Practice Gratitudinal Healing

By on March 20, 2011 in Positive Changes

eagle falls reflection © lynette sheppard

Just over a year ago, I was writing about the tsunami warning and our evacuation here in Hawai`i after the Chilean earthquake. Deja vu all over again as Japan suffered a 9.0 quake and a huge tidal wave engulfed much of the coast.

Once again, we have much to be grateful for in Hawai`i. The tsunami caused some property damage, but we are all safe. Once again, our hearts hurt for our friends, known and unknown, across the sea.

I’ve talked to several of the Venuses who’ve felt tired, ill, depressed and/or frightened. I’ve been having nightmares every night. I have not had bad dreams since I was a child. Such a huge “disturbance in the force” affects us all. What to do?

Certainly, we wish to help. We can donate to relief funds and help our neighbors clean up if needed. What might we do beyond this?

My friend, Cathie Haynes, wrote a thought provoking post this week about celebration on her wonderful blog: BE-ing Rooted: a Practice in Essential Living. Confronted with the suffering and disaster, she did one of the only things we can do. Celebrate. Focus on what is important in life. See the extraordinary in the ordinary. And practice gratitude.

My husband, Dewitt Jones, sends out a photo and quote each week exhorting us to “Celebrate What’s Right With The World.” It’s simply a lovely reminder, a refocusing, and an affirmation of life. It’s something we need all the time and especially at times like these.  As he says, celebrating what’s right can give us the energy to fix what’s wrong. (Sign up to receive the Celebrate photos on his site - no charge, just spreading gratitude.)

How does this help? Do gratitude and celebration create positive vibrations in the force? Does kindness? I’m not sure if it helps the world, but I’m pretty sure it helps in our little corner of it. I may still have nightmares for awhile, but I’m going to adopt an attitude of celebration. Right now.

Here’s a partial list of those things I am grateful for in this moment:
rescue animals (including a dog afraid of thunder and a cat that “thinks out of the box” sometimes
breathing
family
birdsong
good friends
raindrops
rubber slippers
photography
rice
sprouted grains
water
breezes
the gift of sight
books
Hawai`ian music
old cars that still run
wifi and cable on a rural island
hot flashes (okay that’s a stretch, but means I’m alive!)
flowers
kisses
my menopause goddess sisters

Wishing you all some gratitudinal healing. What are you grateful for? What might you celebrate? Share it in the comments or just hold it in your heart. Malama pono – take good care. Of you.

Comments { 7 }

Contest: The Best Hot Flash Wins

By on March 11, 2011 in Hot Flashes, Menopause in Community, Physical Menopause Symptoms

Hot Red Ginger

Is it hot in here or is it just me? Girlfriends, it appears the latest hot flash research blog entry hit a nerve for many of our sister goddesses. One comment thread on Facebook had us rolling on the floor, clutching our sides and gasping from the laugh attacks.

As goddess Michelle G. MD shared, “Dude! We got ZERO education on menopause in medical school. THIS SUCKS!! If Pfizer can give a man an erection, can’t they come up with a way to make me stop sweating in a 50 degree room?”

Yeah, baby. What she said!!! I got a whole paragraph in my 1200 page women’s health textbook in nursing school. “Menopause is the cessation of monthly cycles in females and the end of reproductive function.” Just how that was supposed to be helpful, I haven’t a clue.

Thankfully, our generation of women is not quiet or complacent. We are taking matters into our own hands by sharing our voices and being proactive about our health. We might be sweaty, we might be cranky, we might be weepy. We will be heard.

With that in mind, Menopause Goddess Blog is partnering with At Last Naturals sponsoring a contest to get your best hot flash story. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Sharing our stories is one of the ways we get through the Big M. It helps us realize that we are NORMAL and that we will get through this transition. With a little help from our girlfriends.

Here’s the details:
They can be funny, irritating, poignant, or embarrassing. Hot flashes take the prize as the signature symptom of Menopause. Here’s your chance to get even. Share your favorite hot flash story or experience and win $120 worth of natural products for women from At Last Naturals.

Your story can be absolute truth or fiction, prose or poetry, 10 words or 1000, your own experience or seen through the eyes of another. Like your husband. Or your cat. Anything goes. Think of this as therapy – really cheap therapy where at best you win a prize and at worst you offer up a written commiseration for the benefit of Menopause Goddesses everywhere.

At Last Naturals are a line of natural products for women, created by a woman, to help us through these transitions and restore our bodies to balance. They sent a box for our review, which I immediately shipped off to one of our Menopause Goddesses who is just going through H-E-L-L with her perimenopause. She has promised to give us a full report.

In the meantime, to find out more, visit At Last Naturals web page and/or like them on their Facebook page. And they will be in our Menopause Marketplace very soon.

Okay, sharpen those pencils or warm up that keyboard and  send your hot flash story to me at lynette@9points.com. You may also  post it in the comment section here on the blog. Winner will be announced March 31. Women sharing wisdom (and wise ass humor). That’s what we are all about.

.

Comments { 5 }

Hot Flashes The Sequel: Now Showing In A Woman Near You

By on March 3, 2011 in Hot Flashes, Physical Menopause Symptoms, Research on Menopause

Flame On © lynette sheppard

I’m a hottie. There, I said it. I’m not a Demi Moore, cougariific kind of hottie, though. I’m a middle aged, newly slender, boiling in my own casing kind of hottie.  No frog in the frying pan here, gradually warming, adjusting as she goes, wondering what all the fuss is about.

No, no, no. The Big M flung my little froggie self into a scalding hot, non stick, anodized cauldron from hell – so I was most painfully aware that I was freaking hot.

That said, there may be a smidgeon of good news. A new study suggests that women whose hot flashes began early in the Pause, but not later seemed to have a lower risk for heart disease and death than those who never boiled in their own skins or those who developed flashes later.

My hot flashes were just short of self immolation when I first began this journey. They tapered off enough to allow me to begin decreasing my bioidentical HRT in hopes of ceasing it altogether. My plan was to get rid of my tiny, half patch by April.

Then I had to go and mess with the delicate balance I had achieved by going on the HCG diet and losing that turkey that had taken up residence around my middle zones.

Is it possible that one can be too thin!? Especially if she is post menopausal?! ? Because my new svelte self has begun having hot flashes. Again. Feel them again for the first time. Sheesh.

These power surges are not nearly as horrific as the early ones, but they are certainly present and accounted for. Dewitt gave me a hug the other morning and noted, “Ooh, clammy girl is back.” So I’m wondering if my April target date might have to be pushed a bit.

I’m pretty sure that the new research findings don’t include a category for early-hot-flashes-diminished-over-time-with-spontaneous-return-post-turkey-loss-no-end-in-sight-just-yet. So I’m not sure if the latest study is good news, bad news, or no news in my case. The Big M is still mostly uncharted territory, but we are definitely becoming expert orienteers, mapping the way for ourselves and our sister goddesses.

So stay tuned. Menopause is not just a soap opera. It’s the real never ending story. For now, I’m going out and looking for my luck dragon.

Comments { 8 }

Everything Menopause: The Short Course

By on February 21, 2011 in Hormone Replacement Therapy, Menopause Relief & Treatment, Physical Menopause Symptoms

Ti leaves © lynette sheppard

Unlike when my friend, Dee Adams of Minnie Pauz fame, began writing about the Big M over 16 years ago, a plethora of menopause sites are to be found on the web. This is good and this is bad.

Good – lots of information is available at your fingertips. We are actually learning daily about this journey and how to travel it with grace and coolness.

Bad – it’s confusing, contradictory, and occasionally there is more selling going on than informing.

Emman Sioco of everythingmenopause.com writes a guest post for us this week, distilling a few essential truths about the menopause journey. For more info on any of these topics, (HRT, exercise, etc.) just type it into the Search box here on Menopause Goddess Blog to get our longer, less politically correct take on it.

And if the Search box gets cranky and doesn’t like the search words you picked? Write us by clicking the contact us button on the left margin of the home page and we’ll get you the links to the appropriate articles.

(I personally think the Search box is related to Google by marriage or something and she is capricious at times. HRT info? Why didn’t you say so? You should have typed in Hormone Replacement Therapy, then I would have honored your request.)

At any rate, please enjoy our guest blogger, Emman Sioco, of everythingmenopause.com

“All about Menopause”

“With menopause, each woman is very different.  While there are some rough guidelines and symptoms you can read, the symptoms of each menopausal woman will be entirely different from the next.  Some women blow through menopause without a single symptom, while others have every symptom in the book and maybe some others too.

When you understand that each woman is different, you will understand that what worked for your sister or best friend, may not work for you.  While this can be frustrating these are the facts and there are some resources you can use to help you get through this tough time and maybe even laugh about it along the way.

Exercise can help with some of the symptoms of menopause.  Tiredness is a common symptom of menopause and when you exercise each day your body will release endorphins.  This can help you to get through the rest of your day feeling energized.
When you exercise you are likely to eat better and this can help to feel better and have more energy.  There are many foods out there that are loaded with anti oxidants and this can give you more strength and stamina to get through each day.

Hormone replacement therapy is something that many women try at some point.  If your symptoms are severe, HRT may really help.  You should never give up on your personal hormone replacement therapy program too quickly. It can take 2-3 weeks for you to really see if this can help.  You do not have to simply deal with menopause and you can take your life back.

If you have tried HRT and a particular type did not work for you, it can be worth it to give another type of hormone replacement therapy a try.  Natural symptom relief is something that has made leaps and bounds.  There are some great natural remedies that boast less risk and can be very helpful in relieving some of the most common symptoms.

Your girlfriends can be your partners in this journey.  It is likely that someone in your group of friends is experiencing menopausal symptoms and this can be a wonderful way to exchange stories.  You can also talk to these friends about treatments that have worked.

Getting through menopause is one of the most accomplished things that you may do.  Menopause does not have to take over your life and there are some ways that you can take control of your symptoms.”

Comments { 5 }

The (My) Real Skinny About the HCG Diet

By on February 8, 2011 in Weight gain

Two weeks into the first maintenance phase and I’m happy to report that I have maintained my weight. I am only avoiding starches and sweeteners (natural and artificial.) Everything else is on the table, literally. Including one glass of wine a day.

I had one scary day in the beginning when my weight crested over the 2 pound limit. I followed the instructions for a “Steak Day” which is supposed to reset. Fluids only were allowed til dinner which consisted of a large steak and raw tomato. And voila it worked.

In 5 more days, I will start the last phase of maintenance where starch and sweeteners may be gradually reintroduced. I think I am ready.

That said, here’s my take on the good, the bad, and the ugly of the HCG diet.

The Good
I’ve lost weight in those troublesome abnormal fat storage areas – stomach, upper arms, thighs. And no, it’s not drooping. At least, not any more than it was before the diet.

I was never hungry during the diet.

My metabolism seems revved up; I have no cravings, and the weight is staying off.

I feel good – ready to tone things now.

It’s mostly in my rear view mirror.

The Bad
OK, injections. But they didn’t really bother me – and you don’t have to take it that way. Your MD can prescribe it for under the tongue instead. Or you can take the homeopathic drops, which I don’t understand, but at least one of our Venuses has done with great success. Heck, I sure don’t know everything.

Intestinal slowdown. Not everyone has this problem, but a lot of women (and men) do complain about it. Easily remedied with herbal laxatives or Smooth Move Tea.

Tiredness
I’ve heard many of my sister dieters claim that they never felt better in their lives, that they were euphoric taking the HCG. For me? Didn’t happen. I did not feel better than I’ve ever felt. I felt fatigued by afternoon every day. Luckily, I was able to talk to other women, including our own Menopausal Squirrel to realize that it was a perfectly normal occurrence. So I could quit worrying.

The Ugly
This is not an easy diet. It’s rigorous and for me to succeed, I had to frame it as going on “retreat”. Which is actually quite a wonderful way to spend 3 weeks, once you surrender to it. And I wouldn’t have wanted to do it and work in Intensive Care nursing doing the HCG diet.

(I read on one forum a note from a policewoman who said that she just couldn’t do it. She felt like she wasn’t at the top of her game and her partner’s life was dependent on her being sharp and focused. She quit after 3 days. I completely understand her choice.)

So would I do it again? Honestly, maybe.  But I hope I never have to. I hope that permanent change is not really an oxymoron. And I’ll be taking steps to ensure that my weight stays within a comfortable range.

So, my plan is to eat as much organic food as possible, cook with raw virgin coconut oil, eat sprouted grains or brown rice, drink 1/2 to 1 gallon of water per day, avoid sweeteners save rarely agave nectar, eat small meals with healthy snacks in between. Avoid processed foods, MSG, corn syrup solids, preservatives, hormones, and the like.

Exercise routines will be as before the diet – walk at least 6 days a week, lift weights 3 days a week, and dance hula, play golf, swim. (I may have been overweight but I was a very fit fat girl.)

Thank you to all my menopause goddess sisters for your succor and support during this process. I probably could have made it without you, but it would have sucked big time. I’m just sayin’…..

Comments { 5 }

From Matron to Skinny B*tch: A Menopause Weight Loss Story

By on January 28, 2011 in Weight gain

Open Road © Lynette Sheppard

When you near the end of one journey, you begin another. So it is with my Most Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure. I have embarked upon the first 3 week maintenance phase after losing the 16 pound turkey around my middle.

And so far, it is going pretty well. My energy level is still not back to pre-diet levels, but better with every passing day. They tell me this is perfectly normal.

I can eat anything except starches and sugars, so it’s pretty wide open. The most important thing to be aware of is to eat enough calories to reset metabolic rate to a more normal place.

Initially, I thought I’d have no problem eating enough. After all, this was what I planned and was ready for, wasn’t it? God knows, I’ve read these freaking books and my doctor’s instructions so many times I can quote whole sections verbatim.

Imagine my surprise then to find myself anxious and  a little afraid that eating normally would pack the pounds back on again. Intellectually, I know better. Emotionally, well that’s a different story.

So I did what any Menopause Goddess would do in such circumstances. I gave myself a good stern talking to. “Self,” I said. “Food is not your enemy. It’s life, sustenance, nourishment. EAT!”And I did. And I am. (I can be very persuasive at times.)

What has most intrigued me about the HCG diet, besides the science, is the metabolic reset that creator Dr. Simeons asserted as end result. God knows, with the advent of The Big M, my metabolism seemed to grind to a halt. The jury is still out as to whether that actually will happen or not; I promise to keep you all posted.

Here’s what I do know has reset. My taste buds. Eating without oil of any kind challenged me to use pure spices as flavoring. And my sensitivity to flavor is at an all time high. (By pure spices, I mean without any additives like sugar or MSG or other unpronounceable substances. Read the spice labels – you will be amazed. I bought garlic pepper without reading the label in the grocery store only to find it contained sugar.)

After this three weeks of maintenance, comes a three week period of adding good starches back into my diet, such as sprouted grain bread, organic potatoes, and brown rice. Sugar in moderation will be okay, but I’m not a big sugar person. Most important will be avoiding high fructose corn syrup (which they put in freaking everything) and meats with hormones and antibiotics.

Finally, the HCG diet is just one option or possibility for kickstarting metabolism and losing that midlife bulge. For example, my friend, Dee Adams of Minnie Pauz fame, has been walking and eating low carb – she’s lost weight and feels great. She also credits reporting to her many friends on Facebook with keeping her going. We might let ourselves down, but never our girlfriends.

Theresa Venus is trying new recipes from Cooking Light in addition to her daily workouts and pounds are coming off.

Lei Venus has taken to eating frequent tiny meals and has maintained her weight where she wants it.

My girlfriends, Bronwyn and Arlinka, have been visiting the gym 3 times a week and are in great shape. Bronwyn ran most of a marathon a couple of weeks ago. (She only planned to run half, but kept going when she hit her stride.)

There is no one right answer – no one perfect diet or exercise regimen that will work for all Menopause Goddesses. The HCG diet seems to have worked for me. Only time will tell.

Comments { 1 }

More Menopause Weight Loss Adventure Stories

By on January 21, 2011 in Weight gain

Ginger Mint Shrimp for the HCG diet

Week 3 of the HCG diet. My midsection and thighs have melted away – I look, well, like I used to. Which is pretty darn exciting to me. Here’s how it went this week.

Day 14  January 13
Down another half pound. Constipation overcompensation today. That’s all I’m going to say about that! I feel great in the morning, fatigued by afternoon.

Day 15   January 14
Down one pound. Very productive day. As per usual, energy leaked out by 2 pm. I’m not hungry, though.

Day 16  January 15
Up a half pound today. Otherwise, same stuff, different day.

Day 17   January 16
Uh oh. Scale didn’t budge this am. Could I be reaching the dreaded plateau? Not at all excited about this. If still no change tomorrow, will have to cut something out. Like what? My breadstick that is the circumference of a Q tip? My freaking apple?

Day 18   January 17
Weight down a full pound today, whew. I get to keep my tiny breadstick. Methinks my world has shrunk.

Day 19   January 18
Down another pound. Getting close to that goal. Boredom has set in. I’m tired of the few choices I have for meals. (Yes, whining – so unattractive but necessary sometimes.) Enter lifesaver Lei Venus with a recipe she has concocted for me of ginger shrimp with mint. We eat it with delicious microgreens dressed with the kai (sauce) the shrimp was poached in. Breaking the boredom cycle. (The chips in the photo are for her; she doesn’t need to lose any weight.)

Finishing up art project for the Sketchbook project. Better than doing is done.

The Girlfriend Cafe

Day 20   January 19
Weight no change today. Tired in afternoon and evening. To bed by 9 pm. Sleeping really well. Not hungry. Just bored.

Day 21   January 20
Down half pound this am. Took my last shot of HCG today. Just 2 more days of the VLCD (very low calorie diet) til it clears my system. Feeling really energetic in am, tired by afternoon. Mind numbing routine here. My clothes are hanging off me. Gonna have to pack away all my fat clothes, hopefully for all eternity.

Day 22   January 21
No change in weight. I may not lose any more if I am at ideal weight. I arbitrarily picked 135 as my goal, but my body may decide 136 is where I belong. Hunger should be the key. I’m hungry a little today, so that may be it. When the abnormal fat stores are depleted, hunger sets in, supposedly. We’ll see. One more day til the next phase of maintenance.

I’ve lost 15 pounds on my Most Excellent Menopause Diet Adventure. That’s a turkey! Or 3 bags of sugar! I have a 13 pound cat that I hate to pick up because she’s so heavy. I was dragging more than her around with me all day!!! I’m just sayin’……

Lei’s HCG diet recipe for Ginger Mint Shrimp. Measure out 100 gm raw shrimp (shelled and deveined) and set aside.  Slice longitudinally a 2 inch piece of ginger root. Add the ginger, sea salt and pepper to taste,  and 1 Tbsp of fresh chopped mint to  a cup of water. Simmer the water, ginger, and mint til half the liquid is absorbed. Add the shrimp and cook til just pink. Serve. Pour remaining sauce over microgreens. Enjoy!

Stay tuned for more musings on the first 3 weeks of maintenance – the next stop on my journey. Oh and here it is again:

Big Fat Disclaimer For Obvious Legal Reasons: This diet is not for everyone – you must be followed by an MD or nurse practitioner who prescribe it for you. The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss (but a physician can prescribe it for this use.) It is rigorous and requires discipline. I am not recommending this to anyone, just passing on my experience as information. Do with it what you will. Talk with your own health care practitioner.

Oh, I have mostly heard of integrative medicine or holistic physicians prescribing this. Just like with bioidentical hormones. To find a practitioner near you, check out American Holistic Medical Association or Women in Balance. Okay, enough with the disclaimer. You’re women. You’re smart and can think for yourself.

Comments { 5 }

My Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure Part 2

By on January 12, 2011 in Weight gain

Flying Light © lynette sheppard

Week Two of my excellent Menopause weight loss adventure is behind me now. I’ve been doing the HCG diet with daily injections of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin and a 500 calorie a day specific diet. And overall, it has been relatively painless.

As of today, January 12, I have lost 11.5 pounds and broken past the 140 lb. barrier with my morning weight of 139.5. And as advertised, the weight is all melting off my midsection, thighs, and buttocks. Tatas haven’t changed. I was pretty skeptical that the weight loss would truly be so targeted. Go figure.

Day Seven   January 6
Down 1/2 pound this am. That’s  7 pounds of ugly fat gone! Slight headache which is gone after my morning coffee. Not really hungry.

Day Eight   January 7
Lost another 1/2 pound. Not hungry but tired and low energy after 2 pm.  I’ve been warned and read online in HCG diet forums that “irregularity” can result from this diet. I’m so there!

Day Nine   January  8
Lost another full pound. Am becoming one of those people obsessed with bowel function. Not a pretty development. Taking herbal laxatives and praying for relief. Oh, not hungry but a little  tired in afternoon.

Day Ten   January  9
Lost half pound. Lei Venus coming over for us to have an art day – I call and ask her to make emergency shopping stop at health food store for Smooth Move Laxative tea. Yep, I’m obsessed alright. We have a great art day and I spend productive bathroom time and all’s right with the world. Whew.

Day Eleven   January  10
Lost 1.5 pounds overnight (must have been that Smooth Move tea.). Feel weak, tired most of the day.

Day Twelve  January  11
Down another 1/2 pound. My body looks completely different – more like the me I remember from a couple years ago. Still, I feel crappy – tired, dizzy, out of it. My hubby is becoming worried that the diet may not be agreeing with me. I’m evaluating my options.

Day Thirteen  January  12
Down another half pound and feel absolutely great today. The only thing I can figure is that I must have had or been incubating some virus which never really took hold (my thanks to all the deities). I have plenty of energy – no problem working.

And I am loving what I am doing with spices, since everything must be poached, baked or broiled with no oil or anything. Curried shrimp with curried onions – yummy. Ginger 5 spiced mahimahi. Thai curry paste and shredded chicken in lettuce cups.

If all goes as the HCG diet experts say, this new found interest in spice without any additives will continue as I go into the next phase and beyond. Got to read those labels, though. I bought some garlic pepper – turns out it has corn syrup solids in it. Who knew?

Okay, goddesses, stay tuned for the next part of my excellent Menopause weight loss adventure. And here’s the disclaimer, once again.

Big Fat Disclaimer For Obvious Legal Reasons: This diet is not for everyone – you must be followed by an MD or nurse practitioner who prescribe it for you. The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss (but a physician can prescribe it for this use.) It is rigorous and requires discipline. I am not recommending this to anyone, just passing on my experience as information. Do with it what you will. Talk with your own health care practitioner.

Oh, I have mostly heard of integrative medicine or holistic physicians prescribing this. Just like with bioidentical hormones. To find a practitioner near you, check out American Holistic Medical Association or Women in Balance. Okay, enough with the disclaimer. You’re women. You’re smart and can think for yourself.

Comments { 2 }

My Most Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure

By on January 5, 2011 in Menopause, Weight gain

Transformation 2011 © lynette sheppard

Menopausal weight gain. Just when I think I have the answer of how to get to and maintain my ideal weight, the metabolism gets sneaky and finds a way to get even lazier. I kid you  not.

Up until now, I’ve been able to work reasonably well with the old “calories in, calories out” formula. But this last year, those pesky excess 15+ extra pounds returned with a vengeance, homesteading around my middle and thighs. And my butt. This extra weight refused to budge through the most well crafted, healthy exercise and diet regimens.
Then, I ran across a “new” diet called the HCG diet, which is actually old, researched and developed in Italy by a British physician in the 1950’s. Dr. ATW Simeons published his findings in a book called “Pounds and Inches” in 1970. While I’m suspicious of all diets, I still checked it out.

Here’s an oversimplification of the diet as I’m not writing a treatise on how this works. He asked himself why some people don’t gain weight no matter what they eat and others gain while eating the same diet, exercising, etc. He postulated that the metabolism controller in the brain would get confused and need to be reset. (Like post menopause.)

He developed a rigorous diet protocol using miniscule amounts of HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) combined with a 500 calorie a day diet using only specific food, 23 days at a time. HCG is a hormone that pregnant women secrete that liberates fat stores for the fetus. Tiny doses do the same for those of us with abnormally stored, unavailable fat, usually located in the thighs, abdomen, buttocks, and back of the upper arms.
Now you actually have to “survive” on about 2500 calories a day, not the mere 500 you consume, because the fat is liberated from those storage depots, meaning that you are not hungry or uncomfortable at all. Best of all, once the metabolism is reset, you keep it off. Alas, he never received much recognition, and in fact, had most of his patients sign confidentiality agreements to partake. Sound too good to be true? Yep, that’s what I thought, too.

Still, the science actually made sense to my nurse mind, so I asked my holistic MD about it.  He told me that he and his wife had just completed it and lost 16 and 18 pounds respectively, all around the middle. He agreed that I was a candidate, stressing that it is not for everyone and sent me off with a big reading list to learn about it.

At first, it seemed overwhelming the amount of planning and care and discipline I’d have to muster. But I was really at my wit’s end. Gradually, as I learned more, it seemed easier.

Menopause Goddess sister M (you’ll remember her as the Menopausal Squirrel) did it under the supervision of her integrative medicine nurse practitioner – lost the weight, reshaped her body, and is keeping it off. And then I found out that another Venus and her husband had had equal success.

So I studied the books, located the necessary foods, and had my lab work done. I then did a 2 week cleansing diet prior to starting.

I started my excellent adventure on New Year’s eve. That’s less than a week ago. I’ve lost 6.5 pounds, all around my middle. I’m starting to see a waistline again. And no, I’m not hungry, I feel great, and am rediscovering spices in a whole new way.

Like all good adventurers, I’m chronicling my journey. Here are my journal notes so far:

Day One     December 31, 2010
Injected my HCG this am in my belly fat. Even though I am a nurse, I was a little bit squeamish at first, but it’s such a tiny amount in a tiny needle that I got over that pretty fast.

The first 2 days are fat- loading days to build up structural fat (which is different than the stored fat that will be liberated). My MD told me that it would be the hardest part, especially after the cleansing diet. I didn’t believe him.

Like any true girlfriend, Rae Venus supported me in my first pig out day when we went for pizza and ice cream for lunch. French fries, cheesecake, BBQ ribs. Whew. Yuck. I’m over the fat loading already, but they say it’s important.

Day Two   January 1, 2011
Took my second injection this am. Tired of fat food already. Still doing my best. More pizza, fetuccini, garlic bread, huevos rancheros with lots of cheese. I’m so glad this day is over and I can start the VLCD (very low calorie diet) tomorrow. I cannot eat any more fat!!!!

Day Three    January 2, 2011
Lost four pounds on the cleanse, put two back on the fat loading days. That’s to be expected, but still it bums me out some.
Am injection. Coffee, tea, and water for am.
Lunch    Burger grilled, 100gm (measured raw) (about 3/5 oz.)  handful of salad greens with apple cider vinegar. 1 Grissini breadstick.
Snack:     Organic fuji apple.
Dinner:     100 gm grilled chicken breast, handful of steamed spinach. 1 Grissini breadstick
Not hungry at all – felt a little empty after stretching my stomach with all the force feeding past 2 days is all.

Day Four   January 3
Weight first thing in am: lost 1.5 pounds
Am injection. Coffee, tea, and water
Food stays similar to day 3, just rotating chicken, beef, shrimp, and white fish like mahi mahi. with large (measured raw) handful of veggies and 1 breadstick.
I feel great, no hunger at all. Too soon to get excited, I think. But I am.

Day Five  January 4
Lost another 1.5 pounds. Feel great. Easy to stay on this so far.  Am injection – food as usual.  Getting used to the routine, now.

Day Six   January 5
Lost another 1.5 pounds; fully expect this to slow down soon, but loving it for now. Wish me luck!

Big Fat Disclaimer For Obvious Legal Reasons: This diet is not for everyone – you must be followed by an MD or nurse practitioner who prescribe it for you. The FDA has not approved HCG for weight loss (but a physician can prescribe it for this use.) It is rigorous and requires discipline. I am not recommending this to anyone, just passing on my experience as information. Do with it what you will. Talk with your own health care practitioner.

Oh, I have mostly heard of integrative medicine or holistic physicians prescribing this. Just like with bioidentical hormones. To find a practitioner near you, check out American Holistic Medical Association or Women in Balance. Okay, enough with the disclaimer. You’re women. You’re smart and can think for yourself.

This is my story and I’m sticking to it. Stay tuned for more as the adventure continues.

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The Rear View And The Road Ahead for Menopause Goddesses

By on December 30, 2010 in Life Changes & Stages

Papohaku Beach Sunset, Molokai © lynette sheppard

It’s that time again – time to peek back at the year coming to a close and to look ahead to creating a brand new year.

I used to forget to look back at how much I had accomplished, enjoyed, and lived each year. I was much too focused on what lay ahead and how I might want to improve myself. You know: more exercise, better health habits, being more organized, blah blah blah.

About ten years ago, I started making “Done Lists” at the end of each year, in order to not only celebrate what I’d lived, but to freaking REMEMBER it! With the advent of menopause, remembering became a lost art, that needed a little nudge (I used my calendar to make notes all year and that helped me re-view what happened.)

My “Done Lists” evolved into Ta Da lists (a great replacement for To Do lists.).

Still, after celebrating the passing year, it’s natural to then look ahead to the coming one. Every New Year’s eve, I have this delicious feeling of a clean slate with all possibilities open.

Most of us goddesses don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. We know that particular activity to be a slippery, guilt-iced slope that will only irritate us in the long run. But we do create “intentions” or “wishes”. Sometimes, especially with menopause brain, it’s hard to get started or to focus on what we want to manifest next.

A few years ago, sister goddess Robin Blanc Mascari shared with us two sets of simple yet profound questions. One set is designed to help guide us through re-viewing the year just passing and the other is geared to helping us envision the coming year. It seemed time to revisit them. The answers might be very illuminating.

And if there seem to be an overwhelming amount of questions? (Which can make it seem like more of another chore than a graceful looking back and forward.) Just choose 5 to answer.

I originally chose 5 and ended up so curious, that I answered them all. A pdf copy is available at the end of this blog entry   download.

COMPLETING AND REMEMBERING 2010

What was your biggest triumph in 2010?

What was the smartest decision you made in 2010?

What one word best sums up and describes your 2010 experience?

What was the greatest lesson you learned in 2010?

What was the most loving service you performed in 2010?

What is your biggest piece of unfinished business in 2010?

What are you most happy about completing in 2010?

Who were the three people that had the greatest impact on your life in 2010?

What was the biggest risk you took in 2010?

What was the biggest surprise in 2010?

What important relationship improved the most in 2010?

What compliment would you liked to have received in 2010?

What compliment would you liked to have given in 2010?

What else do you need to do or say to be complete with 2010?

CREATING 2011

What would you like to be your greatest triumph in 2011?

What advice would you like to give yourself in 2011?

What is the major effort you are planning to improve your financial results in 2011?

What would you be most happy about completing in 2011?

What major indulgence are you willing to experience in 2011?

What would you like to change about yourself in 2011?

What are you looking forward to learning in 2011?

What do you think will be your greatest risk in 2011?

What about your work are you most committed to changing and improving in 2011?

What is one as yet undeveloped talent you are willing to explore in 2011?

What brings you the most joy and how are you going to do or have more of that in 2011?

Who or what, other than yourself, are you most committed to loving and serving in 2011?

What one word would you like to have as your theme in 2011?

Happy New Year to all you menopausal and midlife goddesses! Here’s hoping that 2011 brings you peace, joy, and cooling breezes!

year end questions

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