Menopausal obesity cannot be eliminated, and the two main culprits are found! Nutritionist Sun Yuming: 3 tips to say goodbye to fat belly and regain metabolic power

After women enter menopause, their basal metabolic rate decreases, calories cannot be consumed, their weight begins to soar, and their body shape grows horizontally like a balloon, never to return? Nutritionist Sun Yuming said that in fact, in the past in clinical practice, she often encountered many mothers-in-law who came to consult nutritionists not because of the hot flashes and night sweats caused by menopause, but because they were troubled by their continuous "weight gain" and protruding belly after menopause.

Getting fatter as you get older? Women's weight surges during menopause, and it's related to these two reasons

Why are women particularly prone to weight gain and loss of control after entering menopause? Nutritionist Sun Yuming said that the reason why women tend to gain weight and have bigger bellies during menopause is mainly related to the changes in two major physiological functions of the human body after entering middle age and old age:

Reason 1／Decrease in basal metabolic rate:

The basal metabolic rate refers to the minimum amount of calories required to maintain the functioning of the body's vital organs, that is, the minimum amount of energy required by the body to maintain life and the most basic physiological functions of the human body, including breathing, blood circulation, maintaining body temperature, cell metabolism and other actions.

Generally speaking, the "basal metabolic rate" accounts for about 65 to 70% of the body's total calorie consumption, and the body's basal metabolic rate is highest between the ages of 18 and 25 in adulthood. However, once you are over 25 years old, your body's basal metabolic rate will gradually decline, with a rate of decline of about 5 to 10% every decade. In other words, by the time we are 50 years old, our body's basal metabolic rate has decreased by nearly 30%.

It is because during menopause, the body's basal metabolic rate drops significantly. Therefore, if people still maintain the amount of food they ate before menopause and do not develop the habit of regular exercise, their body shape will naturally develop sideways as they age. Simply put, the change in weight of menopausal women is caused by increasing age and slower metabolic rate.

The basal metabolic rate refers to the minimum amount of calories required to maintain the functioning of the body's vital organs, that is, the minimum amount of energy required by the body to maintain life and the most basic physiological functions of the human body, including breathing, blood circulation, maintaining body temperature, cell metabolism and other actions.

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Reason 2: Decreased estrogen secretion:

In addition to the decrease in basal metabolic rate, the function of women's ovaries will gradually degenerate after menopause, causing a decrease in female hormones and a relative increase in male hormones in the blood; the effect of estrogen is closely related to the metabolism of human fat.

In fact, estrogen receptors are distributed in the hypothalamus of the human brain, which plays a role in balancing the body's calorie intake and consumption. In particular, estradiol in estrogen has the benefits of regulating lipoproteinase activity, increasing the sensitivity of enzymes that help break down fat, and improving the efficiency of adrenaline in breaking down fat.

Therefore, once women enter menopause, without the protection of estrogen, the rate of fat metabolism will naturally slow down day by day; it may even gradually tend to the synthesis of cholesterol and triglycerides. In other words, the changes in body composition and fat accumulation in middle-aged women are caused by the increased age of the ovaries. Therefore, for women after menopause, the proportion of fat accumulated in the abdomen (waist circumference > 80cm) will increase significantly, and their body shape will naturally become fatter and fatter.

Once women enter menopause, due to the lack of estrogen protection, fat metabolism naturally slows down.

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Exercise is more effective than simply restricting calories to prevent menopausal weight gain

Although we understand that the reasons why women tend to gain weight after menopause are related to the two reasons mentioned above, what should mothers-in-law do if they don't want to gain weight? Nutritionist Sun Yuming pointed out that according to the 2015 data from Breast Cancer Research (World International Breast Cancer Foundation), exercise is more effective in controlling weight for menopausal women than simply restricting calories.

Regardless of changes in body weight, BMI, body fat percentage, fat weight, and muscle tissue, exercise is more effective than calorie restriction. Therefore, it is recommended that menopausal women must develop exercise habits to maintain sufficient muscle mass in order to improve their body shape and fat loss effects, which is also helpful for maintaining female hormones.

Are you eating right during menopause? Nutritionists teach you 3 tips to keep your body in shape

As for daily diet, menopausal women are advised to maintain a diversified diet, consume foods with high nutrient density, and limit the intake of refined sugar, salt and saturated fat to maintain good health. In order to avoid osteoporosis in menopausal women, they should pay more attention to the intake of calcium and vitamin D. It is recommended to drink 2 cups of milk (or yogurt) every day, get 5 to 30 minutes of sun exposure 2 to 3 times a week, and moderately consume dried mushrooms, salmon, sardines and other foods.

In addition, preventing cardiovascular disease is also a major focus of women’s menopausal health care! It is recommended that the daily diet should moderately reduce the intake of salt, saturated fat and cholesterol. Eat more foods that provide plant cholesterol, such as cereals, whole grains, nuts, beans, seeds, and vegetables and fruits rich in soluble fiber, such as fungus, mushrooms, melons, apples, cherry tomatoes, etc. At the same time, remember and implement the following three maintenance points, which is a good way to avoid gaining weight during menopause:

Preventing cardiovascular disease is also a major focus of women’s menopausal health care! It is recommended that the daily diet should moderately reduce the intake of salt, saturated fat and cholesterol. Eat more foods that provide plant cholesterol, such as grains, cereals, nuts, beans, and seeds.

Tip 1: Eat a balanced diet and control daily calories between 1400 (low activity) and 2000 (high activity) kcal.

Tip 2: Maintain an active lifestyle. Adhering to the spirit of never-ending learning, moderate traveling, outings, and participating in more social activities are all good choices.

Tip 3: Develop a habit of regular exercise, at least 5 times a week, for at least 30 minutes each time.

[Nutritionist's Tips]:

Finally, nutritionist Sun Yuming also suggested that menopausal women who already have overweight problems can try to lose weight and maintain a healthy body by measuring their weight every day, following their diet and exercise plans, and tracking their progress regularly without slacking off.

If you have been implementing the above method for a period of time and your weight has not improved, don't be discouraged. You may wish to seek help from a professional nutritionist to further clarify the reasons and design a suitable weight loss prescription based on your personal constitution. This is a good way to regain your past good figure and physical strength.