Lose weight, feel great, and get rid of the peri-menopausal muffin top

Do work with a qualified expert

For best health results, work with an expert who can help you create a lifelong strategy for optimum weight and vibrant health. Types of experts you should seek out are nutritionists or qualified health coaches that are experienced with menopausal weight issues.

Do front-load your nutrients

You might think you need a chocolate covered donut, but in reality, your body really wants vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential amino acids, essential fats, lean protein and carbs for energy. To minimize late-day cravings that get in the way of your weight loss goals, create a multi-colored menu with a variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Blend a morning smoothie and add a scoop of greens food to build a healthy, craving-proof daily food foundation.

Do balance your blood sugar – and the scale

Blood sugar fluctuations have your energy bottoming out several times a day – leading you to the snack machine. Focus on stabilizing blood sugar with protein at every meal and snack, starting with breakfast. Stop nibbling 4 hours before bedtime.

Do make friends with stress

Weight gain around the middle is frequently caused by imbalanced hormones, and a woman’s expanding waistline offer occurs due to adrenal exhaustion triggered by chronic stress. Excess amounts of the stress hormone cortisol feed fat production by estrogen, making your muffin top expand. You can’t eliminate stress, but you can find healthy ways to manage it.

Do create slimming sleep habits

Women who sleep less than six hours per night on average have significantly greater odds of obesity than women who sleep between 7-8 hours nightly. An imbalance of progesterone to estrogen can trigger insomnia, and fluctuating blood sugar causes that 3am wake-up – making it harder for women to lose weight. You likely see that many of the factors that hamper weight loss combine to sabotage sleep too – which is why it’s essential to follow all of the tips.

Do not believe that it’s all about calories in – calories out

We’ve all heard that this equation fat loss, but it doesn’t address the hormonal changes of menopause that help you create and hold on to fat. Having said that, however, aim to exercise several times per week, and be sure to include muscle-building, weight bearing activity. This will help build muscle that you need to burn fat, and help protect your bones from osteoporosis.

Do not buy into fat-free diets

Fat-free food makes you fatter. Your body requires fat to create the membranes for every cell in your body, and your brain is primarily made of fat. While we want to limit saturated fats and avoid trans-fats, skipping fat altogether is the best way to get your body to hold onto it. If you’d like to lose the love handles, choose the fats that boost metabolism, including polyunsaturated fatty acids found in fish and medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil.

Do not eat whole wheat

Whole wheat makes the muffin top expand. Not all whole grains are horrible, but whole grain wheat is. The beloved bread, cereal, muffins, and pasta you’ve come to rely on is not made from the same wheat your grandmother ate. Wheat is now harder to digest, and breaks down in your stomach to create chemicals that trigger addiction. In fact, these chemicals work on the same brain receptors as heroin does. No wonder ‘you can’t have just one’ cookie. Or sandwich. Or bowl of pasta. Make sure when eating grains that they are whole grains and are not processed.

Whole grain rice, spelt, quinoa, millet and amaranth are nutritious grains to include in your diet – but be sure to reduce your consumption of grains regardless of the variety. In general, we eat way too many grains.

Do not be lazy

Part company with your couch. Aim to exercise several times per week, and be sure to include muscle-building, weight bearing activity. This will help build muscle that you need to burn fat, and help protect your bones from osteoporosis.

Do not hesitate to break up with foo

According to one addiction expert, 98% of us have emotional connections to food, and the other 2% aren’t telling the truth! Determine your emotional triggers and substitute a non-food comfort, like journaling, exercise or talking with a friend.