Entering your midlife years can be a confronting and confusing experience to navigate, even beyond your periods ending.
Your body changes in more ways than one, along with your mental and emotional wellbeing. One symptom that women often struggle with is the weight gain that’s commonly associated with menopause.
But maintaining a healthy lifestyle is about more than just dropping a few kilos – the scales never tell the whole story, so don’t be hard on yourself!
Menopause can bring changes in fat distribution alongside muscle loss, so pay attention to waist circumference, strength, fitness and overall health, too.
Instead, focusing your attention and efforts towards a well-rounded health plan targeting your overall wellness and longevity is the ultimate goal, experts say.
Reevaluate your nutritional intake and physical activity
Despite the natural decline of muscle mass as we age (beginning around the age of 30), most Australian women fail to meet the recommended strength-training guidelines.
But what’s especially concerning, some experts say, is that muscle is often replaced with fat, meaning the number on the scale isn’t reflecting the loss of muscle. This, in particular, makes maintaining strength increasingly important through menopause.
To help fill the gap, it’s generally recommended to aim for resistance training at least twice a week.
And rather than fixating on reducing your calories in a fad diet, build your meals around a healthy balance of protein, fibre and nutritional value.
Maintaining a healthy weight and staying active with consistent forms of movement not only can extend health longevity, but can help reduce the risk of metabolic conditions.
Focus on improving your sleep and heart health
Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of illness and death among Australian women.
While it’s always a good time to prioritise your cardiovascular health, active prevention through lifestyle changes and professional aid during midlife years is crucial.
This is due to the fluctuation in your blood pressure and cholesterol levels often associated with the menopause stage.
Common menopause-related symptoms such as hot flushes, night sweats and hormonal changes can wreak havoc with sleep, which can negatively impact your metabolism – indirectly leading to issues with weight gain.
Make quality rest a health priority and speak to your GP or local pharmacist if persistent symptoms are affecting your everyday life.
Think beyond menopause and focus on health longevity
Research shows that the risk of developing a chronic condition increases in women as we age, making prevention and healthy habits particularly relevant.
Walking, strength training, and balance exercise – when done consistently – can help keep you mobile for longer, which in turns keeps you active!
If you’re still struggling with weight and related health difficulties, despite these efforts, it’s possible that there may be more at play keeping you from maintaining a healthy weight.
Speak to your doctor or consult a relevant health practitioner.
To help simplify what you can do to overcome weight gain difficulties post-menopause, we sat down with TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacist Ruby Rasheed who broke it all down.
Menopause and weight gain: it’s not just motivation, with TerryWhite Chemmart Pharmacist Ruby Rasheed.
I’m eating and exercising like I always have, but the weight is creeping on.
It is one of the most common and frustrating concerns we hear. During perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes can alter body composition and encourage more fat to be stored around the abdomen. And age-related loss of muscle can reduce energy use. Sleep disruption, stress, medications, genetics and changes in activity can also play a part. This is not simply a lack of willpower. It is a combination of biological and lifestyle factors: your routines may not have the same effect during midlife.
What practical changes can I make?
Avoid highly restrictive diets, which can be difficult to sustain and may increase the risk of losing muscle as well as fat. Aim for balanced meals with protein, vegetables, wholegrains or other high-fibre foods. Regular resistance exercise can help preserve muscle strength. Sleep matters too, as poor sleep can affect appetite, food choices and energy levels. If your weight is changing unexpectedly or significantly, speak with a healthcare professional.
How can my pharmacist help?
If you feel like you’ve tried everything, you don’t have to work it out alone. A private CareClinic consultation gives you the opportunity to talk through your goals, current medicines and symptoms such as fatigue or poor sleep. Your pharmacist can explain the evidence-based options available, support you with an existing prescription and, if needed, refer you to a GP or other health care professional for further support. Our Weight Care Program can also provide personalised guidance, progress tracking, and ongoing support.
What’s my best first step?
Let go of the all-or-nothing mindset and start with small changes you can maintain. Your pharmacist can help you set realistic goals and develop a personalised plan that works with your changing body, not against it.
For more information, go to terrywhitechemmart.com.au
