I've been hearing a lot lately in the nutrition stratosphere about the fact that our metabolism doesn't really slow down at menopause, and as a woman knocking at that door herself, I find that very frustrating. I talk to women every day who tell me that the tricks they used in their 20s and 30s to slim down don't seem to work anymore. They tell me their weight is redistributing itself and their clothes don't fit the same way. They tell me they are doing all the things they've been told to do (move more/eat less) and nothing changes. How can you tell these women that their metabolism hasn't changed?
I wish there were an easy answer.
There seem to be a multitude of answers--some of them biological, and some lifestyle related. Let's start with the biological.
As we age we tend to lose muscle mass, and when you add declining hormone levels, you're going to see a change in body composition. Loss of estrogen causes weight to accumulate around your middle instead of your hips and thighs. We may have higher levels of stress-induced cortisol, which also induces fat storage. In addition to all that, we find ourselves with a higher level of insulin resistance, meaning that our bodies can't process the sugar from carbs as efficiently as they once could.
What a party, huh? But how about the lifestyle issues?
In full disclosure, these examples come from my own life, so this is by no means a scientific analysis.
I have read several places that we are just not as active in our 40s and 50s as we once were. I don't know if I agree with that. I'm still plenty active in my 50s, but then again, I haven't trained for any marathons in some time, so maybe it’s actually true.
I'm not sure that there's more stress in my life now either, but without my hormone besties, estrogen and progesterone, I do feel like it affects me differently. Estrogen gives us wings, and progesterone grounds us. We definitely need both.
I certainly feel the effects of sugar and alcohol much more than I did when I was younger. Even one glass of wine will set me up for a headache and sleepless, sweaty night. No fun for my social life! And even if I stick within my calorie limit for the day, if some of those calories come from cookies or ice cream, the inflammation and water retention can be very frustrating.
Emotional eating and drinking is an issue that comes up in menopause, too. It's tough to address, but shouldn't be ignored. There's a lot going on with our teenaged children, our empty nests, our relationships with our partners, our aging parents, our careers or career changes, and our overall sense of purpose that can cause us to occasionally dive headfirst into a bowl of cookie dough ice cream or a margarita (or three!). Honestly, in the moment it can make you feel better. However, in the long run we know that it doesn't. We shouldn't beat ourselves up about it, but we do need to recognize when and why it's happening so we don't let it become a habit.
So what do we do?
1. Change up your exercise routine. Add some resistance training to strengthen your muscles and bones. Maintaining and building muscle is an absolute necessity for healthy aging! Do some HIIT training once a week. Try to walk every day--especially after meals. Add a yoga practice into your routine. It will not only keep you flexible and strong, but it will help with your mindset and stress management (remember cortisol and emotional eating?). Exercise should be a positive stress on your body, but can easily become overly stressful. Pay attention and make sure your body has plenty of recovery time.
2. Prioritize protein and limit your carbs. You're trying to maintain muscle and bone mass, right? Protein is key. Every cell in your body needs protein, so make sure you're getting at least 100 grams per day (1 gram per pound of ideal body weight). The more protein you eat, the less you will crave other foods, you know, like the chocolatey, crunchy, and sugary ones.
Sugar will wreck havoc on your health goals, so now's the time to really take an honest look at how much you're consuming and cut it out as much as possible. That includes bread, cereal, pasta, and yes, even oatmeal. Oh, and alcohol, too! (Sorry!)
3. Make sure you're sleeping enough. Five to six hours doesn't cut it. You need at least seven, and preferably eight or nine. Loss of estrogen can make that difficult, so make it a priority. A good night's sleep makes everything better!
4. If all else fails, talk to your doctor. There could be an underlying condition that is making it difficult for you to maintain your weight, and your hormones might need a little boost to keep you vibrant and healthy.
Here are some great articles I found with more info on this topic:
https://health.osu.edu/wellness/aging/does-metabolism-really-slow-down-with-age
Comments
Post a Comment