Menopause Mystery or how to Lose Weight at 50plus?
Do you want to lose weight fast or stay slim for good? And I have another question for you: do you want to lose pounds/ kilograms, or do you want to shed inches/centimetres? “But can’t I have both? Of course I want to stay slim forever, but it should be quick and easy, too! And of course I want to be thin, but I also want my scale to show X kg.” To explain these dilemmas, I’ll need to go into a bit of detail. In my last article “Menopause Mystery – Hormones and Weight Gain”, I talked about hormones and their antics. Or, more precisely, what they aren’t doing anymore. Here’s the short version in case you missed it: The female hormones estrogen and progesterone go into retirement. The body hates this and clings to fat because it can produce tiny amounts of estrogen as backup. Retirement is contagious: the thyroid gets lazy, and the pancreas isn’t so great at managing insulin anymore. Result: you are tired, you have no energy, your blood sugar is on a rollercoaster, and cravings take over. To make things worse, serotonin (the feel-good hormone) takes a nosedive, just when we need it most. So, chocolate has to step in as a substitute. Meanwhile, stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline double their shifts – thanks to menopause and the usual chaos of everyday life. We’re basically ready to brawl. But we don’t, because it’s not polite and leads to trouble. And we haven’t talked about another big problem, yet: Our body composition changes What does this have to do with losing weight fast or have a toned body and flat belly? A lot! These goals don’t automatically go hand in hand. You could lose several kilos, see the number on the scale drop, and still not have the figure you want. Why? Because a crash diet mostly burns muscle mass. And the weight loss is not sustainable, because your BMR drops. You need fewer calories, just to maintain your weight. On the flip side, you could lose inches, drop several sizes by building muscle instead. Take Christina, a client of mine. In 10 months, she lost 11 cm from her waist, 7 cm from each thigh, and 3 cm each from her hips and bust – while only losing 3 kg in weight! Now, think about which option you’d prefer… and let me explain why this happens. How Our Body Composition Changes Let’s face the facts: we’re not 20 anymore. Even if we feel that way (though when I argue with my mom, I often feel more like I’m 12). We lose precious muscle mass As we get older, our body composition changes. Even if we feel young at heart, we start to lose muscle mass around age 30. On average, we lose about half a pound of muscle each year after 30. This may not seem like much, but it adds up over time. If we are inactive, this muscle loss happens faster. Life’s demands, like work, family, & aging parents, can make it hard to find time for exercise or physical activity. During menopause, muscle loss doubles if we don’t intervene. Studies show that between 30 and 80, we lose about 60% of our strength. The major contributor to this muscle loss is the decline of estrogen. Although it is a complex topic and there are other reasons to speed up loss of lean body mass1 . Not to sound dramatic, but muscle loss and its effects are seen as typical signs of aging. And let’s be honest: many of us aren’t ready to think of ourselves as “old” just yet. The good news? We can fight muscle loss2! All we need to do is use, activate, and train our muscles. This doesn’t have to involve intense workouts – but more on that later. For simplicity, I’ll call it “training.” Training has significant overall benefits for our body and figure3 4 5 . Muscles Take Up Less Space Even if your weight stays the same, your clothes can feel tighter over time. This happens when you lose muscle but gain an equal amount of fat. The scale might not budge, but your body shape changes. And yes, much of that extra fat settles around the belly. A little reminder: muscles don’t turn into fat, nor does fat turn into muscle. These are completely different tissue types. We can’t turn water into wine, right? Another fun fact: people often say, “A kilo of muscle is heavier than a kilo of fat.” That’s nonsense – they both weigh 1,000 grams. The difference is in volume. If you want to learn more myths in the field of nutrition and health, get my free e-book “Busting Myths, Boosting Health“. Muscles Burn More Energy Muscle tissue uses significantly more energy (calories) than fat6. So, as muscle mass decreases, we need fewer calories just to maintain our weight. That’s why many women say, “I eat the same as always, but I’m gaining weight!” Makes sense: with less muscle mass, your metabolism slows down. Menopause further reduces calorie needs by up to 500 calories a day. Just picture this: it is the equivalent of approximately 100 g of chocolate! I calculated this for a 50-year-old woman: if she continues eating like she did at 20, she’ll gain about 10 kilos a year. (Note, this is a mathematical calculation and your body is a living organism.) Crash diets don’t help either and make the situation worse. When calorie intake stays too low for too long, the body burns muscle for energy – even when there’s plenty of fat to spare. Why? Because our brain, still stuck in the Stone Age, thinks we’re in a famine and decides to ditch those “energy-hungry” muscles. So, ladies, never cut calories below your basal metabolic rate, and don’t fast for more than 48 hours. A short pause is fine, but don’t overdo it. What Can You Do? Here’s the truth: weight changes and weight…