Hi everyone,
I'm new here but have been lurking for some time. I'm 42, night sweats like you cannot believe (my husband jokes and asks if I "wet the bed" again when I get up in the middle of the night to put a towel down so I can go back to sleep in the puddle I created) and somewhat cranky with migraines. I'm ready to lose these pounds and need your support to do it. I have NEVER been thin, always was the chubby kid and got up to about 225 (I'm 5'5") in my early 20's. Got down to 170 when I was around 23, and then down to 155 a few years later. I am now 165 and really uncomfortable with myself. I could starve myself and still not lose weight (metabolic syndrome, polycystic ovarian syndrome at age 19, years of starving and yo-yo dieting) but I am no longer willing to starve. I just started swimming a few days a week to help out and I started my own glassblowing studio/retail gallery in November so I am stressed out too! I love to read your posts, they are truly inspiring. Just wanted to say hello to you all and thanks for the great posts.
QueensWear

QueenWear
Welcome, I am a baby at this and have not weighted in yet to see if I lost any weight but I started at 234, 5'3. I desire to get down to 135 and prevent several health related ailments that are lurking around.
Hope to see more of you
Stay Focused
Godsbabygal

Wow Chuckie I want my bladder lifted at 46. That is my newest condition so I was placed on a medication that I don't like because it dries me out so bad most times.
I tell ya I am among the right group of women. I identify with all most every issue at one time in my life or another. I would say I have been in Peri for about 15 years. Miscarried a baby and it all began.

There is one area I have not heard anyone mention. Just before my monthly I either get grumpy or I will have an intense desire for intimacy to the point that I get a slight temp (no joke).

I am on two anti-depressants that are helpful. I am getting tired of taking them but I just don't know what to do without them. I know it is all related to the change of life.

babygal

Hi QueensWear,

Welcome at 3FC. Swimming is great - I wish I could swim again, I was in a really good condition when I used to swim once a week for 45 minutes (laps). You should have seen my arms, they actually had a very nice definition, and my abdominal area was quite toned, too.
Hang in there!

Well this morning i got on the scale,i'm really getting tired of this. For over 3yr's i have been fighting to stay under 145,(gw 130) never made it to gw ever?Today i got on the scale and was 150 OMG!! I have tried everything, i have been on weight watcher's for almost 5yr's this is not supposed to happen. I weigh & measure everything and log it in my journal. Have just had my yearly phy and everything is normal, beside's being peri. I'm just really upset today, I have been trying to start jogging baby step's with that i was a smoker for over 30 or more yr's. Have not had a smoke in over 8month's. longest i have ever went without one, but day's like this. I also just bought a used bike waiting for the snow to melt & warm up a bit it's still winter in mich,Thank's for letting me vent i'm just so upset this morning. Thinking i'll try an all fruit & veggie diet for a few day's or so?

Have been in the "peri" the last couple of years, am sick of periods. Am now having my second one this month. Heavy too. Thought that walking every day would make things easier, but had horrendous cramps Wed night after walking for 45 min. Thought they would be slowing down, so far have only skipped 2 in the last year and a half.
Believe I am finally getting my metabolism moving again, but the temptation to eat, especially salty stuff before my period, I do not need. I really really do not need 2 bouts of PMS a month. Don't need the food or the mood swings.

I'll be 47 this weekend (sigh). I just visited the doctor (my husband told me if I didn't go then he was). My mood swings were awful. Sleeping, forget it. Went on WW with my mother-in-law and gained 8 lbs in 2 weeks, so off that now. Found out I am Lactose intolerant and wheat sensitive. Gave up dairy and whole wheat (I have cholitis) and the doctor put me on Estroven and Wellbutrin (mood & weight) and the pounds are coming off. I've lost 12 lbs since Feb 1st (I'm only 5'3" and was up to 150). I started doing Walk aerobics (walk away the pounds 4 miles) and 1 mile on tread mill each day too. I'm feeling good lately (other than a bad head cold this week). The Wellbutrin (take at night and helps me sleep now) has been a big help as I think it stablized everything. Night sweats are pretty well gone.

im 43 years old and suffering many of the symptoms i have seen described in here... insomnia, fatigue, emotional rollercoaster, really bad 'period headaches', hot hot hot all the time... and my skin is so dry... and i have the itching as well...oh, cant forget that i used to spot for 3 days for my periods... now i flow like crazy for 7 being a woman can be sooo much fun at times lol... i would probably feel better if i went on estrogen, but .. my mother just had a mastectomy due to breast cancer and the dr took her off her estrogen as soon as she was diagnosed.. said it makes cancer grow faster.. in fact now, since the surgery she is on estrogen blockers... and me being peronoid, would rather just suffer than risk it;( lol

Hi Everyone,
I'm so glad I found you guys!! I'm 48 and going thru perimenopause too.
I have gained more than 20 lbs in the last year. I get hot, wake up almost every night around 3 AM and I can't stop eating. My mid-section is now like a tire around my waist and I'm so uncomfortable. I'm on Thyroid meds cuz I have Grave's disease and had radioactive Iodine treatment about 6 years ago.
I'm trying to get my eating under control and have been trying to do calorie counting.
The one good thing I've done was I decided to use my lunch hour to walk along the beach. I brought a change of clothes to work today, changed and drove to the beach and walked for 1/2 hour. I'm determined to start with doing that at least 3 days a week. I'm hoping that will kick start me into eating healthier.
So glad to be here!!

I'm there too, but I also had thyroid cancer (removed about 1.5 years ago) so it's difficult to tell what to blame on the peri, and what to blame on the thyroid. I've been getting hot/cold flashes, sleepiness/sleeplessness, etc. But I think the worst thing for me is the periods, which are coming at about 21 days (give or take) and very heavy. I get weak and dizzy, migraines and brain fog, etc. I was at 27.5 days for 35 years - you could set your clock by me, even after I had my son! So this peri is just another thing that makes me feel like I don't know my own body any more. Drives me batty

But, this too shall pass. Right?

Hi ladies,

So glad I found you. I'm turning 43 this summer and have been peri for a year now. Hot flashes, insomnia/sleepiness, lack of energy, mood swings galore, you could also set your watch on my period before, 28 days on the dot, every month, and now, I'm anywhere from 3 to 7 days late every month, and it's soooooo heavy I can't go anywhere for fear of having accidents, gotta stay near the bathroom as much as possible from the flow. Just unreal, and never mind the cramps, the cramps

I'm tired, major lack of energy (and I make sure to eat red meat to replenish the iron lost as much as possible). And I've gained 58 lbs in the past year (I'm 5'1"), I've always been plump, but my tummy area used to be the smallest, I carried my weight on my hips and thighs mainly, and now, instead, I'm carrying around a huge tire around my waste! I wear 3x size clothes... it's just depressing at times.

I don't want to take estrogen or what ever they prescribe. There has to be some natural way to get through this, but I feel pretty discouraged at this point. I just joined here today in hopes of finding the motivation to keep on plugging away and try to get that darn weight off and learn to cope with the Peri symptoms.