5 Tips to Fight Weight Gain After Menopause
Aerobic activities and strength training can help
Aerobic activities and strength training can help
Weight gain after menopause is a common concern for many women. For some, it can be frustrating to see extra weight around the belly and not know why it is happening.
Though menopause doesn’t automatically add pounds, it does lead to changes that may make it more difficult for someone to maintain their pre-menopausal weight.
Weight gain after menopause is often linked to hormonal changes and aging. As women go through menopause, estrogen levels drop, which can lead to less muscle mass. Muscle tissue is more active and burns more calories than fat, even at rest.
“The more muscle you have, the more energy your body uses just to maintain it,” says Katrina Kelly, MD, an OB-GYN at Scripps Clinic Rancho Bernardo. “When you lose muscle mass, your body doesn’t work as hard to burn calories, making it easier to gain weight.”
Adding strength training to your regular exercise routine can help prevent muscle loss. It can also boost your metabolism and support weight management during and after menopause.
Here are five tips to help you keep the number on your scale stable.
1. Get motivated
During menopause, hormonal changes can cause mood swings, depression and fatigue. These issues can make it hard to exercise or eat well. Life changes, like empty nest syndrome, can also make things tougher. It’s not unusual for some people to turn to comfort food or eat more than usual to console themselves.
The right approach is to address the issues that stop you from staying fit. Hormone therapy may help with mood swings and fatigue. Counseling or medication can help with depression. Exercise can boost your mood.
If you’ve gained weight and don’t know how to lose it, weight management programs can get you on the right track. When you see that you can lose weight, you will likely feel motivated to keep going.
2. Get moving
Aerobic activities can help boost metabolism and build muscle. They help burn calories and reduce belly fat. In addition, they are good for your heart. A strong heart lowers the risk of diseases that come with age and extra weight.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends adults get 150 minutes of aerobic exercise each week. You don’t need to do it all at once. Aim for 30 minutes of aerobic exercise most days. You can break it into three 10 or two 15-minute sessions if that’s easier.
Choose what works best for you. Some of the best options include walking, swimming, cycling, dancing and hiking.
3. Build strength
Building muscle through strength training helps manage weight. The CDC recommends adults do muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.
Ask a trainer at your gym or wellness center to put together a basic strength training routine for you, using weights machines, free weights or body exercises, such as pullups, push-ups or squats. Other activities like yoga and Pilates can also help you build strength.
4. Eat smarter
It’s sad but true: As you get older, your body needs fewer calories to maintain the same weight. That means you need to eat less to maintain your current weight.
You can adjust your calorie intake by adding more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your diet. Try cutting back on juice, processed foods and refined grains like white bread and white rice.
Whole foods are low in calories but high in important nutrients. These foods fill you up, help you eat less and can keep you at a healthy weight without feeling deprived.
Portion control is also important. You may find you are satisfied with smaller meals instead of the big ones you are used to eating.
5. Get support
Find a sport, exercise or physical activity that you enjoy doing and recruit a friend to join you. Having that kind of support can increase your commitment to lose weight and keep you accountable.
If losing weight by eating healthier is your goal, you can find support for that too. Joining a weight-loss program, such as WeightWatchers or Noom, can help with accountability and learning behavioral changes and healthy habits.