What is menopause?
Menopause is defined as 12 months without a menstrual cycle, typically occurring at around 51 years of age for women in the United States.
What changes occur during menopause?
During menopause there are shifts in hormone levels that can lead to weight gain, fat distribution changes, and insulin resistance which can increase risk of developing chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Estrogen decreases → weight gain, increased abdominal fat, bone loss.
- Leptin decreases → increased appetite and hunger.
- Cortisol increases → depression and overeating/emotional eating.
What can we do?
Lifestyle interventions such as physical activity and nutrition can help to prevent development of these chronic diseases.
It’s important to work with your care team at Miga to help navigate how to implement these lifestyle and behavior changes, but there are some general principles that are helpful to follow detailed below.
- Recognize it might be slower and more difficult to lose weight after going through menopause than before.
- Take into account the whole picture of health (improvements in labs, increase in energy levels, decrease in waist measurements, etc) versus just focusing on the number on the scale. There are so many markers of overall health, and oftentimes weight is the one that is emphasized the most. Keep in mind that there are many other indicators of health, and that these hold significant value as well. Celebrate wins that aren’t measurable by the scale (ex. increased energy to play with grandkids or increased mobility for travel).
- Aim for consistency over perfection with any behavior change to promote habit formation. It can be easy to give up if it feels like your efforts to make behavior changes are not immediately reflected in your weight. Keep in mind that real change takes time, and being consistent with behavior change is important in order to see progress.
- Increase consumption of nutrient-dense, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts/seeds, legumes, seafood, and lean sources of protein. Follow a dietary pattern that is sustainable! This means that it isn’t too restrictive that you can’t maintain it for the long-term.
- Incorporate at least 150 mins movement per week per American Heart Association recommendations. 200-300+ minutes is generally recommended as a goal for those with weight management in mind. A sedentary lifestyle predicts weight gain and abdominal obesity risk more than aging and menopause, and loss of muscle mass from lack of activity can contribute to a slower metabolic rate. Incorporate any form of movement that is feasible and enjoyable.
Discuss expectations for weight loss with your providers. With lifestyle changes we typically see 1-2 lbs of weight loss per week. Understanding what amount of weight loss is realistic is helpful with goal-setting.
What if I have additional questions about menopause?
Please don’t hesitate to talk to your providers at Miga about menopause. Your care team at Miga is here to support you in making behavior changes to your health. We believe that education about and awareness of these changes during menopause are important.