In women suffering from overweight or obesity, 69% fall into the age range of 40 to 59 years.
Menopause is the period in which, according to the Healthy Women Study, women gain an average of 5 kilos in 80% of cases, while in 20% they gain up to 10 kilos more.

Why do you get fat in menopause?

Women who store menopausal fat will notice that it is located around the abdomen. From perimenopause to menopause, subcutaneous fat is lost but visceral fat accumulates, which surrounds the organs.

This is mainly due to two factors: one is hormonal, the other is related to the progressive loss of muscle and skeletal mass, typical of advancing age.
The hormonal cause is due to the reduced production of the hormones estrogen and progesterone.

The loss of estrogen causes an increase in bad cholesterol, because it affects the elasticity of blood vessels, while the loss of progesterone leads to a reduction in basal temperature and daily energy expenditure.

Therefore, the goal of a postmenopausal woman is above all to lose weight in the belly and hips , while in most cases the legs and arms are thin or even lean.

It should also be said that the loss of female hormone production favors an excess of testosterone and cortisol, which in turn give women a more androgynous conformation, with an enlarged trunk. So the shape of the body of women changes: thighs thinner but wider and more abundant waist.

But how to get rid of fat in menopause?
Let’s see 10 useful tips to do this.

Fat in menopause: how to eliminate it in 10 ways

1. Avoid drastic and temporary solutions .

   Fast and drastic diets should be avoided, for example diets without carbohydrates or diets of one or two weeks in which you do not eat anything to lose weight. The more drastic and unbalanced the diet, the more we tend to lose lean mass and increase the production of stress hormones: which is exactly the opposite of what we need to do. Instead, it is necessary to permanently change the lifestyle, doing physical activity and keeping an eye on the portions.

2. Reduce your daily intake by 200 calories .

   According to some scientific studies, from the age of 50 onwards it is recommended to reduce the daily caloric intake by two hundred calories, especially by cutting excess dietary fats. This can be achieved simply by limiting oil and other seasonings to a teaspoon per meal, and avoiding fatty cuts of meat, whole milk, excess fatty cheeses, while skim milk and dairy products or low-fat cheeses are to be favored.

3. Improve your sleep quality, and if you sleep little, try to sleep more.

   Sleep is very important in menopause, because it reduces stress hormones, which as we have seen together with testosterone favor the accumulation of fat on the abdomen.

4. Watch out for medications, especially if you are new to taking them.

   In particular, antinevralgics can lead to weight accumulation. If you are taking any medications and notice weight gain you need to talk to your doctor about revising therapy where possible.

5. Avoid all stressful situations.

   These can be old or new, but it doesn’t matter. If we have not done it before the age of 50, it is very important to reduce all the reasons for stress where possible. For example family or work situations. Doing yoga and meditation for just ten minutes a day can be of great help in weight management.

6. Eat more foods that contain potassium and watch out for other minerals.

   With menopause there is a progressive loss of potassium, which causes increased water retention. It is important to eat a lot of vegetables and more fruit, especially citrus and red fruits. Milk also contains a lot of potassium, and it also contains calcium, which is necessary for bone health.

7. Weigh yourself at most once a week.

   We must keep an eye on the weight, but we must avoid too obsessive control attitudes. They increase stress and push us to make bad decisions.

8. Eat a teaspoon of flaxseed or chia seeds in the morning.

   These seeds have a prebiotic and anti-inflammatory action, keep the bacterial flora healthy and normalize the hormonal framework.

9. If you have body temperature problems that cause you sudden hot flashes and sweats, help yourself with a diet that allows you to better regulate it.
   

   Red fruits, pineapples, green salads, mushrooms, peppers, and melon or watermelon are examples of foods that help rebalance your body temperature.

10. Yes to legumes, crucifers and soybeans, but in moderation.
    

    Let us remember that we must not overdo it with phytoestrogens, because in menopause there is also a loss of progesterone, which reduces energy expenditure. Therefore it is better to take legumes and crucifers and not just soy or soy products in our diet. Also very important are crustaceans and molluscs, lean veal, tubers such as potatoes and sweet potatoes (also rich in potassium), bananas, low-fat dairy products and almonds or pecans. In this way we rebalance hormones thanks to nutrition.