This week we've been on "vacation," meaning I am still working a bit but otherwise letting myself read and work on projects that interest me. Thanks to COVID and the temperature here in Boise, we have been spending a bit of time indoors.
About a month ago, we returned from our trip back to Oklahoma City and joined Axiom Fitness here in Boise. It's close to where we live and gives us access to weight lifting equipment that we don't have at home. When we signed up, we had an opportunity to pay a joining fee or buy personal training sessions. I bought the training sessions thinking that it would provide some level of accountability. I requested a trainer who was, like me, older, and knew the effects of menopause on health and weight loss.
My trainer is a bodybuilder who is 3 years older than me. I was happy with the choice and scheduled my first session.
The machine she used to measure me was more accurate than simple weight and height calculations for BMI, but it is not as accurate as DEXA. My last DEXA scan was in April of 2019 so I had a pretty good picture of where I am at with my BMI.
What I learned, is that my legs had lost muscle mass. They, compared to my arms, needed work. My trainer wanted me to gain 54 lbs of muscle. I am to drink a gallon of water and the macros indicated low carb, but not as low as keto.
I'm taking my supplements which include a fat loss supplement, glutamine, BCAA, creatine, and intraworkout supplement (In Kaged).
After 3 weeks, I have gained weight, not lost. I am up 1.5 lbs as of this morning. Of course we keep telling ourselves that muscle weighs more than fat, so it doesn't really set me back to much, psychologically, but this is the biggest number I have ever seen.
So, with my extra time this week I am looking for testimonials for weight loss after menopause. My research led me to an understanding that my amazing body was trying to cure itself by adding this "pillow" to my front side when I started losing estrogen. No one had ever explained that to me.
I already eat fairly low carb due to my wheat allergy which was identified when I was 17. I have been on Levothyroxine since 2015 when my doctor diagnosed an issue with my thyroid. I had reported that my weight was ballooning. I had entered perimenopause in late 2014 (when the pillow first appeared). A year later, I had been eating low carb and working out lightly every day, and still I was 10 lbs heavier than the previous year. I looked like a stuffed sausage at my daughter's wedding.
My doctor's response was to test my TSH, which did indicate not normal levels. However, after listening to this discussion between Dr. Jaime Seeman and Dr. Paul Saladino. This is a game changer. I'm a little geeky about science so I loved every moment of it. I admit I might be a bio hacker, so naturally I am going to get my DNA tested as Dr. Jaime suggests.
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