I spent the first 42 years of my life skinny.
Wait, let me correct that. I was obnoxiously skinny. Friends were jealous. My metabolism was like a furnace. I ate everything I wanted and never gained an ounce. Being an athlete enabled me to be completely care free when indulging. And I have a terrible sweet tooth. I have been known to eat an entire gallon of ice cream or a bag of Halloween candy in one sitting. As long as I had a glass of ice cold milk, I could go to town! I also love potato chips, pizza, french fries, a good steak and mimosas. Mimosas are my latest weakness.
Everything changed when I had my hysterectomy.
And I also need to add that my doctor never told me the devastating things that were to come. They stuck an estrogen patch on me and sent me home. The sluggish metabolism, mood swings and difficulty sleeping were left to me to discover on my own.
If you’re a woman who has gone through menopause or had a hysterectomy, then you know the devastating effects it can have on your metabolism.
I still exercise, I try to eat right (I would say 65% of the time :), I get enough sleep and I get monthly estrogen shots. But my body has changed. Gone are the days of size 0 jeans and a thigh gap. A soft midsection, thighs that rub together and back fat plague me much to my chagrin. I joke about it but to me, it’s a very sore subject. I loathe fat jokes and pokes at my jiggly belly. I am a former Ironman triathlete ultra runner and ultra marathon swimmer. I’m still fit. I still have a lot of muscle mass. I can beat most of you in the pool. I am crazy strong. My resting heart rate is around 60 beats a minute when I get in runs 3x a week. But work commitments and bad knees keep me from exercising like I used to. I try to get in 2 hours of exercise a week. I keep my diet low carb. But the scale just will not cooperate.
So what’s a girl to do?
Stop getting on the scale. It’s not the enemy. Let go of the preconceived notion that you should weigh 105 lbs. That ship has sailed. Nowadays, I go by how my clothes fit. I have a pair of jeans right now hanging in my closest that are my “goal” jeans. Once I’m able to fit into them, I will be happy. I lose inches instead of pounds these days. And that’s ok.
Try to eat right more than you eat wrong. Fuel your body with what it needs. Foods high in anti-oxidants, lean protein and lots of veggies. Don’t deny yourself everything. If you don’t cheat, you will lose it. My daughter is here visiting for the holidays and she told me to eat something because she is tired of me being hangry. Lol. Don’t make the quest for weight loss make you miserable. It will also make the people around you miserable.
Exercise at least 3x a week for 40 minutes. Get your heart rate up. Lift weights because the more muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn. And aging causes muscle loss.
Drink plenty of filtered water. It flushes toxins out of your body and staves off hunger.
Surround yourself with people who support your efforts, don’t chastise you when you fail and pick you when you fall.
Stay positive, love yourself and enjoy the journey. I’m not as thin as I once was and that’s ok. I am happier now than I have ever been. I love myself and who I am, even if those size 4 jeans will always elude me.
You can come into any one of our clinics and talk to a provider if you have questions about hormone replacement or diet. Coach Dana (that’s me 🙂 is also here to help. If you have any questions, please feel free to send me a message. I am happy to share my experience with you! In and Out Express Care wants you to live your best possible life. We are here when you need to feel better fast.
