Looking for effective weight management tips during menopause? Look no further! This comprehensive guide provides you with the strategies you need to succeed.

Menopausal weight gain is more common than many think. Studies show that weight gain continues at a rate of about 1.5 pounds each year as a woman goes through her 50s.

As a result, many women are easily overweight during menopause.

Belly fat alone can account for 15-20% of a woman’s weight post-menopause, compared to 5-8% in premenopausal women.

That’s why proper weight management is crucial at this stage.

Of course, you don’t have to wait until you hit menopause before taking your weight seriously, but if you’re already there, here are helpful weight management tips you can use. 

Find ways to manage stress

Stress is a common trigger for emotional eating and can contribute significantly to weight gain during menopause.

There’s no age limit when it comes to stress, so it is best to implement effective stress-reduction strategies to ensure you’re not emotionally charged up too often.

Activities like meditation, reading, deep breathing exercises, walking in nature, sleeping, and journaling can help you manage stress and not resort to emotional eating. 

Also, it’s important to identify what issues trigger or force you to turn to food for comfort. This way, you can stay away from them.

It helps to take your mental health seriously, avoid being alone too long, and connect with loved ones as often as possible. 

Add more high-quality protein to your diet

While it’s true that bodybuilders and athletes need a lot of protein, experts believe that the over-50 population can benefit from using protein supplements like protein powder, eating more eggs, drinking more milk, and enjoying plant proteins or lean proteins (chicken, fish or beef) as often as necessary.

Research has shown that older adults need more protein than younger adults, and most of this concerns the fear of sarcopenia.

Sarcopenia is the gradual loss of muscle mass, strength, and function, commonly affecting adults.

Taking in more protein, especially in the form of protein powder, can protect your muscle mass.

It also plays a crucial role in weight management as it gives you lean muscle mass.

Many such protein supplements are available, including pasture-fed whey protein formulas. 

Do more resistance training and aerobic exercise

Staying physically active is important, especially during your menopause.

Unfortunately, the older you get, the less active you become.

Plus, not every type of workout may suit you at a certain age.

That’s why you should focus more on resistance training and aerobic exercise at this stage.

You can use weights or resistance bands with resistance training, as they have proven very effective at preserving and increasing lean muscle mass.

That’s especially because hormonal changes can lead to a decline in lean muscles. Although all types of resistance training can help, it’s best to do more repetitions, especially if you want to reduce abdominal fat.

You can also do a lot of cardio or aerobic exercises, which are very effective when targeting abdominal fat. Experts suggest aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercises each week.

But the best strategy may be resistance training and aerobic exercises.  

Summing Up

Menopause can bring about weight management challenges, but with these winning tips, you can navigate this phase with ease and maintain a healthy weight.

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• Menopause Symptoms and Treatments – Know When to See a Doctor?
• Shop Healthcare

Editing by AskAwayHealth Team

Disclaimer

All AskAwayHealth articles are written by practising Medical Practitioners to help promote quality healthcare. 

The advice in our material is not meant to replace a qualified healthcare practitioner’s management of your specific condition.
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