u/Spirited-Peach-8481

I am 41 years old and am in the throes of perimenopause and I believe I have been for at least 2 years. My biggest issue I have is with how much weight I am gaining. I have put on 35 pounds in the last year and a half and I can’t stand to look at myself. Nothing fits and I can’t keep buying new clothes. It feels like as soon as I find one or two things that look good, I gain weight and look like a potato again. To make it worse my mother in law sent me pictures of my daughter’s birthday from 2 years ago and I looked so good. It’s mad me so depressed.

Last year I tried MIDI. Started a .0375 estrogen patch and 100 mg progesterone. I gained 10 pounds in a month and freaked out and quit. I also have seen a doctor about my thyroid. They all say my numbers look normal, but my free t4 is always low normal or below range. I just saw an endocrinologist and she thinks there is something wrong with my thyroid, but doesn’t know what. I have to get another set of tests in a month and then see her in 3 months, so no actions are really being taken.

I have always been active. My current routine is lift 4 days a week, do sprint intervals a couple days a week. I’ve been consistently lifting weights for multiple years. I walk and try to hit my steps. I haven’t been as good about the steps lately because my fatigue is so bad. I eat fairly healthy. I feel like I have to be perfect all the time. I can’t miss my macros once or I gain more weight. I recently quit caffeine as well because I was getting heart palpitations, so my fatigue is even greater and my motivation is in the toilet.

I have to get this weight off. I don’t care what the scale says, it’s what I see. I am clearly overweight. What has worked for others? I am just so disgusted with myself.

I do have an appointment with an endocrinologist that is peri specialist, but it’s not until March 2027. I felt midi was so cookie cutter and maybe I didn’t need estrogen yet amd just progesterone. My total testosterone was run then too and was 20 and my shbg was 47. I have no idea what those number mean. My doctor just said my testosterone was normal.

I just want to have my confidence back and get this weight off. What do I need to do? Cut gluten, dairy, fast, dont fast. I’ve tried eating more, eating less, cutting carbs. I aim for 140g protein a day.

I am 3 weeks, almost 4 off of caffeine. When does the fatigue get better? It’s debilitating. I thought I was tired before I stopped, now I feel like my body is made of lead.

I am seeing an endocrinologist as well for the fatigue since it was going on for years. They are investigating something called central hypothyroidism and/or high cortisol. My TSH is really good, but some other numbers are low.

I want to give up. At least before I quit coffee and have a few hours I could get shit done and feel human. I need someone to talk me down and tell me this will be worth it. I have drank coffee for over 25 years. The past 2 years was my lightest at 1-2 cups of strong coffee a year.

I finally received a referral to an Endo after 3 years. Here is my story. I am 41 year old female. I started having symptoms after the birth of my 4th. My last 2 children were 3 years apart, but I breastfed my 3rd up until my 4th was born. I was pregnant and/or breastfeeding for 6 years straight. I feel that is an important piece to everything. My symptoms started with fatigue, hair loss, and brain fog. My dr pretty much said it’s from having young children. They didn’t sleep then, but they do now. My sleep is sacred and I make sure I get 7-8 hours every night. I have the occasional sleepless night, but I have worked really hard on this and am getting ample sleep.

On top of the fatigue, brain fog, and hair loss (which are still happening) I started gaining weight. I have gained over 30 pounds, most of it in the last 18 months. I have always been active. I lift weights 4 days a week, get my steps daily, and eat a healthy diet. I track my food. I know what I’m eating. Tweaking my macros will result in losing a pound or 2 then gaining 5 or 6. I don’t believe I am under eating either. I also quit caffeine 3 weeks ago and now am even more fatigued than before, to the point I can’t even work out some days. I think caffeine was masking my fatigue evem more. It is so unbelievably frustrating.

My problem is my TSH is normal so no one thinks anything is wrong. My free t4 and t3 are both on the low normal end. Here are my last 3 tests over the last year. TSH 1.25, 1.18, 1.13 Free t4 .9, .7, .9 free t3 2.2 every time. I had TPO ran once and it was 28. I am told even though my free t4 is at very bottom of range and even under range once it’s fine. My last dr appointment with a new provider ended with her saying I was depressed and needed to be medicated. I am so frustrated.

I also know I am at the age for perimenopause and that could be a factor, but still, my thyroid levels are not optimal. I have not been able to get a dr to run a reverse t3 because they all say it doesn’t show anything. I have an appointment in 6 weeks with an endocrinologist and want to be able to advocate for myself. I don’t feel good. I need to buy new clothes every couple of months because I can’t stop gaining weight despite doing everything right. I am so tired of hearing that Im fine, that Im depressed, that I need to keep a good diary and watch my calories. I know something isn’t right and no one will listen.

What should I be saying to this new Endo to get them to listen?

After almost daily coffee/caffeine use for 25 years I finally called it quits. The longest I ever went without coffee was the duration of my 3rd pregnancy. I used to be a very heavy drinker, but had it paired down to 1-2 very large cups of strong coffee a day. I’ve quit several times, but always found my way back. I am 41 and in perimenopause and caffeine is no longer my friend.

I know I should have tapered, but I didn’t. I am on day 3 of cold turkey. I feel like I have been hit by a bus. I didn’t think my level of usage would make me feel this sick, but it did. I am hoping this is my last day of crippling headaches. Nothing even touches the pain. I am looking forward to getting past this stage and to give my brain the time to recalibrate itself. Caffeine is truly one of the most addictive things. I am so glad I decided to give it up for good and I can’t wait to reap the benefits of being caffeine free!