Weight Loss During Menopause
- Certainly Not A Lost Cause.

In order to be successful in weight loss during menopause, you must understand the changes that are happening in your body during this trying and exhausting time. Most women go through menopause in their early 50’s or late 40’s, for some women it can be much later or much earlier but this is rare. Everyone knows the outward symptoms: hot flashes, mood swings, lack of energy, but few know what is really going on underneath the surface.

Weight loss during menopause can be a real challenge because of the body’s unstable hormonal factors. Estrogen levels drop drastically, progesterone and testosterone drop, which results in less lean muscle mass and more water retention and bloating. Androgen is increased in the body, making all the fat go right to the mid section, the last place you want it to go. With all these hormones going up and down irregularly, your body is an unstable place, not favorable for easy weight management.

Difficult weight loss during menopause can be a result of the body’s slowed metabolism. Women don’t recognize their bodies' need for less calories and eat the same as they did before menopause. With the same amount of calorie consumption and the body burning less, the result is an excess of energy that ends up being stored as fat.

So how do you stop the impending weight gain during menopause? By taking positive steps! Understand that this process is a natural process and helps the body to ward off osteoporosis. Try to make healthy changes to your diet, you probably didn’t feel was necessary five years ago.

Healthy eating is important. Avoid eating fatty and sugary foods. Notice I said avoid, not eliminate. Menopause isn’t about strict dieting or starving yourself. Your body needs good, balanced nutrition at this time in your life. Diet lacking necessary nutrients could result in worsening of menopausal symptoms. If you smoke, quit. As you age, smoking becomes more and more dangerous. Your weaker lungs and heart cannot take so much abuse as when you were younger. Also, try to limit alcohol and caffeine and other intoxicants.

A great way to weight loss during menopause is exercise. Since the metabolism slows down during this time, you can help reverse that process through exercise. Two good things come from exercise.

Number one: it burns off belly fat that is dangerous to the heart.

Number two: if you incorporate strength training into your exercise, it can help replenish the loss of muscle mass in the body, and reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Make sure to supplement with enough protein and calcium to help build stronger bones and lean muscles.

Good source of protein at this time in life are nuts, legumes, variety of grains and vegetables. Having animal protein washes calcium out from the body and increases the risk of osteoporosis. Plants provide enough protein with additional benefit of abundance of natural vitamins, minerals and live enzymes. Nuts are up to 20% richer in protein than meat. Unsaturated fats provided by nuts are necessary for good health in comparison to saturated fats in meat, which increase cholesterol level.

Some best sources of calcium are: sesame seeds, soy beans (or tofu), almonds, spinach and watercress. Also many green leafy vegetables such as dandelion, endive, cabbage, parsnip, leek, lettuce and parsley. Fruits, such as fig, apricot, black currants, peaches. The list is long. Calcium obtained from plant sources are the best. It is the easiest to assimilate and is bioavailable to the body.

You shouldn't put up with the excessive weight gain, the best attitude for weight loss during menopause is a healthy approach. Nothing drastic or strict should be considered, but definitely a goal of a balanced diet and good old fashioned exercise is the way to go.

Weight Loss Retreats

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