Are you experiencing weight gain without really changing what you eat?
Managing weight gain in peri-menopause and menopause is something I regularly hear about from women and how weight gain can affect their confidence and feelings of self-worth.
Menopause is a time when many women find that their body shape changes. Women often become more apple shaped, holding more fat around our waists and tummies.
It is also a time when women naturally lose muscle mass…this means we burn calories less efficiently and have a tendency towards weight gain.
As we age our lifestyles also tend to become more sedentary…You may experience a lack of motivation to exercise, you may be feeling particularly anxious about your own health or the health of loved ones. You may be also be comfort eating or eating out of boredom.
Add to that any extra stress and anxiety = release of hormones which make us more inclined to store fat. Lack of sleep can also effect hunger hormones, and it is easy to see how we can gain a few extra pounds…
Managing weight gain in peri-menopause and menopause.
Here are a few things you can start to do to keep your weight in check:
✅ Track your daily food intake for a week using an online app such as My Fitness Pal. It’s free and can give you a good indication of where you may need to make changes
✅ Reduce refined carbohydrates such as breads, biscuits, crackers, cakes, breakfast cereals etc Make healthy swaps such sweet potato for white potato and use quinoa instead of breakfast cereal or rice
✅ Avoid snacking as much as possible. For most people it is better to allow 4-5 hours between meals. Or you may want to consider only eating within a certain time window such as between 10-6pm, although this may not be suitable for everyone.
✅ Some scientific research shows that menopausal women move and exercise less. Resistance training with weights or high intensity interval training (HIIT) can beneficial for maintaining muscle mass but any exercise is good, so keep moving. There are loads of free online workouts right now
✅ Try and get plenty of sleep – ideally 7-8 hours a night to keep hunger hormones in check
For extra support for managing weight gain in peri-menopause and menopause, 1-2-1 Skype, Zoom or telephone consultations are available.
For more tips and advice on peri-menopause, join a growing group of like-minded women here
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