As you age, metabolism slows, making it more difficult to lose weight. With each decade, metabolism slows by about 2 percent, according to Illinois State University, mostly due to the loss of muscle mass; muscle burns more calories than fat. Because of their increased body fat composition, women generally have more trouble losing weight than men at every age, but especially around the time of menopause, because of the drop in hormone levels. While losing weight during menopause may require extra effort, it can be done.
Cutting Calories
Your personal metabolism, activity levels and other factors, such as insulin resistance, impacts the number of calories your body uses each day. One way to determine your daily caloric requirement follows a formula that takes your weight and activity level into account. Multiply your weight in lbs. by 10 to get your basal metabolic rate, which is the amount of calories you burn just by existing. Then multiply your weight by 3 if you're sedentary, 5 if you're moderately active and by 7 if you're active. Add that number to your total BMR for the number of calories you need to maintain your weight. For example, an inactive person who weighs 130 lbs. needs 1,300 calories for her BMR and 390 calories for her activity levels, or 1,690 total. To lose weight, decrease your calorie intake; a decrease of 500 calories per day equals 3,500 calories, or 1 lb.
Changing Eating Habits
Changing the way you eat can help reduce your risk of serious health issues, even if you lose as little as 5 to 10 percent of your body weight. The best diet for women in menopause emphasizes fruits and vegetables, decreases table sugar and sodium intake, and substitutes unsaturated fats and oils for saturated fats. Keep fat intake to 30 percent of your total calorie intake and consume 20 to 30 g fiber daily.
Increasing Movement
The more active you are, the more calories you burn. Since activity levels tend to fall as people age, so do calorie needs. Increasing your activity can result in weight loss even if you don't decrease your food intake at all; aim for at least 30 minutes per day and incorporate more movement into your day by taking stairs, parking further away from stores and walking whenever possible. Metabolism is higher after you exercise and stay higher for several hours, resulting in more calories burned. Over exercising, or exercising one to two hours per day or more, however, can lower your metabolism. Since muscle burns more calories than fat, weight training, which builds muscle mass, aids in weight loss.
Benefits
Women as well as men are more at risk for diabetes and heart disease as they age. Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death for both women and men. Being overweight increases the risk of both diseases. Women who lose weight decrease their risk of developing breast cancer as well as diabetes, cholesterol and heart disease. Losing weight also benefits the joints, decreasing pain and disability from osteoarthritis.
References
- University of New Mexico: Weight Gain and Menopause - Is It Inevitable?
- University of Arizona: Your Daily Calorie Requirement (PDF)
- NetWellness:Healthy Weight for Women
- Ohio State University Medical Center: Staying Healthy After Menopause
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute: What Are the Health Risks of Overweight and Obesity?
- Colorado State University Extension: Women's Health Issues
