My name is Kiran, I manage two salons, and I am mainly based at Spa Bar London in Northwood. I do specialist facials, nails, bridal packages – we are here to make you feel special! I’m a single mum with three kids and I’m also perimenopausal.
I’ve always been very active and good with my food. However, I recently started putting on weight, or what I felt was weight gain. My belly area became quite spongy, I was bloated and just feeling really uncomfortable. I hadn’t had a period for 3 months either. I went to my GP who said it could be an intolerance and to start cutting things out, they did mention it could be perimenopause too. I decided to go gluten free and dairy free, and continued to work out 4-5 times a week, but it wasn’t making a difference. I was becoming more and more aggravated with my children and those around me; I knew it was my hormones, but just didn’t know how to manage it.
During lockdown I started the Joe Wicks programme, which is excellent, varied and very affordable. However, I didn’t know what to choose and I was choosing all the sweet stuff – so although a great programme, I wasn’t aware of the ‘how’ and consequences of my choices. I was doing all the ‘right things’ but it wasn’t making much of a difference. It was very frustrating and all of a sudden, I started bleeding very heavily. It was constant and when I went to see my doctor they just said it was normal. The problem is, they say it’s normal, but it prevented me from leaving the house very much, working and working out too. I didn’t know what to do and that’s when I was told about Don’t Pause for Menopause.
A client of mine walked into my salon and she was glowing, she’d lost so much weight and just looked fabulous and healthy. I asked her what she had been doing and she told me about the programme. I got in touch with Meera who talked me through the course and listened to me carefully, so I thought, I’m going to give it a go!
Compared to my previous programmes, The DPFM programme has taught me all about my choices, food combinations and that consistent, tailored exercise can work wonders.
The group of women that you meet are so helpful in that we are a community that can share these experiences without judgement – things that seem abnormal to the world are normal and accepted in our group. Plus, everyone’s bodies are different and it really helps to unite and come together to talk about it and work through the ‘how’.
I’ve found that the world is now more accepting, conversations are becoming normalised on social media – I no longer need to hide the sanitary towel under my top going to the bathroom…! Meera and the team of experts have really helped normalise the menopause experience and shown me it’s not just a phase to ‘recover’ from; like with everything in life, whether that be positive or negative, we as women need to learn how to manage the menopause and adapt to these changes. Meera takes the fear and uncertainty out of the menopause and I’ve really learned to enjoy life, embrace these changes and it’s made such a wonderful difference to my health and happiness!
I was eating the ‘right things’, but I was feeling sick, bloated, gassy – always having to excuse myself! The course, by week 3, really taught me what foods work for ME. I don’t have a flat stomach, but it’s no longer bloated, it feels like it’s gone ‘in’!
Don’t feel like the programme is going to make you limit food options or make food ‘boring’. It’s creative, you can mix things up, Meera gives you everyday choices and options and it works with my own food preferences. I’m still eating what I want to.
You can go out, you can choose a range of options and you’ll just be more aware of your choices – it doesn’t take food options away, it just enables more balance and informed choices, which help you feel good. There is no point feeling guilty before a meal or miserable after a meal, so the programme has really helped me manage these feelings.
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