Ditch the Midlife Blues - Conquer Menopause Symptoms and Drop Pounds

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Let’s learn how to stop the crazy menopausal symptoms so you can feel good in midlife.

Today on the Honeycast I want to bring you good news. 

You can take a few very important steps and dial in the best ways to support your body. But first I want to acknowledge that the suffering is REAL. Hormonal changes and their accompanying symptoms are a part of life and are natural but it doesn’t mean you need to suffer or “get over it.” 

Even though your hormones are declining you can fix the symptoms that often come with those shifts. You can get the right nutrition and fuel, and you can exercise in a way that turns on fat-burning without tanking your adrenals.

Not everything I’m sharing with you here today is coming directly from Trim Healthy Mama or Pearl & Serene. Hours of personal research and research for clients as well as special certifications (menopause fitness specialist & personal trainer) and personal experience allow me to give you a broader way to approach health and wellness in menopause. None of what I tell you works against Trim Healthy and the THM plan is the best plan for you to follow to meet your weight loss goals. But there are other parts and lifestyle factors to pair with nutrition.

Pain points in menopause like stubborn weight loss, inability to sleep well, confusion about how to eat, being overwhelmed with crazy symptoms, and whether to use hormone replacement therapy keep you stuck. Let’s clear up some of that confusion.

I also want to address the very real things we’re not always aware of, the biggest metabolism crasher in midlife  - losing muscle. Losing muscle is huge and going on any type of fast weight loss diet or plan like that often causes loss of muscle and a tanked metabolism.

Why all the symptoms in menopause?

It’s called hormone deficiency. Before we hit perimenopause our body is in transition and begins to run mainly on estrogen. 

Turns out, we have estrogen receptors all over our bodies. But as estrogen decreases we begin to experience dry skin, less energy, and muscle loss. Most of the symptoms you experience in perimenopause and beyond are from declining estrogen and progesterone. 

Progesterone is our feel-good hormone. It helps with sleep, serotonin, and GABA. 

Testosterone, while lower in women than in men, is our “get stuff done” hormone. It drives our libido and helps build muscle. 

Another symptom of lower estrogen can be increased cortisol levels. Estrogen keeps cortisol in check but if those levels rise then cortisol can mess with your insulin levels which may result in insulin resistance.

Am I stuck with extra belly fat?

One of the first steps you can take is to make sure you’re eating properly and exercising right for your midlife body. Extra belly fat is not inevitable nor are you stuck with it but how you eat and move are game changers.

Lifestyle factors like sleep are huge for your ability to shed extra pounds. When you don’t get sleep recovery you end up with higher cortisol levels which increase blood sugar. This drives fat storage and because of the lack of estrogen your fat distribution changes to pack around your middle where there are more estrogen receptors. This creates the opportunity for visceral fat which drives up inflammation causing your body to store more fat.

It’s time to stop this vicious cycle!

Eating for your Midlife Body

Here are a couple of things to focus on in your Trim Healthy menopause journey so you can lose stubborn weight.

• Focus on eating energizing (E) meals throughout your day. 

These are low-glycemic carbohydrates paired with lean protein. Your goal is to get 2-3 E meals/snacks every day. Play with how your body responds but normally a goal of 45 grams of carbs in a setting is ideal. If you are in a pre-diabetic state fewer grams might be better.

Energizing (E) meals are your energy. You have less and less estrogen or testosterone giving you energy so you need to be getting it from glucose (low-glycemic carbs) anchored with lean protein.

You don’t want to spike blood sugar which is why eating adequate protein is essential no matter what Trim Healthy fuel you choose. 

This is the second key to menopause weight loss - Eat plenty of protein.

Loading on protein throughout your day is very important. I suggest 25-30 grams at each meal but shoot for the higher number if you’re contending for muscle or weightlifting. 

Skipping meals, going too long in between meals, or not eating protein at every meal and snack puts your body in a state of stress. And when your body is in a stressed state it's going to hold on to weight, and cortisol levels will increase which is basically increasing fat storage.

Turn fat-burning and muscle-building on right away by giving your body consistent meals founded on protein. Start with a strong breakfast of at least 25-30 grams of protein and shift some to be Energizing (E) breakfasts. 

Play around with these keys and give your body time to get used to fueling well all day long.

How important are fats & proteins during menopause?

Adequate protein is going to be a game-changer for you. But don’t limit yourself to only a couple of protein options. Variety is optimal. Think animal, plant, whey, hemp, and essential amino acids. 

The Trim Healthy hemp, whey, and amino acids are my favorite because the protein is bio-available and gets to work assimilating in our bodies with greater speed.

If you are following the Trim Healthy Mama eating plan, start here:

• eat more E meals, 
• get plenty of protein and include a variety
• lighten up your Satisfying (S) meals.

Fats are important, in fact, we desperately need Omegas for our hormones and brain function. But we don’t need a lot of fat. We don’t need heavy Satisfying (S) meals. 

Midlife is a time to take those fat amounts and reduce them just a bit. Keep your fats lighter in amount and type, and choose alternatives to dairy when possible. 

I know it’s easy to grab an S or fat-based meal, right? It’s sort of keto-ish and can be found easily just about anywhere. But begin now to find ways to take those E meals or snacks with you more often. Your body and hormones will thank you.

Your extra key for today is to cut out dairy if you are a woman in midlife. It’s not helping your body. Not everyone is going to react to dairy but as we lose estrogen our microbiome changes and sometimes this means an intolerance to foods. 

If you are eating on the Trim Healthy plan and get adequate protein plus you eat plenty of E meals and don’t overdo your fats but still don’t see weight loss, then consider removing highly inflammatory foods like dairy, gluten, and eggs. 

3 Keys to Midlife Weight Loss

1. Eat more E (healthy carb) meals
2. Eat adequate protein
3. Lighten up your fats

More keys to successful weight loss in midlife

There are two more things as far as weight loss that are going to be game changers to implement for success: Community and accountability.

When you are creating new habits or moving closer to goals, the data shows community and accountability are key to your success.

Community helps you stay on your path to reach your goals. You get support and help on a day-to-day basis. 

The beginning of habit change is accountability. 

When you have community and accountability along with a guide, like a Trim Healthy coach to help you learn and implement change then you are more likely to hit your goals.

I love the community I’ve created in Tribe Membership and the Feminine Freedom Path program. I’ve intentionally incorporated and grown the community and accountability within both of these products so each client gets the support needed.

Knowing what to do is easy. Doing it is much harder. 

Weight loss success in midlife

Are you getting unconfused? Is that a word? 

Getting unconfused is important. 

The first step I take in my Feminine Freedom Path clients is to “get rid of confusion.” I’m just going to tell you what to do and why. Then, you get coached in our weekly time together to help remove mindset blocks, overcome struggles, and dial in your eating plan week by week. You get to share wins and struggles in our community and be accountable to each other as you move closer to better health and less weight.

Let me just encourage you to keep showing up for yourself and keep pursuing better health and balanced hormones. If you believe you can lose weight then your brain will go to work to figure out how. I’m here to cheer you on and give you practical steps to take toward fat-burning in midlife.

Struggling with stubborn weight and overwhelming menopause symptoms?

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I am not a medical professional. As a Trim Healthy Mama coach, I am not providing healthcare, medical, or nutritional therapy services or attempting to diagnose, treat, prevent, or cure any physical, mental, or emotional issue.

The information provided on this website is for informational purposes only and is not intended to substitute professional medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. Always seek advice from your physician or other qualified healthcare provider before undertaking a new health regimen.

Do not disregard medical advice or delay seeking medical advice because of information you read on this website. Do not start or stop any medications without speaking to your medical or health provider.