Are you like many women and struggling with weight gain after 40? The older you get the harder it seems to lose weight, right. Welcome to perimenopause weight gain, where for many women they feel like they no longer recognise their body. They feel like the changes are outside of their control. Rest assured there are steps you can take to take back control.

Why is it harder to lose weight after 40?

Women already have a higher prevalence of obesity than men in most developed countries. Obesity affects many aspects of women’s health by increasing risk for heart disease, diabetes, breast cancer, and infertility. Studies have found that hormonal fluctuations across the female life span may explain the increased risk for obesity in women

When we get to a certain age it can become harder to lose weight like we once used to. What once worked in our 20’s no longer has the same effect. You might feel like you can’t lose weight no matter what you try. No matter how many calories you eat (or don’t eat), no matter how much exercise you do, no matter how many crunches you do, that number on the scale just refuses to budge.

Why is weight loss harder

Perimenopause weight gain? So why is it so much harder to lose weight after 40?

First, lets see how many of these symptoms you can relate to, is this you?

• Are you struggling to lose weight?
• Is the weight going straight to your belly?
• Are you carrying weight around your midriff when you never used to?
• Feeling stuck at the same weight, or putting on weight despite working up a sweat.
• Are plans like SW and WW only ever getting you so far, or you re-gain the weight soon after?
• Sugary cravings getting worse?
• Are you drinking more alcohol?
• Do you have the signs of approaching or being menopausal – brain fog, memory issues, mood swings, night sweats, hot flushes, low mood?

Hormone imbalance

If you can say yes to most of these, know that you’re not alone and that you’re not going crazy. What’s happening more than likely is that your hormones are out of balance. It’s these unbalanced hormones that will most definitely be making losing weight an uphill battle for you.

“Menopause is a high-risk time for weight gain in women. Although the average woman gains 2-5 pounds during menopausal transition, some women are at risk for greater weight gains. There is also a hormonally driven shift in body fat distribution from peripheral to abdominal at menopause, which may increase health risks.”

Perimenopause Weight Gain

The calories in -v- calories out equation is all well and good when younger, however, it’s when your metabolism is fired up by your muscle mass and when your hormones are happily in sync. It’s when you approach perimenopause and your hormones go into free-fall that you face new obstacles. Unbalanced hormones are a real issue for women as it’s hormones that control how our calories are used. Hormones decide whether to store your calories as energy or store them as fat.

Calories and weight loss

A new study published in the Science Journal 12/8/2021 found that our metabolism doesn’t actually start to slow down until age 60, not around 40 as previously thought! The study recognised that muscle mass plays a role as it’s more metabolically active than fat tissues, ie muscle burns more calories than fat does. This is why I can’t emphasis enough just how important consuming enough protein and resistance training are to not only transform how your body looks but also how it feels too.

After 40 calorie quality not quantity becomes the driving force for fat loss

When hormones are unbalanced it’s often the case that no amount of cardio or calorie restriction will shift the number on the scales. You need to fix your hormones because YES hormones cause weight gain. I say cardio as this is generally the type of exercise that most women turn to and they can end up placing more stress on their body and actually decrease their all important muscle mass if they over-train.

Resistance training builds muscle – which burns calories. Resistance training shapes and firms up your body.

Why is it harder to lose weight

During perimenopause our sex hormones estrogen, progesterone and testosterone start to decline. Whilst your ovaries start shutting up shop they call on your adrenal glands (they produce your stress hormones) for help (as your body still needs some estrogen for other functions in your body).

Is it that perimenopause and menopause are becoming more of a medical complaint as opposed to a normal life transition, because for many women their adrenals are already taxed by the time they reach menopause this reserve tank is essentially empty?

Adrenal fatigue is an issue for many women. It was certainly the case for myself when I hit menopause abruptly at 40 and my adrenals weren’t able to step up.

Hormone disrupters

Then add in the fact that xenoestrogens are everywhere. Plastics, Parabens and Pesticides. These 3 are endocrine disrupters causing havoc on the endocrine (hormone) system. These three P’s are everywhere. Around the home, furniture, beauty products (which get absorbed into the skin), in household cleaning products. In the air. In the environment. There seems to be no escaping them.

Plastic bottles and packaging. Plastic is everywhere. Check the Environmental Working Group (EWG) website for lists of what to avoid. This includes which fruit and veg you should buy organic. See the clean 15 and dirty dozen fruit and vegetable lists for which are full of pesticides.

Hormones drive whether calories are stored as FAT or as ENERGY

And then there’s your fat storing hormone Insulin, your hunger hormone Leptin and your Thyroid which controls your metabolism. So many women have sluggish metabolism at this age and it’s no coincidence. Years of yo-yo dieting can cause havoc on your metabolism too.

Weight Loss After 40 – how to lose the hormone weight?

From my years of training women, from being a life long supplement user and from my own experience of early menopause and depression I can’t shout about the power of exercise and nutrition enough when it comes to transforming both how you look and how you feel. At 47 and post menopause I’m feeling my best ever. So here are my 7 steps that every woman can start implementing to start taking charge of her hormones and body. Everyday do-able steps, practical steps that I know make a difference. You can take control of menopause weight gain.

7 steps to manage perimenopause weight gain

Step 1 Menopause weight gain – Blood tests

Ask your GP to check your hormones and other essential markers, especially if you’ve been feeling tired or run down. A simple blood test can give you vital information on what you body could be lacking. It can be useful to obtain a copy of the results. Because there is usually a wide bracket of what’s deemed as ‘normal’ and what’s deficient. you want to know if you are at the lower end of any of these brackets so you can do something about it – Your GP won’t if you’re ‘normal’.

Step 2 Menopause weight gain – Stop Dieting

It’s time to ditch the diet mentality and adopt the QUALITY not quantity approach to your food. Stop counting calories and start eating for nutrition instead. Get off the dieting roundabout of points, syns and counting. Not all calories are created equal. Some calories are packed with nutrients, whereas alcohol is empty calories. And we can’t outsmart our hormones nor metabolism. Put your focus on your food quality and start thinking about your food as the nutrients that feed your cells and balance your hormones.

Step 3 Menopause weight gain – Add Protein at Every Meal

Protein, protein, protein…. most women don’t eat enough despite it being the number one macronutrient for weight loss. To lose weight eat your bodyweight in protein each day, at least 1 gram per kg of bodyweight. Do this and there won’t be room for snacking. Time to take an honest review to see if you’re getting enough. Supplementing with protein powder is now the norm for many women, myself included.

Step 4 Menopause weight gain – Stop Snacking

Talking of snacking, it’s time to ditch eating every 2-3 hours. Snacking doesn’t boost the metabolism. Plus it’s not how your body is designed to eat either. Grazing like this is the green light for fat storage as it spikes your Insulin fat storing hormone. If you feel the need to eat every 2 hours it’s definitely time to look at the quality of your food and time to re-set your hormones and switch them from fat storing to fat burning mode. Fill up on sufficient fibre and protein each meal time and you should be full for HOURS.

Step 5 Menopause weight gain – Add Hormone Balancing Foods + Adaptogens

The decline in sex hormones means fat storage goes to the abdomen now more now than ever. The typical pear shape carrying fat on the thighs and buttocks can start to become apple shape with fat going straight to the tummy instead. If this sounds like you it’s important to monitor your weight as visceral fat can start to build up around your internal organs putting you at high risk of Type 2 Diabetes, Heart Disease and High Blood Pressure. It’s no coincidence that women’s risk of heart disease shoots up at around age 50.

Hormone balancing foods

You can give your hormones (and weight) a helping hand with foods such as cruciferous veggies (think cauliflower, broccoli, sprouts, kale – the veggies that look like trees) as they contain specific compounds. Also make BFF with the harmonising adaptogens mother nature has given us, think Maca root, Ashwangandha, Spirulina, Seaweed, Red Clover, Sage to name a few. These clever herbals adapt to what your body needs. All amazing adaptogens I’ve been able to use in the Pretty Pea range.

Be aware that herbal hormone balancing supplements are not recommended for those on HRT prescription medication. It’s always advisable to consult your GP before changing your diet and /or taking supplements.

Step 6 Menopause weight gain – Manage daily stress

Lastly, but certainly not least is managing your daily stress levels as cortisol, your stress hormone, is also responsible for fat storage – again especially around your middle. Modern life has created a constant undercurrent of continuous stressors which the body isn’t designed for. Our stress hormones were designed to be used in short bursts, like running from dinosaurs, and not the continuous worries we have going on in the background 24-7.

Relationships, family drama, work issues, financial worries, endless to-do lists, being superwoman, pandemics, living on caffeine and sugar, anxiety, depression and mental health concerns and being at the bottom of your own to-do list all ultimately take their toll.

Adrenaline will keep you going for only so long, so whilst you can feel ok, maybe even feel a bit wired and you might be just about on top of things, however, know that you can’t survive on adrenaline. It’s only a matter of time before it burns out, taking you with it. Take the stress out of balancing your body and hormones with Pretty Pea supplements. If you’re feeling frazzled and would like your body to better able to adapt to energy and stress then you’ll want to get some MENO ZEN in your life. It’s one of our most popular supplements.

See the full range at www.prettypea.blog

Step 7 Menopause weight gain – Strength Training

Strength training, also known as resistance training, doesn’t require a gym membership. Resistance training simply means your body is working against something. It could be gravity using your own bodyweight or it can be using a weight such as a kettlebell, dumbbell or medicine ball etc.

Your body releases HGH, Human Growth Hormone, when working against a force. HGH plays a vital role in cell regeneration and in maintaining healthy tissues and optimising metabolic function. HGH is also known as the ‘youth hormone’.

You can workout at home and exercise examples include squats, lunges, glute bridges and planks. Once you get into a routine you’ll find that not only will your muscles firm up and feel stronger, you’ll sleep better and can even improve mental health and confidence too.

Age and loss of muscle mass

With each decade after 50 we lose around 6% muscle mass. That’s associated with a 10-15% loss in strength making you feel physically weaker and less functional. So the sooner you start the better, but that’s not to say you can’t start at ANY age. You absolutely can.

Losing muscle makes it more difficult to lose weight. Fat burns 2-3 calories per pound whereas muscle burns around 50 calories. This is why those who strength train regularly and have built up their lean muscle tissue can eat thousands of calories each day – muscles is metabolically active tissue and hungry!

It also explains why most men cab lose weight quicker than women – they naturally have more muscle mass than women. Women typically carry more bodyfat.

Know that the more muscle you have the more calories your body will burn 24/7 and not just when you’re working out.

These 7 steps can make weight loss after 40 easier. They can change your body, how you feel. How you feel controls everything. You just have to start and you can take it step by step.

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DISCLAIMER The information provided on www.prettypea.blog is for education purposes only. The information provided is based on my own experience as well as my own interpretations of current research available at the time. This page does not provide medical advice; it is intended for informational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore obtaining or following professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the internet. Always seek professional medical advice.

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