Real talk for the forty and fifty year old women

It’s not me, it’s the perimenopause – if you’re at the age of uttering those words, let’s talk.  As if life wasn’t constantly throwing enough emotional and physical challenges, let’s throw in some inactive and overactive hormones just to shake off the last bit of a woman’s sanity!  I’ve recently read a great book on the subject, however one thing the book couldn’t give was community. 

 

For these next brief moments, let’s relate to each other instead of trying to fix or compare.  Maybe you need to hear there is a woman out there going through the same hormonal shift you are?  Maybe hearing a few of my struggles will help ease you through yours?  Yes, the community of perimenopausal women are a shifting group … a sweaty, mood swinging, and achy bunch of women who are balancing (along with children, work, and home) a sputtering and glitchen endocrine system.

 

Let’s talk …

 

If I sit, I sleep

Even my richest coffee bean isn’t enough to fuel my motives anymore. Late afternoon naps have become a thing now – laying in bed with a 90’s sitcom, yes please.  For the woman whose spent decades raising, chasing, and releasing children, or getting up at the crack of dawn to earn the paycheck – let me tell you, you’ve earned the right to nap. Please do.

 

Give yourself grace to try different medicine

I’ve always had hesitation with pharmaceuticals, in my opinion I’d rather fix the problem than get a band-aid solution.  After a decade of chronic migraines, perimenopause has given way to more migraines (ugh).  It was time to try the medical helps I would never have considered before.  If you’re struggling with pain, do yourself good … pray, research, then release your options to God and move forward with the helps.  If you’re like me and want to try natural routes first, I highly recommend this book, Hormone Repair Manual: Every Woman’s Guide to Healthy Hormones After 40

 

Diet dilemmas – Eat this – Never eat that – Eat when you’re hungry, but never before bed

We’ve been conditioned to believe our body must look a certain way to be healthy or beautiful and in order to get the perfect body, we must eat the perfect way … my metabolism isn’t getting the cultural memo – Hey metabolism, wake up!  Listening to our body and giving it food rich with minerals, vitamins and proteins is the best thing we can do.  If that means I’m eating a chicken thigh with guac and salsa at 10 pm – so be it!  If that means I roll through a drive through once a week for a cinnamon roll – damn it, we’re allowed to enjoy a sweet treat!  Enjoy healthful food – and by all means have a carb and nourish the body that has been faithful to you.

 

Just give us comfort in the form of stretchy-soft material.

Remember The Golden Girls?  Most nights they sat around a kitchen table eating cheesecake while their tunic style night gowns covered the belly rolls.  Oh the comfort!  Today we call it Boho … more fabric, less sinch and I’m all for it!  And if you think this fashion sense isn’t sexy – think again. 

 

And while we’re talking sexy …

Feeling desirable is a state of mind – not a response from another.  A woman who carries herself with confidence and wisdom, a woman who has overcome challenges in life and remains humble, forgiving, teachable, and tender … she is attractive at a soul level.  Our jeans may be getting snug but may our heart be ever expanding – amen.

 

Friend, I hope you know what a treasure you are.  I hope you know that shifting hormones do not define you or your state of mind right now.  I hope you compare yourself less to the world’s standard and step confidently into the grace of God … who knows our heart and is blessing us with age.  Let’s just take a moment to acknowledge where we are, have a laugh, and keep moving forward.

 

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