Understanding Midlife Weight Gain & How To Lose It

If I’ve heard it once I’ve heard it 1000 times, “I’ve put on weight and it just won’t shift.”

And I feel your pain because if you know my story you’ll know I put on 20kg when I didn’t realise I’d stumbled into perimenopause.

But while it’s a common complaint it’s also reversible. Hallelujah right?

The truth is, it’s a multi-layered, biological hormonal process you’ve got going on so it requires knowledge. And thereby some help.

This I know to be true because I’ve been there and I hit the knowledge books so that I can help!

Cool story right? So I hope you’ll help me to help you.

But first, some basics for that beautiful brain of yours.

 

What causes midlife / (peri)menopausal weight gain?

Well, you know how earlier I said this midlife weight gain was a multi-layered, biological process? I wasn’t exaggerating. Because there’s a whole lot going on for your hormonally. Plus you’re getting older and things are slowing down a wee bit.

Moreover, the hormonal shifts of the menopause transition cause a redistribution of body fat and lean muscle diminishes. So fat moves from our hips and thighs to sit more around the belly and waist. Have you noticed that?

You’ll often hear that midlife weight gain isn’t a direct result of menopause. And that’s true. But with perimenopause / menopause often comes a whole lot of hormone imbalance including blood sugar, thyroid, cortisol and the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis. Which can create a perfect storm for weight gain.

What’s more, your liver is a great detoxifier but if you love your ‘liver loaders’ like caffeine and alcohol it won’t be able to do its job properly. That’s why we do the 21-Day Hormone Detox as a prelim to your 12-Week Midlife Mojo Transformation. The 21-Days nurtures your liver and takes any strain off it so it’s free to help with weight loss.

Food sensitivities to things like dairy and gluten can be another contributor to weight gain. So as you can tell it’s a complicated soup!

 

How much weight can I expect to put on in midlife?

Everyone is different but according to AMS (The Australasian Menopause Society) the average 45-55-year-old woman may gain 2.3kg.

But as I noted above, it’s to do with lots of things including growing older, lifestyle and your good ole’ genes.

It’s not a matter of eating less and exercising more, it just doesn’t work that way in your 40s, 50s and beyond.

In fact, a lot of women in midlife don’t eat enough but that’s counterproductive and sends a message to the body that you’re in starvation mode.

 

Getting a grip on weight gain

Guess what? I have good news! There’s lots you can do to take control. (Aside from having me by your side LOL.)

First up, quit starving yourself and overexercising. Get a handle on your sleep and stress. And trust in me and let’s tweak!

1. Drink oodles of H20

It sounds simple and some of you screw your nose up but water is inexpensive, easy and worth its weight in gold.

Because our bodies are approximately 70% water and our brain is 90% water!

That why if you’re not well-hydrated you may not think as clearly or you may feel tired so keep that water intake up.

Have you seen this meme? Love it!

My water filter is my pride and joy. I don’t have deep pockets but one of my non-negotiables is to put a water filter in my kitchen.

So how much do you need? It depends on your size, how much activity you do etc. etc. I often recommend this little calculator.

How water helps:

• boosts energy
• can nix brain fog
• helps you lose weight
• supports digestion
• carries nutrients around the body to cells
• decreases the occurrence of UTIs
• beats constipation and bloat
• lubricates joints

Tip: iced water can cool you down if you’re experiencing hot flushes.

 

2. Eat Phytochemicals, Protein, Fat & Fibre

You know I said let’s tweak above, I meant tweak your diet to be more midlife body friendly if it needs it. Because there’s no escaping the fact that your body has changed.

What’s more, it’s going through quite a bit of change, massive change actually. So we need to support and fuel it not starve and berate it.

That’s why a big part of Midlife Mojo is about self-compassion. When you speak to your body negatively, it’s not helping anyone. So we say look at it, love it, nurture it and feed it goodness.

One way to do that is to fill your fridge and cupboards with the above. It’s like an arsenal designed to help you be at your best.

 

Phyto = Plant

Phytochemicals (and phytoestrogens) are plant foods because a plant-heavy diet is proven to be your BFF during perimenopause / menopause / post-menopasue. Further, they are one of your best tools for weight management and amazing skin, hair and vitality.

To break that down, phytoestrogens mimic our body’s natural estrogens weakly so as we lose estrogen we can top them up with these. Phytoestrogens include garlic, onions, lentils, chickpeas and soybeans, carrots, nuts and seeds, tofu and oats.

Protein

Protein is the building block of our hormones and muscle mass and an essential weight management tool. For this reason, we need more of it in peri- and post-menopause. But it also keeps us fuller for longer, keeps blood sugar stable (reducing cravings) and helps with sleep and mood.

Moreover, it’s thermogenic which means it generates heat thereby increasing metabolism.

I always suggest front-loading protein because it will give you sustenance and energy throughout the day. Have a fist size at each meal with a thumb-size portion of healthy fat to keep you sated and blood sugar happy.

Try:

• A spinach omelette
• Nut butter on apple
• Scrambled tofu
• Chickpea curry
• Smoky Vegetarian Chilli

This Chai Latte Chia Pudding

Fat

The good kind. Ohhhh I so love fat because it helps you feel full, loves your skin and your joints and it helps build hormones. Foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, oily fish if you eat it and extra virgin olive oil.

Tip: Omega-3 essential fatty acid supplementation is a super good option here too. It’s a good fat but it’s also essential and our body doesn’t make it. Further, it helps kick belly fat to the curb, is anti-inflammatory (and systemic inflammation is prevalent in midlife), and supports stable insulin.

Fibre

You know those phyto’s (plants) I mentioned earlier? Another reason they’re sooooo good is they’re full of dietary fibre. So are oats, quinoa and legumes and they are absolutely KEY to colon health, hormone balance and weight loss.

There are two types:

Soluble – helps digestion, blood sugar balance, and satiety plus it improves gut health and insulin sensitivity.

Insoluble – soaks up water like a sponge and ensures poop is soft and easily eliminated which helps remove excess toxins.

We want oodles of the stuff or at least 25 mg per day.

Summary

We still need to go deeper into insulin resistance, the thyroid and cortisol’s role in weight gain so we’ll do a Part 2 soon!

But for now, the key message here is that perimenopause and post-menopause change your body shape. But they’re not necessarily to blame for excess weight gain.

At the start, I said this midlife weight gain thing was a biological, multi-layered process and it is.

But knowledge is power. Or actually, knowledge is potential power. Understanding is one thing, implementing the knowledge is another.

But you can do this!

And it’s a good idea to get weight gain under control because it’s not just about looks.

It’s about your health. The fat you put on around peri/menopause, especially the belly fat is metabolically active. And, without wanting to be a Debbie Downer, it’s a type of fat known as visceral that increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, some cancers (eat that fibre for your bowel!) and heart disease.

Final Tips:

• Finish eating when you’re 80% full.
• Shut the kitchen three to four hours before bed.
• Have protein and healthy fat every time you eat.

Main image: Pavel Danilyuk @pexels

 

Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor and this information isn’t intended to treat or diagnose.