So..the Gym
It is absolutely amazing how quickly a body can get out of shape - especially one that wasn't in the best of shape to begin with. I think I shared that when I was on Nutrisystem last year and menopause hit me hard - almost a knockout! - I actually started gaining weight on the diet. Now, no sane
person ever wants to gain weight on a calorie reduction diet. At this point in my menopause struggle I was ready to jump off a ledge. I'd been exercising like mad, eating the nutrifood and nothing else and here I was creeping up the scale. So what did I do? I'll tell ya: I did what any self respecting moody and flashing woman would have done if faced with the same situation : I gave up. On everything. The diet. Exercising. Basically, life.
How did that work out for you, you ask? Not well. A year later and all the weight I lost came back on and my muscles can't be detected under the fat anymore because I stopped moving them.
I'm sure with my psych background of knowledge I was going through a mild clinical depression brought about by body changes I couldn't control, hormonal mood shifts, and total lack of sleep. And I probably could have benefited from some sort of pharmacological interventions - either anti-depressants or intravenous chocolate infusions. Kidding on the last one, but wouldn't it be great if there was such a treatment??!!
After basically being a lump of coal for a year I finally decided last month to end this self imposed ridiculousness. I joined a gym and have been trying TRYING to cut down on the crap I eat, opting for better and more nutritious food items. I've been to the gym twice this week (yesterday and today because it just opened yesterday!) and I can already feel some changes. And by changes I mean muscle spasms and pain, but I'll just suck them up and keep going.
After 50 years of age a woman's body can no longer be called her own. I've read enough menopause treatises that claim this as fact. Well, I'm here today to actively reclaim what's mine. My body. My moods. My mental and physical health. I actually took a selfie of what I looked like yesterday before I started my new life at the gym. I'm not brave enough to post it yet...maybe after some real changes are evident I will. For now, it's safe to say that picture is motivating me to get off my butt and keep my mouth closed to junk food.
God help me, this is hard!
person ever wants to gain weight on a calorie reduction diet. At this point in my menopause struggle I was ready to jump off a ledge. I'd been exercising like mad, eating the nutrifood and nothing else and here I was creeping up the scale. So what did I do? I'll tell ya: I did what any self respecting moody and flashing woman would have done if faced with the same situation : I gave up. On everything. The diet. Exercising. Basically, life.
How did that work out for you, you ask? Not well. A year later and all the weight I lost came back on and my muscles can't be detected under the fat anymore because I stopped moving them.
I'm sure with my psych background of knowledge I was going through a mild clinical depression brought about by body changes I couldn't control, hormonal mood shifts, and total lack of sleep. And I probably could have benefited from some sort of pharmacological interventions - either anti-depressants or intravenous chocolate infusions. Kidding on the last one, but wouldn't it be great if there was such a treatment??!!
After basically being a lump of coal for a year I finally decided last month to end this self imposed ridiculousness. I joined a gym and have been trying TRYING to cut down on the crap I eat, opting for better and more nutritious food items. I've been to the gym twice this week (yesterday and today because it just opened yesterday!) and I can already feel some changes. And by changes I mean muscle spasms and pain, but I'll just suck them up and keep going.
After 50 years of age a woman's body can no longer be called her own. I've read enough menopause treatises that claim this as fact. Well, I'm here today to actively reclaim what's mine. My body. My moods. My mental and physical health. I actually took a selfie of what I looked like yesterday before I started my new life at the gym. I'm not brave enough to post it yet...maybe after some real changes are evident I will. For now, it's safe to say that picture is motivating me to get off my butt and keep my mouth closed to junk food.
God help me, this is hard!
Peggy, Good luck and keep us posted. Joanne :)
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