Thread for women who will not be defeated by menopause/ peri

[Marmaladegin]

I'm 42 and have recently been diagnosed with peri. To be clear, I'm comfortable with my age. But I need to find a style that I find both comfortable and hip, and not feel that everything is sliding downhill into being someone I don't recognise. I do not love the term "princessing" but I suppose this thread is about "queening", and also clothes stuff. Here are the challenges I'm experiencing, that I'm intending to battle and would love company.

My boobs get in the way when doing certain things in the gym, and they seem to send waves of heat up to my face when it’s hot. Not to mention the smell in the summer, I wondered where it was coming from !

Thanks for the thread, Marmalade. I'm mid-40s, at that stage where I can't tell if the headaches / tiredness / feeling chubby / muscle twitches /existential angst are peri-menopause, stress, tiredness, after-effects of Covid, or all of the above :(

Will say though: as someone who's always been large chested, curvy, with a bit of a tum, and with very thick hair, I'm finding it strange I guess to read from folks here who are finding it difficult to reconcile how they used to be slim, small busted, and so on, and are now closer in body shape to me. No judgement - I know that any change to your sense of self is difficult, but I'm curious about what happens to the curvy folks in menopause; do we just get more so?

Thanks to everyone on the thread for advice about supplements etc. I don't know when the right time will be to visit to dr about what's going on. For now, I'm part of the rose hip seed oil + SPF moisturiser + Eborian cc cream club. I already do yoga, swimming, and some running, but have signed up to an induction at a women's gym for weightlifting and some PT sessions :) Hoping to get hench by autumn.

🤣🤣🤣🤣@ the smell!

I don't know what happens. I hate being large busted and 'curvy' with tummy rolls. I was much happier with mu appearance when I was slim and flat chested/stomached.

I'm mid-40s, at that stage where I can't tell if the headaches / tiredness / feeling chubby / muscle twitches /existential angst are peri-menopause, stress, tiredness, after-effects of Covid, or all of the above :(

Probably a combination of all the above. I know when my hormones shifted during lockdown, at first, I thought it was lockdown-fatigue/Covid related. But then some of my original perimenopause issues returned and realised that it was all perimenopause and needed an HRT upgrade. Best thing to do is consult this list and take it from there to see where you are.

I'm curious about what happens to the curvy folks in menopause; do we just get more so?

There's no one size fits all answer I'm afraid. Some do, some don't. How our bodies react during perimenopause is completely unique to the individual and a bit of a lottery. There's no way of knowing who gets an easy time of it, and who doesn't.

Such fun.

I’ve managed to do 5 (short) runs in the last 10 days, so feeling quite proud of myself. Just saying! I did Couch to 5k last year with a group but lost motivation when the group finished, so I’m aiming to get back to where I was at the end of the course.

Well done Remus! I think it becomes easier to keep running as you get fitter and see the benefits, and when it becomes part of your routine. Good luck.

So did I manage to stay off the wine and chocolate on the sofa all week? No I did not! I did manage better than normal but not a single pound lost! Currently 10st 7. A PP suggested a "do" rather than "don't" mentality. So this week I'm going to abide by "do go to bed early" because I think I only snack when I'm tired/ feel like I need a reward for a hard working day.

What does rosehip seed oil do?

This week I have done a light layer of fake tan and it has made me look much perkier.

Apple shaped body owners, alert!

I must thank whoever recommended the Hush Mimi top. It is SO flattering on my menopausal belly, and also lovely and soft. I got the green and it is perfect for spring. May buy another colour. Mimi Puff Sleeve T-Shirt | Island Green | hush (hush-uk.com) Beginning to realise I need to stop trying to cover up my belly in loose shrouds, and go for something with a bit of waist definition.

On another thread I was recommended the Superdry V neck t-shirt from Next. They are a much better fit than Next’s usual t-shirts, and the V neck is better for those of us who are generous up top !
And they are 60% cotton so cool and not sweaty.

Me! I now have three 😅

Oh well thank you @VincentVaguer . It is so hard to find nice cotton these days.

@Marmaladegin Rosehip seed oil has lightweight retinoids (I prefer it at the moment over going on a full tret/retinol regime); and linoleic acid, which is good for inflammation.

Checking in to listen to other people's thoughts and also to share my top tip that John Lewis are really good for bra fitting if you don't have a Bravissimo and have lots of choice of brand.

can I just recommend a vit c serum that I saw mentioned on a S&B thread ages ago. It's https://geekgorgeous.co.uk/products/c-glow and it has made my rather coarse textured and dull skin amazing in 3 weeks. I can't stop looking at it. I've never had such a good result from anything like this before

Hello, May I join in please?

I’m 54 in a couple of months and am totally fed up with my weight and levels of exhaustion. I’ve put on around 2 stone in the last two years, although my weight has always been a problem. It’s not my weight so much as feeling utterly exhausted at the time. I had a busy day yesterday and planned to do some housework today, pulling out the settees, scraping candle wax off the floor etc. I had to go to bed for a couple of hours as I was just wiped out. Anyone dealing with similar?

Thanks! Just ordered 😁

Thanks! Just ordered 😁

Another mimi top wearer here, considering another colour

not a fun day - changing roles this week , commuting & hotel stays from now on plus smartish office attire needed.

went to pack today & lots of my smart trousers no longer fit!

& despite 4 gym classes a week since before Xmas lost no flippin weight!

need to urgently get some new trousers.

Me. I'm totally exhausted every day and I've also put on just over 1 stone. Some days I nap at 11.30am. I do have IBD too so that's a double whammy of tiredness.

HAD to come back here because I know you'll appreciate this
Under eye concealer: nyx bare serum one (could someone explain to me how to inset a link and label it without pasting the whole massive thing?)

Anyway, this is OUR concealer. It is the best I've found for coverage but neither slipping into creasing or drying ageing effect. Warning: do not go too light: because of the good coverage, it's important to stick to your real skin shade otherwise it looks pale and ageing.

I hope you're all well. I'm very pleased with some t section highlights and a French fringe I had cut. But I do need a no-snacking crew

Rosehip oil is great. 💖 it.

@VincentVaguer is the hush mimi a bit short in length?

I've eaten nothing but salad and fish for months. Swam 3 x a week. No alcohol in the week and just a couple of drinks at the weekend. Am 1lb down. FFS.