What is happening? Menopause? Anyone else feel like this?

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Possibly posting in the wrong section, not sure. Just feeling a bit weird at the moment. I am 48, still have regular periods. But I feel weird. I am 1 stone overweight, not a massive amount but I am only 5.2" so I feel rather uncomfortable with the way I look. Most of my excess weight is on my thighs. I have pretty much stopped drinking alcohol because it was making me feel awful; I rarely eat processed carbs because they make my tummy bloat like crazy. However, my sugar cravings are beyond ridiculous and despite really wanting to lose weight, I just can't seem to stop myself from bingeing on sweets. Once thing I have noticed lately is that I procrastinate in every aspect of my life. I work full time, I study part time, I have a family (DC are 13 and 10) and a large ish house. I don't have much of a social life so I have quite a lot of time to do things, yet I will easily waste 4 solid hours every day on the internet doing absolutely nothing, but thinking the million chores that need doing in the house, my coursework, spending time with my kids.... I could cook better meals, yet I really can't be bothered. I am really struggling to master the energy to do anything beyond the bare minimum. DH does a massive amount by the way, and DC will do some chores. I just know I could be doing so much more and yet I am struggling to find the mental and physical energy. I have bought so many books recently, and I haven't gone beyond the first chapter in any of them. Can't focus my brain on anything. Exercise-wise, this has always been a struggle, and if I manage the 30day shred 4 times a week then I feel I've done well. I drink a lot of water, at least 2 litres a day. I hate going to the hairdressers, I have put off going to the dentist for 6 years now, I could do with a pedicure but finding somewhere and then actually going is such a hassle, I think I need my hearing tested, I definitely need an adjustment on my reading glasses... It's all just a bit meh. Anyone else feel like this?

Well I'm cutting out alcohol for a start. I make questionable decisions when I'm drunk and I've recently started blacking out when I'm drunk. I'm safe - I only drink in the house. But alcohol is so so bad for you. Makes you fat, it's ageing and willpower just goes out the window!

I suppose I should change my user name first......

Yes, alcohol, OUT
Sugar is the big one for me...

I am eating far too much sugar at the moment too, and I’m putting on weight because of it. I’ve cut out alcohol completely and massively reduced caffeine, but really struggling to stop eating sugary crap.

I'm wary of cutting out too much all at once so I think for every thing I give up/cut out, Il take up something. Lunchtime walks start tomorrow - just 20 mins. It'll get me away from my desk and clear my post-lunch brain fog 👍

Yep I'm another one. Slightly complicated for me by the fact that I had breast cancer two years ago. After surgery I was started on a drug called Tamoxifen, which threw me headfirst into the menopause, as it basically wipes out your oestrogen. So of course HRT isn't an option for me and I have to be careful about supplements in case they interact with the Tamoxifen, sigh.........

Oh God, me too. Just turned 50, no obvious menopause signs, but memory is shot and i am SO apathetic. Just sick of wasting so much time faffing on the internet, and not achieving anything.

And here we are, faffing about on t'internet!

Let's call it research

I am not sure whether I am relieved to find this thread or not - just turned 53 and this describes me to a T - but I thought my symptoms were due to having gone through an acrimonious divorce that still has outstanding issues, the stress of it all and long term depression. But maybe some of it can be linked to menopause as you lot all sound like me 😀

I am knackered - generally can't be arsed with anything, shopping for food, cooking, cleaning - I'm trying to get rid of 20 years of shite before an impending house move but as yet don't know where I'm going so not really sure what to keep/get rid off.

I have stuff all over the place from where I start "sorting"- I have a room full of bits of furniture I have picked up that I want to upcycle - My bedroom looks like a Chinese laundry where I'm trying to cull my wardrobe and eBay excess clothes - I need to lose some weight too and have found that I have similar items of clothing in 3 bloody sizes - yet nothing fits! No doubt I'll get rid of the smaller sizes then lose some weight!

I have 2 teens (17) - I think I'm going through the reverse of them - up until a few years ago my house was like a showhome - now I really could not give a shit - when I can get up and motivated I want to be out watching the world go by not doing housework - sometimes I get spurred into thinking I'll do the garden - end up buying plants that just sit there waiting to be planted.

I was hoping once I moved I would be back to how I was - but maybe not - I too have various supplements sitting on the side yet don't always take them. I feel like I need to give myself a kick up the arse but then there's always tomorrow.

Are these feelings deliberate? Are we adjusting to some new phase - this past week I have wanted to tell everyone to just fuck off and leave me alone - maybe it is to prepare us for when our kids leave home? So that it doesn't hit us like a bolt out the blue? Maybe this is the new normal? And yes I think I am relieved to know it's not just me going through this and maybe I would feel like this regardless!

I'm nearly 46 and no sign of periods stopping - regular as clockwork still though my cycle has shortened but as it was quite long anyway it's not a massive issue yet.

My problem is grumpiness and serious can't be arsedness lots of the time. I have 5 days a month when I'm full of energy and enthusiasm and then it's back to the depths again. I also feel like I'm the one driving everything at home and it pees me off so much. I just don't have the energy to always be the one making decisions but DH is off in his own midlife crisis much of the time.

Sleeping is very hot and miss. Good night's followed by weeks of tossing and turning after 3am. I assume my hormones are all over the place.

For those of you who have sugar cravings try sucking sugar free boiled sweets. They taste the same but if you have too many they are rather laxative. I am currently sucking some Worthers original sugar free when I get a craving to snack I'm losing a lot of weight this way

I'm definitely not menopausal but I have noticed that the more time I spend 'browsing' the internet, looking at social media etc the less I can be arsed to do anything else. It inspires some kind of horrible lethargy/apathy.
I really think sometime I should just put my phone away for a week and see if it makes a difference.
Anyhow here I am on my phone yet again.
We restrict our kids screen time for what we believe is good reason but personally I'm not very good at restricting myself and honestly I think it's to blame for a lot of my can't be arsed attitude!

Ella, think you are onto something there

I very often don't put my laptop on in the morning. Purely because I vegetate.

If you didn't have WiFi I bet you'd see a huge change. Or at least limit it to one hour per day. Not being facetious.

As i said above i changed my diet in response to feeling as you all describe having researched it thoroughly....carb based diets will make you feel like shit.

There is so much out there if you don’t believe me. Research High Fat low carb diets/ ketogenic diet - websites, podcasts, NICE research papers!

There’s even a boot camp for it here on MN

If you want:
Weight loss
Mental clarity
Energy
Hormonal balance
A treatment for PCOS
Reduction in fits for epilepsy

The research is pretty clear that going low carb will achieve this.

Carb fueling gives you the short bursts of energy and constant appetite (only satiated for a hour or two after eating) but changing your fuel to healthy fats and ketones will restore your energy very quickly and transform this lethargy for life. And you’ll remove that constant desire to eat which has literally changed my life.

I was pushing my drs to go on HRT 6 months ago because that was the only explanation I could muster for my lack of energy....seems it was much more simple than I knew.

If you try it for 6 weeks (and it’s not just cutting out sugar) it’s eating less than 20g of carbs (from greens and salads) per day, and it doesn’t work, I’d be amazed.

Low carb is not for everyone though.

Some people metabolise carbs well

And fat less so.

Food high in fat and low in carbs gives me heartburn.

Whereas eating lots of carb based meals (eg brown bread, rice, pasta, sweet potato, new pots, with veg and protein added) fill me up for 3-4 hours.

Carbs also help me keep blood sugar stable during exercise (1-2 hrs a day)

Love my carbs, and I never put on weight with a high carb diet(balanced with exercise)

3-4 hours of fullness is not a lot though?

High fat will give you whole days of fullness - fasting becomes a desire not a chore. I'm 'fasting' today, not because I want to lose weight but because I am simply not hungry. And I have a high energy day today of presenting to a room of 50 people for over 4 hours, starting in about an hour. I've not eaten this morning and am totally energised, physically and mentally.

Also when you are fat adapted, you will very rarely 'bonk' during exercise. You have enough fat stored to last for weeks even if you are very lean. It is only when you are fueled by carbs that you will bonk.

It can take months to become fully fat adapted though so if you have only tried it for a short period you will see a drop in performance before you become fully fat adapted, at which point you will see you energy levels transform

(I run and cycle a lot)

Carbs also help me keep blood sugar stable during exercise (1-2 hrs a day)

This statement is not factually correct. Insulin is produced in the pancreas to metabolise carbs and this has a direct effect on your blood sugar - and it doesn't stabilise it. Being fueled by fat stabilises your blood sugar.

There are a billion sources I could use to support this, but here is one from diabetes.co.uk and livestrong but there is plenty out there if you don't trust these sources:

www.diabetes.co.uk/Diabetes-and-Carbohydrate-diets.html

www.livestrong.com/article/448234-will-low-carb-diets-cause-blood-sugar-level-drop/

Blood sugar in important because what everyone on this thread is describing might well be a direct reflection of blood sugar spikes and drops caused by the high carb diets

interesting mooncuplanding can I ask what sort of things you'd eat in a typical day then?

Hmmm. I'm 47 and v similar - periods still regular, procrastination, can't-be-arsedness, no motivation, consistently early waking, a bit overweight. It hadn't really occurred to me that any of that was due to perimenopause tbh, but I'm the right age...

Anyway, like mooncuplanding, I am low carbing. I can't say it's done anything for my can't-be-arsedness or sleep yet (I'm a month in), but my mood feels more stable, my skin is great and I'm 8lb down in weight.

Oh, meant to say - low carbing is the only thing that gets rid of my chocolate cravings. There's chocolate in the same room as me right now and I'm not even tempted .

Last night I had a chicken leg, skin on roasted in butter, cauliflower cheese made with full cream, cream cheese and Stilton and some kale.

It’s satiating food.

There are loads of recipes out there, mumsnet has a whole list on the low carb recipes board. Diet doctor is great, Pinterest, reddit. It’s all out there.

The thought of chocolate or bread or pasta is just not on my radar now.

Ask me this 6 months ago and I’d have laughed at you!

Odie
Sleeping is very hot and miss

Indeed

for those dealing with divorce and recovering from illness on top of peri.

I think DH and I may have made it through but it has been hard. A colleague seperated from her husband but they are trying a reconciliation now. Not suggesting anybody else should.

S&B related triggers for hot flushes are using iron and drying my hair. Horrible to get hot and sweaty before I've even begun my day. Hot flushes at night mran i have to wash hair every morning.

OP, you could get your thyroid tested at the GPs. There's no reason for them to refuse. I was diagnosed hypothyroid about eight years ago, but suspect it was packing up for a long time. Only got diagnosed through having another illness.
PS. You sound a really busy person to me, I can be a lazy arse for England!