Why You Should Exercise Less and Eat More To Manage Your Weight At Menopause
Exercise less and eat more? Are you serious?
Yes, we most definitely are.
Indeed, we know that one of the biggest challenges for women entering perimenopause and moving through to post-menopause is weight gain.
It’s a common complaint and the research in our own community confirms it.
All too often we hear women saying they’ve cut right back on food and are working hard on exercise. It’s what we’ve always been told right? To lose weight we need to eat less and exercise more.
But. And this is a big but. What we’ve been taught doesn’t relate to women in perimenopause, menopause and post-menopause.
What’s more, what’s always worked for us before when it comes to food, exercise and weight loss may not work for us now.
The goal posts have shifted.
Exercise Less & Eat More
Many women have a go-to solution for weight reduction and it’s worked well through their 20s and 30s.
However, if they begin gaining weight in perimenopause it seems the harder they exercise and the less they eat the more it clings. In addition, if they can’t get it off then it sticks around in post-menopause.
And it sits predominantly around the middle.
You’re not imagining it. It’s real.
And it’s not your fault. Don’t beat yourself up. Self-compassion is important here.
The good news is you can get it off but it does require a change in your thinking.
Furthermore, a change in your habits is probably on the agenda. But don’t run to your bed and hide under the covers just yet. You still need to exercise to optimise your health – and you don’t have to live on salad for the rest of your life.
In fact, in many ways that can be counterproductive. Stress, sleep, exercising for hours, your thyroid health, food choices and dairy – yes dairy for some people – could be making you weight loss resistant. For today though let’s focus on exercise.
Why Everything Women In Menopause Learned About Exercise May Be A Lie
Debra Atkinson explains more in her TED Talk “Why Everything Women In Menopause Learned About Exercise May Be A Lie.” Debra’s been in the fitness industry for 35 years and has trained for eight Ironman marathons. She now helps women in midlife through her business FlippingFifty. In her TEDx talk Debra explains how movement is different from exercise and how her body transformed when she exercised less.
We hope you enjoyed Debra’s talk.
If you need help with losing weight read our other stories (we have an extensive library under the ‘learn’ section). Or get in touch with Jennifer, our health coach, here.
