Happy Friday! I hope you've had a good week. Mine has been great. Work has been manageable (surprising, since I took last week off!), and my workouts have been going really well. I've also been sticking with my eating plan and so I feel really good. My sleep has been restful, my energy level is good, and I'm not having any stomach woes due to eating crap.
Today I wanted to talk about things that I do to keep my menopausal symptoms at bay. Please note that I am NOT a medical professional and as you'll see in my list, seeing your medical care provider is encouraged before starting any kind of treatment regiment.
I eat a well-balanced diet. I know, I know. Everyone says that. But what does it mean?? It means that I eat a diet filled with vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, healthy carbs and fats, and grains. I cut back on processed foods and sugar, and limit alcohol. And for pete's sake - I EAT. For so long, I felt like I needed to restrict myself to 1200 calories a day, and I was working out 6-7 days a week, and I couldn't figure out why I wasn't losing weight or building muscle. It was because I wasn't eating enough!! Depriving yourself of calories is not good for your body. Not eating enough calories tricks your body into going in starvation mode, which means it will store everything into fat. As menopausal women, we already have a hard enough time with our metabolism dropping - don't make it worse by starving yourself! Our bodies need fuel, especially if we're trying to build muscle and get stronger.
I stay hydrated. Rule of thumb is drink half of your body weight in ounces of water every day, but whatever it takes to get your pee to look like a pale lemonade color. For me, I shoot for 80 ounces a day and that works. And I drink plain water. None of the stuff with the artificial sweeteners and shit.
I exercise. Exercise produces endorphins and endorphins make you happier. It's science! Menopause can do a number on your mood, so the more endorphins you can produce, the less crankier you'll be. If I miss a workout, I can tell that I'm so much grumpier during the day and I have less patience. I feel off. That's why I like to do my workouts early in the morning. It sets the tone for the day and I feel like I'm in a much better mindset to meet tasks and challenges that come up during the day.
I lift heavy shit. While walking, running, biking, and other types of cardio are great, as we age, strength-training is good for keeping healthy bones and joints. I love to go on bike rides, hike, and do spin classes on my stationary bike, but strength training was a game changer for me. Not only is it good for me physically to lift weights, but mentally, it makes me feel strong and badass. It's hard to feel old when you're using a 45-lb weight for hanging squats, you know?
Talk about your symptoms. Talk about how you're feeling. For so long, women suffered in silence. It was just something we had to endure. Once we hit menopause, I think so many women thought, "Oh God, this is it. I'm officially old." NO, we don't have to suffer. We can talk to others about what works for them. We can do our research. We can play around with our diets and see what foods work better than others. Seek out support groups online. I'm part of a 50+ women's group who are doing BODi workouts and talk about inspiring! These women are killing it! But we also vent about sleepless nights, hot flashes, weight gain, and other things that we're all going through. It helps so much to know that I'm not alone.
Finally, talk to your medical care provider. I'm blessed to have an amazing gynecological ARNP who I have had for years and I had several conversations with her before deciding to do a low dose of hormonal therapy to help alleviate my symptoms. I'm so happy that I did because I rarely have night sweats anymore (although I do have to sleep with a fan at my nightstand) and my hot flashes have decreased dramatically. I don't have any side effects from the medicine, Hormonal therapy could be the answer for you as well, but if not, a medical care provider will be able to discuss other treatments with you. If not, find another provider! There are answers. Don't let a doctor tell you that you just have to get through it, that it's just one of those things that women have to suffer through. Oh hell no. There is relief and you don't have to suffer. Just don't give up!
I hope this helps, but please remember that what works for me might not necessarily work for you, but it's a starting point. Just remember, you're not alone!
Comments