On average women gain 12-15 pounds during the menopause, and some women much more. It is commonly thought that the menopause causes weight gain, but it doesnt. However, the hormonal changes during the menopause do change the way in which fat is distributed in the body, which tends to lead to more belly fat. The actual cause of weight gain during the menopause is aging. However the symptoms of the menopause do contribute to it. If you do not change your eating and exercise during the menopause and continue to eat as you always have, those unburned calories will be stored as fat. Believe it or not STRESS and disturbed sleep have a significant impact on your weight.  When you body is under stress it produces cortisol the ‘stress hormone’, and high levels of this hormone causes your body to store more fat.

The good news is ladies you can do something about it!

  1. Include some stress reduction in your life. Join my yoga class and do some meditation each day. Did you know stress can also make hot flushes worse. Women with higher stress levels are 5 times more likely to report flushes!
  2. Eliminate processed foods from your diet. These contain sugar which only adds to the weight gain. Eat real food!
  3. During the menopause the advise is NOT to eat 3 meals a day, but to eat something healthy every 2-3 hours if possible. Have a small breakfast but rich in protein.  In between these meals you can have healthy snacks.
  4. DO NOT eat double carbs in any meal. That means avoid having bread, potatoes, rice and pasta in the same meal.  Eat just one of those carbs per meal.
  5. Reduce your consumption of alcohol. Keep it to a minimum.
  6. Ideally you should be doing 30 minutes of aerobic activity each day. However doing 3/4 10 minute HIIT sessions each week will do the same job. Try to mix the HIIT with some moderate exercise like dance or yoga.

Just by making these changes you should see a difference in your weight and feel healthier too.

Bev x