17Mar

Menopause and Weight Gain as you Age

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Many women associate menopause with sudden weight gain. Maybe they see a change of shape around their stomach and hips, or maybe there’s a few extra pounds registering on the bathroom scale. But menopause might not be the culprit. But in fact, there really isn’t any direct connection with weight gain and associated with menopause.

While you may be experiencing a spike in your body mass it could be more of an issue of aging, as we get older, our bodies burn calories at slower rate.

On average most women burn roughly 10 fewer calories a day every year after age 30. For a woman transitioning into menopause, which typically occurs around age 50, that comes out to roughly “200-220 fewer calories burned a day than women younger than 30.

The main takeaway is, since your body is burning fewer calories, it requires fewer calories. A tweaking of your diet and fitness routine eventually becomes necessary. Adopting good nutrition during menopause and before menopause is essential to wellness.

Nutrition During Menopause - What You Can Do

Good nutrition during menopause actually makes for solid advice for people at any age. Healthy living starts with a healthy eating, eating a lot of fruits and vegetables, a little bit of animal or fish-based protein, along with a little bit of fat, then eat as little sugar as you can manage.

Keep in mind that the more carbohydrates you eat (more sugary items) the less satisfied you’re going to feel in the long-run. For example, having a sugary cereal for breakfast will likely make you much hungrier by mid-morning and much more likely to eat something that will throw off your calorie intake which can set off unhealthy habits throughout the day.

When grocery shopping be sure to make it a priority to fill your cart up fresh fruit and produce, eggs and dairy, fish and lean meats, which are all most essential for healthy eating and then add the low-carbohydrate foods. When in doubt, stick with good proteins, such as egg whites, fish and lean meats, remember having more protein be part of the diet for most meals, and recognize that carbohydrates, the ones that we all like to eat, don’t really satisfy your appetite for as long as a protein might.

Remember, Physical Changes Are Normal

Even if you practice excellent nutrition during menopause but still see some unwanted physical changes be assured that this is quite normal.

Keep in mind, even if you’re not putting on extra weight, body fat does shift during menopause. Weight moves from the hips and the buttocks to the abdomen. As you age, your waist gets a little thicker, whether your gaining weight or not, your body is redistributing it and while this may be hard to accept as we age, it is normal.