Are you struggling with a body that is disobeying you in menopause?
Menopausal weight gain is not your fault, it is caused by a drop in oestrogen. This along with increasing age makes it harder to sustain your muscle stores and easier to store fat, turning your once pear shaped figure into more of an apple shape.
“The old tricks you used to use to manage your weight are not going to be effective in menopause, so if you do not get support at this time you may end up extremely frustrated, feeling like a failure and continue to be ashamed about your body changes”
If your body disobeys you in menopause, resist the urge to fight back with old tricks and find ways to work with your body. During menopause you need to find a new approach to feel confident once again and it could be radically different to in strategies used in the past.
Today I want to share with you the 3 biggest mistakes you need to stop making when managing weight gain during menopause:
1. Stop cutting carbohydrates!
2. Stop fighting your food cravings. If you resist cravings this sets up a “diet cycle” or food rule trap where we begin to crave those foods more. If you have noticed increased cravings for certain foods, ask yourself how much of that food you would need to be satisfied? Would having a small amount of that food now prevent you needing to eat bucket loads of it later? Food cravings exist for a reason and a dietitian can help you figure out the cause.
3. Stop skipping meals. Ghrelin hormone increases around menopause making your appetite more ravenous and leptin decreases which is the hormone we need to be satisfied after we eat a meal. If you miss meals regularly or you are out of the habit of eating frequently this gets worse and if you do this for a long period of time your body becomes more effective at storing energy as weight. There is a simple answer to this, add an extra snack or meal into your food routine and see what difference it makes, its counter intuitive so if you need professional support with this ask for help.
4. Stop focusing on cardio. Doing exercise that increases muscle tone resists menopause weight gain. To our clients we recommend hill walking to strengthen leg muscles or joining a gentle yoga, tai-chi or pilates class – you do not need to be lifting a lot of weight at the gym to increase your muscle strength.
Stubborn weight gain doesn't have to hold you back from enjoying life.
Now you know some of the top mistakes people make with weight gain, don’t make them to. There are many other small mind shifts you need to make during menopause to get on top of it. Get it touch with our great team of dietitians today to see how we can help you!
The Nutrition & Life Menopause page outlines how a Dietitian can help you navigate menopause in style. Learn more about Dietitians and Menopause or reach out to get your glow back.
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