That was just for men who get squeamish about such things. :biggrin:

Let me start by saying that I am not a sweet eater or junk food eater as a general rule. I'm not an emotional eater. I just eat to excess. First bite in my mouth at a meal and I can't stop until my belly feels 'full'.

However, for the last week, I've had several Cookies a day which I put down to the holidays which I associate with 'food'. Twice, it was more than a few cookies with last night being the worst. Especially when I calculated the calories of those particularly rich homemade cookies this morning. :tongue2: Each cookie was about 400 calories!!! Good grief...no wonder I haven't lost anything this last week even though I'm eating a fraction (in volume) of what I used to...and no wonder that in past years I'd be 15 pounds heavier after the holiday season!

But I digress...

I haven't had a period since my youngest son's birth 17 years ago. They assumed, after a lot of testing, that it was due to my excess weight...even though I weighed no more after the birth than I did before I got pregnant. I did have a 'period' of two hours with passing a few clots about a month after surgery, but since then nothing.

Ta Da! Woke up this morning and Happy New Year...I have my first official TOM in 17 years and I recognize that this last week of unrecognized craving for sweets (and feeling bloated) was the warning.

I'm marking my calendar so I have a heads up next month and won't fall into the 'sweets' trap again...and if I do have a craving for sweets will make sure to give into it with sugar free hot chocolate (which is so sickeningly sweet it kills any sugar craving).

.

wow elfiepoo, that seems so strange to me that your body would just kick in that way after 17 years. I have heard that obesity causes issues with that TOM. Maybe it is a little menaposal hormone thing too.

I had a hysterectomy when I was 25 yrs old and have been so happy to never deal with visits from aunt flo.

Since then I really have not paid attention to issues related to that or to all the birth control methods that have come out in recent years.

Hi,

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Wow...not having a cycle for that long. I hope your doctors thoroughly checked you out. I've suffered from PCOS, polycystic ovary syndrome since I was a teenager and that was attributed to my insane period schedule. The past two years, where I've been my heaviest weight the PCOS has gotten out of hand. A year ago, I literally had my period for 7 months straight before I had to have surgery, so not to have it at all would be a blessing :tongue2: PCOS is a disorder that typically affects heavier women and it's not something that can be determined w/ standard lab work. The diagnosis is based on a coupling of symptoms, weight and hormones being the key two. Now that I've had this surgery, my doctors tell me that the irregularity should stop with the loss of excess weight. The weight loss that you are doing has probably kicked your ovaries into drive and now your lovely monthly bill is right on track. :biggrin:

Maybe it is a little menaposal hormone thing too.

Definitely not that. I found a new doctor about a year ago and she was concerned about the lack of periods so she did an intensive hormonal workup and I'm not even showing signs of perimenopause.

Interestingly, I've suffered from hot flashes off and on since I was 16, which they believe is hormonal, but they've never found a reason. Fun fun.

.

I hope your doctors thoroughly checked you out.

Yep, they did. I've been checked for everything from cysts to cancer but no answer. I really haven't missed the bloating, cramps, messiness and just general blech every month. What a way to start the new year. :biggrin: