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[Alice]

Anyone else read Stacy T Sims book on keeping fit through menopause? What do you make of it? What are you trying? Is it helping?

[Dotty]

Hi I haven’t seen this book but it sounds interesting .x

[Alice]

I'd be really interested to know what you make of her ideas and whether you decide to try any of it.

I decided to give it a go because I read/heard some interviews where she described some issues I was having. Losing strength & muscle, not recovering well after working out, eating less and training more no longer leading to losing weight. Some of her solutions seem counter-intuitive. E.g. that restricting food may lead to gaining fat and losing muscle and that long mid effort exercise can lead to muscle loss (because menopausal women's bodies are particular prone to turning energy costly muscle into energy storing fat when under stress).
To put it briefly, she recommends training mainly super easy or very hard indeed e.g. Sprint interval training and heavy weight training and making sure you eat plenty of healthy and high protein food, especially immediately after exercise.

I've been trying to follow some of this advice for the last few weeks, it will be interesting to see if I notice a difference over the next few months.
I had stopped weight training a few years ago (so probably early peri) because I found I was feeling really depressed the next day. I don't know if it's HRT I'm using now or because I'm eating well straight after, but I've been really enjoying it and feeling better than before.
Although last week I got carried away with how much I thought I could deadlift and had to take a weeks rest with sore muscles 🤦🏽‍♀️ Lesson learned!
I've also started to incorporate some sprint intervals into my cycle rides home in the evening. I hate them! It really shows how unfit I am, I feel like I'm going to die and feel anxious for most of the day when I know I've got them planned.
Luckily it's over quite quickly, I guess I'll start enjoying them if/when I feel like I'm making progress.

So much of the advice we are given assumes we weren't active in the first place, or tells us that we should just do a bit less.
It's great to get a more positive message, aimed at already active women.
I've always been a bit of a pootler when it comes to outdoor activities, but this last year I've really lost confidence in being able to join my friends (same age but male) on bike rides as I'm slowing down SO much, getting aches and pains and feeling like I've done 100miles when I've only done 20. It feels like quite a loss, I used to really enjoy the headspace of a day spent cycling with friends.
I'm hoping I can get in a position to get back to the things I love next summer 🤞🏼🌞💪🏼

[Clarella]

Not read her book but I think she’s a hero.

So much of what we think we know is based on male bodies and women’s bodies seem to be the total opposite!

I havent been able to read invisible women yet as I get too angry!

[Alice]

Hi Clarella,
Yes Invisible Women is one of those books that sort of tells you what you already know through experience. But seeing the seriousness and the extent of it all spelled out in one place does make the blood boil!
Stacy Sims is a bit more into herbal remedies and less into HRT than I am personally, but the more I've read around her excercise and diet advice, the more sound it seems. I can't see that I have much to lose by trying it. The whole women are not small men thing is spot on.

[alpinejane]

Just read the Next Level book and it was so refreshing to have a book for athletic women who have always been fit and now see that fitness decline. So far I've tried the sprint intervals when running (hard work!), lifting heavier weights and more protein/ probiotics. It seems to be working !!

[Alice]

That's great to hear Alpinejane. I've got to admit, the sprint intervals have gone to the wayside now that it's dark on my commute home. I'm thinking of treating myself to a turbo trainer.
I'm still really enjoying the weight training and currently seem to be putting on weight without needing larger size trousers, which I'll take as a good sign.
After a few weeks of plyometrics, it's getting a little easier.