Menopause weight loss: Two food groups to eat more of to burn fat - and exercise tips for women over 50
It is difficult to lose weight around menopause
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Gaining weight is a common side effect of perimenopause and it can be disheartening for women who are trying to lead a healthy lifestyle.
While it can be tempting to restrict during this time, an expert explained why following a strict diet or overexercising is not the way to achieve results.
Menopause weight loss
Eating the right foods and drinking plenty of water is the best place to start, according to women's midlife health expert and creator of MASTER Menopause NOW! Adrien Cotton.
She told GB News: "Most women in menopause are shocked when I tell them the secret to midlife weight loss is adding foods, not restricting them.
Healthy fats are good for weight loss
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"First, be sure to hydrate with at least two litres of water daily. Next, enjoy nutritious fats which are vital to proper cell, nerve and brain function."
Some of the best foods to fill up on are those high in fat and protein. These can help you stay full, get essential nutrients and build and maintain muscle mass.
The expert continued: "Adding fat also fills you up. Foods like avocado, salmon, olive oil and nuts are fabulous choices.
"Also, eat a protein-forward diet. This means eating protein at every meal. Eggs for breakfast, chickpeas in your salad, a chicken stir-fry for dinner.
"Protein is the building block, keeping you feeling full and satisfied while supporting muscle growth and repair.
"Not one candidate in medical studies for weight loss who added protein gained weight. Not one. Neither will you."
High protein foods are satiating but often also low calorie, which means you can eat more food while consuming fewer calories.
Another thing that is vital when trying to lose weight is exercise. Working out burns excess calories and builds muscle. The more muscle you have, the faster the metabolism is.
A popular type of exercise is high-intensity interval training. This involves doing moves that spike the heart rate for a short period of time.
This is a good way to burn calories quickly, however, Adrien said this is not best for women during menopause.
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An expert recommended weight training
GETTYInstead, focus on building muscle with strength training workouts. She said: "These same menopausal women are also surprised when I tell them that high intensity cardio is not the best way to lose weight.
"What worked for us in our 20s and 30s is no longer effective. Now it's time to turn to strength training. The more we build our muscle, the more our muscle pulls on our bones and encourages bone regeneration.
"This can be especially important as we lose bone density and flexibility during perimenopause and menopause."
Strength training involves using weights, machines or body weight to increase the resistance in your workouts. Building muscle will increase the metabolic rate of the body, meaning your body burns more fat, even when you are resting.