It is common for women to gain weight as they get older, especially during the menopausal phase. If you are going through menopause, you may find it challenging to lose weight now compared to before. To address this, consider taking a few proactive steps to make your weight loss efforts easier.
What causes weight gain during menopause?
There are several factors that contribute to weight gain in women during menopause.
Change in hormone level
During menopause, oestrogen levels in women start to drop gradually. This causes the body to store more fat than before, especially around the midsection areas.
Natural ageing
As people age, they typically become less active, and their metabolism slows down accordingly. These factors combined cause a reduction in muscle mass, making it easier for the body to store more fat.
Poor sleep
Women experience symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats during menopause, which can cause sleep deprivation. A lack of high-quality sleep over time can lead to weight gain.
Gaining weight around the waistline and especially at menopausal age can increase your risk of certain conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Therefore, it is important to address weight gain during menopause as soon as possible.
Weight loss tips during menopause
It may be more challenging to lose weight during menopause because of age and hormonal changes, but there are some strategies you could use to help you beat weight gain during this phase.
Increase physical activity
Natural ageing and menopause can slow down your body’s metabolism over time. A good way to address this is to increase your physical activity levels, ensuring that you incorporate exercises that build muscle and reduce body fat, such as resistance training and weightlifting exercises.
Eat healthy meals
A vital part of losing unhealthy weight requires you to eat fewer calories than your body needs daily. You can start with weekly meal planning and avoiding junk food, which mainly contains unhealthy (empty) calories. You should always aim to eat and fill up on healthy portions of food with fewer calories, such as whole grain foods, protein, fruits, and vegetables.
Join weight loss groups
Weight loss groups offer support and accountability to help you achieve and maintain your weight loss goals. The NHS offers a free 12-week weight loss plan, complete with weekly diet and exercise goals, as well as an online weight loss community to support you throughout the process.
Make key lifestyle changes
In addition to losing unhealthy weight, you should also plan to maintain your weight loss in the long term. Making certain lifestyle changes can help you maintain the weight loss over time. For example, you can quit smoking, reduce your alcohol intake to moderate levels, drink more water every day and ensure you get good quality sleep at night.
Consider additional methods
In addition to healthy lifestyle changes, there are weight loss pills that can help to reduce fat storage in your body. However, it is important to always consult with your GP first, and remember that weight loss pills are only effective with a healthy diet.
