I've been on low-dose estrogen and progesterone for my menopause for years. I know people, including my best friend, that wanted to weather it without hormones. My hot flashes and night sweats were unbearable. I was also experiencing the weight gain you speak of. I started doing 16/8 fasting and I walk 10,000 steps a day, and that conquered my weight issue. It is a conundrum. With age you care less about the little things, but menopause does make you cranky. I'm tired of taking medication daily and looking into how to wean myself off of them. I'm almost 64 now and I can't imagine that hot flashes will return. Thanks for your post.