Similar advice applies to women who are post-menopausal, menopausal, and perimenopausal. Eat healthy, de-stress, focus on light movement, get lots of rest, and drink plenty of water. When aiming to cut out the menopause weight gain, that’s about as basic as it needs to be.
Here are some tips for post-menopausal women looking to transform their lives and make healthier choices.
Life With Menopause Weight Gain
How do you know if you’re post-menopausal? If you’ve gone a full year without having a period, you’ve reached that point. Your hormones have likely undergone a lot of changes, and weight gain may be a resulting symptom. For post-menopausal women, losing weight and keeping it off might be challenging. If this is the case, here’s what you can do about it.
Making Choices to Support Your Body
As we age, our bodies require more maintenance than perhaps we’ve been accustomed to. For women over 50, the rate of metabolic decline is greater than ever. That makes it much easier for the body to pack on extra, unwanted pounds. Sometimes, it might seem that even one cheat day can ruin an entire week of otherwise healthy living! This is normal and expected.
Knowing your metabolism will not be what it was in your 20s or 30s might feel discouraging. But don’t let it deter you from achieving your goals. Armed with that knowledge, you can turn things around.
Avoid snacks that are overly processed or contain large amounts of additives. Your body likely can’t tolerate them the way it used to. Opt for healthy, unsaturated foods like fruit and vegetables. Eat lean protein like chicken and fish for dinners in place of red meat. Be kind to your cholesterol. If you haven’t made a healthy diet change, this is by far the most important first step to take.
Care for Your Body Well: Make Smart Choices
It should go without saying, but don’t smoke. Smoking is one of the absolute worst things you can do for your metabolism and health overall. If you have been smoking for years or more, there are so many programs that can help you to quit.
We highly recommend you solicit help to kick this habit. Though going “cold turkey” can work for some people, it may not work for everyone. Seek the support you need to care for your health and well-being.
Gaining Weight in Menopause
If you’ve been down this road before, you know that one of the cruel side effects of quitting smoking can be unintentional weight gain. For women over 50, it might seem like any change you make brings a few extra pounds. Gaining weight in menopause is common, but it doesn’t have to be your reality.
Consider light-to-moderate exercise alongside a balanced diet. Although we don’t promote over-exercising in the Metabolism Reboot, we do encourage our clients to walk. A half-hour walk a day can do wonders for your dipping metabolism! Staying active is a key supplement to eating healthy. With a whole-food diet, this will surely work wonders.
Boost Your Vitamins
One final note about menopause weight gain—make sure you’re getting good amounts of calcium and vitamin D. What post-menopausal women might not realize is they need more calcium than before. The recommended dose for women who are premenopausal is 1,000 milligrams of calcium per day. However, that number jumps to 1,200 during post-menopause. Should you have any questions about your body’s changing requirements, it’s always best to consult your physician.
The Best Next Steps
Entering the post-menopausal years doesn’t have to be scary. Life is a journey and we are here to work with you on a one-on-one basis. No matter what your age or body type, our 10-week course will help boost your metabolism and lose that weight! Contact us today to begin this exciting phase!