I'm 47 years old and have been taking HRT (Elleste Duet) for 3 months now.
The symptoms of perimenopause started probably about 9/12 months ago if I look back – night sweats, mood swings, fatigue, slightly more irregular cycle for someone that has been very regularly 26 days for many years and insomnia.
I went to the Doctor who was very helpful in as much as she agreed that I would probably benefit from HRT and prescribed the above.
Initially all of my symptoms seemed to miraculously disappear although I had horrendous swollen breasts for 2/3 of each month for the first 2 months. That has eased off now but I do feel almost permanently “bloated†– not huge but bloated. I have put on 7/8 pounds in the 3 months and am battling to stop any more going on. I have noticed that whilst my mood swings are nowhere near what they were there are still variations throughout the month and I still get really tired around the time I would / am ovulating.
On the plus side – still no night sweats and I am sleeping better than I have in years.
On to the weight issue – this is bothering me. I have always done some exercise each week and have been reasonably lucky in that for the last few years as long as I eat healthily I can eat mostly what I want. I don't buy processed foods, I cook from scratch where possibly, eat lots of lean meat and veg etc. but if I wanted the occasional curry or pizza or cake I could eat them without concern. My weight fluctuated by 4/5 pounds around the time I was due on but other than pretty static. It is still fluctuating but on top of the weight I have gained.
Now I am really fighting to not gain any more weight. I have cut out pasta, bread and potatoes and cut my sugar in tea by half (I don't add sugar to anything else). I only eat brown rice as a recognised carb. I still eat veg (carbs) and salad type foods like tomatoes, cucumber, avocado etc. I eat mainly chicken and pork and fish. I eat muesli and yoghurt for breakfast (can't drink milk as it makes me sick), small amount of brown rice for lunch with tomatoes / cucumber, cottage cheese and either ham or chicken or some other such protein, maybe eggs. Evenings meat or fish and veg in various forms – sometimes a little more brown rice.
I rarely drink alcohol and have had an occasional ice cream but other than that I have cut out just about everything bad and that's just half of it….
I now exercise 6 out of 7 days, some days more than once. I have started doing one of the Jillian Michael's DVD's – they are not for the feint hearted and include strength, CV and abs work. I also have a training session with a PT once a week, go to the gym maybe one more time a week for weights and CV and I do a body pump class once a week.
Can someone please tell me what to do next – I don't want to sound as though I am hysterical but 7 lbs over 3 months could = 2 stone over a year and at 47 I am not prepared to accept that. I don't want to get that heavy. I of course understand that muscle weighs more than fat but given the changes in diet and the increased exercise I should be seeing a difference – muscle also burns energy far quicker than fat.
My Doctor has said that HRT does not make you put on weight (I beg to differ) but I am starting to think that it may inhibit your metabolism – any thoughts anyone?
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Topic: Perimenopause, HRT and Weight Gain - My story - Advive appreciated (Read 4542 times)