Tell me something! Did your slim figure slowly disappeared after 40, or should I say, during menopause? Menopause weight gain is a hard reality many women, including myself, struggle with. This weight gain seems to prefer our waistline, hips, and thighs gifting us with the “middle-age spread”! But this doesn’t mean we should accept it as a predetermined condition. In fact, there are simple ways we can take to fight weight gain and prevent it. Allow me to share how my doctor explained the reasons we might gain weight during menopause.
What causes weight gain during menopause
Reduced estrogen levels
My doctor explained to me that the main reason for weight gain and carb craving (my biggest weakness lately) is declining estrogen levels. The change can cause insulin sensitivity which causes blood sugar levels to fluctuate. As a result, you may start to grave carbs and sugar more frequently.
Increased appetite
Is your appetite larger than life now? Blame it on lower estrogen levels which apparently increase the presence of the “hunger hormone” ghrelin. Needless to say, lower estrogen levels mess up with the functioning of the hormones that control appetite and fullness – leptin and neuropeptide Y. It’s not uncommon for midlife women to gain on average 10 to 15 lbs, if not more due to hormonal fluctuation. But that’s not the only reason why!
Lower metabulism
Our metabolism also slows down as we age due to loss of muscle mass. We start to lose 5% of our muscle mass as early as 30 years old. And since muscles are active tissues that expend more fat, we end up burning fewer calories as we lose muscle mass.
Five ways to stop weight gain during menopause
Before revealing the ways I try to manage my weight as a midlife woman, my biggest advice for all women over 40 is to embrace a new lifestyle that’s genuinely focussed on self-care and wellness. It’s time to ditch old lifestyle habits that were forgiving when we were in our twenties or even thirties. This is a crucial stage of our lives to make the promise to pay extra attention to us! Are you ready for that?
Be active
I cannot stress the importance of active life in managing weight after 40. As said, this is the time to make a lifestyle change and this change means embracing and committing to exercising a few times a week. In fact, I learned to manage weight by combining cardio workouts and strength training about five times a week. One day, I’ll focus on strength training which incorporates weights to build muscles: Remember we lose muscle mass as early as 30 years old. Therefore it’s important to focus on building muscles to burn fat and to strengthen the joints.
Cardio exercising is also another workout element that can burn calories and fat. And because my metabolism is slowing down, I combat this change with cardio exercising such as jogging and swimming. However, if you can’t perform a high cardio workout, you can still be active by going out for long walks, taking dancing lessons, or biking around the neighborhood.
Sleep well
One of my biggest problems is getting better sleep during menopause. Between the stresses of life and hot flashes, I find myself constantly waking up throughout the night feeling hot and uncomfortable. Worse of all, I can’t get back to sleep and end up tossing and turning for a while before drifting into dreamland again.
However, I’ve learned that practicing some meditation and proper breathing helps me fall asleep faster. As well, I stopped drinking alcohol over a year ago and that helped a lot with minimizing hot flash episodes during the night. And you know, I try to cut down on caffeine and sugar after 7 pm, as they can increase heart rate and blood sugar levels which cause insomnia. As well, I ALWAYS mute my phone by putting it on plane mode to avoid getting distracted with notifications, texts, emails, or calls.
Change your eating habits for good
Unlike our twenties, we now must track what we eat and reduce caloric intake. To do this, start by eliminating sugar, carbs, and processed food. Since women burn fewer calories after 30, we must also reduce our intake of certain food. This means it’s time to clean the kitchen pantries and throw away all junk and processed food. Instead, switch to a diet that is rich with fresh green vegetables, fiber, fatty fish, eggs, legume, and lastly, lots of water.
Cut back on booze
There are so many reasons why you should consider cutting back on alcoholic beverages. As I stated in a previous blog, alcohol diminishes the regulation of blood sugar levels and interferes with the hormones that regulate glucose levels. More on this topic here.
Talk to your doctor
If and when you are not feeling yourself, I urge you to visit your doctor and discuss how you feel with her. One of the biggest mistakes I made was neglecting to discuss some of the issues I was experiencing such as a craving for carbs, reduced energy levels, and brain fog. Even though I did lots of research and reading about menopause, it was more reassuring and enlightening to have a candid conversation with her.
She presented a number of options and recommendations to follow which I am happy to share and to pass along to everyone. I encourage you to comment and share your thoughts on this topic with Elle Muse and your circle of close female friends.
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