Late 40s, menopausal and fading

[Swedes2]

I haven't as yet submitted to the full beard and elasticated waistband trousers. But heck, it's hard isn't it? I absolutely love clothes, make-up, and all that shit.... but I am becoming more and more interested in my garden (not a euph). Last night I went to the garage to buy milk in my gardening clothes.

Anyone else going through the same thing? Have you any tips you can share?

Fab thread!

I soooooo relate to most of this, and great to see some familiar faces ,tho I'm a long term lurker so feel like i know most of you but you don't know me , except prob CV who i keep tripping over bumping into .

Last summer I lost a stone and a half by low carbing and c25k and am now maintaining up and down by about 4 pounds every couple of weeks, prob just water not fat I hope!

Still low carbing most of the time, and back on c25k,(wk 5 run 2 today!) this time with NhS rather than Rawbert on podcast.

I haven't yet got the dreaded insomnia, but my periods have gone to every 3 months apart (v scary the first time !) and then flooding like crazy for 2days.

How do you know if you are peri-menopausal? I'm 47 I think , anyone else forget their age and have to work it out each time?

Grow a fringe.

Solves wrinkled forehead and unruly eyebrow problem in one easy move.

Cheaper than Botox.

Ah, trouble is I wear glasses and not contacts - and somehow a fringe with glasses just doesn't work. Not when hair isn't straight, anyway. It was a look I didn't mean to have when I was 16 but did have and it was awful - no way am I going back to that! FWIW I think I've looked better than I ever have in my life the last couple of years, so I really don't want to go downhill rapidly just yet! I was rather hoping I'd be able to grow old gracefully/disgracefully like Helen Mirren...

wohmum funny you should say that. I worked out today that I am 46, after posting on this thread that I am 47! I don't turn 47 until November so God knows where that came from!

Ladies, I have facial epilator which takes care of the chin hairs and also all the fine downy hair that appeared on the sides of my face. Works a treat it does.

Wohmum - we meet again! You and I seem to be on parallel paths at the moment.

Unfortunately, the paths are downhill, but hey ho.

I've got a debobbler for my cardigans (oh god, that really must mark me out as middle-aged). do you think it will double as an epilator?!

NumptyMum you could try and report back.

Oh god, reading these flooding stories has just reminded me of my poor mum. On holiday in Paris when I was 16 (so she was 48) and she kept having to stop walking because of flooding. Shit, I'm 48 next year.

I half half an eye out watching myself for peri symptoms. Only half an eye mind as the other one seems to be migrating downwards along with the right side of my face. Apparently, so I was told by a woman who had loads of surgery by Stanek of 10 Years Younger fame, a reason for having one side of your face beginning to droop is because you sleep lying on that side.

Now why couldn't someone have told me that 43 years ago?

Hi girls , am posting from sick bed. Day 3 of vile gastro. Only upside is that bulging stomach has now returned to flat(ish). Children also all sick, being cared for by Australian version of CBEEBEEs.

Nice to see lots of other crepeys joining. Once I've finished all this busy vomiting I'll be downloading the C25K and running off the wobbly thighs etc.

Re Floods

my periods started coming every 3 weeks (sometimes 2) for a year or two, then getting even heavier - had a few flood situations. Now very unpredictable - every month, 3 months, 3 weeks and nearly always floods.... I am now anaemic and on iron tablets.

I'm "only" 46

GP has put me on notheristerone pill - progesterone only pill - no period for 2 months so far - YAY!

I also took someones advice - BIWI? - and tried Menolieve from Boots (black cohosh) - seems to be helping with flushes and night sweats.

Haven't found any cures for being a grumpy old cow, though

Have not had wine for 2 nights. Sleeping better and skin looking better already. Damn!

minieggfannomore I gave up wine for almost 2 months. Felt brilliant, looked gorgeous, skin eyes hair all radient and well behaved. Unfortunately I fell orf the waggon in huge style and am now raddled old hag again. Also I was a much nicer parent. I wasn't some dreadful old soak either, one or 2 glasses of wine a night tops.

God, flooding, how awful. Honestly it's so unfair being a woman isn't it.

I walked 12km yesterday (at a cracking pace) and didn't drink a drop of wine and slept like a log (with the window wide open) and feel (and look) so much better this morning.

One of my problems is the school holidays - I take much less exercise then than during term time, and I very quickly feel it.

Am already planning on getting a dog in 4.5 years time when DD goes to secondary school and no longer needs me for getting to and from school

2 months Nothingnatural! You are a beacon! Love the idea of not drinking and being healthy but don't know what to do when I get in from work tired and fed up and irritable.

A glass of wine while listening to radio and cooking dinner v v pleasurable. A glass with said dinner also a joy.

Have dealt with this by just getting in, gobbling up food and going to bed with book and laptop. Not very sociable.

Am hoping I will forget about wine soon.

Miniegg I found that the first night or two were awful then after that it got really easy. I just didn't miss it, and I felt SO much better that it was completely worth being boring sober at all times.

The post work wine, was my downfall too. Although I did manage with just a cup of tea (when I was completely on the wagon) and it was fine .

Natural - I have day off work to go house hunting. Maybe will be easier to abstain this evening and that will contribute to habit-breaking.

Definitely a relief to have slept all night without a sleeping pill tho and not look like raddled old bag in morning

BTM - glad the black cohosh is working! It's been brilliant for me, I have to say.

Interestingly, over this weekend when I was very badly behaved (well, I did win all that chocolate from MN, and I wasn't going to let the rest of the family chomp away on it without me!), I started the hot flushes during the night again.

Back on the low carb and no alcohol wagon, and last night didn't have any.

But I am embarrassingly stiff this morning - embarrassing given only 4 minutes of running yesterday. Definitely making me realise how unfit I am, and what a good idea this is.

I go off running again tomorrow, and I'm hoping I might finish the whole 8 runs, but given how I'm feeling now, I may only do 6, which will be half as much again as yesterday.

May I join, please?

44, going to be 45 in July. What was 2-3 dark hairs at the sides of my mouth that were easily tweezed out is now a full-on tache, my middle has thickened to a ridiculous extent, my periods are all over the place (and yes, I too get the floods, have had to get off a train en-route to work before now and purchase new trousers, pants etc - would love to just sit over a bucket eating sweeties til it's all over!), little or no libido (not helped by the TVT op - yes, it makes you a virgin again but not in a good way!!), could do with losing 2 stone.

Already have the c-section overhang, now I suspect I have the beginnings of a gunt. In fact, given my body shape (long torso, high waist) with most trousers on the market I have an auto-gunt going on if I do the waist up where it's supposed to be... my nan used to be one of those ladies whose skirts were fastened just beneath their massive monobosom, and I fear I may be heading the same way...

I also crease overnight like a bugger on my chest/decollete (not wearing that chest bra thing though, it looks like something from a weird porno) and where they used to have faded by midday, now they hang around all day...

I also have horrible tramlines between nose and corner of mouth, and then from corner of mouth to chin. Makes me look mean and cross and I'm not, honest! Caught myself at an angle in a shop mirror a week ago and swore it was my mother looking back. I've always had greasy oily skin which has, thankfully, been acne free (let's not talk about blackheads, though) and so I've always been fairly free and easy about moisturising, but now I have horrible dry patches beneath my eyes and on my cheeks which need attention. I need a skincare regime - am I best off going to a counter in Debenhams or will they just sell me lots of expensive rubbish? I don't even know my skintype any more... I suppose it's combination...

Am on a diet and have lost 3lb so far, but despair of ever getting a waist back again. Was a size 10 in the 80's (which is a zero these days?) and realistically that's not coming back, but I would like a shape.

Funnily enough, I downloaded the NHS C25k a month ago, did 2 of the 3 times of week 1, got distracted, haven't done it since. I have to say, the second time was a lot easier than the first (even if I did have DD with me on her scooter, overtaking me effortlessly...mutter mutter). I need to get started again.

On the upside, I hate gardening with a passion....:o

It's all so delightful, isn't it!
Woke up in the early hours with a hot flush.
At least got my exercise routine back on track - bless the Tracy Anderson arms and love handles routines.
Off to Boots for menolieve.
Only 46!

I'm even considering going for a swim later ...

No wine last night and a rubbish nights sleep (thinking about coming back to work today). So feeling 'tired'. Please don't tell me about floods....I am hoping my period will just politely up sticks and move out with no fuss...
I'd like to be a less grump mum too. Ds asked me at the weekend why I never smiled and admitting one isn't happy is not good....

I would love to do all this running and swimming but I stupidly had a late baby who is now 6 and at home so I am restricted to indoor pursuits.

Oh god. At 45 there's so much to look forward to. But so much already to enjoy.

Full beard - check.
Gunt - check. Accessorised by CS overhang
Late baby. Check - had him at 43.
Ceaseless weight gain, despite careful (ish) diet. Check. Put on two pounds over the weekend merely by having nice food.
Rosacea on cheeks. Check.
Numb from waist down. Check. Though frankly was never a sex fiend, mainly doing it in order to get up the duff. Not that DP knew that.
And another unexpected delight, bald patch on the pubes!

On the plus side, periods are still regular and light-ish, still have semblance of waist (though thickening daily), and love my garden.

Can't run due to shagged feet, but in Jan and Feb I did the shred religiously, and it made a huge difference. Less back ache, more energy, perhaps slight evidence of a muscle on the arm. Then a lurgy knocked me for six, and I've only done it a couple of times since.

Another wonder supplement I try to remember to take is CLA - conjugated lineoic acid (or something). Apparently encourages the body to turn food into muscle, rather than fat. It does seem to work if I remember to take it, though it is expensive...