Why Dieting Will Never Work During the Menopause

It seems so unfair doesn’t it?

The fact that when we start to get older, we also start gaining extra weight.

Not only do we have the menopause to wrap our heads around (and perhaps even several unwanted symptoms to work through), we also notice that our waistbands are getting tighter, our swimsuits don’t fit quite as well as they used to and we’re starting to put on weight that we didn’t have before.

I know that you’re a very pro-active woman, so you probably decided to do something about it and tried to slim back down to your pre-menopause size.

But that didn’t work either, did it?

You gave up when you felt deprived on that strict diet, you just couldn’t tolerate the hunger pangs any more, and it seemed like no amount of swimming would ever make a difference.

And now you think you’re destined to be old, fat and frumpy forever.

Well, not necessarily.

Because whilst it is harder to lose weight during the menopausal years, you can fight back and regain your slimmer, sexier figure. It just takes a uniquely tailored approach that helps nourish your body and mind, rebalance your hormones and helps you shift weight.

Today let me explain to you why you gain weight during the menopause, why dieting will never work and what you can do instead. Keep reading!!

Why is it much harder to lose weight as we get older or hit the menopause?

It might not help it to know, but we’re much more likely to gain extra weight and find it harder to maintain our ideal figure after the menopause because our bodies are changing to help ensure our survival.

→ Your metabolism is slowing

As you get older, your metabolism naturally slows quite significantly and you end up needing much less food in your 50s than you do in your 20s.

Just to add fuel to the fire, you also experience an increase in those hormones which help control your appetite.

→ Your hormones are changing

It’s not just what you’re eating, but where your body stores the excess. During the menopause this starts to change.

Falling levels of oestrogen mean that you start storing extra weight on your belly, your hips and your thighs. You feel like you’re losing your waist, you often need to go up a trouser size and you worry that you’re falling prey to middle aged spread.

However, you’re not gaining more weight- you’re just storing it differently.

→ We’re often under extra stress

And finally, we can’t forget the stress and worry that comes during the menopause years because this too affects your weight.

When you are under high levels of chronic stress, this raises levels of a stress hormone called cortisol and causes you to store more weight around your middle.

How to lose weight during the menopause

You’re probably reading all of this and thinking, “I may as well give up right now. I’ll never be able to lose weight now!!!”’

But don’t give up quite yet!

You can shift those extra pounds on your belly whether you’re peri-menopausal, menopausal or nowhere near, it just takes a more uniquely tailored approach. Here’s how you can do it!

1. Eliminate unnecessary eating (but don’t go hungry!)

Have you noticed how easy it is to eat just because the clock says that it’s mealtime? Or how often you force yourself to finish that massive plate of food, simply because it’s there?

If you’re anything like me, this happens because you’ve been brought up to be polite, to clear your plate and never to waste food. (Your mother would be proud!)

However, this kind of mindless eating is highly detrimental to your health and also your waistline. You end up eating more than your body needs, you feel more uncomfortable afterwards and you’re more likely to become overweight.

So here’s what I want you to do- I want you to tune in to your body and listen to those your hunger signals.

Are you really hungry? Do you really need that extra helping of food? Would it be better to eat slightly less this mealtime?

Your body knows what it needs, so listen closely and you will better take control of your eating habits and almost effortlessly lose weight.

2. Tackle your stress

It’s completely normal to experience greater irritability, stress and mood changes as the menopause approaches.

You’re on a new journey now with its own ups and downs. You’re gently adjusting to the changes happening within your body physically and also tackling some pretty big self-confidence ones at the same time.

On top of this, you probably have plenty of other stressors in your life, and it’s not as if we can simply wipe these things away and feel better.

The secret is to learn how to manage the stress in your life better so you don’t get to the point where you’re feeling overwhelmed and depressed or it starts to really impact upon your hormonal balance and thus your weight.

Great ways to feel better include guided visualisation (download my free guided visualisation for the menopause by clicking here), yoga, and meditation.

3. Slash your sugar intake

During the menopause, our bodies become far more sensitive to carbs like refined sugars, white bread, white pasta and white rice, so your cells stop responding properly to the sugar in your blood.

If you keep eating these processed, highly refined carbs, you raise your risk of heart disease and diabetes and...most importantly for us here, you gain even more weight.

The answer is clear- stay away from those low-nutrition refined carbs and stick with small amounts of wholegrains instead.

4. Get enough exercise

Weight loss doesn’t happen when you just eat less food- you also need to get moving your body too!

Exercise during the menopause can help wind back your biological clock, helping you look and feel years younger and also help you drop that stubborn weight in your belly area.

However, don’t think that you just have to do a few leisurely laps at your local pool and be done. You need to get your heart rate high and challenge your strength too, so a short HIIT workout is perfect.

Keep it less than 30 minutes though- anything over this starts to raise your stress hormones and will impact upon your hormones.

Also make sure you include some strength training to build that muscle and help boost your metabolism even more. I recommend once or twice per week.

5. Prioritise health over being skinny

Remember, fitting into a size 12 isn’t the be all and end all. What really counts is your overall health and happiness, not whether you have a certain number sewn into your clothing.

What matters is being happy with the skin you’re in, feeling confident, sexy and utterly YOU and embracing your beautiful and capable body. Wouldn’t you agree?

So to conclude- yes, nature does make it a lot harder for you to lose weight when you hit the menopause but that doesn’t mean that your middle-aged spread is there to stay forever.

Become more mindful of your eating habits, get more exercise, tackle your stress, slash your sugar intake to shift weight. But most of all, remember what really counts is your health and happiness.