Many women find it harder to lose weight at age 50.
Around the age of 50, many women look with despair how they gain weight eating the same thing, or notice that the fat distribution and accumulate more in the abdomen.
The kilos that were easily eliminated before now resist; the shape of the body changes and the size widens… Especially if you lead a life sedentary.
In short, to Most women have a much harder time losing weight in their 50s.. Dr. Anna Costa, Dietitian Nutritionist and Director Clinic of NutriClinica Doctor Costaexplains why there is a greater tendency to gain weight in menopause and how we can counteract this effect.
The doctor insists this stage of life is practical take good care of food and not to do stupid things to lose weight because they can generate the opposite effect and, in addition, cause nutrient deficiency like him soccerwhich at menopause is more necessary than ever.
Why do women get fat at 50?
The bone estrogen are hormones that help maintain all muscle tissueboth the muscles of the musculoskeletal system and the internal ones related to the organs.
When the work of ovaries and estrogen production is reduced, you tend to lose muscle mass and gain weight more easily.
This happens because muscle is the most metabolically active tissue and therefore the one that generates more heat energy. This is why the more muscles you have, the more energy you consume even at rest.
If you lose muscle mass, keep eating the same and don’t exercise, you will surely accumulate more fat and gain weight. And that’s what can happen in menopause.
Why do you accumulate more belly fat during menopause?
At this point, not only are fewer calories being burned due to muscle loss, but more fat is also accumulating in the abdomen.
By lowering estrogen tip the balance against testosterone, with which the proportion of this hormone is greater. Testosterone promotes fat accumulation abdominal.
What is the best exercise to activate the metabolism after 50?
The best formula for not gaining weight during menopause is not to go on drastic diets, but to start practice strength exercises to stop the loss of muscle mass. By increasing muscle mass, we will also help reduce the accumulation of fat in the abdomen.
Now, it’s not about just focusing on your stomach or thighs if those are the areas where you’ve accumulated the most fat. It’s convenient to perform exercise routines that work all the muscles of the body: legs, hips, back, chest, abdomen, shoulders and arms.
The World Health Organization recommends performing at least 2 days of strength training per weekplus 150 to 300 minutes of aerobic physical activity.
They can be practiced in the gym with machines and can also be trained with own weight or with materials such as dumbbells, bands, weights…
If you’ve never done weight training before, therapeutic exercise expert Víctor Díaz recommends starting with at least a series of a circuit of exercises where major muscle groups are worked twice a week.
From there, start increasing the volume of work (more sets), frequency (go to 3-4 sessions per week) and always try to work hard (between 6 and 20 repetitions per exercise is an interesting range).
The the ironthem sit ups (pumps from the ground), the burpees (combination of lunges, squats and push-ups), the biceps curlthe dead weightthe exercises of triceps and the gluteal bridge These are good exercises to strengthen the muscles.
How many calories should a 50 year old woman eat?
In the fertile stage, the basal metabolic rate (what the body needs to function) of a woman can consume a few 1,400 calories (depending on height and build); but when you reach menopause, you will probably have burn up to 300 calories less due to the loss of muscle, since it is the tissue that consumes the most energy.
But that doesn’t mean you have to drastically reduce the calories you eat daily.“One of the most common mistakes made by women who gain weight during menopause iseat little, have a very light breakfast, eat only vegetables and iron and eliminate carbohydrates“emphasizes Dr. Costa, spokesperson for the College of Dieticians-Nutritionists of Catalonia (CoDiNuCat) and doctor of biology and food technologist.
What diet should a 50-year-old woman follow to avoid gaining weight?
The advice would be to follow a Balanced diet, do strength exercises to activate the metabolism and stop muscle loss and, if you have gained weight, entrust yourself to a nutritionist dietician who will concoct the right weight loss plan for you according to your physical activity and the specifics of the stage where you are find alive.
For example, at menopause, it is very important increase calcium intake. The decrease in estrogen causes bone demineralization during the 6-7 years after the last menstruation.
If at the fertile stage a woman should consume 900 mg of calcium per day, then at menopause it should be increased to 1200mg per day.
“Dairy products are a very easy source of calcium (milk, yogurt, cheese…), but many women eliminate them from their diet because they think they increase inflammation or carry hormones and antibiotics, and that they do not replace them with another alternative. source of calcium. calcium”explains Dr. Costa.
If dairy products are reduced, it would be advisable to increase the consumption of legumeswhich are very rich in calcium, and take them between 5 and 6 times a week. The family of cabbage (kale, cauliflower, broccoli, red cabbage, Brussels sprouts, or arugula) and nuts like pumpkin and sunflower seeds are also sources of calcium.
The military It is another highly recommended food at this stage of life due to its soccer there phytoestrogens which help to slightly offset the effect of decreasing estrogen.
Decreased estrogen also promotes constipationIt is therefore advisable to increase the consumption of fiber through fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Finally, now more than ever, it is essential good hydration both to prevent constipation and to compensate for fluid loss through sweat due to hot flashes.
Does Cutting Carbs Help You Lose Weight?
If carbohydrates are avoided for weight loss, will reduce even more the muscular mass.
To build muscle mass, you need both protein and carbohydrates. The recommendation is to consume more than 1 g of protein per day per kg of weight (It may be more if you do a lot of physical activity).
When you cut carbs too much, the body makes cetonic corpse fats as an alternative energy to glucose for the cells. These are complex metabolic pathways and before reaching them, the body destroys muscle proteins. You manage to burn fat but at the cost of muscle destruction, and by destroying muscle your metabolism will slow down even more.
In a balanced diet, 50% of the energy must come from carbohydrates.
What carbs should women consume at menopause?
The advice is to consume complex carbohydrates (whole grains, legumes) because they do not cause blood sugar spikes and reduce the risk of diabetes.
Complex carbohydrates have an effect satiating and help control hungerthey will therefore be good allies to keep the weight at bay.
Should we eliminate fat at menopause to avoid gaining weight?
should be removed The ace trans fat, limit saturation there boost polyunsaturates like him Omega 3 because they have an action anti-inflammatory.
The source of dietary fat should be foods such as oily fish, nuts, avocado or extra virgin olive oil.
How to avoid food anxiety during menopause?
The decrease in estrogen causes irritability there mood swings that increase the hormone ghrelin in the stomach and increase hunger. This is why at menopause there is more anxiety about food and women tend to snack more between meals.
In this sense, Dr Costa recommends establishing very strict meal times which will help us to differentiate physiological hunger and anxiety to eat, and control what we snack between meals.
And correct intake of complex carbohydrates maintains proper blood sugar levels and also helps calm anxiety.
Does poor sleep at 50 affect weight?
At menopause, women sleep less well and fatigue increases the next day, which increases the cortisol bleeding
High levels of this hormone increase appetite and promote fat accumulationthis is why a good rest is so important, putting into practice good sleep hygiene habits and introducing tryptophan-rich foods at dinner.