I just came across an article on post-menopausal weight gain on the Mayo Clinic’s women’s health page. The upshot is that–surprise!–gaining fat is not inevitable.
Here’s why the weight gain occurs:
[C]hanging hormone levels associated with menopause aren’t necessarily the cause of weight gain. Aging and lifestyle factors play a big role in your changing body composition, including
Exercising less. Menopausal women tend to exercise less than other women, which can lead to weight gain.
Eating more. Eating more means you’ll take in more calories, which are converted to fat if you don’t burn them for energy.
Burning fewer calories. The number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age because aging promotes the replacement of muscle with fat. Muscle burns more calories than fat does. When your body composition shifts to more fat and less muscle, your metabolism slows down.
Here’s what to do about it:
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Increase your physical activity. Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. Strength training exercises increase muscle mass, boost your metabolism and strengthen your bones.
You can become more physically active even without starting a formal exercise program. Just spend more time doing the things you love that also get you moving. Do more gardening and dancing. Take longer walks or try out a bike. Make it your goal to be active for a total of 30 minutes or more a day on most days.
Increased physical activity, including strength training, may be the single most important factor for maintaining a healthy body composition — more lean muscle mass and less body fat — as you get older.
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Reduce calories. Pay attention to the foods you’re eating and slightly reduce the amount of calories you consume each day. By choosing a varied diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, you can safely cut back on calories and lose weight. Be careful not to cut back too drastically on calorie intake, or your body will respond by conserving energy, making extra pounds harder to shed.
Because your metabolism slows as you get older, you need about 200 fewer calories a day to maintain your weight as you get into your mid- to late 40s. This shouldn’t be a problem if you eat only when hungry and only enough to satisfy your hunger.
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Decrease dietary fat. Eating large amounts of high-fat foods adds excess calories, which can lead to weight gain and obesity. Limit fat to 20 percent to 35 percent of your daily calories. Emphasize fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking that if lots of fat is bad, zero fat must be better. That’s the false assumption we bought in the ’80s. I vividly remember preparing for bodybuilding competitions by trying to eat as little fat as possible. I ate all day long: dry salad, tuna from the can, dry chicken breasts, steamed broccoli, dry baked potatoes . . . And I was always hungry.
Fat adds flavor and also increases satiety.
