Hey there my lovelies,
Welcome back to my Blog!
Here we are tackling more of what I am learning and dealing with as I grow older and move into an not so subtle phase in my life …. I have to say that with all that has happened in 2020 looking out for the signs was not an easy feat but as I will explain further in this post I am not joining all the dots and things are seemingly looking a bit more clearer!
Weight Gain: Seriously, what the hell?
If there is something that I have been teaching myself is to listen to my body! It is weird I know but if you tune in to your inner self you will hear it. The changes in hormonal levels is caused by a bunch of cascading reactions the body. Another thing I experienced first hand maybe also due to the fact that I was not in a good place realtionshipwise by my sex hormones levels just plummeted wreaking havoc on myriad issues in my body.
To add insult to inury metabolism also shifts. As we get older, our metabolism rate slowly starts to wane. Some of this is a result of hormonal shifts (including things like cortisol), but some of it is a natural evolution. Our body muscle mass starts decreasing after age 30 (yes, you read that right!), where we lose anywhere between 3-5% of our total muscle mass each decade. Muscle requires a few more calories than fat to maintain, so as we lose muscle, our body’s calorie burning furnaces also slow down.
Then of course there is the sleep issues that accompany perimenopause that affect nutrition and weight. Hormonal changes that result from lack of sleep (decreased leptin, increased ghrelin) can increase hunger and make it harder to make good food choices. Lack of sleep can also affect cortisol levels (which can have a direct affect on belly fat) and blood sugar regulation. Fluctuations in insulin and blood sugar can also cause stress in the body and increase potential for fat storage, and increase the risk for metabolic issues such as type 2 diabetes.
So it’s not your imagination. Your body is changing. That in itself isn’t any cause for alarm (nor is it a sign you need to go on a diet!), but it’s important to remember that some of these issues can lead to chronic health concerns over time (increased risk for heart disease or metabolic syndrome), so we want to stay on top of them and be aware of what’s happening within.
To add insult to injury ….
As you have all heard me share, my hair is noticeably thinner, and frizzier even if the Brazilian Hair Treatment helps but my hair is not looking like it used to! This is because during perimenopause, estrogen and progesterone levels drop and wreak havoc with our hair. Thick, smooth, shiny locks are suddenly thin, dry, and frizzy. Not to mention the gray hair and looking a little dull.
It’s typical for people to lose 50-100 hairs a day in a natural process of growth and hair loss. About one-third of women experience hair loss (alopecia) at one point in their life. That number climbs to two-thirds in perimenopause women! The impact of changing hair patterns is most noticeable in your mid-40’s. In addition to fluctuating hormones, some women may be genetically predisposed to thinning hair. Needless to say I fall into the genre not to mention stress and hormone imbalances that I have been experiencing.
What’s next ….
My annual visit to the gynecologist isn’t something I get excited about. However, it is one of the most important thing on my calendar as when it comes to health, we should never ever forget. However I feel now the need to go further and get some blood test as well to get to the bottom of what exactly is going on! I have been reading and researching and asking some friends that are experts in the field however at this stage I cannot keep second guessing every and I really need to get to the bottom of it and start finding solutions to these problems and more that will come along this journey. This appointment was meant to be last Tuesday but has been pushed to next Wednesday so a little bit longer and I will start getting to the bottom of this!
Until next time,
DIVA INSIDE 
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