Most women don’t wake up one day in menopause.
It sneaks in.
First it’s trouble sleeping.
Then weight that won’t move.
Then anxiety that didn’t used to be there.
Then brain fog, low libido, hot flashes, or feeling emotionally flat.
And everyone around you keeps saying:
“You’re just stressed.”
“You’re getting older.”
“Welcome to being a woman.”
But what’s really happening is usually perimenopause — the long hormonal slide before menopause ever officially begins.
At SD Weight Loss Center in Spring Valley, we treat this as a medical issue, not something women are supposed to just suffer through.
What Perimenopause Actually Feels Like
Most women think menopause is the problem.
It isn’t.
Perimenopause is the chaos before it — and it can last 8–10 years.
That’s when estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone start rising and crashing instead of staying steady. Your body doesn’t lose hormones overnight — it loses stability.
That’s why symptoms show up in waves:
- weight gain, especially around the belly
- night sweats or hot flashes
- anxiety or low mood
- sleep that suddenly falls apart
- low libido
- dry skin and thinning hair
- joint pain
- brain fog and memory lapses
- fatigue that coffee doesn’t fix
You don’t have to be 50 for this to start.
We see women in their late 30s and early 40s dealing with this every week in Spring Valley.
Why “Normal Labs” Don’t Mean You’re Fine
Here’s the problem with how most women get treated:
Doctors run one hormone test, it comes back “in range,” and you’re told everything’s fine.
But hormone ranges are wide.
You can be technically “normal” and still feel awful.
At our clinic, we look at:
- where your hormones sit in the range
- how they relate to each other
- your symptoms
- your sleep
- your stress
- your weight patterns
Hormones don’t operate alone.
We treat the pattern, not just the number.
What Hormone Therapy for Women Actually Means
This isn’t birth control.
This isn’t synthetic hormone replacement from the 1990s.
At SD Weight Loss Center, we focus on bioidentical hormone therapy — hormones that match what your body naturally produces.
Depending on what your labs show, treatment may include:
- estrogen support
- progesterone balance
- low-dose testosterone for energy, focus, and libido
- thyroid optimization when needed
Everything is:
- lab-guided
- adjusted slowly
- monitored regularly
No guessing. No cookie-cutter dosing.
What Women Usually Notice First
Most women tell us the first changes show up in:
- sleep quality
- mood stability
- mental clarity
- energy
Then:
- cravings calm down
- weight becomes easier to manage
- workouts feel more productive
- libido slowly returns
- skin and hair improve
It doesn’t hit all at once.
It builds — the way real healing does.
Why Weight Loss Is So Hard During Perimenopause
When estrogen and progesterone drop, insulin resistance rises.
That means:
- carbs hit harder
- fat stores more easily
- appetite signals misfire
This is why women who “eat the same as always” suddenly gain weight.
It’s not discipline.
It’s hormone-driven metabolism changes.
That’s why we often pair hormone therapy with:
- metabolic testing
- nutrition guidance
- sometimes GLP-1 medication when appropriate
We don’t treat weight and hormones as separate problems — they aren’t.
What Makes Our Clinic Different
We’re not an online hormone mill.
We’re not a cosmetic spa pretending to do medicine.
We’re a medical clinic in Spring Valley that treats women who want to feel like themselves again — not just look okay on the outside.
Your care is overseen by Michael Woo-Ming, MD, MPH, a Mayo Clinic–trained physician who has spent decades working with women’s hormone balance, metabolic health, and age management.
You get:
- real labs
- real adjustments
- real follow-up
- and a doctor who knows when to change course
Not a subscription box.
When Hormone Therapy Is Not the Answer
We won’t push hormones when:
- thyroid dysfunction is the real issue
- severe adrenal stress is driving symptoms
- nutrient deficiencies are being ignored
- untreated sleep apnea is wrecking recovery
Fix the foundation first.
Then add hormones if needed.
That’s how you get lasting results.
FAQs
“Do I need hormone therapy for perimenopause?”
If symptoms and labs line up, hormone therapy can dramatically improve quality of life.
“Is bioidentical hormone therapy safe?”
When properly dosed and monitored, yes. Safety depends on supervision — not the word “bioidentical.”
“Will hormones help me lose weight?”
They make weight loss possible again by restoring metabolic balance — but they still need to be paired with nutrition and movement.
“Do I have to stay on hormones forever?”
Not always. Many women taper or adjust as their bodies stabilize.
Bottom Line
Feeling exhausted, anxious, foggy, and stuck in your body is not a normal part of being a woman.
It’s a treatable medical state.
If you’re in Spring Valley or East County San Diego and you think perimenopause might be behind what you’re feeling, come in and get real answers.
No dismissal.
No gaslighting.
No guessing.
Just labs, conversation, and a plan that actually fits your life.
SD Weight Loss Center — real medicine, real care, real people, right here in Spring Valley.
