Surgical Menopause Caught Me Off Guard

T

the_real_me

New Member
Hi, I am 38 and new to the forums. I had a total hysterectomy approximately 4 years ago. (I was left with absolutely nothing). I had always been small my entire life, but after that surgery, I gained 50 pounds. I am 5" 6.5" tall and weigh 188 lbs. I carry the weight in my belly, hips, and thighs. I have been stepping to the Cathe tapes for 4 months now, and I can't seem to lose much weight. I am not a big eater, I drink plenty of water, and I exercise regularly. I once hit a plateau of 178 pounds, but it was only after practically starving myself. I don't want to be as small as I was (too skinny), but I do want to get my fat % down to a safe level.

Any suggestions for losing belly pouch after a hysterectomy?
 
power-walking is great for your lower body. You can get some great cd's for it to keep you in your aerobic zone and get outdoors at the same time.

On a side note; I would write everything down that goes into my mouth and watch the portion size. I would also consult a nutritionist to see about my nutritional needs (which do change after menopause.

I hope everything works out.

Kim
 
Hi -

Sorry I don't currently have any advice. I do want to welcome you to the forum and say DO NOT GIVE UP. You will find what works for you and I feel sure that some knowledgable people will post some helpful, specific advice that will help.

I think you've made a good decision to post and wish you much success. :)
 
I wish I had something to add that would be helpful but I am in a similar situation and look forward to hearing the replies.

I am also a victim of hormone induced weight gain around the mid-section. I was always very lean in the stomach and had a larger caboose so to speak. After going on the birth control pill, I gained 5 pounds all in my stomach!

For the past 6 months or so I have been trying to get rid of it but the fat there is very stuborn. When I do lose 5 pounds, I now lose it other places but not in the stomach.

I sense the answer is very clean eating as I run 25 miles a week and do plenty of strength work.

Just know you're not alone!
 
Thank you for the encouragement. I also thank you for the tip on power walking. I love to walk, but it's been raining cats, dogs, and bees here in Ohio. Maybe I can get DH to go for a power walk with me tomorrow. I'm glad I found this site.
 
Hi Real Me!
Many of us here in Cathe land in same situation. Do a search on menopause, mid life weight gain etc... You'll find hundreds of posts with wonderful ideas and stategies. Can be overwhelming but no one thing works for everyone. I just took notes and started incorporating different ideas.
Welcome! I'm a Cathe convert in the last 3 months as well.
 
Practically starving yourself will make you fatter. Your body goes into a state of slower metabolism and holds onto fat because, with nothing coming in, it does indeed think it's starving even if you have plenty of fat stored.

I think seeing a nutritionist is a great idea. You need to choose a reasonble number of calories per day and keep working out.

As you know, cardio burns fat and it's great for losing weight. But strength training lays down muscle which increases the number of calories you burn. But to build good muscle you need calories. Isn't it great we get to eat and get into shape? :) I like to alternate between very intense cardio with moderate strength work and heavy strength training with more moderate cardio. One phase is a fat burner, great to lose weight; the other is a muscle maker so I have plenty of lean muscle mass and a revved up metabolism. It also prevents plateaus.

Are your sure your hormones are balanced? My neice had a complete hysterectomy last year and getting her hormones into normal ranges has been tricky. Hormone replacement is tricky. I am sure you know that. Make sure your hormones are balanced for your stage in life. Hormones definitely affect weight.

Good luck!


Bobbi "Chicks rule!"http://www.clicksmilies.com/s0105/tiere/animal-smiley-032.gif
Tell me what you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? -Mary Oliver
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Hi, this is your lucky day!:) I had a hysterectomy (total) 6 yrs ago. Last yr I noticed menopause creeping in.. I had hot flashes but not night sweats, I had extremely high anxiety, hormones were going crazy, but... not until last dec. did i start gaining wt. and when i did... it hit hard i gained 35 lbs. I also have hypo thyroid " which can accure after menopause" but mine was here way before that. I went and had it tested, it was fine... but yet i was getting fatter and fatter around hips, abs and butt. A friend told me about a good herbalist. She suggested for me to try a herb called " Dong Quia" it is a hormonal balancing herb, plus I did a dieters cleanse which helped me lose alot of the belly fat, I also take a thyroid activator. the herbs is what eventually helped with wt. gain and emotional stuff that goes with menopause. I also have to believe the herbs helped me fly through the menopause, you know , they say it can last for yrs. but... my doc did a hormone test to see where i was in menopause, and BABY!! I am done with it... i am post menopause. he even asked me, " was i sure i didn't have at least one overy, becuz my estrogen level was consistant with a woman who's menastrating". I did ask my herbalist about this... and she said " the herbs are holding me" granted i have to take the herb for life now, but that beats what i was going through before them! I buy all my stuff through naturessunshine.com. you can go there and look at the herbs i mentioned and do some research. maybe even look for a herbalist in your area there. not sure.
I really hope this helps you.. I know what you are going through and it isn't fun. good luck to you :)
to good health.
 
If you had a total hysterectomy 6 years ago--both ovaries taken as well as everything else--how could you possibly be going through menopause 5 years later?? Women who have total hysterectomies go into menopause immediately because the ovaries are where the eggs are and the ovaries produce the hormones for ovulation. What usually happens is a massive onslaught of hot flashes and night sweats for women after a total hysterectomy, not a five year hiatus for these symptoms.
 
I was on premerin for 1 yr. I stopped it myself. I have asked the doctors that same question.. they don't have an answer. but i didn't start menopause til last yr. and now i am through it. I don't have a clue. I am just telling you my facts.
 
It would really benefit you to find an OBGYN that specializes in Menopause. I found one in Central FLorida about four years ago...the only one at that time. She helped me tremendously because she understood the hormone fluctuation situation. I had to switch insurance this year and found that the new OBGYN, who does not specialize in Menopause works with an offsite OBGYN and Compounding pharmacy that DOES specialize in Menopause. This office has helped me wean off of the low dose birth control pill that I have been to control my perimenopause symptoms to a combination of natural progesterone, 5-HTP and Melatonin. I wanted so badly to stop taking estrogen...now I have.

Because of a large population of baby boomers going into this phase of life, finding specialists is getting a little easier. Check your phone book or even the Internet.

Also, you should check with a Nutritionist to help you with your eating. It may be you think you are eating properly and you're not.
Sometimes when someone spends the first half of their life being small and able to metabolize a high amount of calories efficiently, they are not as well versed in what they should eat as some of us who have struggled with weight issues all our lives. I've seen this alot with people who I've worked with for over 25 years.

HTH
 
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