Postmenopause??

I am a 51 year old female who stopped the pill (minestrin) approx 2 months ago when my hormonal blood tests came back as post-menopause.  To be honest, I was a little nervous about what to expect.  But, so far, nada - not one sleepless night, not one hotflash, no symptoms related to menopause at all.  I feel pretty great, actually.  Approx two weeks ago, I had the usual pre-period sore breasts and then a light period followed.  Could I still be in perimenopause?

I lead a very active lifestyle (running, weight training, etc), eat a healthy diet and been able to maintain a weight of 115 (I'm 5'3").  Needless to say, I don't look forward to the weight gain associated with menopause.  Is this inevitable or will the lifestyle I have been following prevent this from happening.

[Machelle Seibel, MD]

You are still near to the time of stopping the pill so symptoms might happen, but it is possible that your are fortunate and your lifestyle has helped you experience a very mild menopause. The next few months will be telling.

Weight gain is not inevitable. It is common. Metabolism slows down with aging. Your activity is part of the formula for maintaining weight. It may also be necessary to decrease calories in the years to come to compensate for a slower metabolism, about 3% per decade.
Machelle M. Seibel, MD