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[nickynackynoo]

I have heard a few stories on the radio lately about what a tough time people are having in experiencing the menopause. I have found myself wanting to tell them to try what has completely changed my experience, so joined this forum to do just that!
 I have been going through the menopause for a few years now. This time 2 years ago I was in a terrible state. I was 'flushing' every few minutes and I was sleeping very little. I was also getting adrenaline spikes, which made me feel like I was repeatedly looking over a precipice.
Unrelated to these symptoms, a friend persuaded me to go on the 5:2 fast diet with her. I needed to lose a bit of weight,  so agreed. I still aim to eat below 500 calories, 2 days a week.
Within about 4 weeks, my menopausal symptoms had reduced massively. I was having 1 or 2 flushes a day, sleeping almost normally and the adrenaline spikes had completely gone!
To date, I have lost about 1 and a half stone in weight, and now have perhaps one very mild flush a day. I am a teacher and find the diet much easier to stick to during term time. I have lapsed every holiday, and without fail, my menopausal symptoms have started to return during the holidays.  In particular, by the end of both of the last summer holidays, my flushes were taking over again, and I was  counting the days until term time, so i would have the structure to make me start the diet again. 
I spoke to the doctor, who thought that by balancing out my insulin levels, I may be helping my body to stabilise my other hormone levels.
My friend who is still doing the 5:2 fast diet with me has not had the same results. However, if it works for me, it surely must work for some of you?

[Ju Ju]

An interesting post. Your doctor may be right. My gynaecologist has done a lot of research into insulin resistance and urged me to lose some weight, even though my bmi weight was in the ideal range. I am slim, but there was very little difference between my waist and hip measurements. She said I was in just as much danger of developing diabetes as someone obese. I took her seriously as I have a strong family history of diabetes 2. The symptoms of menopause can be aggravated by insulin resistance and being slim is not a protection. I followed dietary advice, not the 5:2 diet, but generally everyday, cutting down on sugar, no snacks between meals and lost 1 1/2 st rapidly. (Probably too rapidly as I developed gall stones). I have ventured down the HRT road, which together with losing the weight has helped my symptoms. I also enjoy having a waist and looking better in clothes. Look up insulin resistance.

[BreadFruit]

I have to support you ladies in your findings.

As a self employed gardener I spend a good 8 to 12 hours out there during spring, summer and autumn. I work hard and always lose weight. I then notice that I flush less or they are less intense than in the winter months.

I do have food cravings all day, every day. When I work I eat a bowl of rolled oats with fresh blueberries or a banana. In the evenings I have some sort of cooked meal (no instant meals). I do sneak in a chocolate bar every day for lunch, but try to eat just the type with nuts or oats or raisins, so I get a bit of fibre. I have that plus breakfast biscuits, a banana and a cup of tea or coffee (whatever the customer has). I drink lots of watered down cranberry juice. And yet still I lose weight until I reach around 60KG (size 10/12). In winter I am a size 14 heading into the size 16 territory.

Like you my BMI is supposedly healthy and they say I look fit. But not when I sit down and my belly bulges. I really need to work on my belly. I also need to get a handle on my cravings of sweet stuff, in particular chocolate and coffee. As I am now putting on the weight again, my flushes have gotten seriously worse. So since Monday I am on HRT. I hope it will kick in soon. I wish for a decent nights sleep.

[CLKD]

I agree.  Slow release foods i.e. bananas may help.  Breakfast is the important meal ……….. we are hunter gatherers so would graze  .  The other thing to consider are packets of dried fruits and nuts to nibble on or those 'energy' bars - check how much sugar they contain or make your own as some of the Pro cyclists do.

If I did the 5:2 I would be on my knees with anxiety within 24 hours 

[BreadFruit]

Hi Sparkle,

Hmmm good point. I never thought about that. When I work, I work. I forget to eat and drink (drinking is a problem and always has been a weak point with me, but now I don't drink because sometimes I have no access to a toilet if the customers are not in and some gardens have no private corner *wink wink*, it's so much easier for men  )

It just seems the worse the flushes get the worse the cravings get. I graze all day when I am home. The last couple of nights when it got real bad I drank a couple of glasses cranberry juice (well watered down) to fill up and have less of a hunger pain. Seemed to work somewhat, just sweating even more.

I think if I get off my butt and do the aerobics exercises and try not to let the cravings rule me, I might lose weight, which in turn may reduce the flushes etc.

[CLKD]

Sometimes I have to have a snack around mid-night if I haven't dropped off to sleep 

BreadFruit - if you take on a 'contract' to work in someone's property you need to make sure that you have access to a toilet.  I assume you have Insurance Cover (up to £M2 is recommended).  You can easily have liquid to hand, if you think of how the Pro cyclists drink with bottles to hand, it's easy to have a small cool box with ready made juices/fizzy water inside which can be lugged along.  What is your body craving?  Make a note of what you eat/drink in a 24 hour period to see exactly what you are putting into your system?  I am really good at forgetting to eat/drink when gardening, I think "I'll pull that weed and plant that pansy plant, then take a break"  ……… DH has to call me inside to remind me!

If you have regular clientele you can build a working relationship so that your time is more even, i.e. breaks and food ……..when you are home are the flushes improved?

[BreadFruit]

Some of my gardens I have a key to let me in through a side gate. But 90% of the time the owner or tenant are not in.
So have to utilise my special container and sheewee.

Yup I am insured, probably over insured. Have my own van, tools etc.

[BreadFruit]

Sparkle,
You may have a point regarding drinking. My hubby is always on to me about it to drink more.

I just cannot drink plain water. Dont know why. Hence my mixing it with cranberry juice. One can hardly taste the juice, but I can drink that. I will test myself starting now and will report back. maybe its thirst and not hunger. One does sweat and lose a lot of moisture in a ht flush. You may be on to something there!!!   

[Joyce]

I was told it's all the additives in certain foods which is what aggravates flushes.  I was also told not to grab a banana as it has copious amounts of sugar. Can't win.

[Ju Ju]

When I complained to my gynaecologist about cravings, she advised me to try oil of evening primrose, which I have done. Now I don't know the science behind this or even if it's a placebo, but when I do take this supplement, it does seem to curb the cravings and the urge to binge on rubbish.

I was advised to have an egg for breakfast in order to avoid the low blood sugar episodes I was getting mid morning, when I became shaky and lethargic and no food seemed to help. I was also told to eat 3 to 4 meals and not snack unless desperate, then keep to something like a handful of raw nuts. And to be aware of sugar names in ingredient lists. Avoid processed foods where you can and only eat 2 pieces of fruit a day with meals. When putting food on your plate, think veg first, then protein and lastly some carbs. It's a good idea to keep to lower GI foods as much as possible. Now I include naughty foods here and there, just to maintain a healthy weight, particularly at times like at the moment where my appetite is low.

[Ju Ju]

Just a thought breadfruit. My daughter has perfected the art of peeing in a jar when camping. She recommends Lenor  bottles! In desperation, can you get into the back of your van for privacy? No I haven't tried! Now I shall check my parents give the lovely lady who 'does' their garden, now they are too old to cope, access to their bathroom!

[Dorothy]

I went to a talk by a dietician a few years ago, and she said that every time you feel hungry you should drink a large glass of water first and then wait for a few minutes before eating - this is because we tend to respond to 'hunger' feelings more than 'thirst' feelings, so your body will sometimes tell you you're hungry when you need liquid.

I hardly ever feel thirsty since starting peri, so I drink glasses of water at set times to make sure I have enough fluid.  When I stick to this, I feel much better and don't have so many food cravings either.

Fasting doesn't work for me - I just get a headache, feel dizzy and retch continuously!  But it's interesting to hear how it has benefited some people.  Certainly I've found certain types of food can make symptoms better or worse.

Breadfruit, can I ask how you cope with your working hours?  I used to work full-time as a self-employed gardener, but couldn't cope once peri started.  I would love to return to my previous levels of energy.

[BreadFruit]

Breadfruit, can I ask how you cope with your working hours?  I used to work full-time as a self-employed gardener, but couldn't cope once peri started.  I would love to return to my previous levels of energy.

One of the reasons I became a gardener was because of the Menopause. It was really bad in 2012. I was not coping well. It was an up and down with me. I was them made redundant quite quickly as I just could not cope. It did not help that I worked nearly 8 hours a day in a basement area (nice enough offices, but no windows, no daylight). I suffer from SAD as well and need daylight. Lunch times were really bad in summer as everyone enjoyed the hot sun and eating lunch outside and I had to go back to my "prison". I was really depressed and in the dumps, did not really care about the job. The commute on public transport also did a number on me as I detest public transport. Hubby was stressing me to quit, but my pride and stubbornness got in the way.

My redundancy paid for my van, insurances and tools. Then I started with the odd job here and there, Totally undercharged and worked way too hard. But I was in a happy place until the next winter. But I pulled myself up and was quite ruthless in raising my prices. I lost 80% of my customers, but within a month my book was full again with new customers. 

I realised that I can now work less hours but earn the same amount of money or more. This means I can leave the house later and come home earlier, I hate being stuck in traffic. Leave at around 9 or 10 am to avoid the commuter and school runs, then finish at 3 to 4 pm, usually without a break or I have a snack whilst driving to next customer. I only need to earn enough to cover my business outgoings, pay for the council tax, water and the food for us. Everything else my hubby covers.

It takes years to find the right loyal customers. But once you have them you are set. I am thinking of taking someone on next year. But will be checking this out in the next 2 months if it is worth me doing or shedding a couple more customers. I am also going to raise prices again next year, this may help with the shedding of customers. I love gardening, but I am still not there where I earn enough to cover my costs and still have enough time for other interests and not stress out my body.

I am 50 now and I notice the difference from 2 - 3 years ago that I cannot put in 12 hours in the summer, never mind how much I love being outside. Cutting hedges 2 years ago was easier then, than now, even with better kit. In the winter my arthritis is kicking in and the right hand freezes up in the cold, also my back, neck and knees don't like the cold much.

I tried those energy drinks for the bodybuilders, but don't like the taste and the chemicals. I also tried many of the snack and energy bars. Some are so full of chemicals and processed that my eczema kicked off big time. So I stick with the basic ones. Snickers is good, Tracker as well as it has nuts. I tried those really expensive ones from Jordans and a few other makes but there is something in them that makes me ill. I totally stay away from those by Kellogg's and the other makers like that, they are so loaded with sugar and salt they should be banned. There is something in them that I react to, even their supposedly really healthy ones to lose weight with.

When working: Every morning I eat organic if possible, rolled oats with fresh bananas or blueberries, real honey to sweeten and a cup of coffee.
Lunch time I take a banana or sometimes a ham sandwich or peanut butter sandwich, a snack bar or chocolate with my watered down juice or a cuppa from a customer, then on my way home it could be another banana or banana chips. For dinner its usually a fully cooked meal, meat, rice or potatoes, vegetable. Night time snack could be anything, leftovers, banana, pop corn, biscuits, snack bar, ice cream. Because of my food allergies my food consumption is quite basic and samey, I know what makes me ill and try to keep away from it. You will not find many processed foods in my larder.

When not working, its grazing every couple of hours. I am looking for food, but I have not stocked up, so to stop me from overgrazing. The next shop is over 10 min walk and they don't have stuff I like anyway. So I try to toughen it out right now.

If I am out and about I don't feel this need to eat, which confuses me.

But this drinking of a glass of water seems to help. I have not yet felt a need to look for food. I had scrambled eggs and toast with cheese this morning at 9am. Plus a cup of coffee. Then I had a full glass of water with some juice half hour later. I have a cup of builder's tea sitting next to me now at 1.15 pm and don't feel I need it (it's cold anyway). By now I would have gone crazy looking for something. But by 3 pm I know I will need something or its bust.

[BreadFruit]

Just a thought breadfruit. My daughter has perfected the art of peeing in a jar when camping. She recommends Lenor bottles! In desperation, can you get into the back of your van for privacy?

I cannot do the van routine. I get anxiety if stuck in the back with closed doors. Its really weird. But I can also not do lifts well nor do I like public transport. Tube is hell! When we go to Europe I NEVER do the Chunnel Tunnel ever.

Yeah, Lenor bottles have a similar shape to the sheewee I use.

[Hurdity]

Hi nickynackynoo

 

Thanks for sharing your experience of the 5:2 diet and how it's helped with your symptoms.

Personally I cannot do that - my blood sugar metabolism/regulation means I get too hungry and feel terrible. I tried the alternate day fasting version ( more intense) and felt awful - really bad gnawing hunger. Notwithstanding your positive experience I'm not sure that women are best suited to tolerate this calorie deficit - but that is an arguable point!

I would go along with Ju Ju's approach which is what I've been doing since mid Deptember and have lost 8 pounds despite not being very much overweight ie was already within the healthy BMI range.

The best way to control insulin spikes and food cravings is simply to eliminate or reduce sugar and carbs as much as possible.

Breadfruit - it strikes me that your food cravings could be reduced by cutting out/down sugar. Although you are using a lot of energy in your work, you are also eating a lot of fast release high GI foods and snacks which will spike your insulin and cause food cravings whenever your blood sugar levels drop. Following advice given to me by my youngest son (who does weights), I think you need to eat a lot more protein and reduce carbs and sugars - especially things with sugar in - so for breakfast as well as the oats eat a cooked breakfast eg a couple of eggs, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, tomatoes (like you did this morning!). Some natural yogurt etc. Ditto more protein for lunch and fewer carbs and sugar based snacks. When at home I eat homemade soup ( mainly veg based but some with lentils or beans) every day in winter which fills me up - not sure if you have time to do this! Also for lunch sardines, chicken, unsweetened yogurt, and snacks for me it would be limited fruit ( I have cut down on this too), but unsweetened yogurt, cottage cheese etc - difficult when you're working - but perhaps eat more at your actual meals too?  You would be able to eat more cheese than me as using up more calories. Just a thought - it has really worked for me in the same way that nickynackynoo found with her 5:2 diet. Obviously you need to eat more calories as you are working hard but you can get this from fat rather than sugary carbs.

Hope this helps?

Hurdity x