Have you been wearing a lot more loose-fitting clothes since you started perimenopause? When was the last time you looked in the mirror and saw a defined waistline? Have you started to wonder if your waistline will ever return? Is this perhaps why your thoughts have turned to discovering some form of weight loss that actually works? Or, even better, a personalized weight loss program?
Menopause weight problems are a common complaint made by women going through menopause. In fact, a Mayo Clinic study showed that women in their 50s and 60s gain 1.5 pounds per year. One of the troubling aspects of menopausal weight is that it isn’t evenly distributed. Instead, it lands right at the waistline.
However, although menopausal weight gain is typical, it isn’t inevitable.
If you want to prevent more weight gain – or lose weight you’ve already gained – you’ll need to
- understand what causes menopausal weight gain,
- be willing to make some lifestyle changes, and
- find a weight loss program that actually works.
In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about menopausal weight gain and guide you towards a custom weight loss program that can help you find your waistline again.
How to Stay Healthy After Menopause?
Weight gain during menopause is a natural part of the menopause process. About half of women who go through perimenopause and menopause gain weight. There are four primary causes of menopause weight gain: aging, hormone imbalance, slower metabolism, and sleep problems.
Aging
It doesn’t matter whether you’re male or female, for most people gaining weight is a part of the aging process. Studies have shown that people lose 3-8% of their lean muscle mass each decade after age 30. Once they hit 60, the percentage of muscle mass lost rises. What does muscle mass have to do with weight gain? A higher percentage of muscle mass reflects a lower percentage of body fat, so as your muscle mass decreases, your weight increases.
Hormone Imbalance
Perimenopause and menopause are caused by a hormone imbalance. During perimenopause, your ovaries produce erratic amounts of estrogen until they finally stop producing it altogether. Estrogen helps block your body’s hunger signals. Less estrogen equals more hunger signals – which means that you are going to be stuffing food in your mouth that your body doesn’t necessarily need! If you consume too many calories for your body to burn, it converts that energy into fat which gets stored around your waistline.
Decreased Metabolism
As you age, the rate at which you burn calories (your metabolism) slows. That means you have to try doubly hard to burn those calories. But who feels like exercising or strength training when you’re having hot flashes, brain fog, and menopause fatigue?
Sleep Problems
Have hot flashes, night sweats, and anxiety been keeping you up at night? You’re not alone. Insomnia is a very common menopausal symptom that can cause many additional problems. One of them is weight gain. Not getting enough sleep contributes to menopause fatigue and hormone imbalance, leaving you on a weight-gain merry-go-round.
Why Worry About Menopause Weight Gain Problems?
However, menopausal weight gain isn’t just about how your clothes fit. There are many health conditions associated with gaining too much weight during and after menopause, including:
- Metabolic syndrome
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- High blood pressure
Menopausal weight gain doesn’t necessarily depend on your menopause status. Some people will lose the weight over time, while others will plateau or continue to gain. That’s why you must take menopausal weight gain seriously and get into good habits, including
- eating a nutritionally balanced diet,
- keeping your stress under control,
- exercising regularly, and
- being diligent about your sleep hygiene.
However, it may feel like a merry-go-round of weight gain, weight loss, whatever you try. And you’re already juggling enough as it is during perimenopause. So remember, you don’t need to try to lose weight on your own. If you’re overweight or obese, the best option is a personalized weight loss program.
What is a Personalized Weight Loss Program?
It’s a custom weight loss plan designed especially for you!
For example, our personalized weight loss program, NavaRX, is a holistic program designed to help you lose weight naturally and discover and address the root cause of your weight gain.
We start by
- reviewing your history,
- understanding your weight loss and wellness goals, and
- conducting an in-depth assessment.
Based on what we learn, we then create a custom vitality plan designed to help you achieve your weight loss goals and any other wellness goals.
From there, our expert functional nutritionists put together a specific diet of delicious and nutritious meals that will leave you feeling full and satisfied.
How Do I Stop Weight Gain During Perimenopause?
With a personalized nutritional counseling NavaRX medical weight loss can help clients achieve their goals and, put them on a path to overall wellness and sustainable weight loss.
The Nava team will support and help you adjust to this lifestyle change so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
We’ll teach you how to make informed food choices, plan meals, shop, and cook healthy, nutritious meals. This will help you not just lose the weight but keep it off long term while fostering a healthy relationship with food.
At Nava, we are committed to helping our clients achieve overall wellness, so after you’ve lost the weight, we can also support you with a weight management plan. These plans provide the structure and support to help our clients continue to feel energized and remain on track with new healthy habits.
Can you see how a personalized weight loss plan like this one can really support you in losing the weight and keeping it off? Can you envision yourself once again in the clothes you prefer, out with your friends, and happy to be seen?
How to Deal with Weight Gain During Menopause? Nava Can Help
Your body may be getting older, but that doesn’t mean you can’t live your life at 100% in every phase of life! The NAVA team is here to support you with a personalized weight loss program!
Contact us for a consultation today and let’s get started!