How to track your menopause journey

If you’re over 35 and curious about your menopausal status, I’ve got a handy checklist of symptoms to help clue you in. So grab this menopause tracker and take back the reins!
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/menopause-checklist/

Let’s dive into the Greene Climacteric Scale. For many of you, you are like what the hell is that? This doesn’t sound like it has anything to do with menopause. But it does!! When I started my perimenopausal journey, I was like, what in the hell is happening to me? No one sat me down and said this is what would happen to your body during this time. And for me, like many others, it started for me around the late 30s. In my mind, menopause was something that happened in your 50s and 60s, so it didn’t make sense to me at the time. BUT! The average age is actually 51 that you enter into menopause and symptoms can start as early as 10 years prior to this. You may have heard about it, but no one has ever said this is what perimenopause is and this is how long it lasts.
This is the bulk of what we are going through right now! Listen right here

So.. what is the Greene Climacteric Scale? This scale was developed back in 1976 by J.G. Greene. It was a self-administered test for doctors to better understand what was going on with their patients. This scale is a tool to help you identify and walk you through where you are in your menopausal journey. This scale is a great tool that can be used by you and your doctors to better understand and track your symptoms over time.

The scale is broken into 3 areas:
1. Psychological things that are happening to you.
2. Physical things that are happening to you.
3. And also, what is going on in your vascular system… AKA hot flashes!

As we go in-depth into this scale, what it says is that if you are experiencing 12 or more of these symptoms, you are most likely on your journey to menopause. However, if you are not experiencing 12 or more, but experiencing things that are really impacting your life, have a conversation with your doctor.

I love this scale because I can keep a time frame of tracking this for months on end. Then you have DATA! If you go in with data and show this is what you want, and I am not going to be dismissed…. You can be more confident as to what you need to get across to the doctors. This tool is really going to help you better understand what is going on. I have created a document so you can easily download it and it has a more in-depth explanation about what the symptoms are so you can go along and track it. (The link is at the bottom of this blog!!) https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/menopause-checklist

Here are just a few symptoms you can be experiencing that the checklist goes over. Hot flashes, Vaginal dryness which is caused by estrogen starting to wane from our body and can cause this and cause problems, irregular periods, one of the most hallmark telltale signs, joint pain, and weight gain, which was the biggest thing for me, that and the hot flashes.

Psychological.
This comes in the form of anxiety, or a constant state of anxiousness. During this time, our nervous system is on high alert. Some people experience it to the point that they can barely breathe, panic attacks, tension, and nervousness all the time. They may also experience the inability to calm down or even the loss of interest in things that used to bring them joy and difficulty concentrating. You could be feeling unhappy, depressed, or feeling things you have never experienced! Loss of interest in sex, crying, and uncontrollable emotions are all symptoms.

Track these things. Track for a couple of months or even a year. Are my symptoms subsiding? Or am I finding myself checking more boxes? Am I finding myself staying in the same pattern?

Physical.
A lot of us are more attuned to this physical piece.
●      Difficulty sleeping or cannot fall asleep.
●      The feeling of my heart racing and beating quickly.
●      Always feeling exhausted.
●      No energy no matter what you do, you always feel blah.
●      Feeling dizzy or faint – The signals are not getting to all of the systems in our body correctly, so dizziness is something most people don’t think is related.
●      You start to feel numb in pieces of your body.
●      Headaches – this is this broad thing as well… but again, pay attention to it.
●      Difficulty breathing – Can’t catch your breath like you used to.

Vascular.
The night sweats and hot flashes are what most people think of first when it comes to menopause. It is the most common symptom and often the first symptoms.

If you go to the link below, I’ve created a menopause symptom checklist. https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/menopause-checklist We talk about this, but also break down what it is and what we can be experiencing so you can have an intelligent conversation with your doctor about WHAT is going on in your body. You can go in armed with an intelligent conversation so you know if your doctor will be there for you during this time, or you may need to find another practitioner if they won’t be there to support you at this time. For me I had to seek a functional doctor. My GP was great for all the basics, but I need help from somewhere else, another guide. I want you to go in informed so there is no confusion as to what could be potentially going on.

I am giving you this broad overview. And my hope is that you don’t overthink the shit out of it. My hope is that you can say, “AHHHH ok now I know what is going on with me.”
I also want you to be able to have that intelligent conversation with your doctor. I want you to master it and get through it unscathed.

We also really need to focus on our health. – Exercise, Nutrition, Hormones, Habits.
Exercise – This is not about going crazy and crushing stuff. It’s about being smarter about your exercise. What makes a good workout 40+? What will help drive my hormones and keep them as stable as possible?

Nutrition – Get in there with your nutrition and pick your nutrition battles. Stoke your metabolism to feed your brain and heart health.

Hormones – What is going on with my hormones, what they do, how they manage insulin resistance, cortisol, stress response. HRT – non-HRT options. Understand all the symptoms you are experiencing.

Current Habits – What are the current habits I have right now and how do they have to change so I can better manage my menopause? How am I with stress management? How am I doing with that nutrition?

You need to figure out how to get better about your commitments to yourself as well as to everyone else. Those of you listening, I know many of you are great at helping others but ourselves.. We can put our shit on the backburner like no one’s business!

I am working on a program to help you break through and navigate this menopause. If this is interesting to you, hop on the waitlist because this is coming this fall and you don’t want to miss it!
https://kimbarnesjefferson.lpages.co/womenwhothrive_wait23

Disclaimer:
I am not, nor am I holding myself out to be a doctor/physician, or any other medical professional I am not attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any physical, or mental disease or condition. The information provided in this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment You agree and acknowledge that is for information and educational purposes only.
I am not providing medical advice, in any way. Always seek the advice of your own medical professional.

LINKS

Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/kimbarnesjeffersoncoach

Facebook Group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/fitgirlmagic/

Website:
https://kimbarnesjefferson.com/

Podcast:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/fit-girl-magic-healthy-living-for-women-over-40/id1476883661