Hysterectomy Body?
Bodies are a hard topic. Let’s start by acknowledging all the things that happen to our bodies that are outside of our control.
These things can be so severe that it can feel like you’ll never feel confident again.
You can!
But that doesn’t always mean you’re ready. The rest of this email is going to cover common body changes after surgery and complaints I hear from women I work with.
If you’re not in a place to think about your body right now, please exit this blog.
I’ve worked with hundreds of women after their surgeries.
I get the privilege of learning what’s changed about their body, their frustrations, insecurities, and fears. This is what I hear the most often:
“My belly fat feels impossible to get rid of.”
“I can’t lose weight no matter what I do.”
“I’m so bloated all. the. time.”
“My arms are flabby.”
“My butt disappeared.”
“My waistline disappeared.”
So yeah, people struggle with body image after a hysterectomy. It’s no fun.
But it doesn’t have to be your destiny.
If you don’t feel right into your body after surgery, here are some tips to get you started feeling better:
Get your activity back up. 7-8k steps/day is the bare minimum. It’s easy to slowly slip into a more sedentary life when you’re not feeling your best. Take an honest assessment of where you’re at.
Build muscle. Hormonal changes in perimenopause and menopause, sometimes sped up by hysterectomy, are the beginning of a time in life when you start losing muscle more quickly. This loosens skin and increases your body fat percentage, so even if you weigh the same, you might look different. Every woman 35+ should be strength training.
Check your posture. Core + pelvic floor strength change from surgery and alter your posture, often causing a flat butt, bloated stomach, + rounded back. Mix little bits of stretching into your day, and yes, start strength training.
Ask about inflammation. Having surgery is an inflammatory event. Another thing that’s usually happening to women having a hysterectomy is perimenopause (or menopause!). During this time in life, your body starts storing more visceral (belly) fat. This is different from the squishy, subcutaneous fat all over our body. You may have to work harder than before to control inflammation and manage your health. You can have your inflammation measured by testing HS-CRP (high-sensitivity C-Reactive Protein).
Ask about hormones. Menopause hormone therapy is safe, effective, and helpful for all the things above. Please reach out if you need help finding a supportive physician.
I know, it’s a lot. That’s why I believe every woman deserves preventative support in her healing.
Part of my 90-day rehab process is helping you navigate these changes, get the testing and care you need, and implement the lifestyle changes that you can control.
We work on your pelvic floor health and prep you for exercise, yes, but it’s so much more than that.
My clients have had successes like:
Overcoming back pain.
Improving health markers like blood pressure, sugar, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Losing 40 pounds.
Doing their first push-up
Fitting into clothes from college
Feeling confident again (getting selfies of my clients all dressed up is the BEST!)
If you want to work on goals like these, I want to help.
You can schedule a free discovery call here. We’ll talk about your story and goals to figure out if working together is a good fit for you.