Your Beautiful Menopause Body and Metabolism
As women age, changes in muscle mass occur, slowing down metabolism and making it more challenging to burn calories. Estrogen plays a crucial role in various physiological functions, and its decline during menopause further contributes to a slower metabolic rate. These changes in body composition can impact how we view ourselves in the mirror. Remember, women’s bodies are beautiful at every age and shape. Take steps to support your journey to better weight health during menopause.
Understanding the Impact of Menopause on Weight
As women approach menopause, typically occurring between the ages of 45 and 55, there is a significant decrease in estrogen levels. These changes show in shifts in body shape, weight gain, difficulties losing pounds, loss of muscle mass, and reduced energy levels. Here’s why:
Slowed Metabolism: A slower metabolic rate may make weight management more challenging, requiring personal effort to eat thoughtfully to manage calories and exercise regularly to burn them.
Distribution of Body Fat: Estrogen plays a significant role in regulating fat storage and distribution. Apart from changes in our shapes, there is an elevated risk for cardiovascular issues. Reduce this risk by keeping tabs on blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood glucose levels, along with maintaining a healthy diet and exercising.
Changes in Appetite: Hormonal fluctuations can increase hunger or cravings, particularly for high-calorie foods. Identify low-calorie foods that satisfy cravings when the urge to snack or indulge in sweets arises.
Muscle Loss: Age-related muscle loss tends to accelerate during and after menopause. Since muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, a reduction in muscle mass can slow down metabolism and impede weight loss efforts.
The aging process affects metabolism in both women and men. When a slowing metabolism creeps up in unwanted pounds, there are steps that can help get you back on track.
Strategies for Successful Weight Management
While the challenges may seem daunting, achieving and maintaining a healthy weight during menopause is attainable. Empower yourself with some of these strategies:
- Balanced Diet: Focus on a nutrient-rich, well-balanced diet that includes whole grains, lean proteins, fruits, vegetables, and healthy fats. The Mediterranean Diet is an excellent example and even includes dark chocolate and an occasional glass of red wine. Eating healthy does not have to be boring.
- Regular Exercise: Regularly boost metabolism, maintain muscle mass, and burn calories through exercise. Incorporate a mix of cardiovascular exercises, strength training, and flexibility exercises tailored to your preferences and abilities. On days when you “don’t feel like it,” a casual stroll around the neighborhood for 20 minutes can still have positive effects on your cardiovascular health, help maintain muscle tone, and contribute to calorie burning.
- Holistic Approaches: Explore holistic approaches such as mindfulness, meditation, and yoga to cultivate a solid mind-body connection. Yoga also improves flexibility and strengthens muscle mass, providing a social outlet for meeting other like-minded women.
- Celebrate Non-Scale Victories: Get off the scale. Daily weigh-ins may lead to unhealthy behaviors in some people. Celebrate achievements beyond the scale, such as increased energy levels, improved mood, and enhanced overall well-being.
Weight loss after 40, especially during and after menopause, is a unique journey. Approximately 1.3 million women will go through menopause in 2024. You are not alone. If body image or weight negatively impacts your life, consider joining a support group. While there are great meal home delivery services, joining a local weight loss or nutrition center connects you with others facing similar struggles. Engage a best friend as a workout buddy or hire a personal trainer to keep you motivated and on track with the goals you set for yourself.
Adding in a regime of hormone replacements can also help balance fluctuating weight by lowering ‘bad’ fat in the blood while increasing ‘good’ fat. PearlPAK™ is a prescription medicine used to alleviate cognitive difficulties in women during menopause while also providing relief from other common menopausal symptoms. It is not a weight loss drug but can play a role in your journey to whole-body health. Learn more here.
Remember, you are beautiful whether you are a size 2 or 22. This is not just a “beautiful on the inside” remark; you are simply stunning.