Menopause Goddess Blog

Everything Menopause: The Short Course

By LynetteSh 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 LynetteSh 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 { 8 }

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

By LynetteSh 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 }

My Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure Part 2

By LynetteSh 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.

Comments { 2 }

My Most Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure

By LynetteSh 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.

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

Comments { 3 }

The Rear View And The Road Ahead for Menopause Goddesses

By LynetteSh 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

Comments { 10 }

Peace: A Wish For Menopause Goddesses

By LynetteSh on December 23, 2010 in Life Changes & Stages

Hawaiian snow globe

‘Tis the season. Shopping, baking, decorating, wrapping, cleaning, tagging, lighting. It’s wonderful. Exhilarating. And sometimes exhausting. Even irritating.

The traffic. Rampant consumerism. Obligatory party invites. Whining (and wining) can creep into our conversations. And then we come back to the meaning of the season.

I love the music at Christmas time. And I love Hawai`ian music. So when you mix the two, I am in ecstasy. One of my favorite Hawai`ian songwriter/singers, Keali`i Reichel, released a new album this year called Maluhia (Peace in Hawai`ian.).

As uplifted and delighted as I was by the musical offerings on the CD, I was even more struck by the message he wrote on the inside cover. And so I want to share it with all of you.

“Aloha No I Ka Nani O Ke Au Maluhia”

This remarkable au maluhia, season of peace, is more than a ritual birthday commemoration, for it touches those of all different theologies and extends far beyond a particular holiday or a block of the calendar. It’s more of a mindset, a spirit that pervades the things we do, the ways we do them, and the people we reach out to and surround ourselves with.

The season is embodied in smiles that well up in the heart and bloom forth on the faces of children and grownups alike. Good will unfurls in our homes and neighborhoods as festive decorations and twinkling lights are put in place with no other purpose than to delight friends and passers-by. Presents, wrapped, ribboned, and offered up with joy, are mere manifestations of the smiles and good feelings within.

The sounds of the season generate a random chorus of giggles and laughter, hearty greetings and warm welcomes. These happy sounds all mix in with the songs of the season like an extended carol whose refrain goes on through the year’s end and into the year’s renewal.

It brings renewal for us all, along with affirmation of the love that we share with our own and those beyond. The care and compassion are in the fabric of our everyday lives, but they become more apparent, to ourselves and others, during this wonderful season of joy. The affirmation is important, for it is the love we share that makes it all worthwhile.”

Oh yes, what he said. Wishing aloha and maluhia to all of you this holiday season and in the coming years of our second act. Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas in Hawai`ian.) And a joyful Solstice, Happy Hanukkah, wondrous Kwanzaa.

You can find Keali`i Reichel and other Hawai`ian music CD’s at mele.com.

Comments { 3 }

Happy Holly Daze For Menopause Goddesses

By LynetteSh on December 8, 2010 in Positive Changes

I don’t have grandchildren yet. And while I love, love, love the holidays, I also dread, dread, dread the busyness of the season. (Which seems to happen earlier each year or is this just my imagination?)

So last year, I began to wonder why I get myself all worked up and frantic carrying out the mandatory rituals every November-December. It was not easy to score a live tree last winter here on my rural island, so I opted out of the pine needle, broken ornaments (cause by cattus domesticus who can’t stop playing with the shiny things), sugary dough all over the kitchen, unwritten Christmas card mess.

And it was…heavenly.

So this year, I was way more gentle with myself. Thanksgiving was glorious at our neighbor’s house – potlucked of course. The day was lazy and filled with gratitude for us.

Theresa Venus is here on-island and we celebrated Lei Venus’s birthday with a holiday dinner of turkey, ham, and all the trimmings. There was no have-to or pressure, just an ease of fun food prep, sharing of conversation and meal, and mostly quality time spent with one another.

Wow, two holiday feasts already and no stress so far. I’m thinking that I may be on to something. Because the rituals have been comin’ apart at the seams, in the very best possible way, it was with absolute serenity that we cruised downtown to see the Christmas parade of lights and hang out with the entire island’s population to celebrate, Hawaiian style.

I am having a tree trimming party. Which involves putting miniature ornaments on a Lilliputian fake tree (about 4 inches tall). Yes, I mean inches, not feet. I can hold it in the palm of my hand.

Of course, there will be eggnog and wine. We can sing Christmas carols. (Or not, maybe it’d better to listen to Willie K. or Na Leo Pilimehana sing.) And we’ll even have the right smells, thanks to Menopause Goddess Teri Waros’s Kalele Bookstore and Divine Expressions – provider of the Douglas Fir incense

You are all invited. Happy stress free holiday and Mele Kalikimaka.

Comments { 3 }

Menopause and Multitasking Just Don’t Mix

By LynetteSh on November 29, 2010 in Aging Gracefully

I thought that brain fog and Menopause ADD were going to be the last of the mind changes accompanying this time of life. I was wrong.

Turns out that along with some of the activities I’ve had to let go (windsurfing and running on pavement to name two) comes the latest casualty: multitasking.

Multitasking. That oh so helpful, even necessary adjunct to living in today’s world. As we say in Hawaii, “if can, can. If no can, no can.” And I “no can” multitask any more.

I have become the poster crone for leaving things half finished as I start another project or task in another room. The end result is a bed half made, dishes half done, a blog post half written.

All it takes is one interruption like the phone ringing, one of the cats mewing to come inside, or UPS making a delivery. Or my sweet hubby asking where he can find something. And I forget what I was doing.

Now I’m not at all certain that I was all that good at multitasking in my earlier years. I’m fairly certain that some of the plates I was spinning wobbled significantly even if they didn’t crash to the ground and break. I sure bought into the illusion that I could do more, faster, longer, etc.

But now? I forget that there are plates. Or spinning. I’m half afraid that I’ll be one of those old ladies that start frying eggs for breakfast and then decide to walk the dog, leaving the sizzling pan to fend for itself on the hot burner. I can hear my future grandkids tattling to their mom or dad, “Hey, come quick. Granny’s trying to burn down the house again.”

So, it seems that my latest efforts will go toward focusing on and doing one thing at a time. Which even as I mourn my inner multitasker, seems like a move forward.

How much better might it be to actually be present to the task, feeling, thought at hand? When multitasking, I’m always half in the future and therefore not here in this moment. Perhaps this is an “ability” best jettisoned along with all the clothes I can no longer wear comfortably.

The changes in the second half of life, they keep on coming. Here’s one that I just might be able to celebrate.

Comments { 3 }

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Everything Menopause: The Short Course

The (My) Real Skinny About the HCG Diet

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

More Menopause Weight Loss Adventure Stories

My Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure Part 2

My Most Excellent Menopause Weight Loss Adventure

The Rear View And The Road Ahead for Menopause Goddesses

Peace: A Wish For Menopause Goddesses

Happy Holly Daze For Menopause Goddesses

Menopause and Multitasking Just Don’t Mix

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