Weight Gain And Menopause - What You Can Do... And What You Can't

Unfortunately, weight gain and menopause often go together.

The following is a list of words and terms about weight gain caused by menopause:

• insulin resistance
• adrenal fatigue
• estrogen fluctuations
• diminishing estrogen levels
• fat cells
• body fat
• metabolism
• heat regulation
• digestion
• increased appetite
• cravings
• stress
• cortisol
• high-carb
• low-carb
• blood sugar
• serotonin levels
• low fat diet
• high fat diet
• too much caffeine
• toxins
• inflammation
• emotional eating.

Barbara exclaimed “enough already!”

Barb is a 64-year old woman with a number of health issues but none are as problematic as menopause. She can live with the hot flashes but the weight gain was unsettling, having struggled with it for about 8 years. One day she made a decision to stop worrying about the 40 extra pounds.

She decided to approach the problem from a different angle and mental attitude. Like so many of us, she educated herself on menopause and its affects but soon it became confusing. The experts didn’t always agree on what we should do about it.

Barb decided to review the basics of healthy eating and lifestyle during this difficult stage of life;

• to pamper and take good care of herself;
• to take some special time just for herself;
• to laugh more;
• to get in touch with her inner self;
• to love herself;
• to feel joy and happiness in her life;
• to appreciate how great it feels to be alive.

Phase 2 of her "weight gain and menopause" plan was attacking the weight gain which we have some power over despite the long list mentioned above.

She was determined to make some changes in her eating habits and exercise program. In the past she would often “fall off the wagon” so to speak. You know, the yo-yo dieting and half-hearted exercising; neither of these lasted very long. She’d always start a new plan, quit and later find a new one.

This time was different. Every day she would jump out of bed and workout on her cardio/aerobic machines, alternating to avoid boredom and eventual failure. She timed it for exactly 30 minutes, including warm-up and cool-down. Two-three times a week she alternated with upper body strength training for 20 minutes.

Next she decided to do her absolute best with eating a healthy diet. She focused on quality and quantity. She recalled the rules for food selection and reading labels to avoid the “bad stuff”. All of us know what they are.

Her eating plan was a challenge, so many temptations everywhere. However, she decided not to beat herself up if she slipped now and again. She would have to workout an extra 30 minutes to burn it off.

Barb did not count calories or follow a diet plan. She simply followed the healthy eating rules of quantity and quality of foods.

One day, she heard her stomach growling! That’s a sure sign of true hunger. Barb says the weight gain and menopause is much more tolerable now.

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