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Navigating the Stormy Seas of Perimenopause Weight Gain with a Pinch of Humor and a Dash of Empathy
In the twilight of my thirties, or perhaps a little later — let’s not get too specific — I found myself gazing at the bathroom scale with the kind of horror usually reserved for horror films. There it was: my never number.
You know the one. It’s that number we swear we’ll never, ever, ever reach. The number that conjures vows of self-gagging and bounding away from culinary sins as swiftly as possible. We all have that number, or at least, I had mine. And there I was, staring down at it as if it had personally betrayed me.
The morning was like any other until it wasn’t. I stepped on the scale, and there it was, glaring back at me.
I felt the vein in my neck pulsate with dread, my pulse racing as if trying to outpace my rapidly mounting panic.
“What am I going to DO?” “How did this happen?” My mind was a time machine, zipping back to scrutinize every dietary misstep.
“It could be that slice of cheesy flatbread you ate last week.”
“You know, carbs are hydrophilic,” my internal accuser chanted.
“But it was just ONE slice,” I whispered back defensively.
Sinking to the floor, the cold tile against my skin, I was engulfed by a silent terror. Memories of my mother’s struggle with obesity and emotional eating flooded in, amplifying my fear. “I don’t want to be like my mother,” I thought, terror twisting tighter around my heart.
My husband’s knock on the bathroom door was a lifeline back to reality. “Honey, are you okay?” he asked.
Managing to steady my voice, I replied, “Yep. Be out in a minute.” As I passed him, our eyes met briefly — his filled with concern, mine darting away to hide the storm inside.
Retreating to my sanctuary — the office — I dove into research. Hours later, armed with knowledge and a battle plan, I emerged with newfound resolve from my cocoon of fear.
Here’s what I discovered about perimenopause and weight gain that I want to share with you:
- Hormonal Havoc: Yes, perimenopause can summon a deluge of pounds. As estrogen takes a nosedive, so does…
