[newenglandgal]

Hi, I'm new here, and am glad to have found you.
I have been battling weight forever, and am now starting my 4th year of menopause, with the weight gain to prove it. I will honestly state that there was no way of stopping the menopause weight, which has put me at my highest ever, without being pregnant.
Am looking forward to sharing with and supporting this community.

[penpal]

The pounds started piling on for me too when I went through menopause four years ago and I was already very overweight. I started working out 3x a week at Curves 2 years ago and that has helped me to firm up a lot. I lost about 15 lbs. in a year and a half without really changing my diet.

I started keeping a food log about six months ago and have lost another 16 lbs. since then. I find that keeping track of the amount of food I eat is the only way to keep me "honest". I'm losing just under a pound a week on 1500 to 1600 calories.

What ticked me off about the menopause weight gain was that it was all around my waist and stomach. I have always been heavy in the legs and hips, but at least I had a "waist" and a relatively flat stomach before the dreaded menopause!

I'm proof that it IS possible to lose the menopause weight, although it is harder to do than when I was younger. I'm hoping to reach my goal weight in a year's time.

Wishing you good luck in your weight loss efforts!

[LLV]

What are the signs of menopause, anyway? I just entered my 40's and I'm having really weird periods. Irregular bleeding. Just in the last couple of months. Some days I bleed, some days not. Some days it's just spotting, some days it looks like I'm starting my actual period. I went online and did some research and it said the average age to begin "pre-menopause" (because it said actual menopause doesn't begin until you've gone one year without a period) was 51. However, some women can start as early as their late 30's, early 40's.

I never know, from day to day, if I'll need a pad or not

[penpal]

I know how you feel . Some of your symptoms sound like what I experienced before menopause in my late forties. However, it might be a good idea to check with your obgyn as there are other things, such as fibroids, which can cause similar symptoms. A blood test can measure hormone levels and that can be an indication of whether or not you are in peri-menopause.