Angie Harmon called herself a liberal republican in 2013 so I’ve side eyed her for some time. She’s also spoken, at length, about how she’s discriminated against in Hollywood for being a republican. She has made some progress recently, so maybe she’s changed. In a recent interview with People Magazine Angie was spitting truths which were timely for me to read. Angie is 51 and she’s going through menopause. She told People magazine that exercise isn’t working like it used to, that she gets so bloated all the time, and that she’s basically struggling. OMG same.
Angie Harmon, 51, opened up to PEOPLE about how her body hasn’t been feeling like her own since hitting her 50s and going through menopause.
“The thing that I hate the most is when you’re going through menopause, your body just isn’t yours anymore,” she tells PEOPLE while explaining the changes and symptoms she’s experienced.
“The workouts that you used to do, they don’t work anymore. And I love salt so much, and I swear to God, if I even smell it, I wake up the next morning and my eyes are almost swollen, closed. My face is four times its size,” she said. “I mean, I have to think about all of these things now that I didn’t used to have to think about.”
Harmon says there are even times her face gets so “puffy” and “gross” that she doesn’t recognize herself in the mirror.
In addition to the changes in her body, Harmon admits that her energy levels have started to decrease and she’s just been accepting it.
“I think the beauty of being in my fifties is that I definitely have those days where I don’t feel like getting out of bed,” she says. “I’m exhausted. I just want to lay there and read a magazine about fashion or decorating and that’s it.”
“I’ll get up and make my daughter’s lunch and get her to school and do the whole thing and blah, blah, blah,” she adds. “But I feel like I’m coming back home and it’s one or two things, either laying down or working out. Whichever way the scale tips that day, that’s where I go and I don’t feel bad about it.”
As she tries to adjust, Harmon said that she’s turned to hot yoga to regulate the bodily changes that have come with menopause.
“I started hot yoga… and I mean you literally sweat out of your eyeballs and it is awesome,” said the Baywatch Nights star. “Hot yoga. I’m telling you, you get in there and you just sweat. I used to be a runner. I used to do all that stuff and I do still, but it just doesn’t do what it used to do to my body.”
“It’s just a StairMaster and hot yoga and three to five pound weights if I’m feeling really good that day,” Harmon continued.
As I go through this annoying sh-t, I think back to Viola Davis’s interview on Fallon where she said she’s angry and hungry all the time. (She’s talked about menopause in other interviews.) I can relate so much to that. Also, I have noticed that my face and hands are swollen frequently and that my joints hurt way more than they used to. I didn’t make the connection that the puffiness was due to menopause so it helped me a lot to read this. I can’t take hormones because I get high blood pressure from even the lowest dose birth control. I may sound exceptionally negative here but I blame that on menopause it is an absolute bitch. My only advice, and I’m saying this mostly for myself, is to just force yourself to exercise if you can because it helps. I have to drag my ass to the gym but once I do a workout I never regret it. Or just stay home and say screw it, like Angie mentioned. That’s better advice, to do whatever you need and not stress about it.
I forgot that she has a pet squirrel!
Photos credit: Darla Khazei / Avalon, Janet Mayer/Startraksphoto.com
I am 38 and have recently gone through surgical menopause in conjunction with ovarian cancer and I cannot have HRT. So I don’t know if my puffiness is the ‘pause or the chemo.
I am also obsessed with sour food, I eat entire lemons.
Wishing you well on your recovery journey @Yellowy !
I used to go through spells of eating entire jars of pickles or entire orange, yellow, and red peppers. Then it just went away.
Menopause is one of the most badass experiences I’ve ever encountered! My mind and my body were suddenly strangers to me, strangers who changed how they perceived anything on a minute by minute basis! The swelling, the sweating, the racing heart, the sobbing, the blind rage and my personal favorite, massive panic attacks that struck without warning even while I was do the most mundane task. Now, on the other side and fully post-menopausal I can clearly say “I don’t know sometimes how I survived it, how I came out of it with my marriage intact and my children still speaking to me “. Again, I feel that I am the Most Badass Woman and I support any who are going through it and hope that you know that you are a Badass Woman too!
Damn straight! I AM badass, and I did it without hrt! Honestly I can’t believe it. Every once in a while, I’ll still get a stray killer hot flash (which is super embarrassing because I look like a lobster and everyone can tell lol), but I’m finally addicted to exercise after years of self-sabotage, and and I’ve been able to shed a ton of weight. I can’t sit still now lol. I have more energy now than I ever have… So weird. Cheers to bad ass women!
My hot flashes came close to making me want to not leave my house. They would hit so hard and fast and I would find myself sweating, red-faced, with even my hair getting wet. I looked and felt like I might explode at any minute! I didn’t have HRT because my doctor thought it was dangerous with a family history of breast cancer, so I had a few miserable years.
@Harla-hearts +++, I was someone who had normal/light periods forever. Then, around age 49/50 (my timeline might be off for reasons), I was bleeding for weeks heavily. During the course of business life, I would be standing there talking to someone and distracted because I had a natural/unnatural concern/thoughts about, the flowage. Went from someone who lightly made their way through periods to someone who felt like an effin bleeding billboard. Who was also suppose to smile throughout the day? Menopause really is an important discussion.
I don’t have anything to contribute on the menopause conversation yet. I just wanted to say that 3-5 pound weights are usually too light. Women should work out with real weight for the health and development of their real muscles- especially women who are aging and need to be aware of things like osteoporosis. Stop playing with those baby weights.
Absolutely correct! Lifting heavy is so important to maintain and build muscle mass. AND plenty of protein. I highly recommend looking into Dr Stacy Sims.
ITA! Strength training 3X a week with total weight from 15-30 lbs took away my hot flashes. I can always tell the difference if I go on vacation and don’t lift the flashes start up again
I totally get it. I am 50 and also going through it. BUT I wish all the exposure we’re getting to women going through menopause wasn’t always so goddamn negative. There are also AMAZING things about being this age and giving zero fucks.
Also, strength training is what women should make sure they’re doing. Muscle mass is so important and it also helps with hormone regulation. I’ve also started doing cold plunge/sauna and my diet is pretty dialed. Plenty of fiber ladies to rid your bod of the excess oestrogen.
I empathise but let’s rally! We are not just our bodies. What about our spirit!? What awesome things are you doing for yourself? What boundaries are you establishing with your loved ones to honour your self. Can we stop focusing on how we look all the time!?!
rant over.
Menopause is the cessation of estrogen production. There is no excess estrogen. That is the problem. The drop in estrogen causes the symptoms.
My menopause was literally killing me. I am now being treated by two doctors and feel somewhat human again. I highly recommend seeing a specialist and getting bloodwork, and keep the follow up appointments.
Same. Immediately after getting the estrogen patch I started feeling like a human being again. There are a million sneaky weird things that can happen with menopause.
Exactly, I needed testosterone, progesterone and multiple other supplements from what my blood showed. Everyone is different. I also see a psychiatrist and psychologist that has helped immensely also. I am getting a better normal back, just sucks most of it isn’t deemed important enough health care to be covered under my insurance plan.
I hope high profile women keep talking about menopause.
I know everyone’s experience is different, but I went through menopause 3 years ago and … I dunno, man. In the gauntlet of “horrific body things I’ve endured” it just wasn’t that bad. There’s so much fear mongering about it! To anyone feeling scared, I’m here to say that for some of us, it’s just not that big of a deal.
Same. The fear mongering is high, and I totally understand many women have frustrating or miserable experiences, but for me it has been fine and rather anticlimactic. I’ve gained a little weight but nothing drastic. Will see how things are with more years in.
Yeah, I had my last period at 58 1/2 and 8 years later never a hot flash or any real complaint.
I second this. At 54 I just passed the one-year-without-a-period mark (whoo-hoo!) and my main issues have been hot flashes, the occasional headache, a sole episode of racing heartrate, and constant irritation likely due to getting up every three hours at night to pee. Honestly, it’s been totally manageable. I agree with other posters here, ditch the heavy-duty cardio for something gentler on the joints like power walking or yoga and start lifting heavy-ish weights to ensure you don’t lose muscle mass.
I’m so curious about this. Would anyone on this thread mind sharing if they experienced bad cramps or PMS symptoms before menopause? I’m wondering if there is a correlation between intensity of period and intensity of menopause symptoms. Probably too easy an explanation and it’s probably way more mysterious the reason why some people have such a hard time during menopause and others don’t.
I had extremely heavy flow, a typically 7-8 day stretch of bleeding with a day or two of moderate (I could still function) cramping throughout most of my life. I’d say I entered peri-menopause about two years ago. My biggest symptom is insomnia followed by joint pain but also my periods are getting shorter (3-4 days) and less heavy. To date, no hot flashes but I’m only 47 so we’ll see. The weird thing is that my cramps disappeared completely. They just don’t happen.
I take umbrage with the use of fear mongering for the discussion around menopause. It can be debilitating and there has been so little mainstream conversation and accurate medical information that many women are truly suffering. If that’s not you, consider yourself lucky and do what you can to support those women who are not.
Congratulations! You are one of the lucky few 10% of women who don’t have severe perimenopause symptoms. But just because your experience wasn’t terrible, doesn’t mean that other women don’t have some pretty severe symptoms
Same here. Not sure if it’s lifestyle related (I work out every day and I’m vegan), but I’m 51 and certainly perimenopausal (my periods are very irregular), and I haven’t had a hot flush, or any other symptoms, really. I know my late mum really struggled, so I doubt it’s genetic.
Oh man, menopause is a bitch!! Just awful. Me and my sister are so pissed at our mother for not warning us. Never had a panic attack until this shit! But Effexor (sp?) helps.
Same. I started going through it but nobody prepared me for the mental changes. I spent two years in hell when my “brain broke” as I call it. Finally realized what was happening and went on Effexor. While I appreciate talk about hot flashes, puffy skin, etc, I wish more people would talk about the mental changes that can happen.
I’m glad you got help!! I broke into tears 3 times a day and felt incredibly fragile. That just wasn’t normal for me.
I empathize with her comments, but I also think if she’s not exaggerating and she’s really swelling that much after eating salt she should talk to her doctor. I also think that we’re conditioned to see menopause as entirely negative and that, as Meli says above, there are positive aspects as well.
This time can be an invitation to let go of what’s no longer so important (like dressing to please others) and embrace what is (your friends, your passions, etc.). Eating a balanced diet and moving your body help a lot, even if visible results are more elusive.
People should absolutely feel free to share their own experiences around this — I’m not against honesty about what’s difficult — I just think that at times the conversation around older women skews too negative.
I take spironolactone for hair loss and acne, and the delightful side effect is that it helps with the morning puffiness enormously! I can look like a completely different person when my face is swollen. It was such a relief when that stopped happening.
Jancee Dunn’s book “Hot and Bothered” is one of the best books about menopause.
I’m probably perimenopausal and my fatigue has been out of control. I’m pretty active and have had to completely change my exercise schedule and diet (wayyy more protein, gave up strength). Anyway, I got on these supplements, CycleSmart and EstroSmart, and they’ve been really good. I know all the issues with supplements and proper research (often studies don’t even use the recommended doses and only study partial doses, so the findings are even more limited). So I won’t make any claims, but they have seemed to help me more than anything else I’ve done when it comes to regulating my cycle and reducing fatigue.
I think the key for menopause in terms of exercise is that less is more. I’m doing bodyweight-only strength workouts and it’s been SO much better than my heavier strength workouts.
My favorite thing about having gone through menopause is no more periods! I used to have the worst cramps, and so much bleeding. For a while there I had to practically wear diapers and had to be really careful about what I was wearing in case it leaked. I had the diva cup for the last few years, and while I liked it, sometimes it felt uncomfortable, and I hated emptying it out if I wasn’t home. I would try to plan vacations around my period, and invariably it would start early. SO happy to be done with all of that.
I was in perimenopause, but got thrown into it full steam ahead after an emergency hysterectomy this past summer – no more periods is FANTASTIC. I spent 35 years in pain and anxiety over it, and to be free of that has been wonderful.
I did start getting a lot of hot flashes, but they’ve calmed down a bit, not sure what’s going on but I’ll take it. Other than that, as some one with insulin resistance and PCOS, I’ve always had the issues Angie does now. Not to sound unsympathetic, but she had 50 years of being naturally skinny, LOL!
First, “Republican” not ‘republican’ otherwise you’re criticizing someone for valuing a government by the people, for the people. (I teach public policy, couldn’t help it.) Second I lift heavy now and I mean HEAVY and I was never athletic but it’s what’s getting me through perimenopause – and I’m the sort picked last in PE class & for years only worked out bc I had to – but honestly I’m near addicted to it & hot barre. My hot barre classes have near infrared light bulbs & I swear that also helps my SAD. The worst part for me is that I seem to be revisiting every single PMS & period symptom I ever had. The period night sweats from my adolescence & 20’s, the period migraine from my 30’s, the insomnia from ovulation & then PMS only it used to be or the other & now it’s both times !! My BP spiked w hormones too but I think the dose was too high.
I hope those that don’t have a rough time with perimenapause/menopause would understand that it is difficult for every single person. Sometimes drastically so. The fact that it’s finally starting to be discussed openly is fabulous, at first I could not understand all the random, seemingly unrelated symptoms that started cropping up. It’s been hell. After 46 years in this body I thought I knew all its tricks. Was I ever wrong!
I don’t feel it’s fear mongering, people just can have vastly different experiences and we should be talking about all of them.
Ive had pcos all my adult life, – my body has never been mine. I have this kind of s*** symptoms normally. I guess meno wont be any sort of change for me, if i’m lucky.
I just posted similar above, I should have scrolled further. PCOS is like being menopausal your whole life, it seems.
I’m 52. The only time I had a few hot flashes of course was at work events and my body decided to flop sweat in front of my boss. So that was fun. And I have a collection of coarse chin hairs I am working with a great esthetician with electrolysis to get rid of. That’s been the bane of my menopause so far.
I used to really fear it since my Mom went into blind rages and blamed it on menopause. And took no responsibility for her behavior. Looking back, I think she used that as the excuse to indulge in acting like a banshee and no one could call her on it.
She may have just felt completely awful. Even just not sleeping well makes most people crack very fast. But of course, a responsible person tries to fix the situation.
For sure, and she hasn’t changed much since not sure how a 79 year old woman still has menapouse lol, but seriously. I do hope more Doctors more high profile women have honest open discusisons about it. It’s not the end of the world and not everyone has the same experiences. It feels like we are supposed to be ashamed for not being viable ‘breeders’ anymore.
Personally, I found the whole thing liberating. No periods is the best part of it.
“I used to really fear it since my Mom went into blind rages and blamed it on menopause. “
Seriously, same here. So far I have not turned into a banshee.
I have a cpl friends who carry battery operated fans everywhere and use them 24 hours a day. I definitely don’t miss having periods but I’ve also been fairly lucky with minimal hot flashes. The weight gain though 🤬
I’m in my 30s and have uterine issues. I haven’t had a good year since I was a kid. I actually got desparate and just ordered metformin on my own. It helped. My uterine issues give diabetes symptoms. Never tested positive for diabetes but I read metformin helps with pcos. Well it actually helped me. I can’t take it everyday because it’s heavy for me but. It also helped with puffiness.
I tried vitaminshoppe brand buffered vitamin c from the Clearance section. I believe that it shrunk my fibroids/cysts. My fibroids shrunk a little from the metform, turmeric, and other stuff. But taking high dose vitamin c seemed to finally set everything off. I took a dangerous level daily for a month. Now I take it a few times a week.
I started taking lactase or using non-lactose products. Could’ve help.
I went into Peri at 49. My periods became more frequent but less flow until I was merely spotting every week and then…nothing. Never had another period. I did have hot flashes at night that kept me up, and I was very tired. I’m 54 now and all of that is over. No more hot flashes. No more fatigue. My body betrayed me and became something unfamiliar. I carry my weight differently and how I used to work out doesn’t work anymore. I’ve had to switch it up and do low intensity workouts – mostly walking or yoga, and using hand weights when I do toning. I eat healthier than I used to as it should be. Menopause/aging is a mixed blessing. It’s great to not have periods anymore – very liberating. But I weigh about 10 lbs more than pre-meno. I almost don’t care? I like where I’m at in life and I’m enjoying this stage. I really know who I am.
Ok, but one thing nobody here — and no celeb, as far as I’ve heard — is talking about is the loss of sex drive that many women experience when they go through menopause. It can be very depressing, and wreak havoc on your relationship. Doesn’t help, of course, when menopause makes you (ahem) dry as a bone down there, which makes sex painful. My doctor finally gave me a vaginal estrogen suppository that has helped immensely with the physical side of things, but my sex drive is still in the toilet. Does it come back????
Yeah, libido is nonexistent, my fear of VD (Vaginal Dryness) has come true, and vaginal suppositories don’t help with the lack of desire. My mom says that when she finally wanted to have sex again, my dad had also lost interest (they’re in their 80s). ☹️
Two years into menopause; five years of perimenopause (hot flashes galore & the worst night sweats) and the occasional brain fog. However I have delighted in announcing to all and sundry that I am experiencing a Hot Flash Because of Menopause so watch out! My students (HS) were mortified at first but now they just roll with it. Might as well add some humor.
How about some focus on her health instead of worrying so much about how her face looks in the morning? In the great scope of human things to worry about, a puffy face in the morning is pretty minor.
Angie is for sure showing her privilege in that she’s able to hang out and relax when she’s not feeling great. In the past year I switched careers and have a completely self made schedule. I made the steps after getting a taste of flexibility during COVID. After talking with friends that have resumed 100% in person 9-5 schedule I feel guilty but also so fortunate to be able to be home more and take time for myself when I don’t feel great. Awesome to have the voice of a menopausal woman out there (hey progress!) but many woman have to slog through the day regardless of their hormone-induced mental and physical health status at the time. The retirement age is maybe 55 for the lucky few to get in a pension program early, but many are looking at 63+ before they can comfortably retire. So to hear about the flexible schedule of a 51 year old celebrity who can tend to her bodily needs (as we should all be able to) speaks to the inequality in healthcare particularly women’s health
Yeah, I’m not comfortable with all this pressure on women to talk about menopause, sorry. From where I’m sitting, I wouldn’t talk about any other health issue, so why would I talk about my menstrual cycle either? I just don’t see the difference – there’s no expectation that you have to talk about your cholesterol levels or your thyroid results, so why so much pressure to talk about menopause? No one’s doing this to men, trying to pressure them to talk about their prostates etc, why is it only women this pressure is applied to?
I’m in my 30s and have uterine issues. I haven’t had a good year since I was a kid. I actually got desparate and just ordered metformin on my own. It helped. My uterine issues give diabetes symptoms. Never tested positive for diabetes but I read metformin helps with pcos. Well it actually helped me. I can’t take it everyday because it’s heavy for me but. It also helped with puffiness.
I tried vitaminshoppe brand buffered vitamin c from the Clearance section. I believe that it shrunk my fibroids/cysts. My fibroids shrunk a little from the metform, turmeric, and other stuff. But taking high dose vitamin c seemed to finally set everything off. Also it helps with period pain which I wasn’t expecting. Maybe it’s the anti-inflammation properties.