Don’t wait for weight gain: gear up early for that menopausal monster

November 10, 2016 Ashley 0 Comments

Alright, alright.

So, I’m only early-thirties years old. But it’s never too soon to start talking about it:

Menopause.

I know, I know. If you’re a fellow “not there yet” fitness fiend, I get it. Easy to bury our heads in the sand and pretend the wrinkle reaper isn’t coming for us. But, short of a semi taking you out on your serene morning jog today, guess what? He totally is. And when he does, he’s bringing more than facial folds and pendulous, saggy tricep skin. That’s right. Homeboy’s bringing fat… by taking away some of your crucial fat battlers: Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, and Insulin.

“If I look at it with my foggy eye and cover the other, it almost looks like a 130 versus a 180…”

See, when these levels are normal, everything tends to run normally. Fitness is business as usual. You can eat like you normally do, work out like you normally do, and maintain your steady level of schmexy without worry of weight gain. All of that’s enough. But, sometime between our mid thirties to mid fifties, something happens. Because the hormone levels begin to descend, the laws of body maintenance go out the window.

For instance, when estrogen goes down (’cause we don’t need to ovulate anymore), your body sends out a search party for other estro sources. And you wanna know where it finds it? In those damn fat cells. Suddenly, your body’s new M.O. is to convert more of your calories into fat so it can manufacture more estrogen. Boom. Weight gain.

Next comes progesterone. This one’s not actually making you fat, per se, but is sure as shiz makes you look like you are. When your hormone tank’s running low on this, something else happens: that annoying bloat known as “water retention”. You look thicker, nothing fits, and you even feel fatter. Boom. Weight gain.

And, of course, there’s testosterone – the hormone that helps maintain your muscle mass. (Yes, testosterone’s skill set’s far larger than that, but let’s stay on topic, shall we?) As you may already know, muscle cells are crucial for caloric burning and keeping your metabolism elevated. So, when testosterone drops, guess what else does? Yep. A metabolic plummet ensues, indeed. Boom. Weight gain.

Add to all of this the dreaded insulin resistance. This is a bit’ve a yes-and to the first factor: estrogen. When that “let’s use fat cells for some estro” routine goes overboard, all’ve your calories get converted to fat. After so long, your body begins to resist its own homemade batch of insulin, baked on your somatic stove. Boom. Weight gain.

Then, finally (as if that’s not enough), you start noticing this and freaking out. And you know what stress causes? Cortisol levels to increase. And you know what that causes? More calories stored as fat. (’cause, if you’re panicking, obviously a threat’s imminent that might require some extra food-energy on tap). Also, obviously, it leads to more of that dreaded, inevitable comfort eating.

(Unlike you ‘n me, this meme just never gets old…)

So, now that you’re officially wishing you hadn’t read this… let’s look for the solution.

Ya know, before it comes for us.

The first option? The western approach. With HRT (AKA hormone replacement therapy), the doc’s will try to sub back in “bio-identical” hormones (that match up well to the natural ones you’ve tragically lost). In essence, it gives you back that muscle mass and quits insisting that every calorie transmogrify into fat if you so much as give it the side eye. All those little inconveniences have the potential to disappear with hormone therapy. And many’ve had success with it, so that’s great. That said, some studies have shown that the risks might either outweigh (pardon the pun) or break even with the benefits of HRT. So, those hippies-at-heart types like myself like to know there are at least some alternatives to try out there.

And, naturally (okay, that pun was intended), there are. Per Chopra, keeping stuff in your diet like broccoli and cauliflower can aid in modulating estrogen. (Bonus? The reduction of booby cancer it imparts.) Also, it’s alleged that by adding the likes of flax seeds, sunflower seeds, bean sprouts, or legumes (soy foods and phytoestrogens in general, really), you can also restore hormonal harmony. Then there are those natural herbs – like “shatavari”. This’s apparently proven itself in reducing those “my own personal summer” moments as well as mood swings that range from “cute” to “kraken”.

(Can I confirm that it works? No. That gonna stop me from buying every last one off the shelf within a couple decades? No.)

Actually, all of that’s holistic stuff’s great to start ASAP. Because the more fit you are before facing this body apocalypse, the less detrimental it’ll be. (Also, it won’t be like you’re starting from scratch when you realize you have to start exercising and eating right.) First, make it a daily practice – a lifestyle. Not a diet. Not something temporary. That’ll make it easier, when it’s not an “option” to eat well or exercise consistently. Second? Plenty of water. One of the best methods for battling your body’s proclivity to harbor water is (counter-intuitively) to drink more of the stuff. And, finally, I can’t stress that de-stressing element enough: people underestimate the cortisol factor and the effects of stress. But the fat facts don’t lie. Make time or employ methods to lessen your stress levels every day. It’ll change your life (and the scale numbers). In fact, starting a make-yourself-tranquil practice now will ensure that you’ve got something to easily reach for later when SHTF. (Ya know, instead of a bucket’ve brownies.)

So, if this feminine milestone’s imminent and you’re already worried, no need.

Because A.) Worry will only make you fatter (as we literally just covered).

And B.) you now officially know how hit pause on menopause’s unwanted weight gain anyway.

Best’ve luck!