For Marion (47), losing weight had never been something she needed to think about. While many of her friends and her sister frequently experimented with new diets, Marion never had to concern herself with her weight. In fact, she never really understood the fixation on it.
I always thought: if you’re somewhat mindful of what you eat, you won’t gain much weight. But now, I see things very differently.
Since entering menopause, Marion’s body seems to have taken on a mind of its own, particularly when it comes to her weight. “I noticed my trousers were getting tighter, and after a while, I decided to weigh myself. I saw that I had gained 7 kilos in just a few months. I was shocked at how quickly it happened and couldn’t make sense of it; I hadn’t changed anything about my lifestyle,” she explains. “The ironic thing is, I had actually started exercising more because I knew menopause was approaching.”
She couldn’t understand it: she lived an active life and ate healthily. Dissatisfied with the changes in her body, she tried various methods she had heard about from her friends.
“I tried intermittent fasting for a while and cut back on carbs, but I saw very little result,” she says. “By then, the scales showed I had gained 12 kilos compared to my pre-menopause weight. I decided to book an appointment with a dietitian, hoping she could tell me what I needed to change. Apparently, I was missing the right information.”
“At the dietitian’s office, I was given an analysis of my eating habits. I had to keep a food diary, and we discussed the impact of hormones and my age on my metabolism, but she couldn’t identify a clear reason for my sudden weight gain.”
Marion did, however, start applying some of the tips the dietitian gave her, such as incorporating more protein into her meals. She followed the advice carefully, but still, she noticed no changes in her weight. “I felt healthy, but my body seemed to think otherwise. I kept gaining weight, as if I was trapped in a body I had no control over. When it later turned out that a hormonal imbalance was the underlying cause, I finally understood why the advice hadn’t worked.”
It also took a mental toll on Marion. “I can’t deny that it made me feel insecure, especially since I had never struggled with this before. It frustrated me immensely that I seemed to have no control, and I even became irritable with my husband and child.”
After discussing it with her husband, she decided to visit her GP to investigate whether there might be a medical cause. Marion underwent blood tests to check her thyroid, blood sugar, and cholesterol levels, but all the results came back normal.
“The doctor confirmed that it’s not uncommon to gain weight during menopause, but after a thorough conversation, she suggested we try something different. She proposed weight-loss medication. I was a bit surprised because I saw that as a kind of last resort. But this medication was specifically designed for people like me: those who are overweight due to hormonal or metabolic changes.”
After a few weeks, Marion already noticed a difference. “I felt lighter, and the scales confirmed it. Within a few weeks, I could fit into my old blouses again without them feeling too tight. I was so relieved to have found a solution.”
Her frustrations were replaced with newfound motivation. “I felt so much stronger because I seemed to have regained control. My energy was back. And where it used to irritate me that all the exercising didn’t help, I now looked forward to working out again.”
“The medication gave my metabolism the extra boost it needed, allowing me to lose weight and slowly regain my body,” Marion says. “It wasn’t an easy decision to start using it, and at first, it felt like I was cheating, but I’ve completely let go of that feeling now. What matters is that you follow your own path and do what works for your body. For me, that was using medication.”
