Could Eating Breakfast be the Key to Reducing Your Menopausal Belly Fat?
Are you struggling with a ‘Menopausal Belly’ so you’re restricting your calories but it really isn’t working like it used to?
Read on to find out why changing your approach to calories may be the key.
I have clients who swear they have woken up one day and all of a sudden they have a tummy that never used to be there, they try to shift a few pounds through doing what they’ve always done because it’s always worked…up until now!
If you are over 40 (or have signs that you may be going through perimenopause) and you’re finding it difficult to lose any weight from around your middle your go to call to action is more than likely to cut down your calories and increase your exercise to shed those few pesky pounds. But what if it doesn’t work any more? what if restricting your calories is actually exacerbating the issue?
The Calorie Restriction
A calorie deficit is important to reduce overall longterm weight gain but it needs to be as part of a balanced lifestyle and controlled carefully. If you’re restricting your calories too much your body will go into starvation mode which stresses the body, your body then releases cortisol as a response to this stress, add this additional stress to the daily stressors of your work and home life and it’s often just a bit too much for the body to keep it’s fine balance.
Cortisol makes you crave sugary and fatty foods and it can actually increase your appetite in the longer term as a survival response so despite all the willpower in the world you’ll likely find yourself going in for a second helping, reaching for the biscuit tin or that rummaging in back of the cupboard for the last bag of crisps.
The Solution
Instead of restrictive diets and making certain foods off limits so you have to solely rely on willpower, working on reducing your stress alongside eating mindfully can make a huge impact on your overall metabolic health.
Breakfast is often overlooked and with such busy lives can be forgotten or skipped altogether, leaving your body running on empty by lunchtime.
Try these tips to reduce stress and help you to feel back in control of your eating and your body:
Sleep
It’s different for everyone, but getting a good amount of deep sleep really helps your body to de-stress as well as repair damaged cells; 7-8 hours is usually an ideal amount for most people.
If sleep is becoming elusive or you find yourself waking in the middle of the night try and enforce a night-time routine, avoid alcohol or caffeine close to bedtime, reduce screen time and work in some gentle mindful movement or meditations to help quiet the mind as well as the body.
Exercise
Moving your body is proven to reduce your stress levels as well as helping to shunt glucose out of the blood and into the muscles where it’s needed. This keeps your insulin sensitivity on point which is especially important in the decline and subsequent absence of oestrogen. You don’t have to run a marathon, but doing a series of workouts that will help you to develop your strength and increase your bone density, such as strength training, jogging, pilates, aerobics, or Zumba will be really beneficial to your stress levels and your overall health.
Check out my library of workouts, I have a whole section dedicated to the menopause!
Nutrition
Of course diet makes a huge difference to how we feel and eating a good balance of fruit and veggies, protein, complex carbohydrates and essential fats is going to be one of your best defences against the menopausal belly. A diet rich in Omega 3 & 6 found in oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, tuna and sardines together with other anti inflammatory foods like tomatoes, leafy greens and nuts are all excellent at helping your body to prevent disease and keep internal stress levels in check. Avoiding processed foods, simple carbs such as white bread, cakes & pastries and fried foods will really benefit you both in the short and longer term.
Of course drinking plenty of water, reducing artificial sweeteners and keeping alcohol to a minimum will help too.
If you’re finding it difficult to keep on top of your eating, try downloading my food diary where you can note down what you are consuming, how you are feeling and where you are eating it. This may help you to discover a pattern that you didn’t realise was there.
Found Something That Works for You?
Share any tips or experiences that you may have with the Strength & Bloom community, we’re all looking to grow and support each other. Leave a comment below
