3 Secrets of maintaining weight before menopause & bull; hello healthy

Approaching menopause, many women often gain weight. This is one of the most common menopausal symptoms. Even active, healthy women can gain weight in the years leading up to menopause. The good news is, you can do a number of things to maintain your weight during menopause.

Weight gain and menopause

It's not clear why menopause affects weight gain. However, hormonal changes are suspected to be the cause. When entering menopause, hormonal changes can trigger weight gain. This is related to the hormone estrogen.

At menopause, estrogen levels drop lower than before. This decrease in estrogen levels triggers weight gain around the stomach and hips.

This is also described in one study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

How to maintain weight when entering menopause

1. Regular exercise

You can do several exercises to keep your weight stable. For example swimming, walking, cycling, running, resistance or strength training, and aerobic exercise.

Try high intensity exercise interspersed with low intensity. So don't be too heavy, but not too light either. You need to exercise regularly and start gradually.

Based on US CDC recommendations, adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, and two or more days a week of strength training for the legs, hips, back, stomach, chest, shoulders, and arms.

2. Healthy diet

Fat really makes food taste better. You don't need to eliminate fat completely from your diet. You only need to choose fats that are good for your health. Healthy fats come from plant sources such as olives and nuts.

Also, limit foods high in calories and sugar. Foods high in calories and sugar can provide excess calories to the body. Excessive calories will eventually cause weight gain.

Eat lots of vegetables and fruits because they contain lots of nutrients. Vegetables and fruit also contain carbohydrates and are high in fiber which can help you stay full longer. Fiber can also help maintain your digestive health.

Not only do you choose healthy foods, you also need to eat at the right time. Set a regular eating schedule. For example, always have breakfast at 7 in the morning and dinner at 7 in the evening.

3. Get enough sleep

Not getting enough sleep will have an impact on the hunger hormones, namely grelin and leptin. Grelin and leptin become dysfunctional when you are sleep deprived.

Try to go to bed at the same time every day. Get 8 hours of quality sleep each day. Lack of sleep tends to make you eat more food and cravings for unhealthy foods the next day.

Keep your room cool and turn off all lit screens for at least an hour before you want to go to sleep. If you really can't do that, wear an eye patch to counter the sleep-disrupting effects of blue light.

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