I don’t understand why I’ve put a stone on!

No, of course it doesn't.
Not even menopause.
I'd suggest underactive thyroid. Or alcohol consumption.

With me? I’m not dragged down anywhere, thanks, and the phrase peri peri chickens isn’t as clever as you think it is.

It’s perfectly possible to make salient points about the complexity of women’s health issues and the tendency for genuine issues to be dismissed without using such misogynistic language.

Yes, I have really had to change me diet since peri.

I eat virtually the same diet every week and I have had to cut back on treats otherwise I just put on weight.

Hi @Oldcrockpot Ive not read the full thread so apologies if someone’s already suggested this.

Have you had your thyroid checked. One of the first things I noticed when I developed thyroid disease was gaining weight, along with losing body hair and having no energy. I was gaining weight at a rate of knots and my diet was healthy and calorie countered.

Weight gain/loss is a complex issue as many different body systems/hormones/meds/body composition/stage of life interact with each other.

I hope you get some answers soon 👍

Borrowed.....

Studies have found that our body composition changes when we go through perimenopause.
This includes an increase in fat mass and waist circumference and a decrease in muscle mass. Fat is also more likely to accumulate around the abdomen.
These shifts likely stem from several factors, including changes in reproductive hormones.
In fact, experts know that estrogen plays a role in energy metabolism, and studieshave shown that the way the body metabolizes fat and other lipids changes during the menopause transition.
For example, shifts in energy metabolism caused by fluctuations in estrogen may lead to the accumulation of body fataround the abdomen and an increase in “bad” blood fats.
These changes, in turn, are linked to health conditions such as type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
Experts call ghrelin the “hunger hormone” because it helps regulate appetite. It’s produced in the stomach and increases the sensation of hunger, prompting us to eat.
In addition, aging itself is linked with natural changes in body composition. For example, we lose muscle mass as we age, which is called sarcopenia. This results in a decreased metabolic rate — the amount of energy your body uses.
Both of these factors can contribute to weight gain.
Genetics may also play a role. For example, if members of your close family tend to carry excess weight around their abdomens, you’re more likely to, as well.

Was your coil copper or marina?

If you came of hormones then your body will naturally readjust to the change as it settle. Hormonal birth control can play havoc with people weight and periods.

I didn’t personally use that phrase but I don’t think the constant emphasis on and public awareness campaigns about menopause or perimenopause are that great for women. If anything it strikes fear into people thinking they will gain weight, develop brain fog, become incredibly depressed and anxious, totally lose their libido and just generally have a shit time. For ten years. Who would look forward to that?

Same with PMS - most women cope totally fine with periods but you do get some who struggle.

Isn’t it a better use of resources to educate doctors about perimenopause so that if they think someone is experiencing symptoms they know what to do? I’ve already seen headlines in the paper and a pp mentioned this too that women’s cancer has been missed because it’s been written off as perimenopause. My workplace did some menopause awareness day and decided to lead with “did you know what over 10% of women have to quit their job due to menopause symptoms”. Right, well that’s cheery isn’t it. Whereas I didn’t even have a clue when my mum or aunt went through menopause because they didn’t make a monumental fuss of it and clearly didn’t suffer to the extent of having to quit work and feeling unable to function.

Quite. The problem of women being thought of as too hormonal is a cultural and social one and should be addressed at that level, rather than deny reality. It doesn’t serve women to pretend that hormonal changes don’t exist or don’t affect anyone. It shouldn’t be beyond the wit of man to have a more nuanced conversation on this.

I didn't change my lifestyle and started putting the weight on gradually.

Then i did try to move more and eat less, and it didn't work. It's not that straightforward

Your metabolism doesn't actually slow down until you’re in your 60s and even then it’s marginal. People just tend to move less as they get older

Daily energy expenditure through the human life course

Personally I'm just ignoring it - clearly they're bored and want a rise out of people.

Really? Are we all cool with the internalised misogyny of “clucking hens brigade”?

Of course, not everything is perimenopause and not everything should be lumped under that umbrella, but it should absolutely be considered as medication etc. is available if you need it.

Women shouldn't be made to feel like they can't access help just because someone thinks it might make them look weak or useless 🥳

@Startinganew32 well, speaking as someone who's just gone through a potential diagnosis at a young age, there is actually loads that can be done.

You can come off birth control to have blood tests and if you're below a certain age, you can get access to HRT if you have certain symptoms.

Unfortunately for me, my symptoms ended up being PCOS but the nurse I spoke to was excellent and made it very clear that she would prescribe HRT for me if my bloods and symptoms showed it would be beneficial.

As you age your body burns less calories per day. That means that if you eat the same amount of calories, you will gain weight. You need to eat less calories or do more exercise to compensate for that.

While I understand that people don't like the idea of women being "dismissed " because of their hormones the reality is that a hormone imbalance or decline can cause a lot more issues than people realise.

That doesn't mean you become useless as soon as you reach 35 but it does mean that if someone is struggling they should feel comfortable asking their doctor for blood tests and support - they shouldn't be fobbed off or told it's just their age.

I think the main issue is that everyone is affected differently and at different ages, so whereas Jane may sail through menopause with no symptoms at all, Susan may well struggle from her mid-thirties. Unfortunately if you talk to a lot of "Janes" you can be left feeling dismissed and like you must be imagining things.

How would she even check it - most of the time it’s self diagnosed. If you’re on hormonal contraception which a lot of women in this category would be then you can’t even have a blood test for any drop in hormone levels. I doubt a doctor will give HRT to her just because she’s gained some weight. And it literally is constant - any mention of anxiety, depression, aches and pains or other symptoms and someone pops up saying it’s the perimenopause.

@Startinganew32 all people are saying is that it's something OP should consider as there's actually a ton of help out there if you ask for it.

Nobody's saying it turns you into a useless lump

Please do get checked for thyroid and for ovarian issues, OP. It's very important. If those are excluded, you can start to look at your diet and exercise. But time is of the essence with this issue, so GP first and ask explicitly for a thyroid check and scan to consider ovarian complications.

Yes I agree. And even going back further than that - women’s sensitive nature and volatile emotions were used to justify rules that they couldn’t be lawyers and doctors. It’s offensive bullshit and works against us.

No, that's not true at all.

Metabolism changes in perimenopause. I only need 1400 calories now, any more than that I gain weight.

I gained 2 stone going to the gym 5 times a week and eating exactly the same as before. I didn't realise how much my body had changed.

Cortisol also increases during perimenopause which can lead to weight gain. The cruel irony is that Cardio exercise also increases cortisol.

Fat cells contain oestrogen. As our natural.oestrogen decreases the body starts to look for oestrogen elsewhere, so the body does all it can to create fat cells. Hence metabolism changes and the body hoes into overdrive creating Cortisol.

Weight gain doesn't happen for everyone, but it does for many and they are not eating more and moving less. Losing it is very difficult gor those who put it on.

Could be thyroid. I'm also 39 and had been suffering from extreme tiredness and brain fog. I chalked it down to having a 2 year old who doesn't sleep well but then my weight started creeping too..but like you I was suddenly several kilos heavier with no explanation, if anything I'd been doing more exercise and eating better so made no sense.
As the GP to check my iron for the tiredness and he also did thyroid, turned out I had severe hypothyroidism. A symptom of which is weight gain. Can also make periods irregular and heavy.
Definitely worth getting checked out.

And not the vast majority. And the vast majority are not even in peri at 39.

Actually, the trend towards ascribing everything to menopause or peri-menopause isn't a new phenomenon, it's a reversion to the norm of how women were treated in the seventies and earlier when women were frequently dismissed and their symptoms written off as "women's issues". It is a hugely dangerous trend.