Are You Blaming Your Flab on Being Menopausal?

When you look in the mirror and see that big belly or big tush monopolizing your gaze it’s easy to cast the blame on being menopausal. What other reason could it be? You’re over 50 and it’s natural to gain a few pounds, but maybe more than you bargained for.

I was a skinny Minnie

In high school, I was 5’3″ and weighed a petite 103. I was one of those people who could eat as much as I wanted and still stay thin. That lasted well into my 40’s even after I gave birth to 2 children. I attributed my success to breastfeeding both kids for 23 months each. When I was 35 and my second child was 8 months old I weighed 110.

After he stopped nursing I started to gain a pound or two every year because I kept eating. By the time I was in my mid 40’s I was up to 130lbs.  I still looked good and wore a size 8.  Then life happened. My husband died leaving me a single mom with financial woes and, over the years, my weight increased. I was not a happy camper.

I hit full-on menopause when I was 55. By that time my weight was up to 150 lbs. It eventually rose to 180. Nothing fit and I looked perennially pregnant. It wouldn’t come off even if I exercised my ass off and watched my portion sizes. I went from Minnie to Matronly Mama and I hated it. I knew there were tons of women twice my size but this was my body and I lost control over it. I needed to blame my weight gain on something so I blamed it on being menopausal. But I was wrong because menopause has nothing to do with it.

Being menopausal isn’t a symptom for being fat

Menopause only has four symptoms that appear in only 50% of all women.

• hot flashes
• night sweats
• vaginal dryness
• mood swings.

Here’s what ISN’T caused by menopause but is usually blamed for it:

• weight gain
• depression
• dementia
• trouble sleeping
• achy joints
• fatigue
• anxiety

Those are all caused by decay. We’ve been giving menopause a bad rap.

There are limits to what we can do to relieve menopausal symptoms, but there are more options when it comes to dealing with decay.

What Really Causes Weight Gain over 50?

Weight gain is caused by 3 things:

1. eating too much junk food.
2. eating too much of any kind of food.
3. being a couch potato

We may dutifully exercise each day, but as soon as we plant ourselves in front of the computer or TV, we’re in trouble.

Restaurants serve meals that have ridiculous amounts of calories. Red Robin wins the prize for most calories in a meal. Their Most Xtreme meal has 3540 calories!  It includes a Monster burger, bottomless steak fries, and salted caramel milkshake has 69 grams of saturated fat, and 6280 mg sodium. I don’t know what they were thinking when they came up with that heart attack on a plate? Just one Most Xtreme meal could feed an entire family and still give them health problems.

How to Prevent Weight Gain and Body Decay

Losing weight, and preventing overall decay in your body is a mindset, but you also have to be proactive about it. Daily exercise is crucial to prevent being menopausal and to delay decay symptoms. It’s especially effective when it’s done in the morning. If you increase your lean muscle mass and baseline metabolic rate, it’s less likely you’ll gain weight.

Eating fermented foods like tempeh or miso will also help. Women who live in Okinawa, one of the longevity hotspots of the world, almost never experience hot flashes because their diets are high in fermented foods and they maintain a reasonable weight. However, be careful about eating soy. Non-fermented soy has been known to cause breast cancer. Instead, make sure to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains and unsaturated fats every day.

Stress Reduction and a Positive Attitude

Too much stress is a huge factor when it comes to post-menopausal weight gain. Take time to meditate, relax and make it a habit of communing with nature daily.

I’ve been enjoying Ayurvedic reflexology treatments, My practitioner strategically massages my ears, feet, and hands at specific pressure points. She recommends that I go to the ocean (or another body of water) at least once a week to walk on the sand and breathe in fresh sea air because it’s healing, restorative, and reduces stress.

Avoid taking drugs or hormonal supplements (both pharmaceutical and herbal) to relieve menopausal symptoms unless you absolutely need it. There’s always the danger of side effects even with supplements. Check with your healthcare provider before taking anything, even if it’s natural. You can also try acupuncture. I have to admit that even though I live in Los Angeles, I find it hard to plow through traffic to get to the ocean, but I do it when I can.

If you visualize yourself at your ideal weight every day you’ll have a better chance of reaching your goal. You may want to post pictures of your former self on your refrigerator as a reminder. Walk at least 30 minutes a day, eat smart, and watch portion sizes carefully. I use salad plates instead of dinner plates when I eat at home.

Let weight fall off your body easily and naturally without stressing out about it. If you truly believe you have the power to change your appearance, health or life situation you can. Each of us possesses the power of our minds to control our outcomes. Allow it to happen.

Have you been blaming your fat for being menopausal?  Please leave a comment below.