As mentioned before, I grew up highly active, playing many sports, hiking, rollerblading, riding the bicycle – not because I had to, but because I loved all these activities. Maybe I was a dog in a past life (I do not believe in them), as it is the only way I can explain the joy I get from chasing a ball or a frisbee. I ate a lot, yet never had problems with my weight. Sweets, despite being so unhealthy, were always a weakness of mine.

My weight was around the same value from puberty till a year ago. Despite staying active and cutting certain foods from my diet (for an unrelated reason), kilograms started accumulating – part adipose tissue, part water retention. My body doesn’t look the same – and with that I do not have a problem, but it doesn’t feel the same anymore! You are probably thinking now: “Woman, you are getting old(er)!”. And I am. But I am not talking here about my left knee hurting badly when coming down a tall mountain, or my left elbow hurting from my Japanese sword fighting class, or any other degenerative changes that accompany the passing of years – I feel I was quite poetic here? This is not just the natural decline in metabolism or slowing down of activities. This is “hormonal-phagia” – I’ve just invented a new word.

My PMS-ing syndromes are worse than ever (and they were bad). Constantly eating is my daily routine for those 7-10 days prior to maybe bleeding/bleeding heavily/spotting. It is not hunger, not even craving. I feel I am about to throw up if I put another bite in my mouth, yet I always find some room for it – never in my life have I had such habits and they make me feel absolutely awful, both physically and mentally.

Although aware that diet matters most, like never before, on top of sports, I started exercising with the specific purpose of losing weight, or at least maintaining it, with zero success.

Most articles I’ve read so far on this topic suggest living healthy. How is that a solution to this problem, when at this stage of life, if I get 6 hours a sleep a night is an achievement, and eating good food always and exercising even more are unrealistic? If I could stay at home for the next 5 years, and my focus would be solely on eating right, moving, and taking care of myself it might work. But how many women afford or want that?

Dear Medical world, I am sure you can do better than this.