Weight Gain in Midlife!?

24.Apr.24 | Nutrition

One of the most frequently asked questions by women as they get older is: “Why is it harder to lose weight if I’m eating right and exercising?” or “My waistline is just disappearing”.

You may be doing the same exact things you’ve always done, but suddenly find it’s just not enough.

The hormonal changes that are happening as we move into midlife play a significant role in this weight gain (especially around the middle) and weight loss resistance.

Hormones dictate what your body does with food, and the impact is stronger than calories alone.

In our ‘What the Fog?!’ workshop series, our Nutrition Consultant, Sonia Osborne, educates on female hormonal decline starting from 38-40 years with “advanced ovarian aging”.

Women need to pivot with their changing hormones, especially the loss of estrogen which impacts all other hormones (we cannot do what we have always done and get the same result).

In terms of managing body weight/composition, the hormone insulin is one of the biggest influencers. Numerous hormones contribute to belly fat, but none proves more powerful than insulin (it is often referred to as the “fat storage hormone”).

 

What is Insulin?

Insulin is a hormone that regulates the levels of sugar in your blood.

When you eat a meal, the carbohydrate in the meal is broken down into glucose (a sugar used as energy by your cells).  The glucose enters your blood.  Your pancreas senses the rising glucose and releases insulin.

Insulin is amazing. Insulin allows the glucose to enter your liver, muscle, and fat cells.  Once your blood glucose starts to come back down, insulin levels come back down too.  This cycle happens throughout the day.  You eat a meal, glucose goes up, insulin goes up, glucose goes down, and insulin goes down.

Estrogen usually keeps insulin in check, but with its decline in perimenopause the process can become dysregulated and carbohydrates can cause insulin levels to spike and switch off “fat burning”

 

Let’s get savvy about Carbohydrates! 

Carbohydrates are found in a wide array of both health-giving and health-depleting foods – from bread, milk, popcorn, cookies, spaghetti, soda drinks, icrecream, Corn Flakes and sweet chili sauce, to sweet potatoes, honey, broccoli, apples, rice, yoghurt and raisins.

Sonia encourages everyone to start looking at nutritional panels ,and possibly use a food tracking app to start understanding the carbohydrate content of foods.

Everyone’s carbohydrate needs are different, so book in for a consult with Sonia to determine an appropriate plan for you.

We also highly recommend that you book in for our “What the Fog?!” workshop series to manage your hormone changes with savvy.

 

Here are some kind words from a past participant:

 

The course was a powerful affirmation to women going through menopause. Most women do not speak of it or palm it off as moodiness and hot flushes and feel isolated when symptoms come hard and fast. Sonia has a wealth of knowledge and an excellent way to present information that is easy to understand with great tips and ideas for how to make change for women’s health. Knowledge is powerful. Would highly recommend this course.

 

 

Want to find out more? Join our Nutrition Consultant Sonia Osborne  for her ‘Nourish Menopause – Level 1’ program this Tuesday 30th April.

 

Alternatively, book in with Sonia Osborne today by clicking here.