Embracing the New Me
How many times have you looked in the mirror and shook your head wondering who this person looking back at you was? As I move through post menopause, I have had that same thought time and time again as I passed a mirror. At 62, the wrinkles are not there due to good genes but the changes that menopause brings are there in full display.
Even as a wellness coach, I am not immune to “fat eyes”. Fat eyes means when you look in the mirror you see yourself larger than you are. I know from young, there was a size that was acceptable in women and anything above that was considered large. In the Commodores 70’s song brick house, the perfect woman was 36-24-36. For some reason growing up in the 70’s that song stuck with me as the “standard”. Great song, wrong message.
I did not grow up with any kind of body issues. I was thin for the majority of my life. Until peri-menopause, I was the same weight for years. I had thin parents, thin siblings and no issues with food. I never really worked out until I was in my 40’s.
Menopause, like for many women, was a mystery to me. I knew about hot flashes but the other symptoms, I was clueless. Once I started gaining weight, I attributed that to getting older. It never dawned on me that the weight gain was due to menopause. I saw my mother gain weight around her middle and thought it was a byproduct of getting older.
I hear women say this all the time as a menopause support coach that their weight came on “all the sudden” and I did not truly grasp what that meant until it happened to me. I had 15 unexplained pounds that just “all the sudden” appeared. And with it new cravings that I have never really had for sweet and salty things. Anyone else, or is this just me? Along with the pounds came a sadness and a disappointment. I never had to work at losing weight because before I did not have any to lose. But here I am and for a while, I sat in the disappointment and the sadness because I of all people should be able to navigate these extra pounds.
Once I got over myself, I reevaluated my diet and exercise regiment gave myself some grace and created a plan. I readjusted my “fat eyes” and moved forward. I went back and looked at some pictures over the recent years to determine when did I feel the healthiest instead of what weight was I? I always tell my weight loss clients the scale is a liar it shows you pounds but some are muscle (especially if you are exercising) so the numbers may not move much. How your clothes fit is the real determining factor. My plan included starting off with a good cleanse and a good workout program. I chose Beach Body’s Let’s Get Up a 4 week workout program. For gentler workouts, I am loving workouts by justinagustin.com.
Im finally embracing the new me. The me that is proud to look back and see what she has accomplished in her 62 years and the me who is looking forward to what life still has to offer.
How are you embracing your new you?
(picture is my new me)
*if you are struggling with weight gain or other menopause symptoms, click on my link to sign up for a consultation to see if coaching is right for you.