A woman's body is full of complications and its all because of the intricacies involved in their internal system. Every stage of a woman's life - from the very tender age till the time she lives, is full of changes, both physical and health changes. One such stage of a woman's life is the menopause.
Menopause usually strikes when a women is 40 to 50 years of age. Menopause is a normal course of life and it happens due to hormonal changes that takes place in every woman's bodies. With age, the production of the estrogen hormones tends to lessen and the system shuts down, this leads to the abrupt end of the menstrual cycle and is known as menopause.
Menopause is accompanied by several symptoms such as heart palpitations, hot flashes, irritability, anxiety, depression, vaginal dryness, frequent urination, poor concentration and above all weight gain.
As a woman nears menopause, it becomes extremely difficult for her to get rid of excess body weight. Though medical practitioners allege that weight gain after menopause is very common, but every woman is plagued by the idea of a bulging belly.
The sudden weight gain during menopause isn't actually associated with the hormonal changes, but there are several other reasons that contribute to the abrupt gain in body weight. Have a look
- Less exercise: Menopause is also dependent on age and as a woman ages, she feels lethargic and gives up exercise. This actually contributes to the weight gain and causes all the problems. Its not the hormones that can be blamed for the discomfort caused, instead it's a woman's life style that needs to be changed.
- Extra Diet: Some women are of the opinion that menopause makes them weak and as such they eat as much as possible to prevent weakness. That's absolutely WRONG. After attaining menopause, every woman must calculate calories before eating. That would help them in maintaining their body weight and having a balanced meal as well.
- Genetics: Yes, genetics is very often held responsible for the sudden weight gain. If your ancestors or your parents have had the tendency of gaining extra pounds in the abdomen regions, you are also likely to have the same.
Excessive weight gain during menopause can lead to severe complications in woman. It can cause high blood pressure, can escalate your cholesterol numbers and might also lead to diabetes. Some severe cases have also been noted in the recent past which led to breast cancer- so if you gain too much weight during menopause, you have 20% chances of having breast cancer also.
So now you know that you just cannot afford to make yourself vulnerable to such risks. If so, you must pull up your sleeves and start following a proper health care regime and lose as much weight as required to be healthy.
How to lose menopausal weight:
Well, if you want to actually lose menopause weight you have to be strict about your diet, exercise and your lifestyle as well. Also you must take good care of yourself and go for regular check ups if needed. Apart from that, I am giving you some tips to lose weight during menopause:
- Be Active: Don't let your age be a barrier, instead enjoy every moment of your life. Be active, be a spot and exercise regularly. That's very important if you want to lose weight. Exercise will boost your metabolism and help you burn more fat. Try aerobics and strength training exercise as well to increase your muscle mass, boost your metabolic activities and strengthen the bones. Walking is also the best way to exercise and you can begin with walking. If you don't like the gym, you can do it at home as well. Some free hand exercises can also be helpful. Instead of heading to the gym, you can also hire a trainer at home. But I would suggest you to go to the gym and enjoy yourself, make new friends and have a blast.
- Watch what you eat: This is very important. You must restrict your diet and plan your meals in advance. A balanced diet is all that you need to keep yourself fit and healthy. Give up refined sugar, fats and crash diets. Indulge in veggies and fruits instead and eat salads as much as you can. But please don't starve. You just need to restrict unhealthy foods. Your diet must comprise of low fat and high fiber. Remember, you also must eat carbs.
- Reduce your calorie intake: That's a must. You can consult a fitness expert to suggest you on your calorie intake per day. This will help you understand exactly how much calorie you need and follow it religiously.
- Reduce fat intake: A must once again. Reduce your fat intake as it can lead to severe complications. Give up oily food, junk food and other fatty foods.
- Have lots of proteins: Proteins are very essential for women during their menopause as it breaks down into energy and gives us the spirit to carry on with our daily activities. So proteins are a must.
- Carbohydrates: Carbs are the primary source of energy and you must include a certain portion of carbs in your daily diet. Some dieticians might advice you to give up carbs completely, but I would say, NO. Carbs give us energy, strength and stamina to carry on. So these are a must as well.
- Control your mood swings: You must do that!! Sometimes mood swings can lead to overeating and this is more of a psychological practice. Also menopause leads to frequent mood swings and depressions and therefore the risk prevails. Try to go out and unwind yourself once in a while and don't give up your normal course of life after menopause. Menopause is as normal as your life, so try to accept it.
Women often have a misconception that menopause disrupts their sexual life, it's not true. After attaining menopause, you can still continue with your sexual life and have the same pleasure that you did earlier. Better still, asks your partner and he'll tell you if things have actually changed. This shouldn't be a cause of depression at all. Try to develop some more knowledge about menopause and you'll know that you are not being deprived of anything. It happens to everyone and is a part of life!
