Losing weight during the menopause? This is what you need to know.

Yes, it is possible to lose weight during the menopause, under two conditions: knowing the impact that hormonal changes have on your mood, appetite and metabolism; and embracing an active and emotionally balanced lifestyle.

 

Weight gain during the perimenopause and menopause is not just an aesthetic problem or one linked solely to women's self-esteem. It has an impact on women's health. And a serious one. As Teresa Branco, a weight management physiologist, explained to Revista Prevenir, adding kilos at this stage contributes to "a greater predisposition to developing diabetes and cardiovascular accidents. There is also a high probability of suffering psychological disorders, such as depression, joint problems, breast and colon cancer. However, if you reduce your weight, you reduce the likelihood of developing these types of tumors by around 30 percent." Learn now how to prevent your body from "insisting" on storing calories in the form of fat and how to achieve a figure where the main character is lean mass, muscle. We have a plan to help you lose weight during the menopause.

What hormonal changes occur during the menopause?

Even earlier, usually around the age of 40 (in some cases, from the age of 35), in the pre-menopausal phase, there is a tendency to put on weight gradually because the body starts to produce less progesterone, a female hormone, but maintains the production of estrogens, responsible for menstruation, which ceases in the menopause. At this point, you become even more prone to gaining weight, accumulating fat in the abdominal area and suffering from fluid retention. On average, women in the menopause and the phase leading up to it tend to gain between five and ten kilos.

Do we find it harder to burn calories and lose weight during the menopause?

Yes, there is a predisposition to changes in the thyroid, which slows down metabolism. There is also a greater tendency for women to metabolize carbohydrates, particularly sugars. In addition, they start to lose testosterone, with a consequent tendency to lose muscle mass, which means they use less energy every day.

What encourages fat to accumulate at this stage?

Women start to have more joint and bone problems and are less willing to do physical activity. On the other hand, the oestrogen deficit that occurs with the menopause can lead to increased hunger. Women tend to eat more, which leads them to accumulate more calories in the form of fat. The desire to eat sweets intensifies, as blood sugar levels fluctuate and insulin production increases. In addition to hormonal factors, you don't feel well because you start to gain weight and you tend to stop doing physical activity.

"Ideally, even before you enter the menopause, you should have gained a lot of muscle: the more muscle you have, the less you'll lose"

 

The worse you feel, the less you go to the gym; the less you go, the more you put on weight; the more you put on weight, the less you feel like doing physical activity... it's a vicious circle. If you stop leading an active life, you start to take refuge in food. At some point, you start to value it excessively, living according to it. These are the tendencies you have to counteract.

What is essential to do in order not to gain weight or even lose weight during the menopause?

Women need to realize that their bodies have changed and they need to make changes to their lifestyles. It's essential to exercise regularly and eat a diet that suits her new metabolism. For example, if you have a poor carbohydrate metabolism, you should reduce some sources of this nutrient, as this makes you more likely to put on weight. And, if possible, it's essential to undergo hormone therapy appropriate to the case.

How to maintain or increase lean mass and lose fat mass during the menopause?

Ideally, before entering the menopause, you should have gained a lot of muscle: the more muscle you have, the less you will lose. Then you should do regular physical activity that promotes an increase in muscle mass. This is the case with bodybuilding and functional exercise, which uses body weight to gain muscle and eliminate fat deposits. Protein supplementation (dietary and/or via supplements) is also essential.

Are there any forbidden foods for those who want to lose weight during the menopause?

No. I'm not at all in favor of eradicating food at any stage of life. Even if they are foods with very few nutrients and have no nutritional value, they are often filling social moments, for example. We just have to learn to manage those moments. There are foods that we should prioritize, such as vegetables (for their fibre and nutrients); meat, fish and eggs (for their protein value); wholemeal pasta (for being rich in fibre); water (to avoid fluid retention). And others, whose intake we have to moderate, such as sugars and refined carbohydrates.

Do emotions interfere with weight gain and difficulty losing weight during the menopause?

No doubt about it. Women feel very fragile, not least because they are undergoing bodily changes. Hormonal changes promote mood swings which, combined with anxieties, make women more inclined to eat emotionally, to erase their sorrows with comfort food. Due to hormonal deficiencies, many women become depressed, have a greater appetite and sleep worse. The fact that we feel hungrier and gain more weight indirectly leads to mood swings.

How do you manage these changes?

Firstly, it's very important to understand the reasons why people eat, rather than what they eat: "Is it a real physical need or is it to fill a void because I'm anxious?".

"Hormonal changes promote mood swings which, combined with anxieties, lead to a greater predisposition to emotional eating"

 

Next, the woman should identify the activities and moments when, because she is so involved, she doesn't remember to eat (for example, when she goes to the gym or when she is painting a picture). Once she has identified those activities that fill her up, she should reproduce them.

---

What to eat to lose weight during the menopause

The director of the Prof. Teresa Branco Institute has drawn up a one-week diet plan for Revista Prevenir which, combined with regular physical activity, can help you enter and stay in the menopause with the body you want.