This week I wanted to talk about diet and weight loss for menopausal women. An interesting article found on Health Line, said that weight loss is especially hard for women who’ve reached menopause. Many reasons are factored but the top three are:
Hormone Fluctuations - During menopause, estrogen levels can either increase or lower, causing an increase in fat stored in your body
Improper Sleep - Many women have noted sleeping becomes more difficult as they begin menopause and because of this, your appetite can completely change, causing you to gain weight.
Increased Insulin Resistance - As you age, your body will become more resistant to insulin, meaning weight loss is much more difficult to do and maintain.
What Can Be Done?
With that being said, there are still ways for women in this period of their life to lose weight. It may be more of a challenge and require more attention, but that doesn’t mean it’s not achievable. Diet is a big part of losing weight, from what you eat to how often. Staying away from sugar and carbs are great jumping off points but that’s only half of it.
Below are 4 tips to add to your weight loss journey in addition to eating better:
Sleep - One of the main reasons why people find it difficult to lose weight is because of poor sleep. Poor sleep is associated with increased oxidative stress, glucose (blood sugar) intolerance (a precursor to diabetes), and insulin resistance. If you are not getting at least 7 hours of sleep nightly, your mind begins to act differently and not in its full and proper function. This affects your ability to control food cravings and increases your risk of eating foods filled with sugar and fat. Getting the right amount of sleep will help you fight food cravings and make it easier to choose healthy foods.
Relieving Stress - Another important factor that can affect your diet is stress. Stress is, if not, the biggest reason why weight loss can be difficult. Every time you're stressed, your adrenal glands release adrenaline and cortisol. Cortisol increases sugar cravings and lowers metabolism making harder to burn fat. Which is why it is extremely important to find ways to relieve stress. Going to the spa, walking, exercising, meditation, and yoga are ways to help release stress and pounds.
Exercise - You have to workout and exercise. Especially if you’ve reached menopause, you can not rely on diet alone. Your body’s more resistant to insulin during this stage of life and exercise can increase metabolism, or how many calories you burn in a day. It can also help you maintain and increase lean body mass, which also helps increase number of calories you burn each day. If you find it difficult to stick with an exercise routine consider asking a friend to be your workout buddy. You can support each other, help each other stay committed and have fun together while burning calories!
Not Linear - Something many people don’t realize is that weight loss is not linear. People will begin exercising and dieting and feel like the results are not showing. Fluctuations and even no change at all is a part of weight loss. Understanding this and being patient to the process is all very important for achieving a healthier lifestyle.
Here at Cookie Jar Spa we have a variety of products and services to help you achieve your dream body. From detox teas and supplements, to body shapers and body contouring The Cookie Jar is committed to helping you look and feel your best!
