STOP THE WEIGHT GAIN OF MENOPAUSE

I LOVE MENOPAUSE & IT’S WEIGHT GAIN

… said no one ever! When you realize you’ve gained 5 lbs. in a year, it doesn’t really sound like much but after 4 years, you find yourself 20 lbs. heavier, wondering what happened?! and, if you are short, it REALLY shows!

Personally, I can’t decide if I want to blame my weight gain on menopause, the Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, the mixed connective tissue disease that I allowed to reduce my activity level or maybe its the chronic inflammation & cortisol response from the amount of pain/stress my body experiences each day?

Truth is, weight gain during menopause is quite common. There is scientific backing as to why it happens.  Its part of the aging but, there are ways to beat it.

As you know, menopause is reached either naturally or surgically. Surgical menopause begins immediately after removal of the ovaries (either from a total hysterectomy or a bilateral oophorectomy). Natural menopause (according to Mayo Clinic) begins at age 51. But, menopause can happen to a woman in her 40s or later than age 51. Age isn’t the problem. The havoc it plays on our body can be.

I read a study that said a woman’s metabolism during her later stage of life can decrease as much as 300 calories a day. Well hello?!  If it takes 3500 calories to make a pound and a metabolism slows by 300 calories a day and there are 352 days in a year… Well, I’m not a rocket scientist here but that’s 30 lbs a year in weight gain.

If we don’t make any adjustments & I indulge in the occasional Thanksgiving or Christmas cookies, Yikes! At 30lbs a year for the next 30 years, ….. One could weigh 900lbs.  Oh Hell NO!  It’s no wonder I feel like I’m always watching my weight!  So, maybe I’m starting to feel better about these mere 5 pounds per year? … Let me check…nope… I still feel rotten.

Let’s face it folks, unwanted weight gain is the pits. It affects our confidence level in a bathing suit as well as our physical health. Fortunately, a couple of tweaks will go a long way.

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

These are my recommendations based on what’s working for me, what my dr. recommended and my husband ( who happens to be a nurse, a  14 time Ironman finisher and now does obstacle racing) all support.

 

START OFF SMALL.

If you’re not exercising at all today then do something – anything – for 10 minutes. Do those 10 minutes of exercises every day – get in a routine. Make it your new habit.  Don’t let anything stop you from those 10 minutes.  Starting small doesn’t make it overwhelming. If you’re just going to walk for 10 minutes or do floor exercises, you don’t need to change clothes, or find a gym. You just walk.  On the second week add more time. If you’re suffering from auto immune diseases then add only five minutes but add time. If you’re healthy add 15-30 minutes after the first week.

 

RULES.

Make it a rule that you live by. Don’t let anything get in the way of that exercise time.  In this way it becomes a habit.  Make no excuses for not getting this one done —that’s what commitment is.

My husband who is 54 years old works out daily – regardless of how he feels when he wakes up in the morning.  On strong days he is running and lifting or doing obstacles. On lesser days you’ll find him stretching or doing floor exercises, or pull ups. The man is relentless. He doesn’t let fatigue or pain get in the way of his going through the motions. He does something EVERYDAY.

Another way to burn a few calories is to park further away from the stores. It saves your car from dings too! Make small adjustments that don’t feel like much individually but they add up.

 

RESET YOUR INTAKE VALVE.

This is an obvious one but if our metabolism is going to reduce the amount of calories it burns every day then we need to reduce the amount of calories we take in/eat each day. 300 calories isn’t a lot in any one given day but it adds up. At that pace, it takes us 12 days to gain 1LBS.  Become conscious of what you eat. Think of ways to save a few calories here and there. I’m not suggesting you count calories but I am suggesting you steam the chicken a few times a week instead of frying it in oil or eat a cup of bone broth soup at lunch to help fill you up. Choose a salad for one more meal this week. You get these ideas.  I hate food diaries but this is one of those times that they really help you.

The hardest time for me to restrict my intake is the after 8:00 pm. This is when my husband who has 5% body fat and works out for hours at a time is inhaling cookies & ice cream. Speaking of him, he had a large Sonic shake at lunch and 2 desserts after dinner tonight!!!! (It’s hard to sit beside a man who eats like that and not want some!)

During those bewitching hours, I’ve learned to do water first. If after a 30 minute time frame I am still losing my mind I will do Non GMO air popped popcorn, or 4-8 raw almonds or a tiny piece of extremely dark chocolate. Sometimes the water or a glass of club soda or sparkling water with lime is just enough to quench that desire to indulge.

INTENSIFY & INCREASE WORKOUTS:

If you’re used to working out for a half an hour a day then it may be time to add another 15-30 minutes to that. High intensity interval training is an even better way to reduce body fat. You don’t need a gym. You can go for a walk. You’d walk for 2 minutes, then run for a minute and walk for 2 minutes then run and continue this interval (or some version of it) for your entire 30 or 60 minute workout/walk.

Again, it’s best to get your doctors buy in here – drop him a call. You may not need a big visit. If you are suffering from adrenal fatigue or certain autoimmune diseases then I strongly invite you to talk to your doctor before doing any exercise… HIT (high intensity training) is NOT advisable for some folks. You do want to get your lymph moving but this may not be the way for you.  You might do better with a small rebounder by your desk and jump for a minute in between sittings. (I do that)

MUSCLE UP THE JIGGLY.

If you really want to get your metabolism back up, you are going to have to increase the resistance in your workout in order to increase muscle mass. This means use weights.  Muscle burns more calories than fat. So it’s time to lift weights. Do 8 to 12 reps then increase your weights down the road.  If you’ve never really done weight training you may want to hire a trainer to get you started. Sometimes that’s motivation enough… especially if they are easy on the eyes LOL and it forces a new habit.

Of course, as with all activity levels and programs talk to your doctor. Ask him how he feels about you being a little more active. He knows your complete history.

 

INSPIRATION.

If you really want to be inspired, check out Earnestine Shepherd, the world’s oldest female bodybuilder. You can find her on You Tube. She’s 80 and more than impressive. She started weight lifting at the age of 56 when she and her sister went bathing suit shopping and didn’t like what they saw.  Talk about poopoo-ing the odds!

Which brings me to my next point for those of us who suffer and I mean “suffer” from chronic debilitating pain whether autoimmune, back pain, mixed connective tissue disease or an injury. I know how incredibly difficult it is to get up out of bed and put clothes on. I have a girlfriend (who I call my Twisted Sister), we joke that some days aren’t even worthy of putting on a bra. But I’ve come to see what is possible regardless of perceived odds thanks to people like Ernestine Shepherd, my husband  and others who I have sought out for inspiration. We CAN beat the odds. Not without effort and commitment. But, it can be done.

OK so I am not back to doing triathlons and I’m starting a really small with walks when possible and floor exercises on other days but I’m doing something!  I used to compare every day to what I used to be capable of. That was discouraging. Now I accept today and begin anew.  The first day I only did five repetitions on each arm and each leg and I only did two different exercises. But it was more than I had done the day before. Even my spine doctor agreed I can certainly do isometrics and floor exercises that don’t require much spine engagement.

I’ve spent several years mourning the loss of my previous activity and fitness level (not to mention my size 2 & 4 clothes). It hurt to think I can no longer wake up and go to the gym. On days that I had tried to be active I paid in fatigue and pain levels for the next 3-4 days. It also hurt to see how my body was changing, how my clothes didn’t fit. What hobbies did I have if I didn’t have physical fitness?  Then I saw a photograph on Facebook. It was a man with two prosthetic legs. Somebody asked him how he could be so positive without his legs. His reply was “how can anybody be so negative with theirs”.

Determined I’m not letting this illness or any other diseases steal my joy, my life and my ability to be who I want to be, I push on. I’m building back up. Slowly but I’m doing it. I may not be able to run 2 miles yet or even one but less than a year ago I couldn’t put my underwear on without crying from the pain.  Every day I visualize my body getting better. I meditate on what I WILL HAVE for my life. Maybe, I’m not where I was or even where I want to be but I’m on my way. I will start from this point and stop talking & beating myself up over what was. Will you take this journey with me? I could use some encouragement too.

As Earnestine (my newest inspiration) would say “not everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, not everybody wants to be a runner but find what you CAN do and DO what you like to do.” And, as Nike would say “just do it”. So let’s get moving, let’s beat those menopausal, back breaking, connective tissue, aging odds – TOGTETHER. Feel free to comment below or on the ASK Mama Frat Community FaceBook page.  Are you ready to take this journey with me?

 

October 4, 2016

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