Weight Loss After Menopause: Is It Even Possible?
Gail Davis
July 27, 2008
Is it possible to have weight loss after menopause? Have you noticed that you´ve had trouble maintaining the weight that you used to be able to manage easily? Do you find that your extra weight has started to accumulate around your abdomen instead of distributing itself? Is it even possible to turn this post-menopausal trend around? Sure it is! That´s the good news! The bad news is that in order to have weight loss after menopause, you´re going to have to accept that what has worked for you for the past 50 years, works no longer!
Menopause-related issues generally begin during perimenopause. The majority of women gain about a pound a year during this time leading up to menopause.
Don´t assume that changes in hormone levels are the primary cause for this weight gain. Other factors such as lifestyle, genetics, and aging play an important role as well.
So, how can you achieve weight loss after menopause? First you need to understand what is going on inside your body. As you age, your caloric needs decrease because the aging process slows down your metabolism. Aging naturally causes the gradual replacement of muscle with fat. Remember that muscle burns more calories than fat. You now have less muscle…hence, the sluggish metabolism!
Is it important to strive for weight loss after menopause? Consider that post-menopausal extra weight contributes to an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Is that incentive enough?
The strategies for weight loss after menopause are basically the same as they are for any kind of weight loss effort. Your biggest advantage is understanding why your metabolism slows and what you can do to try to counteract it.
To lose weight after menopause you will definitely need to increase your activity. Becoming twice as active would be very beneficial to your overall health. If your schedule permits, consider two workout sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon or evening. Add weight training to your workout. This will help boost your metabolism and help prevent the loss of lean muscle mass when dieting.
Be sure to decrease the number of calories that you consume. Make sure your food choices are highly nutritious and satisfying. Don´t eat empty calories that provide little or no nutritional benefit. Instead, choose low-fat healthy alternatives.
Decrease your alcohol consumption. The days of drinking two glasses of wine each night without consequences are gone. Limit yourself to one glass or divide one four ounce serving of wine into two glasses, mixed with club soda.
Increase the calcium in your diet, but choose the low-fat version. Research has shown that calcium from low-fat dairy products has a positive effect on weight loss. So, reach for skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and 2% or fat-free cheese.
Cut back on sodium. Try alternate spices and seasonings. Read nutrition fact labels carefully to determine the dietary numbers of your choices.
Find ways to relax. Stress causes weight to accumulate around our middle, which is the unhealthiest place to carry it. Explore meditation or find your inner yogi and breathe!
And finally, portions, portions, portions! Just because you used to be able to eat the big bucket of popcorn at the movies and still look cute in your jeans, doesn´t mean you can now. They do have smaller buckets!
Menopause-related issues generally begin during perimenopause. The majority of women gain about a pound a year during this time leading up to menopause.
Don´t assume that changes in hormone levels are the primary cause for this weight gain. Other factors such as lifestyle, genetics, and aging play an important role as well.
So, how can you achieve weight loss after menopause? First you need to understand what is going on inside your body. As you age, your caloric needs decrease because the aging process slows down your metabolism. Aging naturally causes the gradual replacement of muscle with fat. Remember that muscle burns more calories than fat. You now have less muscle…hence, the sluggish metabolism!
Is it important to strive for weight loss after menopause? Consider that post-menopausal extra weight contributes to an increased risk of breast cancer, stroke, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and type 2 diabetes. Is that incentive enough?
The strategies for weight loss after menopause are basically the same as they are for any kind of weight loss effort. Your biggest advantage is understanding why your metabolism slows and what you can do to try to counteract it.
To lose weight after menopause you will definitely need to increase your activity. Becoming twice as active would be very beneficial to your overall health. If your schedule permits, consider two workout sessions a day, one in the morning and another in the afternoon or evening. Add weight training to your workout. This will help boost your metabolism and help prevent the loss of lean muscle mass when dieting.
Be sure to decrease the number of calories that you consume. Make sure your food choices are highly nutritious and satisfying. Don´t eat empty calories that provide little or no nutritional benefit. Instead, choose low-fat healthy alternatives.
Decrease your alcohol consumption. The days of drinking two glasses of wine each night without consequences are gone. Limit yourself to one glass or divide one four ounce serving of wine into two glasses, mixed with club soda.
Increase the calcium in your diet, but choose the low-fat version. Research has shown that calcium from low-fat dairy products has a positive effect on weight loss. So, reach for skim milk, low-fat yogurt, and 2% or fat-free cheese.
Cut back on sodium. Try alternate spices and seasonings. Read nutrition fact labels carefully to determine the dietary numbers of your choices.
Find ways to relax. Stress causes weight to accumulate around our middle, which is the unhealthiest place to carry it. Explore meditation or find your inner yogi and breathe!
And finally, portions, portions, portions! Just because you used to be able to eat the big bucket of popcorn at the movies and still look cute in your jeans, doesn´t mean you can now. They do have smaller buckets!
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