Hot flashes are among the most common symptoms associated with the changing hormonal balances during menopause.  These sudden feelings of intense heat accompanied by sweating and rapid heartbeat can last from 2 - 30 minutes... they are not over in a 'flash'. Women experience disrupted sleep, work, and social activities, and may feel more anxious or depressed.  Women with higher body mass index (BMI) report more frequent or severe hot flashes compared to women with lower BMI.  A 2010 clinical study showed that overweight or obese women can benefit from behavioral weight loss efforts to decrease the burden of their menopausal symptoms.   Many problems associated with aging are significantly improved or eliminated when extra pounds are shed.  Avoiding Type II Diabetes, back and joint pain, heart disease and stroke are some additional health incentives to keep in mind as you embrace a healthy lifestyle and gradually lose weight through eating well and regular exercise.

Have you noticed that restaurant food is often more salty or fat-laden than anything you eat at home?  When you cook, even simple meals or microwaved steamed vegetables, you have the perfect opportunity to control what you and your family are ingesting, so use that to your advantage.  Cook with a good quality non-stick pan to cut down on cooking oil which has 199 calories and 14 grams of fat in just one tablespoon. (Olive oil has less, and using a spray like PAM is even better.)    Ditch the salt and experiment with herbs and seasonings, or a quick and simple variety of 'Mrs. Dash'.  Did you know you can substitute applesauce for cooking oil in recipes you bake? There are many healthy substitutions to try which will surprise you because neither you nor your family will miss the old ingredients.  Small changes in cooking methods and recipes add up to big health improvements!

Many doctors and patients are recommending HCG for rapid weight loss.  Don’t be fooled. All this promotes is a decreased appetite and many patients only lose weight because they are starving themselves by restricting their caloric intake to 500 or less.  When the body perceives itself as starving, it will burn muscle in order to conserve fat.
There are also concerns about its safety. The following is the official FDA warning:

"HCG has not been demonstrated to be effective adjunctive therapy in the treatment of obesity. There is no substantial evidence that it increases weight loss beyond that resulting from caloric restriction, that it causes a more attractive or "normal" distribution of fat, or that it decreases the hunger and discomfort associated with calorie-restricted diets."