Focus On Lean Muscle Mass
As we age, many of us focus on cardiovascular physical activity, such as walking or running. However, its critically important we retain our lean muscle mass, as the more muscle mass we have, the more effective we are at burning calories, as well as burning fat, Carol explains. The most effective and lasting results for improved body composition come from regular strength training and a cardio strategy that includes both steady state-exercise and high-intensity interval training . Put all of this together on a regular basis, and youll set yourself up for long term success and sustained longevity.
Insulin Resistance Is A Trigger For Meno Belly Weight Gain
Insulin resistance can also contribute to weight gain. If your insulin receptors have become less sensitive to insulin, you can have higher levels of blood sugar and lower energy and also increased disease risk for diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Chronic stress and abdominal fat can encourage insulin resistance. This results in higher insulin levels that can make the body more easily turn calories into fat even if youre dieting.
The good news is you can do something about insulin resistance. Strength training to build muscle also boosts your metabolism and makes those insulin receptors more sensitive, helping you to lose weight. Ever notice how men tend to lose weight more easily than women? Its because they have more lean muscle mass.
What Foods Stimulate Female Hormones
Foods that Can Help Raise Estrogen and Testosterone Levels
- Seeds: flaxseeds and sesame seeds.
- Fruit: apricots, oranges, strawberries, peaches, many dried fruits.
- Vegetables: yams, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, kale, celery.
- Soy products: tofu, miso soup, soy yogurt.
- Dark rye bread.
- Legumes: lentils, peas, pinto beans.
You May Like: How Many Mg Melatonin For 10 Year Old
Drinking Natural Teas Can Help Shift Belly Fat
Losing weight can be challenging, but you don’t have to miss out on some of life’s little pleasures. Imagine that you could enjoy a relaxing cup of tea and get rid of some menopausal belly fat simultaneously.
Drinking certain natural teas can help shift weight gained during menopause from your belly. Natural teas can assist your digestion, speed up your metabolism, and reduce your BMI.
The Drop In Estrogen Changes A Womans Shape
The natural drop in estrogen levels after menopause, cause natural pears to store more fat in the belly area and less in the lower body.
Both pears and apples easily gain stomach fat during and after menopause when high stress, inactivity, and poor eating habits are present.
While you cant turn back the hands of time on estrogen production, you can control some of the other hormonal imbalances that cause post-menopausal belly fat by reducing stress, getting adequate sleep, exercising, and most importantly changing the foods you eat.
You May Like: Nugenix Estrogen Blocker
You May Like: Can You Buy Testosterone At Walmart
How Can I Reduce My Estrogen And Belly Fat
To battle belly fat:Eat a healthy diet. Focus on plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, and choose lean sources of protein and low-fat dairy products. Replace sugary beverages. Keep portion sizes in check. Include physical activity in your daily routine.
What vitamins are good for losing belly fat?
B-complex vitamins: These help metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, activating stored energy instead of letting it turn to fat. Niacin, vitamin B-6, and iron: This impressive trio increases your bodys production of the amino acid L-carnitine to help burn fat.
How do I get rid of PCOS hormonal belly fat?
How to Lose Weight With PCOS: 13 Helpful TipsReduce Your Carb Intake. Lowering your carb consumption may help manage PCOS due to carbs impact on insulin levels. Get Plenty of Fiber. Eat Enough Protein. Eat Healthy Fats. Eat Fermented Foods. Practice Mindful Eating. Limit Processed Foods and Added Sugars. Reduce Inflammation.
What causes big stomach in females?
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
How do you fix a stress belly?
How to prevent stress bellyfind ways to reduce and cope with stress.manage your weight.maintain a balanced diet.exercise a little every day.dont smoke or quit smoking if you currently do.drink alcohol moderately.
Reducing Stressed Belly Fat
Its clear that its a bad thing to have chronically elevated cortisol. Even professional athletes and fitness models can develop a stress belly if they have elevated cortisol all the time. Those who suffer from anxiety and depression generally have higher amounts of cortisol . If you suffer from either of these mental health disorders it may be a good idea to seek professional help.
But there are some simple proven strategies you can use to lower your stress, anxiety, and depression. Eating healthier foods plays a big role in the health of your brain . Constantly eating bad foods wreaks havoc on your mental biochemistry promoting anxiety and depression . Cut out the junk like processed foods, sugar, artificial sweeteners, refined carbs, excess alcohol, and bad vegetable oils.
Working out and exercising has been proven again and again to improve mood . Exercise and other physical activity done daily is a smart way to lower your stress, anxiety and depression. It might be a better idea to stay away from intense exercise since it can temporarily boost cortisol . Also, be sure youre not overtraining as this can lead to more cortisol in your body .
I know its easier said than done but staying away from stressful situations is key. Its not always practical but it can go a long way to lowering your stress and stubborn stomach fat.
Recommended Reading: Can I Get Hormone Levels Checked
Vary Your Workouts And Try New Activities
Its easy to get into an exercise rut, and even easier to fall out of the habit of exercising at all. But at this stage of your life, not getting your move on is not an option. Ideally to keep your weight in check, youll be working out three or four times a week with the injection of some HIIT,” says Peeke. Its extremely effective at keeping excess body levels of fat down, and make sure to get in some weight training, even if its just using your own body weight. A meta-analysis in Experimental Physiologyfound that cycling HIIT was more effective at reducing body fat than running in post-menopausal women.
So potentially take a Soul Cycle class to get your spin on, or see what all the CrossFit fuss is about. And if youre not into group exercise, try a virtual reality fitness game at home. According to research published in the Journal of Sport Behavior, adding variation to your exercise routine may be the most successful way to make you stick with it.
Any kind of physical activity is better than none at all, but if your body gets too accustomed to a routine, it wont burn belly fat as efficiently as when you first started doing it. If youre doing the same workouts youve always done and are expecting the same results, that isnt going to happen, says Fabuion.
RELATED: Weight Gain Around Menopause Is Linked to Lack of Sleep
How To Get Cortisol Under Control
Tips for maintaining healthy, balanced cortisol levels include the following:
- Consider what relaxes you. Is it meditation? A walk in the park? A bubble bath? Engaging in a creative project? Find what relieves stress for you, and integrate it into your daily routine.
- Exercise regularly, and give yoga a try if its not already part of your workout regimen. The synchronized breathwork that accompanies a nice, flowing vinyasa routine calms the nervous system and reduces cortisol all while giving your body and mind a thorough workout.
- Listen to your favorite music. A 2011 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology found that patients who listened to instrumental music during surgery had lower cortisol levels than a control group.
- Get enough sleep at night. Have you ever noticed how easily stressed and anxious you become on days when youre sleep deprived? This happens because during a night of deep, restorative sleep, your body is working to balance all hormones, including cortisol. A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine explored how sleep deprivation impacted helicopter pilots on a 7-day emergency medical duty. Findings suggested it was sleep deprivation not the act of emergency medical care that elevated adrenaline and cortisol levels.
Also Check: Is Nature Made Melatonin Gluten Free
Menopausal Hormonal Belly Bulge
Weight gain is a common effect of menopause. The hormonal changes that contribute to weight gain actually begin during perimenopause, a few years before menopause.
Menopausal weight gain primarily affects the abdomen. Factors that contribute to belly fat at this stage of life include:
- fluctuations in hormones such as estrogen
- sleep deprivation
Youre Never Not Stressed
Not all hormones are related to sex. Your adrenal glands release the hormone cortisol in response to stress. Cortisol also plays a major role in metabolism regulation, inflammation management, and blood sugar levels.
Basically, chronic stress can lead to chronically high cortisol. Thats a one-way ticket to a big appetite and high blood sugar.
Read Also: How Many Hormone Injections For Prostate Cancer
Belly Fat Reduction & Estrogen Replacement Therapy
Estrogen replacement therapy can redistribute fat and help you feel well enough to exercise regularly.
Estrogen replacement therapy helps reduce many symptoms of menopause, including hot flashes and vaginal dryness. However, it may offer another benefit. During menopause, you may notice that you seem to accumulate more fat in your abdominal area. Studies show that estrogen replacement therapy may help you avoid this issue. Learn more about how hormone therapy can help you reduce your belly fat during menopause.
You May Like: Nugenix Estro-regulator Reviews
What Does Hormonal Imbalance Look Like
Symptoms of a hormonal imbalance specific to AFAB people include: heavy or irregular periods, including missed periods, stopped periods, or frequent periods. hirsutism, or excessive hair on the face, chin, or other parts of the body. acne on the face, chest, or upper back.
Why does my belly look pregnant?
You could have a condition called Diastasis Recti Abdominus, or DRA. DRA is caused by an increase in abdominal pressure and occurs when the rectus abdominus, the abdominal muscle that runs down the center of your stomach, separates.
Read Also: Can Plan B Cause Hormonal Imbalance
Youre Losing Your Hair
If your increased abdominal weight gain is coinciding with an accelerated rate of hair loss, your hormones might be to blame. Specifically, thyroid hormones help to regulate your body weight as well as your hair growth so an underactive thyroid could be the culprit of hormonal belly if youre experiencing issues with both simultaneously.
Because the relationship between metabolism, thyroid hormones, and weight is complex, the exact mechanism by which thyroid hormones cause weight changes isnt entirely understood. The most simple explanation is that when your thyroid isnt producing enough hormones, your metabolic rate slows down, reducing the number of calories your body burns on a daily basis, and often contributing to weight gain, particularly around your midsection.
However, it isnt thyroid hormones alone that play a role in how much energy your body uses. Thyroid hormones work synergistically with a number of other hormones, proteins, receptors, and chemical messengers in the body making it a layered process with other downstream effects on inadequate thyroid levels such as fatigue, hair loss, constipation, and low libido.
Your gameplan:
Limit Fructose And Glucose
Fructose is the most metabolically hurtful sugar. It goes straight to your liver, where it makes fat and triggers insulin and leptin resistance. Fructose doesnt tell your brain that youre satisfied, so you still feel hungry and keep eating. The net result is inflammation, a stressed-out liver, and more visceral fat.
The main culprit for most Americans is excessive amounts of high fructose corn syrupthe Department of Agriculture estimates that Americans consumed an average of about 27 pounds of high-fructose corn syrup in 2014but I found that I probably have a problem with even higher-fructose fruit such as bananas, dates, and dried apricots.
The main takeaway is that in contrast to glucose, fructose doesnt trigger insulin secretion or leptin production. These two hormones dampen appetite by telling your body youre full and to put the fork down. Limit your fruits to lemons, limes, avocados, and olives. Dial down the fructose to lose belly fat.
You May Like: How To Treat Growth Hormone Deficiency
Correct The Hormonal Imbalance
If you dont see results from low-calorie diets and regular physical activity, schedule an appointment with a reputable medical provider to check your hormone levels and get appropriate medications.
Our medical professionals at Vibrant Vitality Clinic have vast experience and take a holistic approach to addressing these issues. Our hormone replacement therapies are specially formulated for each patient and take into account both the patients hormonal imbalance symptoms and overall health.
Your Weight Gain Is Only In Your Abdomen
Menopause puts your body through a whole host of changes, one of them commonly being weight gain. Why? Your production of estrogen, along with other hormones, takes a dip. Outside of menopause, low estrogen levels can be due to excessive exercise, disordered eating patterns, or pituitary gland issues. Decreased estrogen levels can change the fat distribution of your body, causing you to gain more in the belly as opposed to the hips, thighs, and buttocks. Estrogen deficiency can also impair the action of insulin, making it harder to regulate blood sugar and leading to increased hormonal belly fat and abdominal weight gain.
Your gameplan:
Melt away hormonal belly fat caused by low estrogen and insulin resistance by adopting a low carbohydrate eating plan, recommends Johnston. Between protein, fat and carbohydrates, carbs have the biggest impact on raising blood sugar and insulin levels, she says. Reducing high-carbohydrate foods such as refined sugars, breads, cookies, crackers, and pasta and boosting less insulin-stimulating foods rich in fiber, protein, and healthy fat can have a significant impact on your waistline.
Keep in mind that if your carb consumption dips too low, it can suppress your leptin levels and interfere with leptins ability to regulate your reproductive hormones so its important to keep some whole-food based sources of complex carbohydrates in the diet such as fruit, starchy vegetables, and whole grains.
You May Like: How To Know When Testosterone Is Low
How To Reset Your Hormones To Lose Weight
Re-bouncing and resetting your hormones is necessary if you wanna lose that stubborn belly fat caused by hormonal and balances.
The biggest key will be to lower your intake of sugar, starches, and high glycemic carbohydrates that spike up your blood sugar and insulin. Eliminating processed, junk, and refined foods are of the utmost importance. These are usually the worst offenders when it comes to high carb and high calorie foods.
Eat an anti-inflammatory diet that consists of real whole foods is ideal. Higher protein, vegetables, and good fats should make up the bulk of your diet.
Getting enough sleep will also help to improve your hormone imbalances. Adequate sleep will naturally lower your cortisol levels. Then your hunger hormones leptin and ghrelin will also improve which will make it easier to stop eating too much food.
Finally adding in a workout plan with belly fat burning exercises is the last piece of the puzzle.
How To Balance Ghrelin Levels
If you have a sneaking suspicion your ghrelin levels are in need of some TLC, here are a couple of ways to balance them:
- Eat adequate amounts of protein. Protein helps you feel full and should be consumed with every meal. Studies show how eating protein promotes healthy ghrelin levels.
- Avoid sugar as much as possible. As you can see by now, consuming too much sugar disrupts hormonal balance, making weight loss seem an impossible feat. Be sure to read labels. If an item contains high-fructose corn syrup, dont buy it. A 2013 study published in Nutritional Diabetes shows how high-fructose corn syrup is one of the primary culprits of imbalance when it comes to hormones and weight gain.
You May Like: Hormone Therapy For Penile Growth In Adults
Green Tea To Burn Calories
While you are relaxing and enjoying the strong and smooth flavours of Green Tea, you can rest assured that it has the properties necessary to burn calories.
The active ingredients in green tea are a combination of caffeine and the plant compound Epigallocatechin gallate . These two active ingredients can speed up your slow menopausal metabolism and help to burn excess belly weight.
The plant compound EGCG has been shown to provide weight loss benefits for people who are obese. This study observed obese subjects who drank green tea regularly and noticed a decrease in body weight over three months.
It is also possible that the EGCG and caffeine in green tea may specifically target fat cells and inhibit an enzyme that breaks down the hormone norepinephrine. When the enzyme is inhibited, the hormone increases to promote a breakdown of fat cells.
Green tea is available as a powder or in leaf form. It is effortless to brew up into a simple tea or use it in your cooking to help beat your menopausal belly fat.
If you want to know which type of green tea is the best in Australia, read this article.
Crash Diets Dont Work Heres The Meno Belly Diet That Does
Youve probably noticed that crash diets dont work the weight just comes right back again. The reason for this when youre in perimenopause is that weight loss is more complex than calories in/calories out. To be successful a meno belly diet requires the added step of focusing meals and snacks around foods that help restore and maintain hormonal balance.
Read Also: Does Organic Meat Have Hormones