We all know a large percentage of menopausal women have a tendency toward weight gain, but many of our doctors tell us that if we buckle down and do the work we can fix that. Do we need to tell these docs to get their heads out of their “Clavens” and face our reality?

I’ve tried it all. I mean recently. Over 30 years I tried it all and much of it worked. It was hard work – but it paid off. Not so much now.

I work my butt off eating all the right foods and exercising and results are just not forthcoming. Thankfully I love fruits and vegetables, but let’s face it you can eat only so many garden fresh tomatoes before your complexion turns that fire engine shade of really bright red!

Okay, I exaggerate, but nothing is working for me right now and it’s making me crazy. I’ve tried gluten free, wheat free, carb free, starch free, low cal and whatever else you can think of – and nothing. And let’s not even talk about the bloating – I’ll just sob!

The next doctor that tell me that two months isn’t enough to gauge whether or not X will work is going to get my boot in their ass! I know gluten free folks who claim to know within a week or two – so when absolutely nothing happens over 6 – 8 weeks – I know someone is blowing smoke up my skirt!

What’s even worse is that when I’m on full swing in my “recommended diet du jour” and am lamenting about a discernable lack of positive reinforcement, a well-meaning friend/acquaintance, who clearly puts little effort into life-sustaining behavior will always manage to chime in with “well, if you didn’t drink diet soda, you could probably drop those extra pounds.” Let me just say in the calmest and most rational voice I can muster “I want to drop you into a tank of piranhas and then throw the remains into a fiery volcano.”

Does that seem like an overreaction to you?