About Menopausal Weight Loss

While weight gain is not an inevitable part of aging, it is all too common, and it seems that extra pounds often accompany menopause. Some women jokingly refer to their burgeoning bellies as "menopots." But there's nothing funny about excessive weight gain. Being overweight is linked to many diseases and conditions, including heart disease, cancer, and diabetes. Losing weight is never easy, and certainly not during menopause, but it is possible.

Causes

As people age, they generally become less physically active. Also as they age, muscle is replaced by fat, and fat tissue burns fewer calories than muscle. This causes them to gain weight, even if they don't eat more. Their slowing metabolisms (on average 10 to 15 percent slower than when they were young) burn fewer calories and make them more likely to reach for that afternoon candy bar to get through the day.

Effect of Menopause

Menopause leads to weight gain because as women's estrogen levels fall, their appetites increase. The uncomfortable symptoms of menopause---hot flashes, emotional disturbances---make it difficult to maintain the willpower to avoid fattening foods.

Midlife is often a stressful time for women. They may be balancing many responsibilities: children who need help with college plans, aging parents who are becoming increasingly dependent, work, and their own health challenges. These stressors can lead to a depletion of the hormones that help deal with stress, especially serotonin and cortisol; when those hormone levels drop, women tend to reach for foods that are heavy on refined carbohydrates---think Twinkies.

Portion Size

The best way to tackle menopausal weight problems is to eat frequent meals and watch portion sizes. Dr. Christiane Northrup, author of The Wisdom of Menopause, suggests cupping together your two hands to visualize the size of your stomach capacity and don't eat more than that at any one meal. Eating too much causes the body to produce insulin, another factor in weight gain, so portion control is a must. Avoid big meals, eat breakfast every day and have a mid-afternoon snack to stabilize your blood sugar.

Nutritional Needs

Dr. Northrup has several recommendations on how menopausal women can best meet their nutritional needs. She advises eating protein at every meal: eggs, lean meat, fish, or vegetarian products. Northrup suggests following a diet ratio of 40 percent protein, 35 percent low-glycemic carbs and 25 percent fat. Foods containing high-glycemic carbs, those that quickly raise blood sugar levels, should be avoided. These include foods made with white flour, alcohol and sweets. Eat plenty of vegetables, fruits, and foods with healthy fats, such as fish, sunflower seeds and nuts.

Exercise

Exercise is more important than ever at midlife. Walking, aerobics and bicycling are all good ways to get your heart rate high enough to burn calories. It's a good idea to add weight training, too, because of the body's tendency to lose muscle as it ages. Incorporate small changes into your routine: park farther from the store entrance, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and get up and walk around every so often during your work day. Making one small, positive change in your routine often leads to more changes that can open the door to better health.