subject: A Simple Solution to Menopausal Weight Gain* [print this page] A Simple Solution to Menopausal Weight Gain*
One of the biggest problems hitting women over 50 is weight gain. It seems that no matter how much you diet, or how little you eat, you still can't seem to lose the weight. I have a few tips to help with troublesome weight gain in peri-menopause and menopause.
We'll start with Diet.
1) It's all about what you eat. Learn to read and understand the labeling on the foods you buy in the grocery store. First thing to take into consideration is serving size. All of the information-calories, fats, cholesterol, salt, and sugar content-is based on the serving size. It is a good idea to try to keep your intake within the serving range listed on the product. The other thing to consider is that almost all of the information is based on a 2000 calorie per day diet. If you are consuming less than that, then you must add to the values listed. For example, if you consume only 1500 calories a day, then you must increase the values by one-fourth. If you consume only 1000 calories a day, you must double the values. Start a food diary and write down everything you eat for a week. Figure out your approximate caloric intake, then decide what you should be taking in. Your doctor can help you decide how many calories you should be taking in per day for the amount of weight you want to lose.
2) The information that is most important on the label is fat and cholesterol. If you have high blood pressure, you want to watch your salt content. If you are diabetic, you have to consider sugar content as well. Forget about trying to figure out the grams and milligrams and concentrate on the daily percentages listed on the can, and again remember that they are based on a 2000 calorie per day diet and should be adjusted accordingly.
2.1) Fats come in three categories: Saturated, unsaturated, and trans-fats. You want to keep your diet higher in unsaturated fats, and low in saturated fats and trans-fats. Saturated fats can increase your cholesterol and sugar content. They are stored in the body and, if not burned off, turn to sugar, and raise your cholesterol levels.
2.2) Cholesterol comes in two forms. HDL, which is good, and LDL, which is bad. You want to eat foods that are high in HDL and low in LDL. Some foods which are high in HDL are Canola Oil, and fish, especially salmon. It's a good idea to rid yourself of all oils but Canola Oil. You should add fish and salmon to your diet at least once or twice a week.
2.3) Plan on buying eggbeaters, skim milk, and turkey. White meat ground turkey, chicken, and pork are worthy and tasty alternatives to fatty foods and red meat, which is high in cholesterol.
3) Eat breakfast. Wheaties with skim milk and blueberries or Craisins (Cranberry raisins), egg-beater omelets using low fat cheeses and raw vegetables, low-fat, pro-biotic yogurt, or low-fat cottage cheese with fresh pineapple or grapefruit.** Avoid butter and spreads. If you must use them, use only the serving size.
3.1) Mustard can be used as an alternative to Mayonnaise in almost any case. If you must use Mayo, switch to salad dressing or a light Mayo and stick strictly to the serving size. For lunch, a lean sliced turkey sandwich on wheat bread or multi-grain bread with lettuce and tomato and mustard is nice. A salad using Canola oil, vinegar, ground pepper, and garlic for your dressing is best. Sugar free Jell-o makes a nice snack. The pre-packed serving sizes are best.
3.2) For Supper, chicken breast without skin, Turkey breast, or fish, with rice and beans, and a fresh or frozen vegetable is your best bet. Remember, stick to the serving size. For desert, try sherbet, or Ice Milk, or fat free ice cream. For that Chocolate fix, try a dark chocolate brownie mix and use Canola oil and eggbeaters as substitutes for oil and eggs. and unsalted almonds for nuts. Again, I can not emphasize enough, serving size.
Exercise:
This is the part everyone hates. You do not have to go to a gym for this. You need to walk everyday for cardio-vascular exercise. Start out slow, walk half a mile and build yourself up to at least 3 miles. You should be able to do it in 45 minutes by the time you work up to the 3-mile mark. Try to include some hills in your route. This will help to increase your metabolism, lower your blood pressure and cholesterol, keep your bones strong, build muscle in your legs and buttocks, and trim your hips and thighs. Walking with 1-lb. Weights in each hand will help build your arm and abdominal muscles as well.
Next, you need to get a couple of 5-lb. weights. It is important to build muscle. Muscle increases your metabolism and will help you to lose the weight, as well as make you stronger. You want to work your biceps, tri-ceps, upper and lower abs. You can find the best work-out for you by looking up the proper exercises in your local library. Or, if you are computer savvy, you can find workouts on line targeting those areas. Start slowly with 5 repetitions. for each arm, and build yourself up to twenty each. When you find that twenty is too easy, move up to 8-lb. weights. Start by doing them for 30 minutes every day, then you can cut back to 3 days a week.
You might want to add sit-ups, pelvic thrusts, and leg lifts to your routine as well. Start with 3 or 5, and work your way up to twenty.
When you can, swimming once or twice a week is an excellent source of exercise. You can check your local off-season motels for memberships to their pool. Some even have gyms you can use.
Above all, you must remain committed to your exercise program. You can miss a day, but not two. It's easy to get lazy and make excuses not to exercise.
If you are a homemaker, vacuuming, sweeping, and general housework is good exercise. If you have small children, take them for a walk in the stroller.
If you work in a sedentary job, sitting in a chair all day, you can still do leg lifts, and butt-tightening exercises right in your chair. Don't let anyone see you though, they might get the wrong idea about what your doing. Get up and walk at every opportunity.
Finally, take your Multi-vitamins and Calcium supplements with food every day. Remember that the body can only assimilate 500mg of Calcium at a time, so you must take your calcium more than once a day if you require more than that.
Basic Do's and Don'ts:
Do eat raw fruits and vegetables.
Do eat red beans, black beans, and peas.
Do eat a serving size of rice.
Do eat multi-grain or wheat bread once a day.
Do eat at least 3 meals a day. If you make your meals smaller, you can eat up to six small meals a day thus eliminating the need for snacking.
Decide how many calories you need to eat to lose weight. It takes 3500 extra calories each week to gain a pound, so you need to burn more and eat less to lose.
Do keep a food intake diary. Be honest. Include all beverages as well as life savers and other snacks. When you see what you are eating, it is easier to see what you need to eliminate.
Do drink lots of plain water.
Don't snack between meals.
Don't drink too much caffeine, avoid carbonated sodas, so-called vitamin waters' and energy drinks.'
Don't drink alcohol, unless you can drink just one glass of red wine with your evening meal. Red wine contains anti-oxidants and can be good for your heart, but too much can be bad for your bones. Be warned, though, there are calories in there. Add it to your food diary.
Don't buy over-the-counter diet supplements.
Don't over-do it. Too much of even a good thing can be a bad thing. Stick to your exercise regimen, and build up slowly.
Don't smoke. Smoking causes bone loss, shortness of breath and strain on the heart, not to mention the potential carcinogenic effects.
Don't weigh yourself everyday. Pick a weigh-in day once a week, and weigh in in the morning.
Don't get discouraged. The slower the weight loss, the longer it will stay off. You are developing habits that will last a lifetime, thus keeping the weight you lose off.
*Always check with your doctor before beginning any diet or exercise plan.
**Grapefruit interferes with a lot of medications so check with your doctor or pharmacist before adding grapefruit to your diet
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