Body After Forty · bodyafterforty.online
Free & printable
Free symptom checklist for women over 40
Most doctor visits are short. This checklist helps you walk in with everything written down, so nothing gets missed and nobody waves you off.
Tick anything that’s been true for you in the last 3 months.
What helps
Body and weight
Changes around your middle are really common in your 40s. As oestrogen drops, your body stores more fat on your belly. You also slowly lose muscle, so the same plate of food can now be a bit too much.
Try this week
- Have protein at every meal, like eggs, fish, beans or Greek yoghurt.
- Lift something a bit heavy two or three times a week. Your own body weight counts.
- Go easy on alcohol, especially in the evening.
See your doctor if your belly grew fast, or it feels swollen and bloated most days for weeks.
Read next: Why is my belly getting bigger after 40?
Read next: What should I eat after 40 to look and feel good?
Sleep and energy
Lighter, broken sleep is one of the most common changes in your 40s. Falling progesterone and night sweats can wake you, and bad nights add up to tired days.
Try this week
- Put protein and fibre in your dinner instead of a big bowl of plain carbs.
- Keep your bedroom cool and sleep in light layers you can throw off.
- Get up at the same time every day, even after a bad night.
If you’re exhausted most days for a few weeks, ask your doctor for a blood test. Low iron and thyroid problems are common and easy to check.
Read next: Why do I wake up at 3am after 40?
Read next: Why am I so tired all the time after 40?
Mood and mind
Oestrogen helps keep your mood and memory steady. When it rises and falls before menopause, a lot of women feel snappy, anxious or foggy for the first time in their lives.
Try this week
- Move your body most days. A brisk walk counts.
- Cut back on alcohol. It can make anxiety worse the next day.
- Write things down, so your brain has less to hold.
If your mood is getting in the way of your life, see your doctor. HRT and talking therapies help a lot of women. If you ever have thoughts of harming yourself, please get help today.
Read next: Why do I feel so anxious and irritable after 40?
Read next: Is it normal to forget words and lose focus after 40?
Periods and skin
Periods often change in your 40s, in timing or in how heavy they are. Skin tends to get drier as oestrogen drops.
Try this week
- Write down the dates of each period and how heavy it is, for a few months.
- Eat oily fish and colourful fruit and vegetables. They help your skin.
- Drink water through the day.
See your doctor if your periods are very heavy, come much closer together, or you bleed between periods or after sex. Heavy periods can also leave you low in iron.
Read next: What should I eat after 40 to look and feel good?
Next step: take your list to your doctor. Get the printable copy below, fill in when each thing started and how much it affects your day, and bring it to your appointment.
Tick anything that’s been true for you first, then press the button again.
How to use it
Next to each tick, write when it started and how much it affects your day, from 1 to 10. Take the list to your appointment and say: I’d like us to go through these together.
These are common changes women notice in their 40s. The list doesn’t diagnose anything. It helps you explain what’s going on, clearly.