Lisa Snowdon admits she went through a ‘dark’ time as she dropping two stone during a five-year weight loss battle while dealing with menopause.
The presenter, 52, who frequently discusses her struggle with menopause, claimed she ‘lost herself’ when she first started experiencing symptom in her mid-40’s.
Speaking to Closer Magazine, the former Britain’s Next Top Model host admitted that she didn’t recognise herself at the time as the perimenopause and menopause had such an impact on her confidence.
She revealed: ‘I had days so dark that I thought, “If this is what my life looks like, then I can’t do it”, I felt so lonely and confused. I didn’t recognise myself.’
‘The perimenopause and menopause have such an impact on your confidence and I lost myself for a little while.’
Lisa Snowdon revealed that she went through a ‘dark’ time as she candidly opened up about her five-year weight loss battle, dropping two stone, and dealing with menopause
The star went on to explain how she was her ‘heaviest’ in 2018, however, HRT (hormone replacement therapy) helped ease many of her symptoms.
She also revealed that she went on to lose two-stone after focusing on exercise and eating the right foods for her mind and body.
She admitted to Closer that she had ‘no grip’ on her cravings before and revealed she started ‘listening to her body.’
It comes after Lisa revealed in 2021 that she was prescribed antidepressants after experiencing low moods and anxiety as a result of early menopause.
The presenter, who suffers from endometriosis started experiencing depression around 10 years ago but had no idea her symptoms were a result of the perimenopause.
Appearing on Lorraine at the time, she explained that her 2016 appearance on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here! was worsened by ‘debilitating’ periods, low energy and ‘brain fog’, revealing she relied on the pill to stop her irregular cycle.
It wasn’t until being prescribed Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) that Lisa was able to ‘take ownership’ of her health, hailing the treatment as a ‘game-changer’ and insisting she ‘wouldn’t be without it’.
‘When I look back it did creep up on me, it wasn’t a definite pinpoint the actual day I knew I was going into perimenopause,’ Lisa explained.
Speaking to Closer Magazine, the former Britain’s Next Top Model host admitted that she didn’t recognise herself at the time as the perimenopause and menopause had such an impact on her confidence
‘When I look back it was about seven years ago when I started experiencing low mood, depression, anxiety and I was managing it because I just thought that was what was wrong with me, maybe I was just a bit unhappy.’
‘I got prescribed antidepressants and that wasn’t what I needed but I thought I did. The symptoms started evolving and it was painful periods, awful cycles, really irregular, all these other symptoms started coming up and it was a juggling act. It was really hard to work out what was going on.’
After signing up as a contestant on the ITV reality show I’m A Celeb, Lisa began having periods so painful she struggled to leave the house – but still had no idea that she was exhibiting signs of menopause.
‘It was such a shame,’ she said. ‘I said yes to going into the jungle and I was really excited about it and in the months leading up to it I had debilitating cycles and really irregular, almost where I couldn’t leave the house and I didn’t know what to do.’
‘I already suffer from endometriosis, so I’m used to having very painful cycles but I thought “What am I going to do? This is going to be awful”.’
‘I went to see my gynaecologist and we had scans and tests, never discussed once it could be my hormones or perimenopause, or the menopause.’
‘We did a short fix which, looking back, I was able to go into the jungle. I was on the pill which stopped cycle, which isn’t ideal but I wanted to experience [the jungle].’
‘When I look back I didn’t have the experience I wanted. I didn’t have the energy, I did have brain fog, I did have the anxiety and feeling low and lonely and out of sorts and not recognising your body.’
She revealed: ‘I had days so dark that I thought, “If this is what my life looks like, then I can’t do it”, I felt so lonely and confused. I didn’t recognise myself.’
It comes after Lisa revealed in 2021 that she was prescribed antidepressants after experiencing low moods and anxiety as a result of early menopause
Now Lisa takes HRT for her symptoms and says that she no longer has ‘rages’ or ‘screams at her partner.
‘I am on HRT I’ve been on it for about four years and I wouldn’t be without it, It’s changed everything. It’s been a game changer.’
‘I feel like myself again, I’m not screaming at my partner, I don’t have rages, I feel like I recognise myself again and I’ve been able to take ownership of looking after my health.’
The presenter spoke candidly about her early menopause in 2021, saying she ‘made peace’ with the fact she will never have biological children with her fiancé George Smart.
Speaking to The Sun, Lisa said: ‘We’d discussed it in the past but hadn’t started trying, so I knew we’d have to explore other options in the future if we did want to become parents.’
‘George was brilliant about it and told me we could look into alternative ways in the future. It was a lot to come to terms with.’
Lisa also revealed that her early menopause saw her pile on ‘around three stone in a year’ and also caused ‘brain fog, anxiety and fits of rage’.
She said: ‘In 2018, I went to the doctor for blood tests, which was when I got the bombshell that I was perimenopausal. It all finally made sense, but it was hard to process.’
Now Lisa takes HRT (hormone replacement therapy) for her symptoms and says that she no longer has ‘rages’ or ‘screams at her fiancé George Smart (both pictured in 2021)