who got  the bio identical prog and gel/patches of oestrogen, to see what they have to say.

OK so, I know there is always the possibility that this may not happen if I cross to oestrogel and bio identical prog, but at least I will have tried.
I am being denied the opportunity to try, all because my doctors infomation is based on faulty studies done over a decade ago.
Other women can get these on nhs prescription so why I am being told I will just have to go through it if none of the options my doctor has works?
Is it a practice thing? Do only certain practices issue certain drugs?

Is it a postcode lottery? If so, it sounds like social engineering, because someone's negative mood can affect the whole atmosphere.

I know there are many women with success from the patches and norethisterone, but having once had my moods severely affected by tranquiliser withdrawal and recovered, I feel like it is a big gamble choosing this option.

As for my diet, that is really restricted by budget. I also only have a tiny freezer and an oven that wont heat if the stove is on and vice versa. I don't have the room for a big oven or freezer, worktop or not. I don't buy fresh veg because it is too expensive and I don't have the space to many store ready cooked  meals .

I had sausage and beans last night. I eat about  half a pack of bisciuits a day, and one or two pieces of fruit most days.

I go to a centre once a week and get a hot meal with meat and veg.

I might not eat or do excercise very well, but even if I had the best excercise and diet, I would still feel crap if I was not on enough of the hormones I need.

I do not feel motivated to do excercises. Right now, all I want to do is go back to bed, but I will force myself to go out as I need stuff from the shop.

I want to want to feel good, right now I don't.
I'm not saying I won't look at excercise and diet, but I do believe if your hormones are out of whack then you're limited in what you can do.

EDIT, I'm also not saying that good diet does not improve mood but again, if the  hormones are out of wha...............
Sorry for the sermon but I hope it helps.

Thanks

[Rowan]

Dandelion in perimenopause you most often don't lack estrogen, when I was 47 my estrogen went into overdrive, causing lots of symptoms including a fibroid and very sore breasts.

Its progesterone that lowers and is the cause of women gaining weight.

I very much doubt that you are not absorbing your HRT even if it is not the HRT you want. Hormones are hormones  which ever type you take. Women usually want to change their HRT if they are getting side effects, some ladies even do well on the synthetic hormones e.g. Premarin, perhaps even better. Hormones also do not always solve problems. The more hormones you take the more likely you are to put on more weight.

I think maybe you have too much sugar and carbs in your diet, this more then fats, protein, fibre and vegetables will put weight on anybody.

This is only my own view and I wish I could be of more help to you.

 

[Dandelion]

Here's a different take on the estrogen and weight quandary.

http://www.chatelaine.com/health/diet/how-having-too-much-estrogen-can-make-you-gain-weight/

For me personally any added hormones makes me more chunky. When I have a break from my patch I do notice the difference especially in the legs of cause it could be less water held tissues.

Hi I had a quick look at that but will read more when I come back home.
I did read the symptoms of too much oestrogen and they don't tally with me. My periods are fine, I don't get pmt, or any other of the symptoms, except for the apple shaped body, which is also a symptom of perimenopause.

[Sarah2]

I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for  you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.

I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.

Dandelion
I think you are blaming all your physical symptoms on your hormones when in fact it's more psychological.

Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy.

Exercise is good for depression.

Have a look at this link- if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing then look at the graph. It's clear that taking a walk outside is a way of boosting self esteem and treating depression.

http://www.mind.org.uk/media/211252/Ecotherapy_The_green_agenda_for_mental_health_Executive_summary.pdf

You have to start somewhere- and only you can do it. Instead of saying you can't do something, why not start thinking you can?
It's all about mental attitude.

 There is a HUGE amount you can do to help yourself.

HRT is not a miracle cure.

If you cannot work, have you thought about being a volunteer? I think that if you got out and met other people and didn't worry so much about all of this you would feel better.

[Sarah2]

The more hormones you take the more likely you are to put on more weight.

This is not correct.

There are papers on the web - proper research- showing that there is no evidence at all that HRT causes weight gain.

[Dandelion]

I don't excercise much. I am not motivated.
You can do all the excercise you like but if you are still lacking in the right hormones for  you, you will feel too depressed and unmotivated to do it.

I feel depressed. I go out with nowhere to go and I feel a spare part. I feel uncomfy in my own skin. Going out like this has previously made me more depressed. I don't like being out alone.

Dandelion
I think you are blaming all your physical symptoms on your hormones when in fact it's more psychological.

Exercise releases endorphins which make you feel happy.

Exercise is good for depression.

Have a look at this link- if you can't be bothered to read the whole thing then look at the graph. It's clear that taking a walk outside is a way of boosting self esteem and treating depression.

http://www.mind.org.uk/media/211252/Ecotherapy_The_green_agenda_for_mental_health_Executive_summary.pdf

You have to start somewhere- and only you can do it. Instead of saying you can't do something, why not start thinking you can?
It's all about mental attitude.

It's not your hormones- that is an excuse. There is a HUGE amount you can do to help yourself which you are not doing.

What you have written is not medically correct- because exercise, the right food and a positive approach are what work.

You don't need an oven or a big freezer or whatever to eat healthily and biscuits are expensive.

Hi Sarah

The biscuits I buy are 23p a packet, and I only have half a pack a day.

I respect your opinon, but I do not agree that my problems are psychological.
How is soaking my clothes psychological. How are hot flushes psychological?
I know when I am having a hot flush or a bout of sweats from peri.

How can I excercise when I am just not motivated?
I know my own body and I know it is lack of hormones that is causing me to feel unmotivated and apathetic.

PS I used to get diarrhoea every morning but that got a lot better when I went on the 2/10.
It still comes and goes but not as bad as before or when I was on 1/10