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Most of you know my story in that I was having a monthly period until I had my hysterectomy at 53. Mine was a complete hysterectomy including ovaries and cervix. And yes I have been battling weight since. But is it because of my hysterectomy or is it due to the immediate surgical menopause?

Most likely it’s not the hysterectomy that causes my weight battle but the removal of my ovaries which caused menopause. I feel much better so I will continue to wage the battle of the belly weight without stressing about it too much. Prior to my surgery I was dealing with an enlarged uterus that made me look 6 months pregnant so my over all well being improved immediately.

Back to the question. Why do some women gain weight during menopause and others do not? Taking genetics out of the equation, most information I have read points to the ovaries. My surgically induced menopause was caused by the removal of my ovaries. Women that do not have their ovaries removed BUT the ovaries are not functioning as they should, may also experience the same issue.

My friends, even those that have had a hysterectomy, IF they still have their ovaries are not struggling as much as I am. The ovaries produce the hormones estrogen and progesterone. If your ovaries are still producing these hormones, you may not have as difficult a time with weight gain until later if at all.

So that leads us to the question of hormones. Rather should we take them or not? To be completely transparent, I was taking them for about two years but stopped for two reasons. My doctor only prescribed the natural hormones Biote which is not covered by insurance and is VERY expensive. The second reason is that they stopped working.

Initially I felt fantastic. Energy was up and sex drive back. But over time and toward the end of the second year, I wasn’t experiencing the same benefits.

I then tried the estrogen patch. The results again weren’t all that great and as mature women we need to be very careful about estrogen intake. So I again, stopped after about five months after seeing no change.

As far as weight? Neither of these – although both claim to help with weight loss – helped me. So what has? If you’ve read the previous article, you will remember I have had a strong aversion to pork and beef. Not really a fan of chicken or turkey either. The only proteins I like right now are eggs and shrimp. Blackened shrimp being my favorite. Recipe here: Low Carb Blackened Shrimp

As a result of my new aversion to most meat, I’ve transitioned to a 80-85% low carb, vegetarian program with eggs or shrimp as my go to protein sources. I am down 15 pounds as of this writing. I recommend the following three tips to help you jump-start and move forward as I have finally done:

• Drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water daily. This is a must – no exceptions. If you weigh 200 pounds, you MUST drink 100 ounces.
• At each meal, make sure at LEAST 3/4 of your plate is filled with vegetables. The other 1/4 is your protein.
• Move. Move every day in one way or another BUT at least three times per week, incorporate a HIIT (high intensity interval training workout) such as Tabata. If you don’t go to the gym, you can join me online – live or at a time convenient for you – for Tabata. Message me for info and current schedule.

That’s it. Those three simple things have helped me FINALLY bust through my weight plateau. You can to. NEVER give up. You GOT this.

p.s. A simple change with huge benefits that literally costs pennies. Also be sure to read my product review on the supplement I’ve been taking about a month and seeing fantastic results in my belly. Thank goodness! You can read it here: Are carbs causing me to gain weight? or get more information on the supplement here:

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