You know how it is- You are at a dinner somewhere, and a well-meaning hostess decides that you just MUST try her special Batter-Dipped and Double Fried Shortening that she ONLY makes for this particular occasion. You really don't want to derail your healthy eating plan at this particular moment, but this gal is just not giving up. How to handle it?
The natural inclination is to tell the truth: "No thank you. I am trying to be careful with my eating right now." I encourage you to try this tactic first. But as we all know, so often it does not work and the hostess seems even more dogged in her determination to have you try her fabulous delicacy, even if it means informing you of all of the virtues of her dish.
In this case, I have found two very effective solutions to this delimma, neither of which involves lying:
Solution #1- "That looks so delicious. It looks like you put a lot of time and effort into making it. But I am simply too full right now to enjoy it. Can I take a rain check?" One thing I know, being a bit of a food pusher myself, is that what you most want is to feel appreciated. This covers that base, as well as leaves hope that the person will still sample your dish. Besides, what's she going to do? Say no?
Solution #2 (I only use this in the event that, for some reason, Solution #1 does not work)- "I am so sorry, but I have an adverse effect to that type of food." This is true. It makes me fat. If asked what that adverse effect is, you can simply answer "It's too personal to share". Of course, the person is going to think that it makes you have massive amounts of horrible intestinal issues, but you aren't lying because, quite frankly, I'd rather not discuss this at a party, anyhow.
As a parting note, keep all of this in mind when YOU host an event. Be sensitive and don't push when someone tells you "No, thank you."
Monday, November 10, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
If It's Working, Don't Change Anything!
Anyone who has read my Spark Page recently knows that I have gained more weight than I am comfortable carrying, and that a lot of this came
from stress eating. But in doing the self-examination that comes along
with the Spark Coach Program (which I highly recommend), I have started
to think of something else that helped with my weight creeping up: I
let the opinions of others change how I worked my maintenance plan.
This was really pretty stupid of me, since I am acutely aware of my own limitations and have warned others to respect theirs, as well.
I guess the reason I listened to these other folks is because they were people who had accomplished tasks fitness-wise that I really admired. I respected them. But they don't live in my skin.
The key things I stopped doing were tracking my food and weighing myself at least several times a week.
I felt like it displayed weakness if I logged my foods and didn't trust my own appetite. I saw that many of the more advanced fitness people don't need to track- They cam be accountable on their own. Surely I was at least that advanced. Right?
And I was listening to others opinions that weighing regularly was being a slave to the scale, thereby putting the emphasis in the wrong place- That the scale was a liar and didn't tell the truth.
For some people these tactics work. For me, they were borrowing trouble.
And honestly, it's no surprise that in the near-absence of these things, I began to gain weight when extreme stress hit.
The truth is, as I've written in blogs past, that my personality is one that does better with regular food tracking. I do this in a written food log. Writing things down makes me face the facts about what I am eating. This works for me, even in maintenance.
As for weighing, I really do believe that the scale is the least accurate of the gauges that we use. But it also is the most immediate source of input I have. It takes time for my pants to get tight, but the scale tells the tale right away if I overate brownies recently.
Knowing I am going to have to face the numbers on the scale frequently keeps my head in the game when it comes to my eating habits.
And the fact is that if I get much over 155, size six just can't be maintained, no matter HOW much muscle versus fat I am carrying.
So while no one should live and die by the scale, it DOES give me a very useful snapshot of how things are going.
One good thing that this recent weight gain has taught me is that I would rather be considered weak using these accountability tools and looking fit, than considered emotionally strong not using them and viewed as overweight
I don't believe that tracking and weigh frequently is for everyone. What works for you is what you need to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
As for me? I'm back to tracking and weighing. It's going to be work getting back to where I was, and even more work to stay there. But I remember how feeling great about my health was so very worth everything I did NOT eat. And this time, my opinion of how I need to stay there is the only one that counts.
This was really pretty stupid of me, since I am acutely aware of my own limitations and have warned others to respect theirs, as well.
I guess the reason I listened to these other folks is because they were people who had accomplished tasks fitness-wise that I really admired. I respected them. But they don't live in my skin.
The key things I stopped doing were tracking my food and weighing myself at least several times a week.
I felt like it displayed weakness if I logged my foods and didn't trust my own appetite. I saw that many of the more advanced fitness people don't need to track- They cam be accountable on their own. Surely I was at least that advanced. Right?
And I was listening to others opinions that weighing regularly was being a slave to the scale, thereby putting the emphasis in the wrong place- That the scale was a liar and didn't tell the truth.
For some people these tactics work. For me, they were borrowing trouble.
And honestly, it's no surprise that in the near-absence of these things, I began to gain weight when extreme stress hit.
The truth is, as I've written in blogs past, that my personality is one that does better with regular food tracking. I do this in a written food log. Writing things down makes me face the facts about what I am eating. This works for me, even in maintenance.
As for weighing, I really do believe that the scale is the least accurate of the gauges that we use. But it also is the most immediate source of input I have. It takes time for my pants to get tight, but the scale tells the tale right away if I overate brownies recently.
Knowing I am going to have to face the numbers on the scale frequently keeps my head in the game when it comes to my eating habits.
And the fact is that if I get much over 155, size six just can't be maintained, no matter HOW much muscle versus fat I am carrying.
So while no one should live and die by the scale, it DOES give me a very useful snapshot of how things are going.
One good thing that this recent weight gain has taught me is that I would rather be considered weak using these accountability tools and looking fit, than considered emotionally strong not using them and viewed as overweight
I don't believe that tracking and weigh frequently is for everyone. What works for you is what you need to do. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
As for me? I'm back to tracking and weighing. It's going to be work getting back to where I was, and even more work to stay there. But I remember how feeling great about my health was so very worth everything I did NOT eat. And this time, my opinion of how I need to stay there is the only one that counts.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
Selective Amnesia
Yesterday, or more specifically last night, I went off the rails with my eating.
The problem started because I was genuinely hungry later in the evening. All I could think about was carbs. One trick I have to keep myself from eating once my daily food has been consumed is that I brush my teeth and put my retainer in. (I had braces a few years ago and am very interested in keeping my teeth strait!) I had done this, but the hunger was getting to me. So I did something I NEVER do and took the retainer out to eat a little something. Well, a little something turned into a LOT of something. Ugh.
This morning I was trying to figure out what to do with my Weight Watchers Points. In case you don't know how Weight Watchers works, you get a certain amount of points for the day based on your weight. And then you get an additional 49 "flex points" that you can add into the week as needed.
Yesterday was day 1 of my tracking week, so I had all 49 Flex Points still available to me at the end of the day. However, I know that if I subtract as many as I approximate I ate last night, that won't leave me enough for the days when I go to the gym and genuinely NEED more food. (I get ravenously hungry when I lift weights.)
I sat there and looked at my points, and thought of what I ate, and considered what I could do. I was starting to get pretty stressed.
It finally occurred to me to take a look at my "Good Health Guidelines" from yesterday. These ensure that you hit certain dietary goals each day for maximum health. And I realized that, despite thinking I'd eaten them all, I had only eaten 3 of my required 5 servings of produce.
Hmmmmm.......... Maybe if I'd of filled up on veggies I wouldn't have been so hungry. Ya think, Nance?
At that point, I realized that to expect myself to be able to try and somehow make up the calorie difference in the following 6 days was setting myself up for failure. I have a big appetite. My body needs fuel. And if it doesn't get enough I am very likely to go off the rails again. One "blow it" this week was more than enough.
So I have made a decision to have selective amnesia. The part I am forgetting? What I overate. The part I am remembering? To check my Good Health Guidelines before I allow myself to go into my Flex Points.
As for my Flex Points, I did subtract 7, since that is the average daily amount (49 Flex Points divided by 7 days in the week equals an average of 7 points per day). I am just going to proceed through the rest of the week like the overeating didn't happen.
In some ways I feel like I am starting over with my weight loss. I am re-learning things I learned before and assumed I already knew. This is really discouraging. I get impatient with myself, because I've been here before- I should have this down, right?
But then I realize that if I continue to berate myself, I am doing nothing to help myself move forward.
For me, this requires selective amnesia.
And the fact that the gal in that photo has the type of body I'd like doesn't hurt anything, either.
The problem started because I was genuinely hungry later in the evening. All I could think about was carbs. One trick I have to keep myself from eating once my daily food has been consumed is that I brush my teeth and put my retainer in. (I had braces a few years ago and am very interested in keeping my teeth strait!) I had done this, but the hunger was getting to me. So I did something I NEVER do and took the retainer out to eat a little something. Well, a little something turned into a LOT of something. Ugh.
This morning I was trying to figure out what to do with my Weight Watchers Points. In case you don't know how Weight Watchers works, you get a certain amount of points for the day based on your weight. And then you get an additional 49 "flex points" that you can add into the week as needed.
Yesterday was day 1 of my tracking week, so I had all 49 Flex Points still available to me at the end of the day. However, I know that if I subtract as many as I approximate I ate last night, that won't leave me enough for the days when I go to the gym and genuinely NEED more food. (I get ravenously hungry when I lift weights.)
I sat there and looked at my points, and thought of what I ate, and considered what I could do. I was starting to get pretty stressed.
It finally occurred to me to take a look at my "Good Health Guidelines" from yesterday. These ensure that you hit certain dietary goals each day for maximum health. And I realized that, despite thinking I'd eaten them all, I had only eaten 3 of my required 5 servings of produce.
Hmmmmm.......... Maybe if I'd of filled up on veggies I wouldn't have been so hungry. Ya think, Nance?
At that point, I realized that to expect myself to be able to try and somehow make up the calorie difference in the following 6 days was setting myself up for failure. I have a big appetite. My body needs fuel. And if it doesn't get enough I am very likely to go off the rails again. One "blow it" this week was more than enough.
So I have made a decision to have selective amnesia. The part I am forgetting? What I overate. The part I am remembering? To check my Good Health Guidelines before I allow myself to go into my Flex Points.
As for my Flex Points, I did subtract 7, since that is the average daily amount (49 Flex Points divided by 7 days in the week equals an average of 7 points per day). I am just going to proceed through the rest of the week like the overeating didn't happen.
In some ways I feel like I am starting over with my weight loss. I am re-learning things I learned before and assumed I already knew. This is really discouraging. I get impatient with myself, because I've been here before- I should have this down, right?
But then I realize that if I continue to berate myself, I am doing nothing to help myself move forward.
For me, this requires selective amnesia.
And the fact that the gal in that photo has the type of body I'd like doesn't hurt anything, either.
Wednesday, June 11, 2014
A Few Quick Oatmeal "Recipes"
I love oatmeal and eat it almost every morning. But I also like variety, and have found ways to spruce it up and make it a complete meal with protein powder. The only brand I use is Beverly International, since I know their quality is sound. And for my oats I use their UMP (Ultimate Muscle Protein), which is mainly casein. I am sure other brands of casein protein would work, too. Casein works much better with heat than other protein powders.
Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite "recipes". I usually make these with 1/3 C of dry oats, but sometimes I'll got down to 1/4 C or up to 1/2 C, depending on my carb targets for the day:
- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 scoop of vanilla UMP
* pinch of salt
* 1 peach, diced with skin on
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, but I like the flavor this healthy fat adds) OR 1 teaspoon butter (if you use salted, omit the salt)
Put in an microwave-safe serving bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds to heat it back up, as the peaches will have cooled the oats down.
- Oatmeal Peanut butter Cookie Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
* Salt to taste
Mix well to distribute the peanut butter evenly. Then stir in:
* 1 Scoop Vanilla UMP
* 2 Tablespoons raisins
Chocolate Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil
* pinch of salt
* 1 scoop chocolate UMP
* 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional, and when I use this, I often add a teaspoon or so of calorie-free sweetener to help offset some of the bitterness of the cocoa)
- If you like, substitute 1 T of natural peanut butter for the coconut oil.
Snickerdoodle Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 scoop vanilla UMP
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter (if the butter is salted, omit the salt)
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
* pinch of salt
Apple Pie Oats:
Place oats in the pan you are going to cook them in. Cut up an apple into very small pieces and add to the oats. Put in less water than you would usually cook the oats in, as the apple will cook down and add to the liquid. Cook oats, stirring often (unless you do them in the microwave, then just let 'em cook), until done.
When cooked, stir in:
* 1 scoop Vanilla UMP
* 1 teaspoon butter (if it's salted, omit salt)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
* pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
* pinch salt
I'll be that as you start using more variety with your oats, you will start coming up with your own combinations. I'd love to hear what you create!
Anyhow, here are a few of my favorite "recipes". I usually make these with 1/3 C of dry oats, but sometimes I'll got down to 1/4 C or up to 1/2 C, depending on my carb targets for the day:
- Peaches and Cream Oatmeal:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 scoop of vanilla UMP
* pinch of salt
* 1 peach, diced with skin on
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional, but I like the flavor this healthy fat adds) OR 1 teaspoon butter (if you use salted, omit the salt)
Put in an microwave-safe serving bowl and microwave for about 30-45 seconds to heat it back up, as the peaches will have cooled the oats down.
- Oatmeal Peanut butter Cookie Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 Tablespoon natural peanut butter
* Salt to taste
Mix well to distribute the peanut butter evenly. Then stir in:
* 1 Scoop Vanilla UMP
* 2 Tablespoons raisins
Chocolate Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil
* pinch of salt
* 1 scoop chocolate UMP
* 1 Tablespoon cocoa powder (optional, and when I use this, I often add a teaspoon or so of calorie-free sweetener to help offset some of the bitterness of the cocoa)
- If you like, substitute 1 T of natural peanut butter for the coconut oil.
Snickerdoodle Oats:
Cook oats with a little extra water (to absorb the protein powder). When done, stir in-
* 1 scoop vanilla UMP
* 1 teaspoon coconut oil or butter (if the butter is salted, omit the salt)
* 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, or to taste
* pinch of salt
Apple Pie Oats:
Place oats in the pan you are going to cook them in. Cut up an apple into very small pieces and add to the oats. Put in less water than you would usually cook the oats in, as the apple will cook down and add to the liquid. Cook oats, stirring often (unless you do them in the microwave, then just let 'em cook), until done.
When cooked, stir in:
* 1 scoop Vanilla UMP
* 1 teaspoon butter (if it's salted, omit salt)
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, or to taste
* pinch ground nutmeg (optional)
* pinch salt
I'll be that as you start using more variety with your oats, you will start coming up with your own combinations. I'd love to hear what you create!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Only Undertake What You Know You Can Maintain
One lesson I have learned the hard way in my fitness journey: Don't take on anything to lose weight that you aren't willing to do on a permanent basis.
If you do a bunch of nutty stuff to lose weight, you are very likely to gain the weight back once the nutty stuff is ceased. Why? You didn't learn a darned thing about how to exist in your real, day-to-day world.
I've been heavy and I've been very thin, and here is what I know: The stuff you did to lose weight is the stuff you will have to continue to do to maintain it.
The fact is that the difference between weight loss and weight maintenance for me is about 300 calories a day. Maybe. This is two cookies. So keeping up the weight loss methods, with a cookie or two (or whatever else equals 300 calories) added in, is what I must do to stay at my preferred weight.
Consequently, before I give up carbs after lunch, I ask myself: Can I live like this for the rest of my life?
Do I really want to live without ever eating sugar again?
And before I go to two workouts a day, I have to be honest about if that's something I can keep up after the weight is off.
If it's not, I don't do it. Maybe it means carrying around some excess weight a bit longer. That's Okay. I'd rather find and adapt to liveable solutions than go through the frustration of gaining back some or all of weight I'd sacrificed so much to lose.
It all goes back to that overused term "lifestyle". You will need to make changes, but find methods that fit into your lifestyle, or that you can build a new lifestyle around. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of frustration this way.
And, honestly, I think taking on methods that can't be maintained is the main reason there is such a discouragingly high percentage of weight regain.
The difference between maintaining and gaining is separated by a VERY THIN line. Make sure you don't make it even thinner by setting yourself up for failure with changes you can't maintain.
If you do a bunch of nutty stuff to lose weight, you are very likely to gain the weight back once the nutty stuff is ceased. Why? You didn't learn a darned thing about how to exist in your real, day-to-day world.
I've been heavy and I've been very thin, and here is what I know: The stuff you did to lose weight is the stuff you will have to continue to do to maintain it.
The fact is that the difference between weight loss and weight maintenance for me is about 300 calories a day. Maybe. This is two cookies. So keeping up the weight loss methods, with a cookie or two (or whatever else equals 300 calories) added in, is what I must do to stay at my preferred weight.
Consequently, before I give up carbs after lunch, I ask myself: Can I live like this for the rest of my life?
Do I really want to live without ever eating sugar again?
And before I go to two workouts a day, I have to be honest about if that's something I can keep up after the weight is off.
If it's not, I don't do it. Maybe it means carrying around some excess weight a bit longer. That's Okay. I'd rather find and adapt to liveable solutions than go through the frustration of gaining back some or all of weight I'd sacrificed so much to lose.
It all goes back to that overused term "lifestyle". You will need to make changes, but find methods that fit into your lifestyle, or that you can build a new lifestyle around. Trust me, you will save yourself a lot of frustration this way.
And, honestly, I think taking on methods that can't be maintained is the main reason there is such a discouragingly high percentage of weight regain.
The difference between maintaining and gaining is separated by a VERY THIN line. Make sure you don't make it even thinner by setting yourself up for failure with changes you can't maintain.
Tuesday, May 6, 2014
My 4-M Method of Goal Setting
When it comes to fitness and weight loss I have learned that if I have a specific and measurable method of both setting and looking at my goals it not only helps me with achieving and believing I an accomplish them, but also with visualizing and staying encouraged along the journey. I call it "My 4-M Method of goal setting". With this method, I break my goals down into four categories:
Micro
Mini
Moderate
Max
For the purposes of this blog, and because I'm currently trying to lose fat (again!), I will give examples of weight loss. But you can adapt this to whatever goal you are trying to achieve, be it a level of musculature, running a marathon, or even something non-fitness related like getting a degree.
Let's cover them one by one:
The first goal, Micro, is something that is easily acheivable and very much within reach. For me this is every 2 1/2 pound mark. So at my current weight of 170, "Under 170" is my micro goal. After I get there, it will be "Under 167.5", then "Under 165", etc. When I can tell I am getting very close to my Max goal this will get narrower, since I lose much slower when I get leaner. I'll probably set my micro goals in 1-lb increments at that point.
The next in line is the Mini goal. Mini is something that is juuuuuuust out of reach, but you can see it's attainable. Usually for me this is the 5-pound mark (Under 170, 165, etc.). Mini lets me say I did something that would be worth mentioning to others. "I just lost fifteen pounds" sounds so much more impressive (and less weird) than "I just lost twelve and a half pounds".
The second to biggest goal, Moderate, is something that isn't quite as easy to achieve and is a fairly impressive milestone. With weight loss, for me it's usually the next size down.
Now for the biggest goal: Max. In short, max goals are where you want to see as the end result of your current fitness journey.
Often at the beginning of the journey I'll have more a a general idea of what this goal might be. For instance, right now I know I want to have a figure something like the actress Tamara Taylor's:
This is a fairly general goal for several reasons- While I believe I can achieve a look very similar to hers, I am NOT her. Specifically I am more muscular than her, have a (much) bigger bust-line, and we are of different ethnic backgrounds. But "Tamara Taylor More Muscular" is not an unrealistic look for me, since we have similar bone structures, height, and age. It gives me a general shape to keep in mind.
Another reason this is a general goal is that I don't know at what exact weight, body fat percentage, or even size (although I suspect it's my coveted size six) I will look like this. Nor am I sure of how long it will take to get a similar look. When I get closer to being there I will be able to narrow it down more, but for right now saying I want to look like her sister, sans skin tone, is about as specific as I can get.
All of these goals are fluid and move as I progress, with the possible exception of my Max goal. But even it is subject to change if I get close and realize it's unrealistic or I'm not expecting enough of myself.
I guess my reason for categorizing goals like this is that it gives me reasons to celebrate alone the way, instead of just trudging along until I get to my ultimate goal. And I DO celebrate. Even if it's just to take a minute to sit alone, smile to myself, and feel truly proud that I made it past another goal. The more I do this, the more I am encouraged to press on.
Micro
Mini
Moderate
Max
For the purposes of this blog, and because I'm currently trying to lose fat (again!), I will give examples of weight loss. But you can adapt this to whatever goal you are trying to achieve, be it a level of musculature, running a marathon, or even something non-fitness related like getting a degree.
Let's cover them one by one:
The first goal, Micro, is something that is easily acheivable and very much within reach. For me this is every 2 1/2 pound mark. So at my current weight of 170, "Under 170" is my micro goal. After I get there, it will be "Under 167.5", then "Under 165", etc. When I can tell I am getting very close to my Max goal this will get narrower, since I lose much slower when I get leaner. I'll probably set my micro goals in 1-lb increments at that point.
The next in line is the Mini goal. Mini is something that is juuuuuuust out of reach, but you can see it's attainable. Usually for me this is the 5-pound mark (Under 170, 165, etc.). Mini lets me say I did something that would be worth mentioning to others. "I just lost fifteen pounds" sounds so much more impressive (and less weird) than "I just lost twelve and a half pounds".
The second to biggest goal, Moderate, is something that isn't quite as easy to achieve and is a fairly impressive milestone. With weight loss, for me it's usually the next size down.
Now for the biggest goal: Max. In short, max goals are where you want to see as the end result of your current fitness journey.
Often at the beginning of the journey I'll have more a a general idea of what this goal might be. For instance, right now I know I want to have a figure something like the actress Tamara Taylor's:
Isn't she stunning?
This is a fairly general goal for several reasons- While I believe I can achieve a look very similar to hers, I am NOT her. Specifically I am more muscular than her, have a (much) bigger bust-line, and we are of different ethnic backgrounds. But "Tamara Taylor More Muscular" is not an unrealistic look for me, since we have similar bone structures, height, and age. It gives me a general shape to keep in mind.
Another reason this is a general goal is that I don't know at what exact weight, body fat percentage, or even size (although I suspect it's my coveted size six) I will look like this. Nor am I sure of how long it will take to get a similar look. When I get closer to being there I will be able to narrow it down more, but for right now saying I want to look like her sister, sans skin tone, is about as specific as I can get.
All of these goals are fluid and move as I progress, with the possible exception of my Max goal. But even it is subject to change if I get close and realize it's unrealistic or I'm not expecting enough of myself.
I guess my reason for categorizing goals like this is that it gives me reasons to celebrate alone the way, instead of just trudging along until I get to my ultimate goal. And I DO celebrate. Even if it's just to take a minute to sit alone, smile to myself, and feel truly proud that I made it past another goal. The more I do this, the more I am encouraged to press on.
Thursday, May 1, 2014
Miraculous Menopause!
In case the title wasn't enough, any men reading need to be informed that this blog is about "the change". Should male-types choose to continue reading, consider yourselves warned.
In November or 2013 I posted this blog on not having the horrible side-effects of menopause since getting into shape. Today's blog is "The rest of the story".
A year and a half ago I had my last cycle. They'd been sporadic for years, and even though some doctors tried to tell me I wasn't in pre-menopause, I knew better. I'd had signs since I was 34 that menopause was going to come early. I couldn't have been happier when I hit the one-year mark for being period-free last November, making me inarguably through menopause by medical standards. I did a little dance of joy.
I had someone once wonder aloud if my lack of cycles had something to do with my leanness and activity level. No way. During the 11 years leading up to the cessation of my cycles I was both obese/sedentary, and extremely lean/active. Right now I am about 20 pounds over where I want to be. And my cycles are gone. Kaput. Hasta la vista. Buh-bye. So obviously, it has had absolutely nothing to do with my fitness or body fat level.
Between menopause and aging I have found some wonderful benefits:
- I'm a lot nicer on a regular basis. I had cycles from hell- This is not much of an exaggeration. They were horrible. To the point where my family wanted to get away from me. I understood because I would have left me alone, had that been an option. I would go into rages, cry at the drop of a hat, and be inconsolable. It was terrible. I did get some relief from taking iron pills (turns out my heavy cycles were making me iron deficient), but it never completely released me from my hormonal torment. Now that I don't have those massive hormone surges going on any more I am more "level" and therefore better able to manage my emotions.
I read somewhere once that an early menopause can mean a shorter lifespan. I can say with utmost honesty that if that is the case I would much rather live a shorter life happy than a longer life miserable.
- My cycle was really heavy to the point where sometimes I wondered if I was hemorrhaging. My sheets were very familiar with the washing machine, regardless of how much I "reinforced" myself. Not having to deal with that anymore is fabulous.
- I get to use moisturizer! May sound like a silly benefit, but up until not long ago I was always an oil slick. People would talk about how good moisturizer felt and I didn't get it. All it did was make me slimy. I love that I can put a moisturizer on, feel it sink into my skin (which would now be classified as "normal"), and enjoy that feeling.
- I no longer have to wash my hair every day, since reduced oil production means it no longer looks like a bunch of greasy strings less than 24 hours after washing. I can go every-other day before it looks that way now. Big time saver!
- Zits are (almost) a thing of the past. The occasional pimple still sometimes rears it's ugly head, but as for the multiple volcano zits I used to sport on a regular basis? Gone!
- I can go without foundation and not look horrible. After 30+ years of slathering the stuff on I am no longer a slave to it. I either had to wear it before to cover my horrible acne or combined it with powder to soak up the oil from my face. Now I can just wear sunscreen and feel good about the way my "real" skin looks.
- When I do wear foundation, it's a moisturizing formula. This is cool because moisturizing foundation doesn't stick to my skin and dry before I am done blending it like the oil-absorbing varieties did.
- My body fat is distributing a bit better. I'll always be bottom-heavy, but now when I gain fat I get a bit more in my upper body. This is nice because I don't feel quite as disproportionate any more. My shadow on the ground more resembles and hour glass with more sand on the bottom than a bowling pin. I like that.
- I'm not so concerned with my appearance these days. I'll never be someone who is Okay with looking sloppy. But needing every hair in place and worrying about people seeing spider veins on my legs? Nah. I'd rather let it go and just enjoy myself.
Getting older isn't that bad, it turns out. In a lot of ways, it's beneficial. I'm happy to be 47 and through menopause. Now if I could just lose these blessed 20 pounds again.......................
In November or 2013 I posted this blog on not having the horrible side-effects of menopause since getting into shape. Today's blog is "The rest of the story".
A year and a half ago I had my last cycle. They'd been sporadic for years, and even though some doctors tried to tell me I wasn't in pre-menopause, I knew better. I'd had signs since I was 34 that menopause was going to come early. I couldn't have been happier when I hit the one-year mark for being period-free last November, making me inarguably through menopause by medical standards. I did a little dance of joy.
I had someone once wonder aloud if my lack of cycles had something to do with my leanness and activity level. No way. During the 11 years leading up to the cessation of my cycles I was both obese/sedentary, and extremely lean/active. Right now I am about 20 pounds over where I want to be. And my cycles are gone. Kaput. Hasta la vista. Buh-bye. So obviously, it has had absolutely nothing to do with my fitness or body fat level.
Between menopause and aging I have found some wonderful benefits:
- I'm a lot nicer on a regular basis. I had cycles from hell- This is not much of an exaggeration. They were horrible. To the point where my family wanted to get away from me. I understood because I would have left me alone, had that been an option. I would go into rages, cry at the drop of a hat, and be inconsolable. It was terrible. I did get some relief from taking iron pills (turns out my heavy cycles were making me iron deficient), but it never completely released me from my hormonal torment. Now that I don't have those massive hormone surges going on any more I am more "level" and therefore better able to manage my emotions.
I read somewhere once that an early menopause can mean a shorter lifespan. I can say with utmost honesty that if that is the case I would much rather live a shorter life happy than a longer life miserable.
- My cycle was really heavy to the point where sometimes I wondered if I was hemorrhaging. My sheets were very familiar with the washing machine, regardless of how much I "reinforced" myself. Not having to deal with that anymore is fabulous.
- I get to use moisturizer! May sound like a silly benefit, but up until not long ago I was always an oil slick. People would talk about how good moisturizer felt and I didn't get it. All it did was make me slimy. I love that I can put a moisturizer on, feel it sink into my skin (which would now be classified as "normal"), and enjoy that feeling.
- I no longer have to wash my hair every day, since reduced oil production means it no longer looks like a bunch of greasy strings less than 24 hours after washing. I can go every-other day before it looks that way now. Big time saver!
- Zits are (almost) a thing of the past. The occasional pimple still sometimes rears it's ugly head, but as for the multiple volcano zits I used to sport on a regular basis? Gone!
- I can go without foundation and not look horrible. After 30+ years of slathering the stuff on I am no longer a slave to it. I either had to wear it before to cover my horrible acne or combined it with powder to soak up the oil from my face. Now I can just wear sunscreen and feel good about the way my "real" skin looks.
- When I do wear foundation, it's a moisturizing formula. This is cool because moisturizing foundation doesn't stick to my skin and dry before I am done blending it like the oil-absorbing varieties did.
- My body fat is distributing a bit better. I'll always be bottom-heavy, but now when I gain fat I get a bit more in my upper body. This is nice because I don't feel quite as disproportionate any more. My shadow on the ground more resembles and hour glass with more sand on the bottom than a bowling pin. I like that.
- I'm not so concerned with my appearance these days. I'll never be someone who is Okay with looking sloppy. But needing every hair in place and worrying about people seeing spider veins on my legs? Nah. I'd rather let it go and just enjoy myself.
Getting older isn't that bad, it turns out. In a lot of ways, it's beneficial. I'm happy to be 47 and through menopause. Now if I could just lose these blessed 20 pounds again.......................
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