I lost 4 stone in perimenopause – here's how
At 35 I was exhausted. I couldn't concentrate or sleep because my mind was racing, I had increased anxiety and I couldn't control the number on the scale, no matter what I did.
I hadn’t changed my lifestyle and my medical provider said the weight gain was simply part of getting older, and advised me to exercise more and eat less.
I had always been a high performer, working in stressful medical fields and balancing four children at home, but I stepped everything up a gear. I ran a marathon while working night shifts. I would be up for 36 hours straight, hit the gym, come home and sleep for two hours, then do it all over again. Despite this, I was still gaining weight.
I felt completely hopeless and didn't recognise myself in the mirror. My clothes didn't fit and I was embarrassed to be in photos. I didn't want to go out in public and was so self-conscious about running into anyone I knew because I wasn't showing up as the best version of myself.
I felt that everyone was judging me because I was working so hard to control my weight, but my efforts weren't matching the results.
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I assumed that everyone thought I was lazy and had a terrible diet, when in fact, I was in perimenopause.
Perimenopause
Despite being a medical professional, I knew nothing about perimenopause and would never have realised I was perimenopausal at just 35 if I hadn't done my own research.
I got certifications in health and wellness coaching, lifestyle medicine, functional medicine, and read every journal article that I could regarding perimenopause and menopause symptoms and treatments.
Aha moments
I started having 'aha' moments and found myself saying, "This is me! This is me!". I then began focusing on healing the root cause and balancing my hormones.
Balancing my hormones was the thing that changed everything and I finally began to experience symptom relief and movement on the scale.
READ: I'm a 48-year-old female GP – this is what I tell my friends about menopause
Hormone education
I learned there are five main hormone balances that directly impact our ability to lose weight in perimenopause: Insulin resistance, thyroid dysfunction, vitamin D deficiency, adrenal fatigue and sex hormone imbalance.
I had four of those five dysfunctions and once I recognised this and could rebalance my hormones, I lost 60lbs – which is just over four stone.
At 46, I feel better than I ever did at 35. I know exactly what's happening in my body, I know how to interpret my symptoms, I know how to take control of the scale and I feel fully empowered.
I’m no longer afraid to go on holiday or be seen in photos, I love going out socially and running into people who knew me when I was in my 20s because I get so many compliments!
What I wish I'd known
The biggest thing that I wish I had known was that hormone changes were coming and what the symptoms were, to be able to troubleshoot and interpret those changes.
Knowing what to do to heal my body, fuel my body, and exercise my body as I was going through those changes would have been life-changing.
I didn’t have any support or anyone to turn to for help and instead, I blamed myself and beat myself up so significantly that it caused more damage not only physically but emotionally and mentally as well.
INSPIRATION: I went through early menopause – now I help other women through it
And that’s exactly why I dedicated my current full-time medical practice to helping women going through perimenopause and menopause who are struggling with symptoms and their weight because it was awful to go through it, and I didn’t have anywhere to turn. Now, I am a resource for other women, helping them achieve results and get back to themselves.
To help other women, I want to explain the five hormone imbalances that can happen in perimenopause, the symptoms to look out for, and how to balance the hormones.
How to balance your hormones in perimenopause
1. Adrenal fatigue
The symptoms of adrenal fatigue:
● Low energy
● Mid-afternoon crash
● Difficulty falling asleep at night
● Difficulty staying asleep/ 3am waking with mind racing and can’t fall back to sleep
● Brain fog: difficulty with concentration, memory, recall
● Excess weight around the middle
● Difficulty losing weight
● Feeling anxious or irritable
Treatment for adrenal fatigue
With adrenal fatigue we can feel chronically stressed. Focus on stress management techniques such as meditation, yoga, walks in nature to rebalance this.
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2. Sex hormone imbalance
The symptoms of oestrogen dominance are:
● Mood issues: anxiety, irritability
● Heavy periods
● Clotting with menstrual bleeding
● Dense breast tissue
● Mood swings
● Fatigue
● Difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep
Low sex hormones symptoms:
● Hot flashes
● Night sweats
● Low libido
● Difficulty climaxing
● Low muscle mass
Treatment for sex hormone imbalance
You should talk to your medical provider to see if HRT is needed and right for you. Stress and adrenal fatigue will deplete progesterone supplies, so managing these will naturally increase your progesterone levels, which is the calming hormone, and will allow your sex hormones to balance out a little.
3. Vitamin D deficiency
Symptoms of vitamin D deficiency:
● Low energy
● Mood disturbance: depression, anxiety
● Inflammation
● Brain fog
● Hormone imbalance
● Difficulty maintaining healthy weight
● Higher risk for cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis
Treatment for vitamin D deficiency
A vitamin D supplement can help, although sometimes it takes a prescription level. Meanwhile, make sure you are getting enough sunlight which will add to your vitamin D levels.
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4. Thyroid dysfunction
Symptoms of thyroid dysfunction:
● Thermodysregulation (feeling cold or hot all of the time)
● Brittle hair and nails
● Dry skin
● Fatigue
● Low energy
● Heart palpitations
● Anxiety
● Excessive sweating
● Difficulty sleeping
Treatment for thyroid dysfunction
Oftentimes with thyroid dysfunction it can be a methylation issue so make sure to talk to a doctor. But one thing you can do is include more selenium in your diet. An example of this is to add two Brazil nuts daily to your diet, provide selenium that will support thyroid health.
READ: 10 best menopause supplements with top reviews to have on your radar - plus expert tips
5. Insulin resistance
Symptoms of insulin resistance
● Abdominal fat
● Fatigue/low energy
● Slow metabolism (can’t lose weight even if you eat very little)
● Gain weight very easily
● Can lead to prediabetes and diabetes
Treatment for insulin resistance
Make sure to talk to your doctor; along with that, what you eat can make a difference.
Eating fibre and protein to stabilise your blood sugar is a top lifestyle hack. Focus on eating four or five smaller meals per day spaced about three hours apart, focusing on 20 to 30 g of protein each time you eat and adding in five to 10 g of fibre each time you eat as well. This will stabilise blood sugar to help reverse insulin resistance.
READ: Why gut health is so important during menopause according to a nutritionist
Losing weight in menopause
For anyone struggling with hormonal imbalance and weight gain as a result, this is my advice
Change your relationship with food
Stop dieting and starving yourself! As women, when we can’t control the scale, it warps our relationship with food. We restrict ourselves to the point where food is either "good" or "bad" and we link our self-worth to the ability to "avoid bad foods."
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Eating pattern adjustments
Healing metabolism involves eating consistently throughout the day in a pattern that includes protein, fibre, healthy fats, and carbohydrates! Years of yo-yo dieting and starving yourself slows metabolism and makes weight loss difficult. By providing your body with the vitamins and minerals it needs, a broken metabolism can heal.
Strengthen your muscles
As women age and hormone levels change, we lose lean muscle. This causes our metabolism to slow down because muscle burns almost twice as many calories as fat does, so when we lose muscle mass, we burn fewer calories.
Focus on simple habits
As we age, our bodies become more sensitive to daily fluctuations. For example, you may notice that it is more difficult to recover from a night of terrible sleep. By focusing on simple habits and staying consistent, you can develop a pattern that sets your body up for success.
