AHHH The coolness of the Holidays!

Happy Thanks Giving! God Bless ALL

Weight Gain , Wait , Weight Loss

Hello everybody, Is anyone out there having issues with weight gain and hormones? I am!!! I'm sure you guessed that already. I have read that the hormones cause weight gain, but, whats a woman to do sweat to death or get fat? For me honestly I cant stand the constant hot flashes and night sweats, depression, loss of memory, well, you know the drill. I with the help of my super great husband who has the patients of Job and a willpower like I have never seen is determined to help me find a way through natural diet-lifestyle change,& exercise to lose the lbs.

I have to brag but am sooo jealous of my husbands progress in his life style changes! What a difference a year makes, he has lost over 100 pounds over46inches on his total body. He is Buff, Id say he is great, he also managed to quit smoking several yrs ago, not even a drink of liquor of any kind since his younger days. I still smoke but neither of us drink. I am not against OTHERS-having 1 every now and then, BUT its just NOT our cup of tea. I guess Ive seen so many lives torn apart by drugs and alcohol-OH sorry I totally got off the weight subject.

So far on the weight issue Ive started drinking ice water-had no idea it burns more calories. Thats cool. WE found out cherries and apples help us lose that old belly fat and I'm a definite mid section weight gainer, and Ive started walking a bit on my treadmill. Yeah! At least it makes me feel like I'm going in a positive direction.

I will post more nutrition news as soon as I find what works. By the way I despise the word diet and am convinced they are good for nothing- that is only my opinion. For long term good health I believe it is a long term life style change that lets us hold on to those lasting results that most all strive for. God bless

A RANTING

I'm back you sweet, unemotional, in tune with mother earth, never a problem to be nice to the world - no matter whats going on good or bad. OK so I got a bit carried away. Ya think??
Well thanks to a low dose of hormones, which I don't like but do because I am a nicer person to all. BUT, Ive gained 10 pounds or a little more-OK alot. I feel as if I'm the size of mother earth instead of being in tune with it. Gee I guess I just wanted to say I'm alive and well, I am just alive, and take a moment to rant. I hope all is well with everyone after the storm, or getting better. My prayers are for you and all you needs. And always God Bless the hormones, may they work together for the good of man!!!

Help for Hotflashes!!!

Hi, Ladies! Well, we all know menopause is a whopper of an ordeal for some of us - hot flashes, sleeplessness, anxiety. You know the drill. Whether we experience our symptoms all the time or just once in a while, menopause can be extremely disruptive to our lives,and our families' lives. We are all searching for relief and a way to manage our symptoms in the best way possible. I have tried several different ways of coping with all the symptoms, and what works for me may not work for you or vice versa. We are all unique individuals trying to make it through this transition, so we can get on with our lives. So now, that brings us to the big search. I have a few options to begin with that may work for you. Now me, I always like to try the natural things first.

*Fortunately, a healthy diet combined with regular physical exercise really does make a difference. So whether you are in the perimenopause, menopause, or post-menopausal stage, take my advice: eat healthy and get fit.

*Estroven was great. It is a vitamin especially for hot flashes and other symptoms that occur with menopause. It worked for several months. There are many vitamins on the market these days, and they seem to be very effective for a large number of symptoms.

*Vitamin E , sometimes called the menopausal "vitamin" because it may have chemical activities similar to estrogen. Vitamin E has been used with some success in America as an estrogen substitute. Vitamin E may relieve hot flashes as well as the psychological symptoms of menopause. It is also a powerful antioxidant that helps keep cells disease-free.

*There are also topical creams such as bio-identical s with red clover. This is one of the best options in my opinion. It has no side effects. The cream seems to be the closest thing to actually get your hormones going again. It has benefits all the way around. The Bio-identical s have been researched for many years for its effectiveness. A note on the red clover, it is also thins the blood so they do tell you not to take this with aspirin.

*This website has the best information on all the natural hormones there are so many different choices @ www.askdrhelen.com or [orders@askdrhelen.com] . I have used Dr. Helen's website many times. I have emailed my concerns to her before and she has always replied promptly.

*Taking hormones like, Premarin for example, can almost immediately eliminate hot flashes, insomnia, moodiness, memory problems, heavy irregular periods, and concentration problems. Hormones are not without their list of possible side effects. I have to say in all my years of nursing and just being a mom of 3 I have yet to find a medication without potential side effects. I thank God that in my life I've only had 1 side effect, and it was from the doctor giving me too much B-12, which made me very jumpy and ill. To this day I can't take it.

OK, My friends out there in hot flash land, I hope Ive given you some places to start that will benefit you. Please try to be very informed and do lots of homework before making this choice that best suits your own bodies needs. My best advise is to always pray first, then choose. God Bless you Ladies.

Can We Relate ? Husbands & Menopause

Hello, friends. This story is intended to be all in fun. I hope if nothing else this makes you laugh because we all know laughter is the best medicine.

Well, about a year ago my husband retired, and at the same time my hormones just happened to flare up, big time. This is not a good combination. It's like putting a bottle of nitro with a stick of dynamite in a bucket and dropping a lit match on it.

Men are just so irritating at times, especially when they notice you're a bit grumpy, and they say, "It must be your hormones, honey." Not a smart thing to say! Are we not already hot enough? I'm sweating bullets here, and he just keeps putting more logs on the fire. Gotta love em, but at the same time you want to send them fishing in a boat with a nice leaky hole in the bottom or a half empty gas tank so they can't possibly make it home for the next few days, preferably weeks. Although I may be a bit irritable, I am not completely heartless. I would send them a loaf of bread, some peanut butter, and a book on hormones. Oops, I forgot to send a jug of water. Well, if he calls on his cell phone that I forgot to charge up, I'll just tell him the thirst is all in his mind, and it's not really 100 degrees outside.

Our poor husbands, they catch all kinds of heck because of our hormones; I do believe they try. You know, ladies, we need to have a class for our menfolk on how to handle wives cautiously and with great understanding during this trying time. This would be nice. We must take a stand for our ever-fluctuating hormones. This is sooo not fair. Women have to not only go through PMS, childbirth, and last, but certainly not least, menopause too.

Man, oh man, guys have it so easy. The only thing they go through is the so called mid-life crisis. We all know what that's supposed to mean. Now, if these guys want to reach the ripe old age of 99, the only mid-life crisis they had better be experiencing is that we are going through menopause, and it is their duty to make our scary little mood swings all better and to faithfully keep the thermostat on 40. Hey, our vows did include the "for better or worse" clause, thank goodness! We might need to add richer or poorer on the thermostat issue.

OK, so I admit I get a little bitter now and then. The things men say... Please don't get me wrong I am a happily married woman for 23 years now. A little humor never hurt anyone, well, unless we're hormonal. Ha - ha

May God bless you ladies & your families.

My Definition of Menopause

Menopause from Mimi's point of view:

My first symptom was a hot flash. A hot flash is actually a series of biochemical events that unfold when your temperature controlling mechanisms start to fail . So now your body thinks it's overheated, even when it's really not. That, in turn, directs your blood vessels to quickly discharge what it thinks is excess heat, which for us usually means a sensation that something is on fire, our body!!!

Now, our bodies have a heck of a little hormonal dance inside. Our estrogen levels jump up, then down and turn us all around. This signals the end of those good ole reproductive years, and that's what causes what I call a total body meltdown. Hot flashes aren't our only enemy during menopause. You can also have symptoms such as insomnia, irritability, fatigue, anxiety, forgetfulness, and depression to name a few.

This is my definition of menopause. It is solely based on my own experiences. I am by no means a physician. If you are ill, always seek the proper medical attention.

HELP!!! I'm Losing My Mind

I'm writing this to let you ladies know that you are not alone when it comes to menopause. Your symptoms can range from mild to moderate or very severe. I happen to be one of the few that have very exaggerated symptoms.I

I feel as if my life has paused for several months just so it can throw a fit. Its an unwelcome inconvenience that is depriving me of life period. My hot flashes are so intense that I sweat severely & at times my skin burns like fire & I am completely drenched. There is no escaping the shower at this point it is my only relief. On a bad day, I have a hot flashes every hour lasting from 5 to 15 minutes each. The hot flashes alone are very physically & mentally draining to say the least.

I must say when the symptoms affect my mental state that's when I stop talking on the phone and do not feel like seeing even my family. Sometimes I miss them so much and I start having feelings of guilt. If your anything like me that really makes things worse because your emotions are already hanging by a thread, you feel as if they will snap at any moment and will unravel for all the world too see. I think every one has felt this way at some point during menopause. I want to say even though I want to close the world off its probably not the best idea.

I hope I don't scare you guys off for telling you like it is, but this is one of those things woman rarely escape in life. Do not fret, I plan to share many things such as mental, physical, and spiritual help. I will put out as many tips on coping with menopause as God leads me. May God Bless and guide you in your decisions to treat this and find relief for your menopausal symptoms.