How to Lose Weight During Menopause & Keep It Off

Are you in menopause or postmenopause and struggling to lose weight? When you lose 5 pounds do you gain it right back? Do you think you are too old to lose weight and now your body is different and won’t cooperate?

A recent study of 419 overweight and obese postmenopausal women sought to answer “What works?”

Some women got “lifestyle changes” that included regular group meetings led by a nutritionist, exercise physiologists, and psychologists. The others were “controls” and got only health education.

After 48 months, 57 percent of the postmenopausal women who had lifestyle changes maintained at least a 5-pound weight loss compared with 29 percent of controls.

What food changes worked best to get weight off and keep it off? Eating more fruits and vegetables, and eating fewer desserts, sugar-sweetened drinks, and less meat and cheese were key dietary changes.

I know you’ve probably heard this before. But now it’s a proven fact. And so is the reality that increased weight affects most menopausal women and that increases her chances of high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis, particularly of her hips and knees.

The other thing that this study proves – that as you enter menopause and beyond, the rules for weight control are really the same as they are before menopause.

So how can you best use this information? Here are 5 changes you can easily do to lose weight in menopause and keep it off.

Make time to exercise daily. You don’t have to run a marathon. Just 30 minutes daily walking or gardening or dancing. It doesn’t even have to be at the same time – add the times together for a total of 30 minutes.
Talk with a nutritionist; you’ll be amazed at the stuff in your refrigerator and cabinets that isn’t good for you that can be changed to healthy choices.
Keep the soda and sweetened juices out of the house. Try seltzer water with a lemon or lime wedge. So refreshing!
Keep fruit in a bowl in plain view. You’ll be amazed at how it encourages snacking on them (and keep sweets out of view or better out of the house and use only as a treat). I love to snack on sliced apples flavored with cinnamon.
Pick a partner to exercise or walk with and pick a time you will do it. That way it is part of your schedule that you are much more likely to do.

Click here for more info and tips on menopause.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Cindy R.

10:28AM PDT on Oct 20, 2012

It seems so unfair that even older men can lose the weight so much easier than us!

October 20
send a green star

Dresia V.

7:29AM PDT on Oct 17, 2012

Hang in there ladies, those of you going through this horrible menapause, night sweats and day sweats, water weight gain, mood swings, I tell you, if I could turn the clock back, I would rather have my cycle back then deal with these changes. Seemed like as soon as I hit 50, a whirl wind came by and disfigured me but I'm back on track and eating differently, more fruits and veggies and excercising and I'm see results. I know it's the change of life and I should be grateful for living past 50, but I don't like what menopause puts us through.