Does Menopause Weight Gain Go Away?

As we enter perimenopause or menopause the number on the scale starts creeping up, the inches around our waist begin to grow. We look in the mirror and ask “who is that?”

We haven’t really changed our lifestyle and yet our body is defying us. So naturally, we go on a diet, join a gym and start jogging. We think if we just eat healthy and get moving the weight will come off. After all, that’s what always works.

Until it doesn’t.

I’ve seen women spin their wheels for months, even years going from diet to diet and one exercise plan to another with no results. It’s no wonder why the misconception that you can’t lose weight after menopause carries so much weight (no pun intended).

The truth is you can lose weight after menopause, but you need to change your approach. You’re not who you were in your 20s and 30s and that diet that worked so well back then is what’s causing you to gain weight.  

What does work is learning how to work with your changing metabolism and hormones in a way that reduces stress. Before menopause we had lots of estrogen and progesterone which protected us from the ill effects of the stress hormone cortisol. Too much cortisol (stress) makes your body want to hold onto fat, especially belly fat. And yes, that stress can be coming from your job or family life or a stressful situation, but guess what else is stressful on your body…

Dieting and exercise!

This doesn’t mean you can’t diet or that you must give up exercise. No, that wouldn’t serve you either.  What you need to do is find the right balance for your body, your metabolism, and your hormones.

4 Easy Steps to Losing Weight After Menopause:

1. Nutrition: Restrictive diets and omitting food groups is much too stressful for women over 50. Instead, you need to reduce your calories just enough to cause a deficit and focus on getting 30-40% of your calories from protein. The rest of your meal should consist mostly of vegetables with a small portion of either fat or carbohydrate.
2. Exercise: Over-exercising is a great way to cause too much stress on your body. It’s important once you hit menopause that you allow plenty of time between workouts for muscle recovery. You can still workout two days in a row, just don’t work the same muscle groups. Be sure to work your muscle to fatigue and keep the workout short. This will ensure that you don’t produce too much cortisol. That stress hormone that loves to store belly fat. You should also focus on strength training and a little added cardio instead of what most women do which is to focus on cardio with a little bit of strength training.
3. Get Walking: On the best exercises you can do for weight loss in menopause is to walk.  I’m not talking about power walking, but rather taking a leisurely relaxing walk. This is a great way to increase calorie burn without increasing cortisol.
4. Rest Recovery & Rejuvenate: Finally, you need to make sure you get enough sleep (our hormones balance while we sleep!) and adequate down time during the day. Make time in schedule for meditation, reading a book, or even time to just breathe. The more you can keep yourself in a relaxed state the better results you’ll have. 

If you take the time to follow these 4 steps above you will start to notice a difference. Just remember for the best results you should track your progress and have a plan. Without a plan you’ll continue to spin your wheels and without tracking your progress you won’t know if you’re on the right track or not. By tracking your nutrition, measurements, and body weight you’ll know for sure if you should continue with what you are doing or if it’s time to pivot. 

In a nutshell, embracing the changes that come with menopausal weight gain is a journey worth taking. Understanding how your body evolves during this phase is the first step to reclaiming control.

The four practical steps - tweaking your nutrition, exercising wisely, enjoying a leisurely walk, and prioritizing rest - offer a roadmap to success. Remember, it's not about drastic measures but about finding a balance that suits your unique self. So, track your progress, celebrate victories, and consider this journey an exploration rather than a challenge.