Series Post #4 Weight gain & the metabolic shift of peri-menopause. It's Not You, It's Peri-Menopause. Welcome to the Metabolic Shift of Menopause
You eat the same way, exercise regularly, and are doing all the “right” things. Despite that, the number on the scale keeps creeping up, and your clothes feel tighter - particularly around the midsection. If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. This frustrating phenomenon isn’t about overeating or lack of willpower, it’s the result of complex hormonal shifts that impact your metabolism. As with everything, personalization is key, as is knowing the root cause of individual health issues. What works for one person may not work for the other depending on each person's physiology, history, habits, genetics, and so on. The information in this post is meant to be informative but not meant as health advice. For personalized recommendations, it is important to work with a holistic health practitioner. Keep reading to learn how peri-menopause and menopause influence weight and metabolic health, and how you can get control while addressing your body’s changing needs. Why Menopause Impacts Metabolism & Weight During peri-menopause, your body undergoes significant hormonal fluctuations that affect how it stores and burns fat, regulates energy, and maintains muscle mass. Here’s a breakdown of some of those changes: 1. Estrogen Decline & Fat Distribution
Why Traditional Dieting Doesn’t Work During Menopause
Instead of restrictive diets or punishing workouts, a holistic approach that focuses on balancing hormones, supporting metabolism, and reducing stress where the focus should go. Holistic Strategies to Manage Weight During Menopause 1. Balance Your Blood Sugar Stabilizing blood sugar is one of the most effective ways to reduce insulin resistance and prevent weight gain.
2. Prioritize Protein for Muscle Health Maintaining and rebuilding muscle is critical for metabolic health.
3. Support Hormonal Balance
4. Focus on Quality Sleep Poor sleep disrupts hunger-regulating hormones like ghrelin and leptin, increasing appetite and cravings. We covered sleep recommendations in an early post in this series HERE. 5. Reduce Stress & Cortisol Chronic stress spikes inflammation and cortisol while driving weight gain - especially around the midsection. A few supplements that may help include:
6. Exercise in a Way That Supports Your Body Instead of focusing on calorie-burning, exercise with the goal of gaining strength while supporting hormones and overall wellbeing.
Long-Term Solutions for Menopausal Weight Management After reading this post, you can see that weight gain during menopause is a common issue during this phase of life, but it is NOT inevitable. To avoid it, however, does require a shift in how you approach your health. Remember, what worked in your 20s and 30s won’t cut it now. Menopause rewrites the rules, so you have to regroup, train smarter, eat wiser, and outsmart the hormone chaos. Stay tuned for my next post in the series, where we’ll explore how to manage hot flashes and night sweats.
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AuthorLynnel is a registered Holistic Nutritionist, Health Coach, the Educational Director of the NutraPhoria School of Holistic Nutrition. Click About to learn more.
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