Weight Loss: Menopausal Women

Part 1: The Basics

( Stomach )

Anybody can gain weight. Women, however, are more likely to gain excess weight in their stomachs. This increase can happen deep inside the belly. This all happens during a women’s time through menopause. As estrogen levels drop, body fat is redistributed from the hips, thighs, and butt to the stomach. If during menopause more than 2 -5 pounds is gained, that weight is most likely deeper in the abdomen causing an increase in excess visceral fat. Excess amounts of visceral fat increase inflammation in the body.

The first thing you need to do is hard. Measure your waist. If you are over 35 inches and over the age of 35 you have too much visceral (internal) fat. The best way to lose belly fat is cardio, weight lifting, core work. The trick is, do cardio in intervals alternating from high to low intensity bursts. Try and burn 400 calories per workout and keep in mind it takes 3,500 burned calories to lose a pound. Workout 4 -5 times per week. Weight train 2 times per week. Do yoga and pilates as well.

( Breasts )

The size of your breasts is determined by body fat. The more fat you have on your body the larger your breasts will be. If you are middle aged they will be larger as well. As milk ducts subside, normally breasts decrease in size and sag. Estrogen is (should be) counter-balanced by progesterone. The problem is, progesterone levels can decrease 120x faster than that of estrogen. This can cause estrogen dominance, which keeps the breasts large and full. During menopause estrogen and fat work together. Estrogen acts as a magnet for fat, keeping it in prime areas like your breasts and abdomen. During menopause, fat cells grow larger and produce their own estrogen in an attempt to balance moods and enhance wellbeing. The best diet to reduce breast size is the Mediterranean.

This includes lots of fruit, vegetables, fish, a little meat, healthy oils, but no sugar or junk food and only a little alcohol. It is important to know that when drinking milk it should be almond or coconut. Soy milk includes plant estrogen, and cow milk includes estrogen as it is usually taken from pregnant female cows. Eat green vegetables, ideally raw or lightly steamed, They should fill half your plate, and veggies such as broccoli and cabbage help to control estrogen levels. Enjoy legumes (chickpeas, lentils, beans) and stone fruit (peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries), which are rich in a compound called calcium D glucarate that helps to inhibit the action of enzymes that reduce the impact of estrogen on breast tissue. Fill up on whole grains such as wholemeal bread, barley, couscous, and brown rice to boost your intake of insoluble fibre, which binds itself to extra estrogen in the digestive tract and carries it out. It's also found in seeds, carrots, cucumbers, courgettes, celery and tomatoes. Sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds onto salads and vegetables or blend into smoothies. The friendly bacteria in our intestines convert these foods into substances with weak estrogen-like activity. According to U.S. hormone specialist Dr C. W. Randolph, when the body is estrogen dominant, these 'new' plant estrogens bind to your body's estrogen receptors, blocking them and thereby reducing human estrogen activity. 

Cut back on sugars (including alcohol). Sugar in the diet raises blood sugar levels, which stimulates the release of the hormone insulin.

Too much insulin encourages your body to store fat and makes it more difficult to break down fat stores when you try to lose weight. Insulin also interferes with the delicate balance of estrogen and progesterone.

Alcohol itself can be equally damaging. Nutritional specialist Marilyn Glenville says: 'Alcohol has a toxic effect on liver function, which means it stops the liver effectively breaking down estrogen and other hormones - this means they can end up being re-circulated around the body and perhaps reabsorbed.'When you hit middle age your muscle structure can lose integrity and breasts can drop, but exercises to build pectorals and pull the shoulder blades back can help your body cope with the weight and keep your bust elevated,' he says.

Dietitian Debra Waterhouse, agrees. 'It takes the right combination of exercise to make your menopausal fat cells fit and encourage them to give up stored fat,' she says. 'Aerobic exercise will manufacture the fat-releasing enzymes that trigger the emptying of fat into your blood stream, and strength training will speed up your metabolism and condition your muscles to burn up that released fat.' And if all else fails, remember: big-breasted women are brighter. You may long for a smaller bust, but take heart from the news that, contrary to popular belief, large-breasted women actually have higher intelligence than the less-endowed. A 2011 University of Chicago study found women with larger breasts scored an average of ten points higher than other women in IQ tests.