My Life (Own Experience) Tips to Lose Weight During Menopause Over 40
Are you experiencing midsection weight gain during the menopause phase of your life and if you are it can be so frustrating, it can be upsetting, it can have an impact on your self-confidence. I explore five reasons that this could be happening to you and 5 ways to combat it.
1) Hormonal changes during Menopause
That you could be experiencing midsection weight gain. Our hormonal changes with the drop in East region and testosterone and all kinds of hormonal changes going on it could mean that your body starts to store excess fat in different areas, namely around your midsection; so again the way to combat that is regular strength training; and moving as much as you can during the day getting your 10,000 steps, in taking the lift walking; getting out and about as much as possible is key.
And it has a cumulative effect throughout the day, so if you do 20 minutes of strength training at home and then during the day you’re active, walking, and being mindful that you’ve been as active as possible, this will all have a massive impact on those hormonal changes and you’ll be burning more fat.
2) Stressful Eating during Menopause
Stressful eating now again down to hormonal changes you might feel that you’re thinking differently, you become overwhelmed at simple tasks multitasking becomes really difficult again down to those hormonal changes so if you feel stressed if you have wild mood swings one minute you feeling angry another minute you’re feeling sad; then you’re feeling happy this can cause lots of stress in the body that cortisol again.
Cortisol again is pumped through the bloodstream and that can have a big impact on comfort eating and emotional eating you might not even realize it that when you do experience stress you start to reach for food and again all those calories add up and if you’re doing this in a mindless fashion and you’re not even realizing how much you’re using food as a stress coping. Then those calories will all add up over the week over the month over the year and that can be a huge cause of weight gain around the midsection.
Firstly being aware of it being aware that you are using food as a crutch use aware that you are using food to soothe, to relieve stress even if it is temporary; so being aware of it is key and then taking steps to manage your stress can you take some things off your plate are there things that you no longer need to do or want to do you know getting out with nature walking, meditating, listening to music, showing your feelings you know being vocal about how you feel rather than bottling everything up there are so many different ways that you can manage your stress.
And we’re all different some of us might want to do a hard workout some of us want to scream and cry and share our emotions some of us want to meditate and be alone you might want to have a digital detox. Find what works for you what relaxes you what helps manage your stress and then do more of that.
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3) Your metabolic rate is changing during Menopause
Is your metabolic rate is changing post 40; studies show that our metabolic rate is getting slower, by 8 percent every decade and some shudders studies show you need 200 calories less during this stage. So that can mean that can be a big reason as to why the weight is starting to creep on. especially if you look back and you’re eating pretty much the same as you were in your 30s and early 40s; it can be the metabolic rate.
So how can we combat that regular strength training now weight training doesn’t have to mean going to the gym for hours it can mean 20 minutes at home with a resistance band; but regular strength training is key; in fact regular strength training is crucial for all women in the menopause phase of their life and post, because it will help with osteoporosis and cardiovascular. I mean the benefits are huge of regular strength training that you can do at home.
4) Being an less active during the period of Menopause
Being less active than you were in your thirties or your early forties you might be so busy doing so many different things yet you’re spending more time in your car, you’re sitting at your desk for a lot longer, you’re sitting looking at your phone for longer periods although you’re busy you’re being a lot less active. So again being mindful of that you need to plan your exercise do your 20 minutes in the morning at home get out more work more walk, the dog a little bit more and be mindful every single day that you are active.
5) Losing muscle mass during menopause
Yes we are losing muscle mass as we get into our menopause muscular strength and muscular endurance is diminishing if we are not doing regular strength training and yet another reason to do some regular to strength your muscle.
Diet Tips For Weight loss During Menopause
a) Eat more vegetables
When you’re in the menopause phase you need to eat more vegetables. Eat vegetables at every meal wide variety of vegetables the data shows aim for eating 30 different plant-based foods every week.
But if you break that down that just means five different vegetables every day you can do that and an easy way and a cheap way to do that is to juice everything. I like to make my juices quite thin so I always add in sparkling water or soda water so that gives you a good pint of juice.
And if you drink that for thing in a more Veg it fills you up it’d feel really good you feel really healthy it gives you that adequate amount of hydration and it’s a great way of getting those phytonutrients in vegetables fruits and vegetables will help your gut microbiome you’ll help your mental cognition they’ll fill you up they’re packed with vitamins minerals macro and micronutrients. So eat as many vegetables as you can during the day.
b) Prepare your food in advance
So you never catch a hop so maybe on the weekend you go out you will make a big grocery store going to our Diego Lidl grab all your food stuck to your fruit and vegetables and have a plan and get your slow cook and make a collection and prepare everything in the fridge or freezer for nest few day.
c) Have a Reset
What has worked in the past or anything you know about healthy eating and various eating programs is kind of forgetting all that information; and just reset maybe a month or a few weeks when you just focus on food; three balanced diets do not need to cut down on carbs or milk or fat or other food groups.
Just eat healthy food three times a day to get the right amount of fat and carbohydrates and protein ready; be careful if you are hungry are you a nightmare. Are you eating when you are bored? Are you eating when you are stressed? Are you eating when frustrated? all those things and a reset in just a few weeks; just eat a balanced diet.
d) Slow and mindful eating
Eat slowly and logically we all do a lot of work we all do millions of different activities every day even if we eat you might look at your phone, watch TV, do some talking to other people.
It takes about 20 minutes for your brain to actually register when your body is full and if you eat and do something else you may be eating too fast and chewing your food; so you tend to overeat when you overeat and suddenly realize that you are full and that your stomach is losing weight.
Turn off all your devices at first to watch the TV screen stop focus cheat foo chew a bit because you want to; all the enzymes and digestive enzymes are in the mouth of the digestive tract, before it hits your stomach, so if you eat less you take your time less likely to have eaten so eat mindfully.
e) Keep tracking
When you’ve had a nutritional reset and you’ve been eating three meals you’ve been aware of if you’re eating; when you’re stressed or you’re a nighttime nibbler you’ve been adding up all the vegetables and Fruits. If you find that you are still not losing weight it’s time to do a little bit of tracking and you need to work out your total in output of your daily energy.
So we all have an amount of calories that we need on a daily basis and if you google total daily energy expenditure you can put all the stats in but make sure that you put your orchid entry even if you train really hard; put in that your sedentary and it will give you the total amount of calories per day that you need to maintain your current body weight.
I try to eat in a calorie deficit of about a hundred per day, and you’ll need to track it. In the good old days, I would get you to write everything down and keep a food diary, but you can do it digitally now. You can download one of the Fitness apps that is good for you, input all of your food, and that will give you your total daily calories, and if you then ensue a calorie deficit of about a hundred per day.
So, before you start tracking, focus on the quality of your food for a few weeks just getting into the habit of eating three meals a day and eating all of your vegetables; you’ll probably lose weight that way, but if you still want to lose weight, you’ll need to be in a calorie deficit; so my top tip is to track your total daily energy expenditure. You don’t have to count calories if you track for seven days and make sure you’re in a deficit.
You don’t have to track forever and for some people tracking and calories is not the preferred method you might not find that works for you it might be another stress added on to your life but if you’re really frustrated when you’re eating healthily.
And you find that you’re not you losing weight then just doing a week of tracking will help you find out exactly where you are and you might find that you’re eating way over your total daily energy expenditure and if you are the it’s time to make some changes cut back where you can.
My own life experience tips to lose weight during menopause
Most women’s weight gains are influenced by several factors, which makes maintaining a healthy weight and shedding pounds during menopause difficult. The options we select also have an effect on how we feel.
1. Eating patterns
Food choices during menopause are a large part of the problem. Women often have less dietary flexibility than during their regular menstrual cycles. Because of hormonal changes, we may stop eating sugar, caffeine, soy foods, and gluten.
2. Lactation
Lactation has always been a more difficult stage during menopause because of the reduced number of oocytes, but now women’s particular dietary changes also play a role.
3. Health
Diet can be considered a problem every time, but the factors discussed above play a part when it comes to maintaining our health or maintaining our weight. Our level of physical activity also determines this, and the easiest way to lose weight during menopause is increase our physical activity.
4. Make the best choices
Some women just have no idea where to start when it comes to losing weight or maintaining a healthy weight. Also, an unhealthy diet or failure to make nutritious choices might seem counterintuitive. However, changing our eating patterns is as straightforward as changing the foods we eat. We must establish healthy habits and improve our physical exercise.
5. Fitness
Physical exercise is extremely important to maintain your weight during menopause. We might be more susceptible to thyroid conditions, osteoporosis, or some types of cancer.
Hope my five reasons why you can be putting weight on and midsection weight gained in the menopause and five ways to combat it what is important to remember that this is completely normal and so many women experience midsection weight gain it’s to then understand why it’s happening and then make a plan to combat it. I really hope these tips are helping you.
FAQ
1) What is the most effective way to lose menopausal belly fat?
Begin by combining moderate and strenuous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Swimming, walking, bicycling, and jogging, as well as resistance or strength training, should all be part of your routine.
2) What is the most effective way for a 50-year-old woman to lose weight quickly?
- Make it a habit to enjoy strength training
- Make a group
- Move around more and sit less
- Speak with a dietician
- More meals should be prepared at home
- Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables
- Make use of the services of a personal trainer
3) Why is losing weight after the age of 50 so difficult?
“The process of fat infiltration into your muscles accelerates after the age of 50,”. You might feel tired than usual. Your metabolism slows and you lose muscle mass, making it more difficult to maintain a healthy weight.
4) How can I get rid of my menstrual cycle?
- Eat a healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose healthy sources of low-fat protein and dairy products.
- Add sugary drinks.
- Keep part sizes in proportion.
- Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine
5) What foods should you follow during menopause?
Whole foods with fruits, vegetables, whole grains, high protein and dairy products can reduce the symptoms of menopause. Phytoestrogens and healthy fats, such as omega-3 fatty acids from fish, can also help
6) Do you get belly fat during menopause?
Changes in your body’s hormones and mood swings are common, and you may notice weight gain around your midsection. Some people call this symptom “menopause.”
7) How many calories should a woman in menopause have to eat in order to lose weight?
When you are 50 years old, you need 200 calories a day more than you did when you were 20, you think you work equally well. After the age of 60, you need 400-500 calories less. If you exercise moderately, you can reach the age of 50, about 2,000 calories a day is good. After 50, you need to lose to 1,800 calories.
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