Comments on: Belly Fat…The Cause & Cure http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/ Understanding and managing the mid-life transition Tue, 27 Jul 2010 09:49:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Wendy http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1803 Wendy Tue, 15 Jun 2010 22:12:47 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1803 Hi BeeBee - thank you for your comment. It makes me angry to hear about doctors who are quick to write a prescription without a proper work-up. When a mid-life woman (40+) presents with symptoms like mood-swings, depression, joint pain, insomnia - it's imperative that a proper testing be prescribed. It's clearly up to us to insist upon the necessary tests and if they dismiss your concerns, find a new doctor. Right away. There are plenty of good, caring doctors who specialize in women's health. See my blogposts on how to find the right doctor. Hi BeeBee – thank you for your comment. It makes me angry to hear about doctors who are quick to write a prescription without a proper work-up. When a mid-life woman (40+) presents with symptoms like mood-swings, depression, joint pain, insomnia – it’s imperative that a proper testing be prescribed. It’s clearly up to us to insist upon the necessary tests and if they dismiss your concerns, find a new doctor. Right away. There are plenty of good, caring doctors who specialize in women’s health. See my blogposts on how to find the right doctor.

]]> By: beebee http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1802 beebee Tue, 15 Jun 2010 04:47:34 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1802 Nice to find this site. I was postmenopausal at 40. I had symptoms of irritability and the doctor put me on zoloft, never suggested a hormone work up. Why is women's health such a joke? I have joined a gym to melt my "muffin top" and am thinking about weight loss programs such as transitions. Has anyone had success with this? I hate my belly! Nice to find this site. I was postmenopausal at 40. I had symptoms of irritability and the doctor put me on zoloft, never suggested a hormone work up. Why is women’s health such a joke? I have joined a gym to melt my “muffin top” and am thinking about weight loss programs such as transitions. Has anyone had success with this? I hate my belly!

]]> By: sowinsis http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1788 sowinsis Mon, 07 Jun 2010 10:45:37 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1788 I recently had all my blood chemistry checked by my Dr. I was high in testosterone, plenty of estrogen (in the belly fat), low in progesterone and estridol and vit D. I think Vitamin D is probably the initiator which starts the domino effect. I would suggest just getting the blood work done so you can get on the right bio-identical hormones replacement therapy. Some compounding pharmacies are not that high priced as the women's bio-identical clinics charge. Plus your insurance will pay for the bloodwork. I found the pharmacy and called and they told me the Dr.'s who can write the prescription. Get tested for dhea and cortisol also your vitamin D levels. I have the belly fat and will be able to get this taken care of with mixing of estridol and progest. By the way, thanks for the DIM information. I had seen it but did not think it was to reduce estrogen in the belly fat. I recently had all my blood chemistry checked by my Dr. I was high in testosterone, plenty of estrogen (in the belly fat), low in progesterone and estridol and vit D. I think Vitamin D is probably the initiator which starts the domino effect. I would suggest just getting the blood work done so you can get on the right bio-identical hormones replacement therapy. Some compounding pharmacies are not that high priced as the women’s bio-identical clinics charge. Plus your insurance will pay for the bloodwork. I found the pharmacy and called and they told me the Dr.’s who can write the prescription. Get tested for dhea and cortisol also your vitamin D levels. I have the belly fat and will be able to get this taken care of with mixing of estridol and progest. By the way, thanks for the DIM information. I had seen it but did not think it was to reduce estrogen in the belly fat.

]]> By: Vicki http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1631 Vicki Sat, 23 Jan 2010 19:06:02 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1631 Yes, I can relate alot to many of the comments here. I have suddenly develpoed a thick middle and belly fat after a lifetime of being slim and having a good metabolism thanks to my ancestors. After my period stopped, in 6 months...I don't recognize my body! I also developed muscle pains, sleeplessness, and depression. Who is this person? So I started taking DIM. Wow is all I can say! It has changed me for the better! Unless you're eating totally organic you can pick up estrogens in your food and by using plastic. Pesticides are the culprit and can hide in non organic prepared foods as well as flour, grains, etc. Plastics also leach hormones into foods and liquids. Like bottled water? Give it up! I'm also concerned about GMO's in food and am making an effort to reduce my intake as much as possible. Vitacost has some good deals on DIM. There are lots of different brands and blends to choose from. Read the reviews. I feel like a different person... No more hot flashes (used to wake up all night with these!), crying spells & depression, muscle & joint pains ( I thought I had arthritis!), and the belly fat is going. Be patient...it may take awhile for your body to readjust. Best of luck! Yes, I can relate alot to many of the comments here. I have suddenly develpoed a thick middle and belly fat after a lifetime of being slim and having a good metabolism thanks to my ancestors. After my period stopped, in 6 months…I don’t recognize my body! I also developed muscle pains, sleeplessness, and depression. Who is this person?
So I started taking DIM. Wow is all I can say! It has changed me for the better! Unless you’re eating totally organic you can pick up estrogens in your food and by using plastic. Pesticides are the culprit and can hide in non organic prepared foods as well as flour, grains, etc. Plastics also leach hormones into foods and liquids. Like bottled water? Give it up! I’m also concerned about GMO’s in food and am making an effort to reduce my intake as much as possible.
Vitacost has some good deals on DIM. There are lots of different brands and blends to choose from. Read the reviews. I feel like a different person…
No more hot flashes (used to wake up all night with these!), crying spells & depression, muscle & joint pains ( I thought I had arthritis!), and the belly fat is going. Be patient…it may take awhile for your body to readjust.
Best of luck!

]]> By: Steven Y. Park, M.D. http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1630 Steven Y. Park, M.D. Sat, 23 Jan 2010 12:17:48 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1630 I totally agree that a drop in progesterone is one of the major aggravators of the belly fat problem. It's important to realize that belly fat per se is not the culprit of everyone's health problems—rather, it's a natural consequence of something bigger that occurs in all women as they progress through menopause. One property of progesterone that not too many people know about is that it's an upper airy muscle dilator. Essentially, it give the tongue more muscle tone. We also know that the human upper airway is prone to obstruction due to tongue collapse, mainly due to our ability to talk and modern human's smaller jaws (due to a change in our diets and artificial feeding devices such as bottle, pacifiers, etc.). This is why many women (and men) can't sleep on their backs. When on their backs, the tongue falls back due to gravity, but when the jaw is smaller, it falls back even more. When you add muscle relaxation in deep sleep, it obstructs your breathing and you'll wake up from deep sleep to light sleep, preventing efficient sleep. Chronic sleep inefficiency causes weight gain via all the known physiologic mechanism. Weight gain narrows the throat even more, and the vicious cycle continues. I totally agree that a drop in progesterone is one of the major aggravators of the belly fat problem. It’s important to realize that belly fat per se is not the culprit of everyone’s health problems—rather, it’s a natural consequence of something bigger that occurs in all women as they progress through menopause.

One property of progesterone that not too many people know about is that it’s an upper airy muscle dilator. Essentially, it give the tongue more muscle tone. We also know that the human upper airway is prone to obstruction due to tongue collapse, mainly due to our ability to talk and modern human’s smaller jaws (due to a change in our diets and artificial feeding devices such as bottle, pacifiers, etc.).

This is why many women (and men) can’t sleep on their backs. When on their backs, the tongue falls back due to gravity, but when the jaw is smaller, it falls back even more. When you add muscle relaxation in deep sleep, it obstructs your breathing and you’ll wake up from deep sleep to light sleep, preventing efficient sleep. Chronic sleep inefficiency causes weight gain via all the known physiologic mechanism. Weight gain narrows the throat even more, and the vicious cycle continues.

]]> By: HEVinteMiddle http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1629 HEVinteMiddle Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:14:57 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1629 I had an elective surgery 3 years ago... and it up the balance of body totally i told the doctor the next day ...that i was not me ... I truly felt changed immediatly after surgery... I was not menopausal or had no symptoms the day before the surgery.. the next day i had all of them. i could accept it it was a gradual change but this was like running into a wall...i went in a matter of 1 day .. very happy, high sex drive... libido next day no sex drive no libido brain fog ... body temperature down by 3 degrees... i know because i have tracked my tempearature for 16 years... i used rhythm/cycling method...i am a person that execsised 5 times a week ... yet i could not stop gaining weight.. my loss of joy spontaniety, no desire, none of my clothes fit.. all my doctors dismissed me. Even the surgeon urged me to go else where I explained all of this in agonizin grave detail to my gyn .. she could have cared less. Its menopause deal with it... Menopuase overnigt....it happened overnight... Dr Erika Schwartz described it as Trauma induced Menopause she said it happened to her mother...after surgery for her appendix her body never recovered..its like shocked.. and she entered menupause from the trauma of surgery... ok thats fine ...but what about the mid section weight... i hit the gym 2x as hard... and i lost not one lb....i know from all my symptoms i have estrogen dominance... and are you ready for this as your body is doing every thing it can to feed its demand for estrogen by making you fat .. did you know that you can still have low estrogen.. because its low from the beginning and your body is trying to make it from Fat you have estrogen dominace symptoms -- becasue you also dont have enough progesterone they say it goes before the estrogen and your body does little to restore it ..for all the estrogen you are trying to make you and you still dont have enough -- well it wont matter because you dont have enough progesterone to support it anyway... The agony of this viciuous circle... i am praying for relief.... has anyone actually lost any weight on BHRT.... and didnt it require drastic changes to your diet... i had a resonably healty diet.. and was active... but even this is not enough to combat this MONSTER. My life partner for years has moved out ... been put out some combination there of... because i am no longer at all the person I used to be .... so my life is hinging on the wing of a prayer.. my appoiment is in March 2010... i have to wait for my next cycle to test days 19-20 to do all my blood and saliva.... i will post then and keep all you in my prayers because I too understand how devastating this is ....my weight gain was so sudden its frightening...and its all abdominal and hips... i went from a size 8 - 12 in 6 months... i daily fight to hold 14 and i am loosing fast my only hope is bhrt... so I am counting on this .....I will share everything.... Bee I had an elective surgery 3 years ago… and it up the balance of body
totally i told the doctor the next day …that i was not me … I truly felt changed immediatly after surgery… I was not menopausal or had no symptoms the day before the surgery.. the next day i had all of them.
i could accept it it was a gradual change but this was like running into a wall…i went in a matter of 1 day .. very happy, high sex drive… libido
next day no sex drive no libido brain fog … body temperature down by 3 degrees… i know because i have tracked my tempearature for 16 years… i used rhythm/cycling method…i am a person that execsised 5 times a week … yet i could not stop gaining weight.. my loss of joy
spontaniety, no desire, none of my clothes fit.. all my doctors dismissed me. Even the surgeon urged me to go else where I explained all of this in agonizin grave detail to my gyn .. she could have cared less. Its menopause deal with it… Menopuase overnigt….it happened overnight… Dr Erika Schwartz described it as Trauma induced Menopause she said it happened to her mother…after surgery for her appendix her body never recovered..its like shocked.. and she entered
menupause from the trauma of surgery… ok thats fine …but what about the mid section weight… i hit the gym 2x as hard… and i lost not one lb….i know from all my symptoms i have estrogen dominance… and are you ready for this as your body is doing every thing it can to feed its demand for estrogen by making you fat
.. did you know that you can still have low estrogen.. because its low from the beginning and your body is trying to make it from Fat you have estrogen dominace symptoms — becasue you also dont have enough progesterone they say it goes before the estrogen and your body does little to restore it ..for all the estrogen you are trying to make you and you still dont have enough — well it wont matter because you dont have enough progesterone to support it anyway…
The agony of this viciuous circle… i am praying for relief…. has anyone actually lost any weight on BHRT…. and didnt it require drastic changes to your diet… i had a resonably healty diet.. and was active… but even this is not enough to combat this MONSTER. My life partner for years has moved out … been put out some combination there of… because i am no longer at all the person I used to be …. so my life is hinging on the wing of a prayer.. my appoiment is in March 2010… i have to wait for my next cycle to test days 19-20 to do all my blood and saliva…. i will post then and keep all you in my prayers because I too understand how devastating this is ….my weight gain was so sudden its frightening…and its all abdominal and hips… i went from a size 8 – 12 in 6 months… i daily fight to hold 14 and i am loosing fast
my only hope is bhrt… so I am counting on this …..I will share everything….

Bee

]]> By: sandi http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1592 sandi Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:45:13 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1592 I struggled w/the same frustrating weight gain (particularly around the mid-section) until I found this terrific female doctor who specializes in NATURAL hormone replacement therapy, menopause, and weight loss. She is compassionate and really listens to me (unlike most typical MD's who try to give you a quick-fix pill and rush you out the door!) Anyway, Dr. Fradin-Read at LifeSpan Santa Monica is the BEST w/menopause/women's issues and weight loss...I highly recommend her!! I struggled w/the same frustrating weight gain (particularly around the mid-section) until I found this terrific female doctor who specializes in NATURAL hormone replacement therapy, menopause, and weight loss. She is compassionate and really listens to me (unlike most typical MD’s who try to give you a quick-fix pill and rush you out the door!) Anyway, Dr. Fradin-Read at LifeSpan Santa Monica is the BEST w/menopause/women’s issues and weight loss…I highly recommend her!!

]]> By: Ann http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1577 Ann Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:23:10 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1577 Cindy: Well, that's ridiculous. I do agree that you have to really reduce what you eat to be very healthy and excercise much more, but I don't think you have to just "accept" it! I have an appointment to talk to my OB/GYN about this issue soon and will let you know what I find out. Just to clarify, I've only gained about 7 lbs. however those are some seriously stubborn lbs and they are all in mid mid-section. Ann Cindy:

Well, that’s ridiculous. I do agree that you have to really reduce what you eat to be very healthy and excercise much more, but I don’t think you have to just “accept” it! I have an appointment to talk to my OB/GYN about this issue soon and will let you know what I find out. Just to clarify, I’ve only gained about 7 lbs. however those are some seriously stubborn lbs and they are all in mid mid-section.

Ann

]]> By: cindy http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1576 cindy Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:14:13 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1576 Hi Ann: Estratest and Prometrium combination for six weeks now and gained six pounds..AAARRRGGHH!!! Ob/gyn said, you're 48 and should just accept your weight gain as natural...NATURAL?!!!. I am not naturally overweight. I practically had to force her to put me back on Norethindrone and pull a blood sample to check my levels. I'm a believer that estrogen dominance can cause this weight gain regardless of whether you are using synthetics or naturals. Will keep you posted. Hi Ann:

Estratest and Prometrium combination for six weeks now and gained six pounds..AAARRRGGHH!!!

Ob/gyn said, you’re 48 and should just accept your weight gain as natural…NATURAL?!!!. I am not naturally overweight. I practically had to force her to put me back on Norethindrone and pull a blood sample to check my levels. I’m a believer that estrogen dominance can cause this weight gain regardless of whether you are using synthetics or naturals. Will keep you posted.

]]> By: Ann http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/comment-page-1/#comment-1563 Ann Sun, 25 Oct 2009 19:53:20 +0000 http://www.menopausetheblog.com/2008/08/20/belly-fatthe-cause-cure/#comment-1563 Cindy: hi! Just wondering if you have any further results to report yet with trying the Estratest? I take the Vivelle Dot and Prometrium too. I'm on Vivelle 1.0 and am wondering if I should decrease the doseage or look for something new like the Estratest? I am 40 now but went into early menopause at age 37 and also had a complete thyroidectomy. SO, I have some things stacked against me. Can't seem to lose any weight and it has been three years!!! I still consider myself young and I'm not ready for middle age spread yet! Let me know if you think the new medication is making a difference! Cindy:

hi! Just wondering if you have any further results to report yet with trying the Estratest? I take the Vivelle Dot and Prometrium too. I’m on Vivelle 1.0 and am wondering if I should decrease the doseage or look for something new like the Estratest? I am 40 now but went into early menopause at age 37 and also had a complete thyroidectomy. SO, I have some things stacked against me. Can’t seem to lose any weight and it has been three years!!! I still consider myself young and I’m not ready for middle age spread yet! Let me know if you think the new medication is making a difference!

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