Following up from my last post, where I mentioned having had a hysterectomy in 2011, here is the article I wrote for SHE Caribbean (is that magazine still published?).
If I had thought about this earlier, I would have had the operation from in my late 30’s and it would have saved me a LOT OF STRESS!!! But maybe Dr Michael Abrahams would not have agreed then, to take out the whole ‘kit and caboodle,’ because I had not had children. But I was 100% certain I did not want any kids.
Please excuse the lean photos. The publisher had sent me a magazine, I loaned it to someone, don’t remember who, and they never gave me back. This was from a poor scan I had done.
Back in 2011, I had a hysterectomy to bid farewell to those troublesome fibroids. As a bonus, I finally got that flat stomach I had always wanted. It was a major achievement, considering I’ve battled with my weight for as long as I can consciously remember. Finally, the scale went below 200 pounds.
That year, I worked out at an intensity that I did not know I was capable of. That, coupled with mindful eating, resulted in me getting again to under 200 pounds, but this time, with a lot of muscles so I looked smaller. Alongside my workouts, I paid more attention to what I ate. Damion had this rule: no carbs after 6 p.m. So, for lunch, I focused on protein, veggies, and sometimes indulged in a delicious complex carb like sweet potato or black beans…or both.
Since late 2022, my weight has again crept up. Apparently, I am not alone. Sigh. Turns out, weight gain during menopause is a common thing. Our bodies go through all sorts of changes – lean body mass decreases, body fat increases, and it becomes tougher to shed those pounds during menopause. However, I am told that weight gain during menopause is not inevitable and can be managed with the right lifestyle choices, including a healthy diet and regular physical activity. The physical activity it not an issue for me as I work out regularly. And my diet is healthy during the day and up to the salad that I usually have for dinner.
A typical breakfast – Sardines with special low carb breadA typical lunch – protein with saladA typical dinner
So even though in 2016 I used to eat carbs at lunch and lose weight, 7 years later, I can’t lose weight even though I have been eating lower carbs. But if I really analyze what has happened, I can identify two differences. In 2016, I used to get a lot more sleep than I am getting now. Also, since 2020, I’ve been working longer hours, and it’s taken a toll on my evening food choices, after the usual salad. Stress and fatigue make it all too easy to reach for some nuts, a spoon of peanut butter, a pack of plantain chips (why do I even buy them? Ugh, the struggle is real.) I wrote about these challenges in more detail in this post in March 2023.
One thing is real…..during menopause, I cannot slack off and take my foot off the weight loss gas. In 2016, a typical breakfast was steel cut oats, with ripe banana, and I lost weight effortlessly. I just have to get over that what worked for me in 2016, will not lead to weight loss during menopause.
I won’t be starting another “What I ate today” series because, let’s face it, I can’t keep up with that. Instead, I’ll keep experimenting with different approaches. It’s all about finding what works for me, whether it’s tweaking my diet, trying new workouts, or finding creative ways to manage stress and get some quality sleep. I am aiming to be a healthy weight in 2026. Can I do it? Can I stop disappointing myself, by prioritizing me instead of others? Check back to read how I am doing on my weight loss journey during menopause.
A few weeks ago, I started to experiment with Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools like ChatGPT. I have since learnt that there are several other AI tools out there (shout out to Instagram for the education). I had heard about Rephrase.ai from Alicia Lyttle, which is a software you can feed what ChatGPT generates into, and it will write it differently, so it doesn’t sound like ChatGPT wrote it.
“How could you leave big big Jamaica and go and live in one of those small islands?” Grenada, the small island I chose, measures just 12 miles west to east and 21 miles north to south. In 1997, this Jamaican added to Grenada’s population of approximately one hundred or so thousand people at the time. Originally intending to spend two years then move on, 18 years later, Grenada is still captivating and feels like home.
Here are five reasons why I think living in Grenada is great.
1. Almost no crime – Safe haven for peace-loving souls
Picture this: an island where crime rates are so low that people often misplace their house keys because they haven’t needed them in years. That’s the reality of living in Grenada! Forget about those crime-filled headlines; Grenada is a sanctuary of tranquility. While petty theft exists like in any other place, serious crimes are a rarity. So, bid farewell to worries and embrace the freedom to walk home late at night without a second thought.
When Grenada had 18 murders in 2008, a few eyebrows were raised. Normal annual homicide statistics are usually between 8 and 12. In fact, during 2004 when Hurricane Ivan hit, only 6 persons lost their lives by murder.
I live in the beautiful Caribbean region, where the sun shines, the leaves blow gently and the waves beckon. Many dream of finding ways to earn some extra cash without breaking a sweat. But Caribbean people have been conditioned to have a 9 to 5 job. If you are not going somewhere consistently 5 or 6 days a week, eyebrows are raised. However, the explosion of the digital economy has perhaps made traditional jobs a thing of the past. Those who stick with that work model, may soon come to realize the world of side hustles and passive income. So let’s explore this concept, about which I was clueless, that can help Caribbean people ride the waves of financial independence.
Emergency fund, passive income, active income, side hustle, stocks, dividends……these were financial terms that I didn’t become acquainted with until I was over 40. That age is significant because you see, my money habits were shaped by what I thought would have been happening around that age.
Let’s go back to when I was around 17 years old. I was speaking with a male friend (not a boyfriend) who was about 22 years old at the time. I can’t recall what we were talking about, but it eventually led to me ask him if he was getting married. His response stuck with me. He said he was not planning to get married because he didn’t think he would live past 40. And so I said to myself, ok, perhaps I won’t live past 40 either. I know. It’s weird, but that thought followed me around for the next 23 years. Every pain, in my mind, was a terminal illness. Imagine my “disappointment” when the test results always came back negative. I know. I know. It’s weird.
Fast forward to my 40th birthday and I started to plan a big fete to celebrate, half thinking “will I be around for it?” In the week leading up to the fete, a friend of mine who had been invited to the fete, passed away. She was younger than me. When the year ended, I thought to myself “maybe it [death] will come a year later.” Writing this now, I am thinking how silly that thought pattern was. But it was my truth, at the time.
My eating window closed at 8 pm, with 140g cashews out of a 150g pack I got as a gift. Since we shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, I said “hee haw, heère we go cashews.” Yeah….it was that kind of day.
As usual, it started out with a good breakfast around 6:30 am: sardines, egg, cream cheese, solomon gundy, likkle mayo, avocado and low carb bread. And of course, coffee.
By 12:30 pm, I was hungry. Had chicken broth and 2 chicken thighs. Got home around 5 pm, cleaned the house a bit, exercised then had a tuna salad.
Happy International Women’s Day! I join with the many other women all over the world who are seeking to control their weight by whatever means necessary!
Went into work later today, so ate breakfast around 8:30 am. That was 14 hours after my last meal on Tuesday. Eventually I need to creep up to a 16 hour fasting period. On the weekends I can go longer. I had intended to go to the gym for 6:30 a.m. but I went to bed late…..AGAIN! Also kept waking up to go potty 🙁 That is the result of not having had enough water throughout the day.
Breakfast was the same as yesterday. Scrambled eggs with bacon cooked in butter, low carb bread and coffee.
12 pm 1 bag of peanuts. That was a reflex action, when the guy came up to the office and asked if I wanted nuts.
12:30 pm: 3 french fries. That was another relex action as I walked by a colleague’s desk and saw my hand dipping into her fries! Ugh. I was pissed at myseld, so went and brewed a cup of coffee. Coffee makes everything better.
Woke up late (after the alarm went off, I set it for another hour).
First up, warm water and 1/2 lemon. Then sardines with Solomon Gundy, little mayo, avocado and low carb bread I bake myself. Here is the recipe for the darker one and here is the one for the lighter one. I will gradually reduce the portion. Coffee of course, with a splash of unsweetened coconut milk and heavy cream, plus unsweetened Jouvay cocoa powder. This was about 8:40 a.m.
Had a second cup of coffee around 1 p.m., then at about 3:15 p.m. I had 1 baked chicken thigh, a smattering (about 1/8 cup) of some steamed veg (okra and pumpkin) and 1 boiled egg. I had carried avocado but as I was eating so late, and I intended to exercise at about 5:30 p.m., I didn’t want to be full. Well….didn’t reach home until 6:30 p.m.! Here’s why.
