According to the Mayo Clinic, excess weight becomes harder to lose as women approach menopause and can add up to a pound a year from age 40 until the onset of menopause, even with no significant changes in diet. While the weight gain may add to the anxiety already present during the life-changing period, Susan Weed, author of "Menopausal Years: Wise Woman Way" says that the extra weight can help to prevent bone loss, ease hot flashes and make hormonal shifts easier to manage. There are ways, however, that can you can get rid of menopause weight gain without jeopardizing your health.
Step 1
Eat most of your daily calories by lunchtime, making dinner the lightest meal of the day. Make sure your breakfast is high in carbohydrates gained through whole grains that will provide energy throughout the day. High-protein lunches, complete with dairy, meats or tofu, grains and vegetables can help to curb your appetite so you're not tempted to snack or eat late meals.
Step 2
Increase the amount and level of exercise you perform each week. Aerobic exercise can help to speed up metabolism and burn fat. Exercises that increase strength and build muscle also improve metabolism rates, while providing bone-strengthening assistance. Increase the time and intensity of activities in which you already participate. Work up to at least 30 minutes of strenuous activities on most days.
Step 3
Reduce your average caloric intake by about 200 calories. Extreme diets that provide drastic calorie restriction can cause weight gain as the body conserves energy in starvation mode. Metabolism naturally slows with age and can usually be compensated for with a simple reduction in calories that can be achieved by including more fruits and vegetables in your diet in place of fat sources, which should be limited to 20 to 25 percent of total calories each day.
Step 4
Include exercises that target belly fat. According to the Mayo Clinic, many women experience significant weight gain around the middle. Health risks that can result from abdominal fat, even the fat that cannot be seen, include heart disease, gall bladder problems, high blood pressure and cancer. Some of the best exercises to fight abdominal fat include sit-ups and crunches, pelvic tilts and belly tightening routines.
Tips and Warnings
- Excessive weight gain could be an indicator of a more serious condition or problems with your insulin levels, hormones or emotional eating habits. Talk to your doctor if you experience more weight gain than normal (about 10 to 15 lbs.).
- The Mayo Clinic warns women about relying on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) for decreasing the amount of belly fat gained during menopause. It says that some studies report effective weight loss in women taking HRT medication, but the research is far from conclusive, leaving women to consider all the consequences of the HRT before beginning on a regimen of the drugs.
