Menopause is something that is inevitable and a woman goes through the process in her mid 50’s despite the fact how healthy she is. Since menopause is something that changes a very natural phenomenon that has taken place for years, it causes considerable changes in the body. One of the most significant changes that occur is weight gain, particularly in the belly area.
Causes of belly fat after menopause:
- Decreased level of estrogen
- Disturbed sleeping patterns due to age
- Less physical activity
Belly fat after menopause not only makes you look fat and makes you self-conscious but it also threatens the body with different diseases like Diabetes Mellitus type 2, heart diseases, respiratory issues, cancer, and hypertension.
After menopause, your metabolism slows down and therefore you burn fewer calories compared to when you were of childbearing age. On average, you need to burn around 400-500 calories a day to get rid of belly fat.
Here in this blog post are a few tips that will help you keep your body in shape even after your 50s and you will enjoy a life that is smart and healthy.
Increase physical activity
To reduce belly fat after menopause, make yourself involved in light aerobic exercises like walking, dancing, swimming, etc. A brisk walk of around 20-25 minutes a day is suggested for middle-aged women to walk. Other than walking, exercises like muscle strengthening and resistance training can be made a part of the routine. Be careful while doing resistance training exercises that you don’t do them too vigorously. This is because your joints and connective tissues are now loose because of advanced age.
Take a good quality sleep
Insomnia is very common in middle-aged women and this disturbs hunger regulating hormones ghrelin, and leptin, causing abnormal belly fat. Also, if you won’t be able to get a quality sleep of 8 hrs, you won’t feel fresh all day but will remain exhausted, and won’t be able to focus on your exercises. Therefore, it is advisable for postmenopausal women that they do an effort to take a good and complete sleep to reduce belly fat.
Reduce stress
While short-term stress can be beneficial as it burns a lot of calories by increasing the amount of cortisol in the body, long-term stress is damaging since it may cause abnormal belly fat and insulin resistance in the body. Cut down stress by doing things that you like. Do whatever you wish you could do when you are young, like having a jog in the park or listening to music or dancing or maybe joining some handicrafts classes or whatever you would love to do. Try to relax and knock out your worries.
Meditation
Meditation has been proven for its benefits on the health of the body for many years. One such form of meditation is taichi which if performed for 12 weeks consistently burns belly fat more in quantity compared to those who tried rigorous aerobic exercises for similar periods. Taichi has been an important part of Chinese culture for targeted weight loss in the belly area and is a common practice among middle-aged and older adults.
Remain active
Try to remain active throughout the day and maintain an upright posture. This is because when you remain active ie standing and walking, you would burn more calories, which will as a result help lose belly fat. Standing vertical can help in burning a lot of calories each day. Whether you are at your home or your workplace, avoid sitting for long because it leads to fat accumulation around the abdominal organs and renders risks to health like heart diseases and hypertension. For being active, you can also adopt other activities like Zumba and yoga which would work not only to help lose body fat but also to elevate your mood.
Take a healthy diet
Take a healthy and balanced diet consisting of all the nutrients. However, you must be cautious while eating, as in middle age, you tend to burn fewer calories, perhaps 200 calories less than when you used to be young. Therefore, you need to consume fewer calories, but be careful not to compromise the nutrient content of food.
Fats: Take fats that are derived from vegetables like nuts, canola, and olive, because it is unsaturated and healthy for an individual. Avoid junk food that has a high content of fat and less nutrition. Foods at restaurants contain saturated fatty acids which are highly responsible for belly fat.
Carbohydrates: Avoid taking carbohydrates in middle age because eventually, they would turn into sugars. Carbohydrates like bread, candy bars, and pasta do more than good to the body by slowing down the metabolism. Carbs are the enemies of women around the 50’s. A postmenopausal woman should keep an eye on the carbohydrates she consumes because eventually, they all turn into sugars.
Proteins: As for all ages, postmenopausal women are also advised to take proteins in their diet to help reduce belly fat. A proteinaceous diet, especially a proteinaceous breakfast can help reduce belly fat by reducing the appetite and cravings for different sorts of snacking.
Time your meals and limit snacking
According to health experts, what a menopausal woman eats every day determines how big her belly is. A postmenopausal woman should eat only in a 12 hrs window and should avoid eating for the rest of 12 hrs. Snacking especially at night should be avoided to help reduce belly fat in postmenopausal women.
To have a good body shape and reduced belly fat, try to relax and give some time to yourself. Focus on your health, and do things you like. Plan a schedule for yourself and stick to it. You are now free from your responsibilities so now you have time to focus on yourself and only you!
