Menopause and Weight Loss

Menopause occurs due to a complex series of hormonal changes in the body. It is defined as the absence of menstrual periods for over 12 months. The process of menopause does not occur overnight, but rather is a gradual process and this transition period is a different experience for each women.The average age of menopause is 50 years old, but menopause may occur as early as the 30s or as late as the 60s. There is no reliable lab test to predict when a woman will experience menopause.

 

Symptoms of Menopause include abnormal vaginal bleeding, hot flashes, vaginal and urinary infection, and mood changes.

Complications that women may develop after menopause include hot flushes, osteoporosis, weight gain and heart disease.

 

Weight Gain During Menopause: 

Many women experience weight gain during and after menopause. However, losing weight during and after menopause can be challenging because a woman’s metabolism begins to slow down. Even so, if menopausal women are serious about losing weight during and after menopause, it can be achieved as it is possible to lose weight during and after menopause. Hormonal changes during menopause affect the way 

fat is distributed throughout the body, which means this weight is likely to accumulate around your stomach. On top of the increased health risks, the extra pounds creeping around your middle section could result in health issues, from cardiovascular ones to self-esteem problems. The best way to fight these feelings is to confront weight gain head-on with a lifestyle overhaul. A series of positive, healthy changes will help you lose weight during menopause, and keep it off.

Losing Weight During Menopause

• Exercise: Exercise is important to boost the slow metabolism. Working out twice a week for about 30 minutes, which is a combination of fast walking and running is suitable for a menopausal woman to keep off the weight. No matter what type of aerobic exercise you do, you can add high intensity intervals to it.
• Weight Training: Women lose muscle mass for years, but more after the age of 50. Muscle burns more calories than fat every second of the day, so if your lifestyle is sedentary, one need to add weight lifting to their weekly routines to help replace the muscle they are losing. Be sure to learn how and what to do from a trained professional.
• Eating Fibre Rich Food: Boost fibre. Most of us need to work hard not to gain weight during and after menopause. Fortunately, eating fibre-rich foods can help: fibre helps us feel full on less. Aim to eat between 25 and 35 grams of fibre each day.The best sources of fibre: whole grains like quinoa (1/2 cup = 3 grams), barley (1/2 cup cooked = 3g) and air-popped popcorn (3 1/2 cups = 4g). You can also get fibre from lentils (1/2 cup cooked = 8 grams), fruits (for example, 1 large apple = 5g or 1/2 cup raspberries = 4g) and veggies (for example, 1 cup cooked spinach = 4g).
• Deal with the Sugar Addiction: Try avoiding or limiting the intake of sugar and sugar products like sweet dishes, muffins, cakes etc. Replace them with healthier options like fruit smoothies, fruit salad to curb sugar cravings.

• Fluid Intake: Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired and sluggish so you move less, which doesn’t help with staying slim. As we age the dryness in the body also increases so one need to keep themselves hydrated. It is advised to drink at least 10 glasses of water and keep sipping in between green tea and lemon tea.
• Sleep: Menopause can sure mess up the joys of sleep. Lots of research has shown that staying up late increases levels of the hormone, ghrelin, which increases carbohydrate cravings. 
• Eliminate Chemicals from your life: While it’s true that for your metabolism to function optimally you must balance your hormones, the best way to do this is with clean living. Toxins in our food, water, cosmetics, cleaning products, and so on are filled with chemicals that throw our weight and overall health into a state of havoc. The simple solution is to go natural. Use olive oil as a moisturiser instead of the expensive face cream loaded with chemicals. Eat as clean as you can and go organic whenever possible to avoid pesticides, preservatives, hormones, and antibiotics in foods.
• Avoid Crash Diets: Skipping meals or following extreme diet plans that cut out vital nutrients, like carbohydrates, are not sustainable or healthy. These also cause a decrease in the hormone leptin – which regulates fat distribution by controlling appetite and metabolic rate – and force your body to burn muscle tissue instead of fat. This ultimately may slow your metabolism, making weight gain more likely once you start eating normally again.
• Ease Bloating: Cutting the amount of salt and processed carbohydrates in your diet, as they can make you retain water. But don’t skimp on whole grains, which are rich in heart-healthy fibre, as well as fruits and vegetables. Drink lots of fluids to ease bloating which will also aid in weight loss. 
• Eat Foods Rich In Phytoestrogens: Certain foods contain a phytochemical called phytoestrogen, which for various reasons either encourages estrogen production or strengthens the body’s estrogen-receptors. When there’s more estrogen around, the body doesn’t have to hold on to those estrogen-filled fat cells and you can start to lose those few extra “impossible” pounds!
• Natural Supplements: Very often taking a natural supplement that helps keep the body’s systems in balance can assist women who are trying to lose weight during and after menopause. Natural supplements usually have little or no side effects and make women feel more energetic and healthier.
When you’re trying to lose weight, it’s easy to get frustrated if the results of your efforts are not immediately noticeable. Be patient; just as the extra weight didn’t appear overnight, it won’t disappear straight away, either. Gradual, steady weight loss at a rate of around one pound a week is advisable for losing weight and keeping it off. Rather than a quick fix, you are making a permanent lifestyle change that will help you maintain a healthy weight in the long term. 

7 Myth Busters of Weight Loss

Weight loss is surrounded by myths and gimmicks. So much is said about losing weight that it can be hard to sort fact from fiction. Here's the truth about 7 common weight loss myths. 

Myth 1 - Snacking Is Always a Bad Idea

The good news is you don't need to starve to lose weight. "The idea that you shouldn't eat between meals is a myth,". When your stomach starts rumbling, you probably hear a little voice in your head telling you not to ruin your appetite. But having snacks in between meals might actually help you eat less, and stave off the urge to overeat or binge later. In fact, I would recommend that you have five smaller meals a day, instead of eating your calories all in one sitting.

Myth 2 - Carbohydrates are All Bad

It's a myth that all carbohydrates are bad. But that doesn't mean there's nothing to learn from low-carb diets. Carbs are not all created equal, and you want to avoid processed carbohydrates that are often high in sugar and white flour. Instead, enjoy beans, whole grains -- eat brown rice and whole grain breads -- and don't forget fruits and vegetables, which provide a host of nutrients and fiber, are low in calories, and can help reduce the risks of several diseases.

Myth 3 - Certain Foods Makes you Burn Calories

There is conflicting information about whether or not certain foods can increase your metabolic rate, making you burn more calories. While different foods offer different health benefits, people are often left wondering if calories vary from one food to the next.

"A calorie is a calorie, regardless of where it comes from,". There are no foods that increase your metabolic rate, or help you burn calories. Even if certain foods do increase your metabolism, the amount is too insignificant to make it a magic bullet.

Myth 4 - Grain products such as bread, pasta, and rice are fattening. I should avoid them when trying to lose weight.

 A grain product is any food made from wheat, rice, oats, cornmeal, barley, or another cereal grain. Grains are divided into two subgroups, whole grains and refined grains. Whole grains contain the entire grain kernel—the bran, germ, and endosperm. Examples include brown rice and whole-wheat bread, cereal, and pasta. Refined grains have been milled, a process that removes the bran and germ. This is done to give grains a finer texture and improve their shelf life, but it also removes dietary fiber, iron, and many B vitamins.

People who eat whole grains as part of a healthy diet may lower their chances of developing some chronic diseases. Choose 100 percent whole-wheat bread instead of white bread, and brown rice instead of white rice. To lose weight, reduce the number of calories you take in and increase the amount of physical activity you do each day. Create and follow a healthy eating plan that replaces less healthy options with a mix of fruits, veggies, whole grains, protein foods, and low-fat dairy:

• Eat a mix of fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
• Limit added sugars, cholesterol, salt (sodium), and saturated fat.
• Eat low-fat protein: beans, eggs, fish, lean meats, nuts, and poultry.

Myth 5 - Skipping meals is a good way to lose weight

Skipping meals is not a good idea. To lose weight and keep it off, you have to reduce the amount of calories you consume or increase the calories you burn through exercise. But skipping meals altogether can result in tiredness, poor nutrition and slow metabolism. You will also be more likely to snack on high-fat and high-sugar foods, which could result in weight gain.

Myth 6 - Foods labeled 'Low Fat' or "Reduced Fat"are always a healthy choice

Be cautious. Foods labelled "low fat" have to meet legal criteria to use that label. Labels such as "reduced fat" do not have to meet the same criteria and can be misleading. A reduced-fat snack should contain less fat than the full-fat version, but that doesn't automatically make it a healthy choice: it could still contain a lot more fat than, say, a portion of fruit. Low-fat foods also sometimes contain high levels of sugar.

Myth 7 - Slimming pills are effective for long-term weight loss

No, they're not. Slimming pills alone will not help you keep the weight off long term. They are basically Appetite Suppressant; drugs containing diuretics, to remove fluid from the body; and drugs that help you to burn fat and calories. When one stop taking these drugs, the weight will rapidly return to way it was before. Moreover, long-term use of weight-loss medicine will have a negative effect on the nervous system, the heart and blood vessels, and kidney. So far, there is no such medicine to lose weight without a negative effect.