Spotting vs. Real Period & Weight Gain in Menopause

How do you know if you’re having a period vs. spotting?

Spotting is brownish in color versus period blood which when it truly begins flowing is full red. You’ll know you’re having a period more so by the quantity. Having spotting when you’re trying to get your period back is a good sign. It means that things are working and turning back on. When we work to optimize your period later, we hope for little to no spotting as it is a sign of lower progesterone levels. We like to see a full start healthy period where when it comes, you go right for some products. When you need feminine products to handle the quantity, it's a healthier period. If you’re having a super light, spotty period or even lots of cervical mucus with light blood, you’re just not quite fully recovered yet. But if this is you, seeing spotting for the first time in many years without a period, yay! This is progress! 

How do I fix weight gain in menopause?

Most women struggling with weight gain in menopause are suffering through the effects of early 2000s dieting mentality of eating very little and doing nothing but cardio. You need to adjust to your body symptoms. If your body has stopped responding to what you’ve always done, it's time to try something else. Quit beating your head off the wall with the same old methods that you’ve done for the past 20 years. Chances are that metabolism is absolutely shot from those methods. Yes, it is true that the body is shifting and readjusting with irregular hormones, and for some, even hormone replacement. This is not the time to diet down harder and increase your steps. We need to heal the diet mentality by focusing on eating enough of the right things that keeps your blood sugar levels stable; most women who show me their food logs are still significantly undereating protein (which in general should be even more than a girl in fertility years) and they’re doing lots and lots of cardio without any weight training.