Deep in thought back in March 2018
March 2018 in Enfield Town

March 2018 in Enfield Town

The day after my operation on Wednesday last week, I felt full of beans and was bouncing about the place.  By Thursday, however, my energy levels had dipped and I was relieved when the weekend arrived and I could chill out with the TV remote control – no less! (Yup, me and my exciting jet-setting lifestyle!).  My tiredness stemmed from a mental rather than physical weariness and a feeling of being stuck.

One of the things I admire about people who are consistent with the health and fitness is their ability to stop themselves from deviating too much even when they are poorly.  By that, I mean that they adopt the amount of food they eat when they are not training or if they have a broken ankle they find a way to get themselves to the gym anyway and train the other parts of their bodies that are not broken. That was exactly what I had planned to do this week but  I have been stuck in analysis paralysis, not just about diet and exercise but everything under the sun it would appear.  Some examples are as follows:

  • BHRT: I am thoroughly fed with this.  It feels like a lot of bother with minimal benefit.  Having said that, the fact that my consultant took a biopsy sample may suggest that I am in better shape generally than I had thought.  Apparently, no sample can be taken if the lining of the womb is too thin.  Is that attributable to BHRT and if so, perhaps the wise thing to do would be to say on it? In the morning I apply oestrogen and testosterone cream and take high strength vitamin D and a DHEA tablet.  In the evening 2 hours after a meal or 1 hour before one, I take a progesterone tablet.  None of this is as easy to coordinate as you might think especially the evening tablet.  There have been times when I have had to wake up having dozed off in the evening to take my progesterone tablet. I have read scary stories about women who take oestrogen and don’t balance this with progesterone and this worries me because sometimes I forget to take the tablet altogether.  As I still take my supplements from Holland & Barrett, I am sure you can appreciate why the whole regime has me bored to tears.  Lots of women sail through menopause without HRT or BHRT, under standard temperature and pressure (STP) this would be my preferred route.  I only opted for it to help me with sleeping and cannot say with my hand on heart that it is helping?  Or am I underestimating the level of stress in my life?  Like I said, paralysis analysis.

 

  • Exercise: I had planned to go back to the gym this week but as a precaution telephoned the hospital.  The nurse returned my call and advised against the classes that I planned and suggested walking.  I love walking and cycling but under STP.  When walking for pleasure I like to listen to music or a good podcast and when walking with company I like to have a nice natter.   Cycling is similar except that I don’t ever listen to music when cycling following years of working in personal injury departments because listening to music if you get run over amounts to contributory negligence.  I have been so preoccupied analysing this that I have ended up doing nothing,

 

  • Food: I am bored to tears with most things in my fridge and freezer.  I recently broke up with starchy carbohydrates – Yes, another breakup.  I promised not to go back but found that my resolve cracked last weekend because I was bored with the contents of my fridge, freezer and cupboard and could not face trying to cook.  Surprising since I generally love cooking.  Anyway, I ordered a Chinese takeaway of fried rice, salt & spicy lamb and duck in black bean sauce.  In my defence, it is September and I have managed to not eat out or binge on takeaways for most of the year.  I have visited my favourite local Chinese takeaway just twice this year and I think the other times I have eaten out I was actually on holiday.  Okay, okay, I know what you are thinking – yes, I am embarrassed too and will do better going forward and stay away from problematic starchy carbs.

 

  • Poor sleep hygiene: It can be hard to get my brain to embrace quiet after a busy day at the best of times. Sometimes I preoccupied with planning positive things – they just happen to be so exciting that I cannot sleep easily.  Then there is that enticing TV screen.  If only I could just take myself off to bed at 10 pm as I keep promising myself.  I don’t keep a TV in my bedroom anymore.  The only electronic item I keep in my room is a radio/CD/MP3 player.  In summary, I am doing much better than I used to but there is some way to go.

I still weigh 161 lbs.  I don’t know whether staying the same amounts to an achievement or another epic fail.

Until next time it’s

#NoTheYoYo

#YesToAstableWeight

#NoTimeToPauseForMenopause

#TheYoYoChronicles

#Menologues

#YesToAstableHealthyWeight

Dressed for a jog commute to work during the London heatwave of July 2018

Dressed for a jog commute to work during the London heatwave of July 2018

Julie

Author Julie

Lawyer (co-founding partner/solicitor of a legal aid practice), blogger, feminist, lover of fashion & beauty. I believe that there are two types of people - the living and the dead. Age has nothing to do with it.

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