Menopause and Weight Loss
As women reach a certain age, they find that a very mysterious phenomenon occurs. The Middle-Aged Spread. It almost feels sometimes as if you have woken up in another persons body, and through no changes in your activity level, or eating habits, you seem to acquire this added layer of fat, especially focusing around your middle. As a trainer, I work with many women in this age category, and it is a phenomenon I see over and over again. The doctors will firmly say that Menopause has no physical connection with weight gain. I beg to differ....
Several things happen in the process of Menopause. But let's look first at what comprises a healthy metabolism. The word metabolism simply defined means the amount of calories or energy in the form of food that an individual can take in to MAINTAIN their present body weight. This number is based on the amount of lean tissue that the body holds. Remember that we can divide the body into two categories: Lean, functional, living tissue i.e. muscle, bone, connective tissue, etc. you get the picture. Or FAT. The only function of FAT is for energy uses, and unfortunately many of our bodies have enough fat to supply us with enough energy to do a marathon every day for the rest of our lives.
So, to get back to the big picture, if our body is comprised of only two things, functional tissue (muscle), and non-functional tissue (fat), and only one of those, muscle is responsible for our metabolic rate, it makes sense to say that if muscle mass is decreased over time an individuals metabolism will lower, thus lowering the number of calories that they can consume on a daily basis.
And what happens during Menopause, the time leading up to, and the time after............
Muscle Mass decreases.
Why?
Because of 1) the natural deterioration of muscle tissue through the aging process.
and 2) because of the lowering of the hormones which control the maintenance and growth of muscle tissue. We know that during Menopause the hormone levels slowly decrease, oestrogen, progesterone, amongst others. As this happens (and it happens so gradually that we don't even notice it sneaking up upon us), and it combines with the natural deterioration of muscle tissue through the aging process, our metabolism slowly starts to shift from muscle or lean functional tissue to fat.
and 3) because of the effects of years of yo-yo dieting which generally in most cases increases body fat and lowers muscle mass.
Is there any good news?
You bet!!
In our clients who are living with Menopause and trying to come through the other end with their bodies and sanity intact, here is what we prescribe.
Number one, do not diet!! Diets especially restrictive ones LOWER the metabolism. Women in desperation to lose the menopausal pounds will look for a fast, quick fix and will go on severe calorie restrictive diets which only act to lower the metabolism and lower the muscle mass. THIS MAKES THE PROBLEM EVEN WORSE!!!!!
Eat a well-balanced, healthy nutritious diet, reduce your portions and calories to a healthy but manageable level that will result in a fat loss only, not a muscle loss. Avoid too many carbohydrates like white bread, pasta, rice, white potatoes. Keep portions of these small as they are normally the culprits for weight gain. Avoid sugar and sugary foods. Eat more fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Eat lean healthy protein. Put these general rules into practice and you will find your weight naturally coming down.
Next, engage in regular exercise. Cardiovascular exercise burns calories and strengthens the heart and respiratory system. But even more importantly for weight loss: DO RESISTANCE TRAINING WITH FREE-WEIGHTS OR MACHINES. This will rebuild lost muscle tissue, bring the metabolism back up to it's natural state, give shape and form to the body, and get you feeling like your old self.
Women especially seem to sometimes have a fear of resistance training, but they must remember that all resistance programs are planned taking into consideration a persons abilities, levels, age and any pre-existing injuries or disease. At Stripes, this is what we do. And it works!! Our members are proof of this.
So in conclusion, don't despair. Menopause doesn't have to be an ending, it is just the beginning. The beginning of a life where we can move into the next phase with all the amazing knowledge that we have acquired over the last five or six decades, feeling great, and looking great!!! Enjoy it, you've earned it!!!!
If you fit into this category and would like some help, call Stripes Fitness on 01332366011 and let us make a plan for you.