All women should understand that there is no magic bullet for weight loss, especially during the time of menopause. The methods to lose weight are the same as prior to menopause unless there is an underlying problem such as unbalanced hormones, high cortisol, insulin resistance or low thyroid (hypothyroidism). There is no potion, lotion, herb or tincture that will help you get rid of your weight. However, if your weight problem is due to your hormone levels – you may find that the weight will come off easily once you have started bioidentical hormones.  However, weight loss during menopause is something you can achieve with a multi-faceted approach.  It is a combination of balanced hormone levels with bioidentical hormones, diet which is high in protein and restricts refined carbohydrates and processed food.  Moreover, the majority of diet plans never work. Most of the ads on cyberspace about weight loss devices, instruments, equipments and exotic substance are misleading and false.

So start with a common sense approach and be realistic. If it took you three years to gain  weight during premenopause and menopause, it will take you a while to get rid of it. Balancing your hormone levels of estrogen, progesterone, DHEA and testosterone will help.  However, there is no quick method to weight loss. So start by:

Reducing calories and carbohydrates.  Eat foods that are on the low glycemic index.  Pay attention to what you eat, take small portions, eat several small meals a day but eat healthy meals.  Avoid junk food such pizza, chocolates, candy.  Don’t eat anything “white” such as rice, bread, popcorn and pasta.  Remove all the processed food from your kitchen and start eating “real” food. You don’t have cut back drastically, but gradually. Take away at least 100 calories from your diet every two weeks till you reach about 1400-1500 calories per day and maintain that calorie intake. Diets lower than 1200 calories are very hard to sustain in the long run.  When you diet, enjoy the process. Eating healthily should be a lifestyle change and not a “diet” per se.  If you ever develop a sense of apprehension, dread and hate a particular diet, stop it and choose something else. Life is too short and supposed to be enjoyed. No point in making menopause worse by stressing yourself out over an unrealistic diet plan.

If you don’t want to count calories, try going on a low carbohydrate diet.  Healthy menopause diets include the South Beach Diet, Dr. Oz Diet, Suzanne Somer’s Somersizing diet and Dr. Natasha Turner’s hormone diet.  These are the best menopause diets and will help you lose weight and stay healthy when you are in menopause.

Always eat just enough to satisfy the hunger, do not over indulge even if it is your birthday.

The next step is to watch the fat content in your diet. The more fat you eat, the more calories you add rapidly. Limit fat to about 20 percent of your total diet. Try eating nuts, whole grains and use unsaturated oils. If you can, avoid fried food, so much the better.

Stop spending money on expensive gym fees if you are not going to use a gym regularly. There are many gyms and exercise parlors which guarantee weight loss. While this is true, some of these gyms do charge an exorbitant amount of money to become a member. If you are not going to be a regular visitor to the gym and have unpredictable working hours, joining a gym is a waste of money. Before joining a gym, always enroll for a month only and see if you can make it. You are better off walking or jogging around your neighborhood. If you really want to use an exercise machine, buy one for your home only if you think you are going to use it. There are millions of people in North America who have every type of expensive exercise machine at home, but in most cases these machinery are a waste of space.  Instead, join a yoga class and not only are you exercising, but you will be relaxing and reducing menopause stress.

Drugs for weight loss do exist abut they also carry a number of side effects. The best over the counter drug for weight loss is alia but recently even this drug has been mired with controversy.  I don’t support this way for losing menopause weight.  First you should balance your hormones with bioidentical hormones, learn to eat correctly and combine this with a regular weight loss program.

Surgery for weight loss does work in the short term but the long term results are not a guarantee. Surgery does not stop the desire to keep on eating. Moreover surgery also has some dangerous side effects and complications.  It is easier to learn to eat healthy, exercise and balance your hormones, than go to the extreme measure of weightloss surgery.

If you really want to lose weight, eat less, eat healthy and walk more. In the long run, this approach to weight loss is healthier, safer, cheaper and does work if you remain motivated and dedicated.  Menopause is a tough time for women and a good diet, exercise and bioidentical hormones will help you lose weight, achieve your best health and help balance your hormones.

Related Posts

No comments »