Boy, what turning 40 and being post hysterectomy does to your body. Since turning 40 (five years ago), I have noticed a ton of body changes. One of the most frustrating has been the change in my weight and how my body just is. At first it was just a little extra cushion around the middle. Then some softer spots here and there but it seems like every year I’ve gained more cushion and padding. Since I’ve never been one to struggle much with my weight, I have become very uncomfortable and frustrated! I mean, besides when I was pregnant and nursing my boys, I was pretty much always the same weight. But not anymore!
Lets Talk Post Hysterectomy Weight Gain
I had a hysterectomy a couple years ago and since the day some of my innards were taken, managing my weight has been so much worse. Have you had a hysterectomy? Luckily, I was able to hang on to my ovaries but they seemed to have forgotten they needed to serve any purpose post surgery. I did a fair amount of research prior to my surgery and was aware my body would go through a big adjustment. However, I just don’t think I was thoroughly prepared for how hard the changes would be.
I tried to be diligent right after my surgery with a belly binder after reading advice that it would help firm things up and offer stability. Having read, on multiple occasions, that regardless if I felt I was fully healed and recovered, it would be at least a solid year before I felt totally back to normal. I gave myself a lot of grace in the first year post surgery. However, as I headed into my second year, I was not too happy. How about you? Do you feel that a year after your hysterectomy you felt more like yourself again and back to normal (whatever the normal might be!)?
One Year Post Hysterectomy & Nothing Felt Better
Let’s just say that at the one year mark I was less than impressed. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was happy to not be bleeding out every month or every other month or whenever that nasty bitch wanted to arrive. It was also nice not feeling like I was dying from the intense cramps when she did pay me a visit, even if she’d started visiting less and less.
And of course, I was totally stoked to not have pain during sex anymore either. Having dealt with pain and issues from adenomyosis (according to the Mayo Clinic, “occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows into the muscular wall of the uterus…An enlarged uterus and painful, heavy periods can result.”) and endometriosis, it was definitely a huge plus to get all of that out of there and hopefully not look back.
Fupa, What’s a Fupa?
But, now I had an extra tire around my waist that had not been there before. I looked like I was headed into the second trimester of pregnancy! I had upper arms that were saggy and giving me a complex, lots of dimpling and weight on my upper thighs, a couple extra chins, a full on neck waddle, even a shelf added to my butt, and lets not forget about the freaking FUPA!!
In case you had any doubt, I am here to confirm, the FUPA is real! I just thought it was a new word my teenagers were using at one point to be silly. Imagine my surprise when I realized my upper pelvic area was packing a little more. And if I can be a little more personal here, and maybe even a little TMI, those lower lips decided they needed to get in on the fun too. What the actual hell is happening here!?! Isn’t anything sacred!
So yeah, I was freaking out about all the body changes even a year out from surgery. Did you discover you were the proud owner of a FUPA and fatty vag lips too? Well, I have been making some changes over the last 6-8 months to try and get this nonsense under control and feel more comfortable in my skin.
So What Changes Did I Make Post Hysterectomy?
Here is a list of the first few things I started doing.
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Exercise Post Hysterectomy
Now, I’m not a gym girl. I’m never going to be either. I did not want to put some crazy expectation on myself that would set me up for failure. I started off slow by just taking a short walk in the evening with my husband, parking further away at stores, always taking the stairs and simple adjustments like that.
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Try Liquid Collagen
Got back to taking a liquid collagen. I had taken a liquid collagen a couple years before my surgery and had felt some great results. So I decided to see if this would offer some of that again. Click here for a link to the kind of liquid collagen I use.
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Pay Attention To Your Eating Habits
I addressed my eating habits and payed better attention to what I was eating and drinking. I was not ready to make real changes yet. However, I wanted to make myself more aware of what I was actually consuming and how much.
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Drink Your Water
Water! I have always had a difficult time with getting enough water. It is not a drink of choice for me and I really needed to start making it one. I absolutely jumped on the big dumb cup wagon! I started filling that thing with lots of water and taking it everywhere I went (in the house and out of the house).
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Protein Coffee
To be clear, I have never been a huge coffee fanatic. However, getting in protein is a must after turning 40 and post hysterectomy to help sustain your energy throughout the day. So what did I do? I turned to making myself protein coffees every morning. Read more in My Morning Protein Coffee Recipe.
Turning 40 Advice and Insights
If I can offer any advice for turning 40 and/or one year post hysterectomy, it would be to give yourself grace and be patient with what your body has gone through. Take some time to reflect on how you are feeling. What small steps could produce a huge impact in feeling better and managing that horrible weight gain?
We are not all comfortable working out in a gym or even capable of working out like this person or that person so do what you are comfortable with and build from there. Grab yourself a big dumb water cup that makes you smile and will help you remember to drink more water. And just know, even if no one wants to talk about it, most of us are struggling with that damn FUPA!
Talk to you soon!
Sarah…Wife at Midlife