As we age, our ability to lose weight weakens. For women, the struggle to lose weight can start as early as the age of 30. Those going through the onset of menopause may notice a little fat building around the belly.
During the menopausal transition, estrogen and progesterone change drastically — causing the body to redistribute fat around the midsection. While weight gain and an ever-expanding midsection are frequent complaints during this period, they are manageable, and it is still possible to lose weight during and after menopause.
Here are a few tips for those battling menopausal weight gain:
Talk to your doctor
While a lack of estrogen can contribute to many things, such as severe hot flashes and night sweats, if your symptoms are impacting your everyday life, you should talk to your doctor. Your doctor might recommend hormone therapy, also known as HT, or other medications. Consulting your doctor first on ways to tackle menopausal weight gain is beneficial. They might be able to introduce you to groups so you can connect to other women or they might recommend certain fitness classes or a new diet regimen.
Get moving
Increasing your activity not only helps with physical health — including helping with better sleep — but also with weight loss. Try new work outs from aerobics to strength training. Mixing up your activities can help you be more engaged and helps train your thought process to see working out more as fun and less as a chore.
Now is the time to introduce HIIT (high intensity interval training) workouts to your weekly regimen. Pamela Peeke, MD, MPH, author of “Body for Life for Women,” explained “Ideally to keep your weight in check, you’ll be working out three or four times a week — with the injection of some HIIT [or other strength training] — and it only needs to take 15 to 20 minutes,”
Watch what you eat
We’ve all heard this before: To lose weight you have to cut calories. While that’s true, you don’t have to do a drastic cut. Watching your caloric intake, focusing on nutrient-rich foods and upping protein all aid in losing belly fat. You’ll want to include lean proteins from beans, fish or chicken, and healthy fats like avocados and olive oils, as well as a good mix of fruits and vegetables. You can cut calories by adjusting your sugar intake, and by avoiding carbonated drinks, processed foods and foods containing high amounts of trans or saturated fats.
Address your stress
Many factors in life cause us stress. And going through menopause and seeing excess belly fat doesn’t exactly help. When we stress, our bodies release cortisol. If our cortisol levels are continuously high due to chronic stress, the results may include insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes, both known to cause weight gain especially around the midsection. To help reduce stress and belly fat, try taking vitamin D, get outside for a walk, meditate, reduce alcohol consumption or seek a counselor or a therapist.
There are many ways that you can combat belly fat as you go through menopause. It’s a hard task, but making small changes along the way and adjusting what works for you and fits your lifestyle will be beneficial in the long run.
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