MENOPAUSE AND WEIGHT GAIN

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Hormones do some strange things to our bodies.  When you get to a 'certain age'  your oestrogen levels drop dramatically and you have less 'drive' and motivation to exercise. Without realising it, you do less and eat more and then the weight slowly starts to creep on. Even if vanity is your reason to keep the weight off, you will benefit from exercise and prevent serious health problems. It won't happen without keeping a close check on what you eat and how much you eat.  Gone are the days where you can 'pig out' then bounce back a few days later. Change your attitude to thinking about healthy food to fuel your body so you can function at your optimum level.  Surround yourself with 'like-minded' people who are addicted to living a healthy, active life.  A few kilos weight gain can bring with it all kinds of ailments from aching lower back, joint pain, fatigue and depression. 

Women gain an average of 4.8kgs around menopause!!!! BUT the good news is they CAN lose weight through diet and exercise. If you are in this 'boat' then it's a good reason to join one of our Rancan Sisters Fitness Challenges.
The article in the Pulse section of the Sydney Morning Herald 14.4.14 by Anahad O'connor 'An Expanding Problem' concludes with "So while weight gain is common at midlife, it's not a foregone conclusion. That said, women who want to avoid midlife weight gain will have to work harder at keeping weight off by taking in fewer calories and burning more through exercise"

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER for Our next Fitness Challenge for May 2014 5km a day and one month FOOD COACH online program.
This is a challenge to 'wake you up' to realise the amount of exercise you are doing and what you are REALLY eating.  it will get you back on track especially if the kgs have started to creep on. This is a lifestyle change not a 'quick fix'. 

We've included the links below to a couple of articles relating to menopause and weight gain that make for some interesting reading.

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/blame-menopause-for-weight-gain-20090403-9mrs.html

This link did not take you to the exact page so we have copied the article below for you to read through http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/03/28/ask-well-weight-gain-at-menopause/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0Is weight gain at menopause inevitable? by Anahad O'Connor

At menopause, I experienced a sudden and dramatic weight gain. I was healthy and exercised moderately five times a week for 30-plus years; I have always been careful about my diet, eating only healthy fresh food that I prepare myself. I am not sleep deprived. After trying various diets, I cannot get rid of this extra 15 pounds, and I’ve moved into the officially “overweight” category. What happened? Am I doomed to eat only lettuce in the future?

Many women in middle age complain about stubborn belly fat. Research suggests that this is indeed a common feature of menopause.

In a large study carried out by the International Menopause Society in 2012, scientists reviewed decades of research and concluded that the hormonal shifts of menopause change the distribution of body fat, making it more likely to accumulate in the abdomen. The drawbacks of this are more than just cosmetic: The accumulation can also increase the risk of insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease.

Last year, researchers at the Mayo Clinic took a closer look at the phenomenon by comparing fat tissue in pre- and post-menopausal women of similar ages. At the cellular level, they found that two enzymes that work to synthesize and store fat were more active in the postmenopausal women, which the researchers attributed to drops in estrogen.

Experts also say that decreases in metabolism mean that women gain an average of 10 pounds around menopause, but that they can lose weight through diet and exercise.

One study that underscored this was published in the journal Menopause in 2012. Researchers randomly assigned about 17,000 postmenopausal women who were not using hormone therapy to either a control group, or to another group that was put on a diet with increased intake of healthful foods like fruits, vegetables and whole grains. After a year, women in the diet group had fewer hot flashes and they were three times as likely to have lost weight.

In one randomized trial called the Women’s Healthy Lifestyle Project, 535 premenopausal women were followed through menopause. About half of the women were assigned to follow a low-calorie diet (about 1,300 calories daily) and burn an extra 1,000 to 1,500 calories weekly through physical activity.

After five years, the women in the diet and exercise group saw greater reductions in their waistlines, and they were more likely to have remained at or below their baseline weight.

So while weight gain is common at midlife, it’s not a foregone conclusion. That said, women who want to avoid midlife weight gain will have to work harder at keeping weight off by taking in fewer calories and burning more through exercise.

 

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