Worried About Weight Gain During Perimenopause? The Best Tip You Need to Know!

 

 

 

The mindset shift to make if you are worried about weight gain during perimenopause…

 

Fitness and movement have been an important part of my life for a long time.  Movement allows me to improve my health, get rid of stress, express creativity, challenge myself, connect to my body and to feel free and have fun.  

 

I have participated in a wide variety of activities, and I have heard people in the fitness industry talk about protein… A LOT. 

 

Yet, I had a mental block. I never really thought their advice applied to ME.  Afterall, I wasn’t a body builder or participating in fitness competitions.  

 

BIG mistake on my part! 

 

Turns out, we should all be listening to this advice, especially women during perimenopause and beyond!

 

One of the most important changes I have made to address my own weight gain during perimenopause has been increasing my protein intake. 

 

After researching strategies that would have the greatest impact on health and fat loss at midlife, I realized that eating adequate amounts of protein stood out as a game-changing strategy over and over again. 

 

As middle-aged women, one of the main concerns that proper protein intake can address is sarcopenia.  Sarcopenia is age-related, involuntary loss of muscle mass, strength, and function and is associated with poor health and lower quality of life. 

 

I was shocked to learn that we can lose 3-8% of our muscle mass per decade after the age of 30! YES… after age 30!

 

Sarcopenia is a contributing factor and cause of frailty and disability in older adults since it increases the chance of falls and the risk of injury.  

 

The loss of muscle tissue also appears to go hand-in-hand with a rise in body fat.  This results in unwanted body composition changes (and a wardrobe of mostly yoga pants 😒) and insulin resistance.

 

In fact, people with handgrip strength at a level below the threshold of weakness (a measure of sarcopenia) were over 3.5 times more likely to develop type 2 diabetes over 6 years!

 

Clearly, we must avoid sarcopenia to improve our longevity, increase our health span, and to age gracefully!

 

So, how do we do that?

 

The prevention of sarcopenia requires the preservation or building of skeletal muscle mass. 

 

Changes in muscle mass depend on the balance of two processes, muscle protein synthesis (repairing muscle tissue) and muscle protein breakdown. To maintain or build muscle mass, muscle protein synthesis has to be equal to or greater than muscle breakdown.

 

There are two main ways to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.  One is by performing resistance exercise training (which would be my #2 tip if you are worried about weight gain during perimenopause 😉). 

 

The other is by eating a sufficient amount of high quality protein that includes the essential amino acids (building blocks of protein that the body must get through food) at each meal.

 

That’s pretty cool!  

 

You can preserve muscle tissue simply by eating the optimal amount of protein during your meals.  Notice that it is not a daily amount of protein that is the key factor, but the amount of protein at each meal.

Even More Benefits of Protein For Women Over 40:

 

Halting or preventing sarcopenia is reason enough to prioritize protein as you move through your 40’s and 50’s!  But, it’s a crucial nutrient for several other reasons. 

 

Many of the following benefits relate to protein’s supporting role in helping women reach their wellness and weight/fat loss goals:  

 

• Protein is the most satiating of the macronutrients (protein will keep you feeling full and satisfied longer and is more difficult to overeat than fat or carbohydrates)
• It has the highest thermic effect of food (TEF). TEF refers to the calories that are burned during digestion, absorption and usage of food for energy. Over time, upping your protein can help with body recomposition (increasing muscle and decreasing fat).
• Protein is required for neurotransmitter production (balanced moods)
• Protein is necessary for bone health
• Protein shows benefits for blood sugar regulation
• Amino acids from protein are used to build antioxidants
• Amino acids from protein support the health of the gut lining
• Amino acids from protein are the building blocks of collagen which is needed for hair, nails, skin and joint health
• Inadequate protein may lead to weakness, fatigue and poor immunity

 

Now you are probably wondering how much protein is the optimal amount to consume???

 

One scientific article indicates that in order to maintain healthy muscle mass, adults should be eating at least 30 grams of protein at more than one meal each day.

 

A separate journal review recommends 25-30 grams of high quality protein per meal.  

 

Well…there you have it! 

 

I hope this inspires you to track your protein intake for a few days to see how much you are actually eating at each meal.  If you find you are much lower than these suggested amounts, add 5-10 grams of protein to each meal and give your body time to adjust until you reach the recommended levels. 

 

As I pointed out in the previous blog in this series, breakfast is the perfect place to start adding in that protein… so start there!

 

If you are interested in learning more about the connection between short-term muscle loss due to Covid-19 and the possible long-term health effects, check out this article.  I found it super interesting!

 

 

 

Do you need some fresh, new, healthy, simple breakfast ideas to support your active body during midlife???

Download your FREE recipe guide below  

 

 

How to Make Healthy, Simple Breakfasts Part of Your Perimenopause Diet

 

(Part 1 of a 4 part blog series on ‘Finding Food Focus in Your 40’s and 50’s’)

 

Are you searching for a healthy, simple breakfast?

 

Are you a busy woman in your 40’s or 50’s?  If so, I have a question:

 

What does your breakfast plate or bowl look like?  

 

The morning meals that fuel me these days don’t resemble the breakfasts of my 20’s, 30’s or early 40’s.

 

I used to enjoy a jar of overnight oats or gluten-free toast, or granola and yogurt or muffins or cereal bars.  Honestly, some days it was whatever I could get my hands on!

 

And I still savor these favorites on special occasions.  

 

But, as I started to experience symptoms of perimenopause, I learned that I had to shift my focus to reflect the fact that my body was shifting its focus.  

 

Slowly, I have made the move away from a typical American-style breakfast to a meal that  breaks my fast in a nourishing and satisfying manner for my 48 year-old body.

 

What does that healthy, simple breakfast look like?

 

For me, many mornings it includes a smoothie.

 

Especially if I have a fast-paced morning of getting ready and out the door for work!

 

Why do I rely on smoothies so often?

 

Well, smoothies check A LOT of boxes if made strategically!!!

 

Perks of a well-crafted smoothie:

• Enough protein to reach per meal and daily goals
• Source of healthy fats 
• Great way to incorporate more fiber
• Gentle on digestion because they are blended
• Nutrient dense start to the day (include those veggies!)
• Low-sugar option that curbs late morning snack attacks
• Prevent decision fatigue and reaching for packaged foods
• Easy and quick to make so that a healthy breakfast becomes a habit!

 

For women in their 40’s and 50’s, smoothies are a simple way to get three essential nutrients we need as we age and go through hormonal changes: protein, healthy fat and fiber.  

 

This combo is a powerhouse that stops the mid-morning sugar-dips that cause us to feel hangry, unfocused, moody and anxious. Starting the day with protein, fat and fiber allows us to get off of the sugar rollercoaster so many of us find ourselves on every single day!

 

Be on the look out for future blogs in this series that will look more closely at the importance of prioritizing protein and choosing carbohydrates wisely.  

 

For today, let’s address a common habit of many perimenopausal women: 

 

Deciding to skip breakfast 

 

If you end up skipping breakfast intentionally or unintentionally, it is important to honestly check in with your wellness goals from a place of curiosity and openness.  

 

Do your goals include weight loss, body recomposition (loss of body fat and muscle gain), feeling more energetic and focused, or supporting hormonal health? 

 

Do you know why you are skipping breakfast?  Is it simply due to a lack of time? Is it because it works for your significant other?

 

Consider these questions carefully.  If this strategy is working for you to reach those goals and you are not experiencing hunger that you are ignoring, it may be an approach that works for your body at this time. 

 

But, if you find that skipping breakfast is not helping you reach your optimal wellness, you are not alone. There is evidence that including breakfast in your routine is beneficial! It might be time for you to make a nourishing breakfast a regular part of your mornings.

 

Some studies show that including a morning meal can be a long-term tool to prevent weight gain.  Since many women struggle with maintaining weight during mid-life, this could be a relatively easy strategy to try.

 

Recent research is indicating that timing your meals to coincide with your circadian rhythms may be crucial to optimal health, including weight management and metabolic health.  This means your eating window should begin in the morning (with a healthy breakfast) and end in the early evening (when the sun goes down). 

 

In fact, it may be best to get the majority of your calories earlier in the day. This is when blood sugar control is at its best!

 

It seems that our bodies are primed to eat and absorb nutrients in the morning… so let’s take advantage of that!!!

 

Remember:  our 40’s and 50’s are a time of dramatic change for our bodies!  

 

 

We need to switch up our habits, wellness routines and lifestyle choices in order to support our bodies during this transition. 

 

So… is it time for you to reevaluate your approach to breakfast?

 

 

 

 

Do you need some fresh, new, healthy, simple breakfast ideas to support your body during midlife???

Download your FREE recipe guide below