Prevent weight gain after menopause
Sometime during your 40s or 50s — usually coinciding with the menopausal transition — you may notice that maintaining your usual weight becomes more difficult. Weight gain after menopause seems to be harder to lose, and the inches tend to accumulate around your abdomen, rather than your hips and thighs.
For most women, increases in weight begin during perimenopause — the years leading up to menopause. On average, women gain about a pound a year during this time. Reversing course to lose unwanted pounds requires strict attention to healthy eating habits, an active lifestyle and diligence to keep it all on track.
What you can do to prevent/reverse weight gain
There is no magic formula for avoiding weight gain as you get older. The strategies for maintaining a healthy weight at any age remain the same: Watch what you eat and get moving. The most effective approach to reversing weight gain after menopause includes a combination of the following:
Increase your physical activity: ·
Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. Strength training exercises increase muscle mass, boost your metabolism and strengthen your bones.
Reduce calories: Pay` attention to the foods you are eating and slightly reduce the amount of calories you consume each day. By choosing a varied diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, you can safely cut back on calories and lose weight. Be careful not to cut back too drastically on calorie intake, or your body will respond by conserving energy, making extra pounds harder to shed.
Decrease dietary fat: Eating large amounts of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Limit fat to 20 to 35 percent of your daily calories. Emphasise fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils.
Source: Mayoclinic
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