10 Tips to Stop Menopause Weight Gain

When women enter menopause, weight gain is one of the symptoms at a rate of about 1-2 pounds a year. Aside from the slowing metabolism of middle age, hormones play a key role.

Other factors also put the unwanted pounds right where you don't want them. Slowly but surely your body changes from pear to apple shape, scr888 which means that you are adding the fat around the organs where it does the most damage to your health.

It is not going to be easy to keep the pounds away for good but the health benefits are well worth it. Did you know that even a few pounds extra increase your risk for colon and breast cancer?

Following are 10 tips to help you stop menopause weight gain.

Keep a diary of everything you eat for a week - you will be amazed. Just doing this will help you to become conscious of what you eat. No reason to count the calories, but you must be honest with yourself.

Do an inventory of your pantry and fridge. Identify those foods that are highly processed. They usually have starches, sugars, and hydrogenated fats at the beginning of a long list of ingredients (often together with several unpronounceable additives). These are the foods that put the pounds right on the midsection and clog up your arteries as well.

Take Calcium and Vitamin D for double benefits. Both are essential for bone strength but also help with menopause weight loss.

Add some phytoestrogen to boost your estrogen level. The decrease in estrogen is one of the factors for gaining belly fat and the slow down in your metabolism. If you have other menopause symptoms that drive you crazy, talk to your doctor about hormone therapy.

Ask for a "to go box" when you order your food at a restaurant and split the portion in the beginning. Or even better, share your food with a partner. Portions in restaurants are usually a lot bigger than what is needed to maintain your weight.

One of the biggest myths is that if you drink diet soda instead of regular soda you will lose weight. Researchers have found that this is not the case, although they don't know why. Drink green tea instead. Green tea has tons of antioxidants and helps you lose weight.

Start walking. Not only does it give you some exercise, but walking is also considered a weight-bearing exercise that is highly recommended for menopausal women to avoid osteoporosis.

Get a CD or video game to work out in the privacy of your own home. That avoids the "I don't have time" excuse.

Check out the exercise classes offered free or cheap in your area. Recently I saw an article in the paper about Tai-Chi classes for adults that were offered for little or no money by the local government.

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