From hot flashes, to nighttime sweats, to temper swings and more, menopause can be an extraordinarily uncomfortable time for women. Add fatigue, sleeplessness, and weight gain, and it may be downright miserable. The excellent information is that there are issues you’re able to do to assist prevent and alleviate the signs of menopause, and we’re excited to share our greatest tricks to assist you get rid of menopause stomach fats so that you can really feel assured in your skin!
Menopause 101
Menopause happens when a woman hasn’t menstruated for 12 consecutive months and can no longer become pregnant. The common age in which women enter menopause is said to be 51, however it’s impossible to foretell when this will actually occur. Some women start menopause earlier than the age of forty (known as untimely menopause), and others menstruate till their 60s. Genetics, the well being of your ovaries, and your ethnicity can all affect when you’ll enter menopause.
When a woman has gone through 12 consecutive months with out a period, she has formally entered menopause. Signs and signs that a woman is starting the transition to menopause can start as a lot as 10 years earlier than she experiences her final menstrual cycle. This interval is known as perimenopause and can set off one or many of the next symptoms:
- Irregular periods*
- Heavier than regular periods**
- Hot flashes
- Irritability and temper swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Low libido
- Difficulty sleeping
- Fatigue
- Forgetfulness
- Urine urgency and incontinence
*It’s important to notice that even although your physique is producing much less estrogen and your periods are irregular, you can nonetheless get pregnant if you are strill menstruating, so be certain to proceed utilizing contraception to prevent an undesirable being pregnant throughout this time.
What Causes Menopause Belly Fat?
Many women gain weight throughout the transition to menopause, particularly round their midsection. This can be extraordinarily frustrating, and as your waist circumference increases, so does your risk for developing issues like diabetes, coronary heart disease, and a few cancers. The excellent information is that weight gain doesn’t want to be an inevitable a half of a woman’s post-menopausal life. But earlier than we share our greatest tips for eliminating menopause stomach fat, let’s check out a few of the causes of weight gain throughout and after menopause.
- Low estrogen. Falling estrogen ranges can set off insulin sensitivity, which could make your blood sugar ranges extra prone to spiking and crashing, which in flip causes you to crave excessive carb, sugary snacks. A decrease in estrogen can additionally set off fats in your bum, hips, and thighs to be redistributed to your midsection.
- Slower metabolism. Our metabolism slows down as we age, and a few analysis means that peri- and post-menopausal women burn as a lot as 300 fewer energy per day in comparison with when they were of their early 20s.
- Decrease in muscle mass. Our muscle mass additionally diminishes as we get older, which slows our metabolism and makes it harder to lose weight.
- Genetics. Our genetics can affect how/where we carry weight.
13 Tips to Get Rid of Menopause Belly Fat
1. MAKE SURE YOU’RE SLEEPING ENOUGH
Quality sleep is an important a half of your overall health, each bodily and mentally. Ongoing sleep deprivation can result in points such as coronary heart disease, kidney disease, excessive blood sugar, anxiety, diabetes, stroke, weight gain, and elevated physique fat. Not everybody realizes the significance of excessive quality sleep, however it’s simply as essential as train and wholesome eating. Of course, one of many signs of menopause is sleep disturbances, so even when you’re dedicated to improving the size and excessive quality of your sleep, your physique may not cooperate. If this sounds like you, we’ve written an entire post about insomnia with tips for a greater night’s relaxation HERE.
2. CUT BACK ON SUGAR AND REFINED CARBS
If you want to get rid of menopause stomach fat, reducing your sugar consumption is key. When we eat sugar, opioids and dopamine are released, which make us really feel actually good and crave it even more. It triggers the pleasure center of our brains, in addition to the reward center, which makes it a difficult addiction to crack. Sugar consumption can result in points like weight gain, coronary heart disease, diabetes, and cancer, and it can additionally wreak havoc in your hormones, making you really feel drained and sluggish. Beware of ingredients like sucrose, fructose, and simply about any different phrases with ‘–ose’ on the finish as they contain sugar. Use pure sweeteners like honey and maple syrup instead.
Cutting again on refined carbs can even be beneficial with weight reduction after menopause. Refined carbs like cookies, cakes, pastries, candies, quick foods, breaded or battered foods, sugary cereals, pastas, bagels, and pizza are absorbed into the bloodstream quickly, inflicting spikes in blood sugar and insulin levels, which can perpetuate cravings for excessive carb, sugary snacks.
3. LOAD UP ON HIGH FIBER FOODS
Consuming adequate fiber is a nice way to keep away from menopause stomach fat. Fiber helps with your digestive health, illness prevention, weight control, and meals excessive in fiber assist you really feel full for longer and promote common bowel movements. You ought to be consuming at least 25 grams of fiber a day to reap the benefits. To increase your fiber, eat meals such as lentils, black beans, peas, broccoli, raspberries, pears and oatmeal.
4. EAT PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL
Another easy way to advertise weight reduction is to make sure you are consuming sufficient protein. Eggs, lean meats, and tofu assist you really feel full and satisfied, making you much less likely to snack on unhealthy meals between meals. Protein reduces hunger, helps curb cravings, and additionally protects muscle mass, which is important if you wish to spice up your metabolism. If fats loss after menopause is your goal, high-protein meals are a should at every meal!
5. DRINK LOTS OF WATER
We all know H2O does the physique good. From keeping us hydrated so we really feel energized, to flushing out toxins and improving our complexion, to boosting our immune systems, water is the place it’s at, however what few people realize is that it’s a fabulous tool for weight reduction and stomach bloat as well. And it’s free! Keeping your physique hydrated can additionally assist ward off hot flashes, so drink up!
6. TRACK CALORIES IN VERSUS CALORIES OUT
The whole ‘calories in versus energy out’ idea is nothing new, however since menopausal women have a tendency to burn fewer energy than they did when they were younger, it’s particularly important a half of weight reduction in your 40s and beyond. If you’re attempting to reduce menopause stomach fat, I suggest keeping a meals journal for a interval of time so that you can get a greater deal with on how a lot you’re consuming every day. I additionally extremely recommend investing in a health tracker so that you can decide if you are burning extra energy than you are consuming. I have tried a quantity of health trackers over the years, and the Fitbit Charge 3 is by far my favorite.
7. CONSIDER INTERMITTENT FASTING
Intermittent fasting is a type of consuming plan that requires you to cycle between periods of consuming and fasting. You consume your energy throughout a particular window of the day, and don’t eat for an extended interval of time. It’s a popular and efficient way to enhance well being and lose weight, and has become one of many trendiest diets in recent years. It improves metabolic well being and helps with weight reduction since you’re restricting your consuming window. It has been proven to enhance energy levels, reduce stress and inflammation, decrease insulin resistance, increase lean muscle, reduce stomach fat, balance hormones, and additionally helps alleviate signs of menopause like hot flashes and night sweats.
If you have an interest in studying extra about intermittent fasting after forty and the way it can assist ward of menopause stomach fat, we’ve written an entire post about it HERE.
8. INCREASE YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR EXERCISE
While diet is undeniably the most important issue when it involves stopping menopause stomach fats and weight gain, engaging in half-hour of cardio three times per week helps you burn fats and calories. It can additionally assist you handle emotions of stress, anxiety, and depression, and offers a whole host of different well being benefits, making it one of many most efficient pure remedies for menopause-related weight gain.
9. LIFT WEIGHTS
Many women believe cardio is the best and solely factor she ought to do to lose weight, however that’s actually not true, particularly as women get older. Incorporating common strength coaching into your weekly train regime will assist increase your muscle mass, increase your metabolism, give you extra energy, and enhance your excessive quality of sleep – all of which can assist reduce menopause stomach fat!
10. REDUCE ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION
While a glass (or 2) of wine may assist you relax on the finish of a tough day, alcohol can actually make the signs of menopause worse. Alcohol consumption raises your internal physique temperature, and can result in a rise in hot flashes and night sweats. It can additionally interfere with sleep, and set off or worsen emotions of anxiety, stress, and depression, all of which can have a negative impact in your waistline. Most alcoholic drinks are excessive in calories, and many individuals discover it harder to abstain from senseless snacking and consuming after a few drinks, which can hinder your weight reduction goals as well. If you’re looking for methods to reduce menopause stomach fat, try eradicating alcohol out of your diet and see if it makes a difference.
11. STOP DRINKING CAFFEINE
If you’re not sleeping at night due to hot flashes, you’re probably relying in your daily cup of jo greater than ever to assist you get through the day, however do you know you’re likely simply perpetuating the problem? Research shows that sleep deprivation will increase our cortisol (stress hormone) and ghrelin (hunger hormone) levels, whereas additionally decreasing the quantity of leptin in our body, which is the hormone that’s accountable for telling us when to cease eating. People who’re chronically sleep-deprived have a tendency to eat bigger parts and discover it harder to stay to their cleansing consuming regime. Adequate sleep is important when it involves weight reduction after menopause, so remove/cut again in your caffeine to make sure you’ll be able to get 7-8 hours of slumber every night.
12. KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR SODIUM INTAKE
It’s no secret that salt causes bloating, water retention, and puffiness, however we often don’t realize simply how a lot sodium is added to the meals we eat. While we may abstain from including salt when we cook at home, processed and pre-packaged meals have a tendency to be actually excessive in sodium. Restaurants additionally add a lot of salt for flavour, so be certain to check your labels and counterbalance your sodium consumption with extra water when needed.
It’s important to notice that consuming a diet with too little sodium can additionally set off well being challenges, together with insulin resistance. Make certain to check with your physician to confirm how a lot sodium you ought to be consuming on a daily basis, and watch out to stay inside these parameters.
13. MANAGE STRESS
If you’re looking for pure remedies for weight gain and menopause, stress administration is key. Chronic stress can set off excessive ranges of cortisol – the hormone accountable for controlling our blood sugar levels, regulating our metabolism, and reducing irritation inside the body. Also know because the ‘stress hormone’, excessive ranges of cortisol due to chronic emotions of stress can result in a whole host of issues, together with anxiety, depression, insomnia, and weight gain. Yoga, meditation, mindful breathing, common exercise, and remedy are all nice methods to maintain your stress, cortisol levels, and weight under control.
CLICK HERE to learn extra about cortisol, together with tips on how to decrease cortisol ranges naturally.
If you’re looking for tricks to assist prevent and reduce menopause stomach fat, I hope the ideas on this post show useful to you. Make sure you’re sleeping enough, staying hydrated, and consuming a well-balanced diet that consists of lean protein, wholesome fats, and whole carbs. Avoid sugar, refined carbs, alcohol, and caffeine, handle your sodium intake, and track the variety of energy you are consuming versus what quantity of energy you are burning every day!
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