I’m 54 now, and gradually but slowly approaching menopause whenever that will be; my very light, awkward periods are quite persistent and continuous. This has been ongoing now for 3 years since I stopped taking the pill, and there was even an absence of 8 months! I thought it was the end of it, and was getting all excited to see the light at the end of the tunnel, but then out of the blue it returned, a big bang of a heavy period followed by a hormonal nose dive.
The sudden rapid decrease of estrogen after that big bang had an effect on my breasts, and within a matter of 8 weeks the glandular tissue in both my once so firm pride and joy shrank. I now felt the loss of that firmness laying on my belly teaching the Pilates swimming exercise… it felt uncomfortable, slightly painful, and I realised that the milk factory had closed its doors permanently without giving me any notice.
Not only were my breasts affected by an insufficient supply of estrogen, it had an effect on my hair as well which started to become significantly thinner, my mouth became dry which might have contributed to a persistent, painful gum disease I experienced. But what didn’t make sense at all was that without any alterations in my lifestyle I started to lose weight, noticeably. I presumed it must have been caused by hormonal changes but was slightly worried, and thought it would be sensible to see my doctor.
My doctor didn’t take my health concerns lightly, and I had to undergo a variety of tests to rule out viruses, autoimmune diseases, and, even cancer. The result was that I was a healthy woman with a FSH level in the postmenopausal range. Although knowing that I’m going through the big M in my life, it was quite confrontational to read ‘in postmenopausal range’ on the test result. It wasn’t an idea anymore but a hard reality.
Understanding the perimenopausal body.
All those awkward, seemingly unrelated issues I experienced 3 years ago in the months after that big blow of my period were part of my perimenopausal journey that started more or less when I was 47. Since then changes in my hormonal levels were gradual but causing an imbalance which led to a coming and going of symptoms like acne, brain fogs, tiredness, nervousness, and whatnot. The annoyingly unpredictable workings of my body made me think.
Being a fitness and life coach, and in the possession of a curious mind, I needed answers. I wanted to understand my perimenopausal body, and with that knowledge to ease or decrease the symptoms if possible but as well to find some peace of mind in the midst of such a confusing time of life. It wasn’t easy to find straight forward answers for some of the physical issues and changes I experienced because they were either not on the hot list of perimenopausal symptoms, or there was hardly any information available. After extensive research I choose two subjects which are not listed as perimenopausal-related on the websites of the majority of health organisations but they are the result of menopausal hormonal fluctuations for some of us.
Unexplainable weight loss
If you experience unexplainable weight loss you should always consult your doctor.
In case the test results shows you’re healthy, you don’t have any gut related issues or imbalances, and perimenopause is a reality, the following information might be of interest to you.
The influence of muscle mass reduction on bodyweight.
At around the age of 30-35 muscle mass starts to gradually decrease, at approximately 3-8% per decade, increasing after the age of 60. A variety of factors play a role in the reduction of muscle mass when we age, but I’m not going into every detail here, and will only highlight the influence of endocrine changes in this process for women.
The hormone testosterone is known as a ‘male’ hormone, and plays multiple roles in the male but as well female body. Although testosterone influences muscle growth, in women estrogen appears to contribute to the preservation of muscle mass and strength as well. ‘Estrogen deficiency is known to reduce the bulk of skeletal muscle and the maximum muscular force in women’ (for more information see source down below) The reduction of muscle mass may be of influence on the loss of body weight for some women.
Since we are all unique, and have different body types but also live different life styles, the loss of muscle mass may cause other women to gain weight, instead. This is because muscle tissue burns calories, greater muscle mass increases the burn of calories. A decrease of muscle mass will have the opposite effect resulting in burning less calories.
Another potential cause of weight loss in menopause is it seems that our system gets less sensitive to estrogen and progesterone. This can affect the appetite and causes some women to under-eat.
For more information on this subject:
https://menopause.net/featured/these-are-the-reasons-you-are-losing-weight-during-menopause/#
Combination of factors.
As I mentioned above, we are all unique but we also live different life styles. Gaining or losing weight in your transition is a combination of factors which could be due to the loss of muscle mass, stress, an over- or under active thyroid, imbalanced diet, being under- or over active, sleep deprivation (this disrupts your hormones and can cause weight gain), poor gut health, change in appetite, and this list goes on.
What can you do to gain weight!
- Strength training: using weights, machines or your own body weight to increase muscle mass. It’s not only essential to gain or preserve muscle but lifting weights also improves bone health which reduces the risk of osteoporosis. (in combination with vitamin D & K2, calcium, vitamin B complex, protein, magnesium). Although you burn more calories when you increase muscle mass, it’s a healthier option to gain body weight than stuffing yourself with ‘empty’ calories.
- If you’re a long distance runner or doing any other endurance sport you might need to change your training program into interval combined with strength training. Long runs might burn muscle but this depends on how your body uses fuel.
- Eat sufficiently! It sounds simple but if you lost your appetite you might struggle to eat what you need. Easiest would be to eat smaller meals more often, and of course add healthy calories to your diet. Women who live an active lifestyle might need to top up their daily nutritional intake also. I added a couple of website links (see down below) where you can find out more about daily nutritional requirements.
- Protein is needed to build muscle but is also the building blocks for hormone production. Women over 50 should eat more protein than they’re used to because the body isn’t as efficient in using protein to build and maintain muscle as it once was. (See source below if you want to know more about the importance of protein, and how much you need daily.)
- Stress might drive some people to eat more but others to eat less. Needless to say, long term stress doesn’t do your health any good. A few tips for stress management: meditation, breathing exercises, yoga or Pilates, spend time in nature, outdoor activity or any activity for all that matters, etc.
Increased libido?
This might sound new to you, and it doesn’t appear on the hot list of perimenopausal symptoms! However, hormonal changes can result in an increased sex drive. I came across a few articles on this subject during my search for the unexpected. So, if you ‘suffer’ from a high sex drive the following might be of interest to you.
The ups and downs of sexual desire through the cycles.
Women who ovulate and have regular periods tend to have a higher sex drive towards the end of their mid cycle (the follicular phase), around that time of ovulation. During perimenopause most women experience irregular periods, lasting longer or shorter, lighter or heavier bleeding. The perimenopausal woman who experience an increased libido, finds herself feeling sexually aroused no matter that time of the month since her cycle is irregular, and she might feel so for a longer period of time.
Why do some women have an increase in sexual desire?
Testosterone declines slowly and steadily. It peaks in our 20’s and halves by the time we are in our 40’s. Estrogen levels on the other hand, drop faster during perimenopause. For some women this may result in testosterone ‘dominating’ which, in turn, stimulates their sex drive. Although hormonal changes may be of influence on our libido,
what seems to affect our sex drive most are psychosocial factors. Women are more likely to have an increased libido when they feel confident, and happy with their own body, are having a loving relationship with their partner or single women having a lover, living a care free life (source: hellobonafide.com).
If you like more information on this subject:
https://hellobonafide.com/blogs/news/high-libido-in-women-menopause
In short
Some of the physical changes we experience in our transition are not always the most obvious ones, and might leave us confused. We are all unique, and move through this transition in our own way. So, you should expect the unexpected. The body simply doesn’t work like it used to, and you have to go with the flow. Even so, it’s important to be sensible and have a health check to make sure there isn’t an underlying cause.
Sources:
https://www.wellandgood.com/protein-requirements-by-age
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/2000-calorie-diet#meal-plan