Pursuit of Hormone Happiness
Wednesday October 26, 2011
I have been writing a lot about the hormone craziness & all that is happening to me & my bod as I age. It ain't pretty & I know many of you are going thru this too. For those that are not going thru this yet, all I can say is that it is worth your time to get the facts early!!!! It is CRAZINESS!
Back in September, I wrote about this great book, Shmirshky, the pursuit of hormone happiness. The previous link takes you to her site and lots more information. You can buy the book on Amazon too - HERE. I get no money back for this - just passing that on. Her FB page is HERE with TONS of info!!!
I intended to do a more extensive review but I practically highlighted the whole book as I read it! It is a short & easy read BUT packed with so much information!!! It takes a serious subject but handles it with humor & fun yet with knowledge! Don't skip the intro or the short footnotes at the bottom of the page because there is humor there too! There are charts & reference pages at the back of the book that are so helpful. Heck, there are even blank pages to wrote your own notes! I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, HER FB PAGE & HER SITE FOR LOTS OF INFORMATION. For those younger, remember you have a mother or grandmother or friends or loved ones that are all going thru this & the more you understand it, the more you can help & be sensitive to what she is going thru! This is BOTH a physical & EMOTIONAL change. It really does effect how we feel about ourselves AND at times, we may act in a way that surprises others but if you ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE, maybe you can understand and help!
E's motto: “Reaching out is IN. Suffering in silence is OUT.”
I started perimenopause, from the best of my knowledge & memory, about 7-8 years ago. I am in menopause now, well, as far as I know cause even after 1 year of no period, I understand it can still come back to"surprise" screw you. Yup, just the surprise you don't want when you are not even prepared for it to happen!
I have had just about every symptom out there & honestly, still having some of them. They have some & gone & come & gone all thru the years. I don't even know if & when they will stop because in the book above, there is a story about a lady in her 70's that still gets symptoms!!! YIKES!!!!
Right now, I am having the weight up/body fat higher stage AGAIN! Not a lot, but about 1.5 to 3 pounds & 1 to 1.5% points in body fat depending on the day. It goes up & down like a roller coaster ride! I remember last year around my bday, I had the exact same thing happen. I recall because I wanted to take my Fit at 53 picture for you all & the bod was fighting me. Then one day after the bday, the weight & body fat dropped for no apparent reason.
The thing about hormone changes like this are that even though the weight & body fat increase is minimal, the way the body looks & where the weight settles is a lot different. For me, it is right below the belly button - what I call the inner tube area. I also am not as "tight" in my middle ab area but I don't really seem to collect the extra weight/fat there. Yes, we are all our own worst critics but I am being honest with you here. It is really funky how different the body looks with these hormone changes.
Now I KNOW HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & manipulate my food to get certain results. Been at this long enough to know that. BUT during these times, nothing I do effects it. The hormones take over & since I already do everything I should do in terms of food & exercise, all I can do is try to manipulate the food a bit without going crazy. I don't intend to not live & not willing to eat way too few calories - not healthy! So during these hormone times, manipulation has not helped & I am hoping that I wake up one morn with whatever is going on - GONE! I might find that this is the way it is going to be & I will learn to live with it. I want to live with my choices long term & being way too restrictive to look like I did at 48 or 50 or even 52 is really not worth it. I am not too far off & it is more about what I like to see than what other people are seeing.....
Hey, I am not saying I look gross or anything. I know I look decent for my age. It is just that I prefer to be looking a certain way & I may have to adjust that with age - well, I know I will but I thought I would be older!
I also want to remind people of this great little night gown for night sweats by Dry Babe. They are donating 10% of all sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure all October & BEYOND!! In fact, there will be new products in November & I will be posting about them when they are available for sale!
Anyone care to share their own experiences? Any questions - feel free to ask!
I have been writing a lot about the hormone craziness & all that is happening to me & my bod as I age. It ain't pretty & I know many of you are going thru this too. For those that are not going thru this yet, all I can say is that it is worth your time to get the facts early!!!! It is CRAZINESS!
Back in September, I wrote about this great book, Shmirshky, the pursuit of hormone happiness. The previous link takes you to her site and lots more information. You can buy the book on Amazon too - HERE. I get no money back for this - just passing that on. Her FB page is HERE with TONS of info!!!
I intended to do a more extensive review but I practically highlighted the whole book as I read it! It is a short & easy read BUT packed with so much information!!! It takes a serious subject but handles it with humor & fun yet with knowledge! Don't skip the intro or the short footnotes at the bottom of the page because there is humor there too! There are charts & reference pages at the back of the book that are so helpful. Heck, there are even blank pages to wrote your own notes! I HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK, HER FB PAGE & HER SITE FOR LOTS OF INFORMATION. For those younger, remember you have a mother or grandmother or friends or loved ones that are all going thru this & the more you understand it, the more you can help & be sensitive to what she is going thru! This is BOTH a physical & EMOTIONAL change. It really does effect how we feel about ourselves AND at times, we may act in a way that surprises others but if you ARM YOURSELF WITH KNOWLEDGE, maybe you can understand and help!
E's motto: “Reaching out is IN. Suffering in silence is OUT.”
I started perimenopause, from the best of my knowledge & memory, about 7-8 years ago. I am in menopause now, well, as far as I know cause even after 1 year of no period, I understand it can still come back to
I have had just about every symptom out there & honestly, still having some of them. They have some & gone & come & gone all thru the years. I don't even know if & when they will stop because in the book above, there is a story about a lady in her 70's that still gets symptoms!!! YIKES!!!!
Right now, I am having the weight up/body fat higher stage AGAIN! Not a lot, but about 1.5 to 3 pounds & 1 to 1.5% points in body fat depending on the day. It goes up & down like a roller coaster ride! I remember last year around my bday, I had the exact same thing happen. I recall because I wanted to take my Fit at 53 picture for you all & the bod was fighting me. Then one day after the bday, the weight & body fat dropped for no apparent reason.
The thing about hormone changes like this are that even though the weight & body fat increase is minimal, the way the body looks & where the weight settles is a lot different. For me, it is right below the belly button - what I call the inner tube area. I also am not as "tight" in my middle ab area but I don't really seem to collect the extra weight/fat there. Yes, we are all our own worst critics but I am being honest with you here. It is really funky how different the body looks with these hormone changes.
Now I KNOW HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT & manipulate my food to get certain results. Been at this long enough to know that. BUT during these times, nothing I do effects it. The hormones take over & since I already do everything I should do in terms of food & exercise, all I can do is try to manipulate the food a bit without going crazy. I don't intend to not live & not willing to eat way too few calories - not healthy! So during these hormone times, manipulation has not helped & I am hoping that I wake up one morn with whatever is going on - GONE! I might find that this is the way it is going to be & I will learn to live with it. I want to live with my choices long term & being way too restrictive to look like I did at 48 or 50 or even 52 is really not worth it. I am not too far off & it is more about what I like to see than what other people are seeing.....
Hey, I am not saying I look gross or anything. I know I look decent for my age. It is just that I prefer to be looking a certain way & I may have to adjust that with age - well, I know I will but I thought I would be older!
I also want to remind people of this great little night gown for night sweats by Dry Babe. They are donating 10% of all sales to Susan G. Komen for the Cure all October & BEYOND!! In fact, there will be new products in November & I will be posting about them when they are available for sale!
Anyone care to share their own experiences? Any questions - feel free to ask!
Posted by truth2beingfit at 10/25/2011 8:58 PM 
Categories: Weight Loss, Awareness, Health Issues, Life Experiences, Reviews, Health, Challenges, Women Issues, Acceptance
Tags: Shmirshky Dry Babe the pursuit of hormone happiness perimenopause menopause night sweats awareness challenges acceptance life experiences health Health Issues Women Issues Reviews book reviews Weight Loss
Categories: Weight Loss, Awareness, Health Issues, Life Experiences, Reviews, Health, Challenges, Women Issues, Acceptance
Tags: Shmirshky Dry Babe the pursuit of hormone happiness perimenopause menopause night sweats awareness challenges acceptance life experiences health Health Issues Women Issues Reviews book reviews Weight Loss
being a woman ROCKS and SUCKS.
RUCKS.
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Carla - you are too funny! Right now it sucks - I should not have written about this - the monthly has decided to reappear after almost a year! :-0 UGH!
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Along with the cooking, craftiness, and housekeeping genes, I seem to not have the one that frets about appearance too much. I like to look nice, but if I'm eating healthy, exercising regularly, and smiling a whole lot, I'm good to go. Those are the things I can control. I'd rather put my energies on attracting people from the inside-out, if that makes any sense.
thanks for the book review, Jody. I guess I'll need it someday. Right now, I'm stuck in peri-world.
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You are amazing Cammy!! Heck, I thought I was past peri until yesterday! Stupid post I wrote! The monthly decides it wants to visit again after almost a year! UGH!
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Obviously I am just an observer with this situation. I don't know how I would handle it. I do think men have plenty of issues with aging also. Growing older ain't for weaklings
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Nope,Dr. J, getting older is tough for sure! I just saw on Dr. Oz about male menopause! Not as bad as women but there....
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I totally sympathize and thank you for bringing E's book Shmirshky to my attention. I am 52 and same as you have been going through peri for a few years. Haven't had the "p" since June and have been noticing the high BF% as well as the dreaded pooch below the belly button! Not to mention the short term memory loss and crying at the drop of a hat! Night sweats only at this stage and only once in a while but that really doesn't bother me too much as I am most always cold and tend to wear socks to bed. They most always get kicked off during the course of the night as well as whatever I am wearing so hubby is enjoying that!!! LOL What is making me concerned is that I am a fitness trainer and I am very conscious of my body more so than most, like yourself. Having had breast cancer at age 50, I won't even consider HRT http://www.breastcancer.org/tips/menopausal/facing/hot_flashes.jsp ... but due to having bc, I am just happy that my hot flashes aren't as intense!
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Deb, thank you so much for sharing! BE CAREFUL! I started & stopped multiple times!!! Also, I was close to hitting a year & just had some light bleeding so.. it gets ya coming & going! We women don't deserve this!
AND YES, for those that have our body as part of what we do, it is very tough!
Thank you again! Check out the Shmirshky site & FB page. Tons of info!
So glad you are beating BC!!!!! HUGS!
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My doc told me last year "welcome to perimenopause" when I told her about the night sweats, insomnia, menstrual irregularities. Then she said to accept it, without any type of solution (and this is a female doctor).
I am accepting aging pretty gracefully, I think. I look way better now than I did in my 20s, even though my body would be unacceptable now to some people. I just know what I am willing to do and not drive myself nuts.
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Lori - that is just unacceptable what your doc told you! Check out the Shmirshky site & FB page. Lots of info!
I love your attitude too! You have done amazing things so you should be proud!
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I love MizFit's "RUCKS" - awesome! And thanks for the info and the funny cartoons at the top.
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I love the toons!
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I hear ya!
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