5 Tips for Turning the Tables on Menopause Weight Gain

Lots of women (up to  90 percent according to some reports) gain weight when going through menopause. This might be a common symptom, but that doesn’t mean that it’s something you have to just accept. 

Are you tired of dealing with weight gain and bloating? Do you want to look great and feel more like your old self, before you started feeling tired all the time, developing a “MenoPot,” and seeing the number on the scale continue to go up?

You don’t have to take menopause weight gain lying down. Here are five tips you can implement today that will help you reverse course and start improving your body composition.

1. Take the Right Probiotics

Probiotics are all the rage these days, and lots of women (especially those going through menopause) have tried probiotic supplements to help with symptoms like bloating and weight gain. 

Probiotics can be very helpful when it comes to addressing these kinds of symptoms. This is because age, combined with other factors like unhealthy food and a stressful environment, can cause our gut bacteria to become imbalanced. We may also develop other issues like chronic inflammation and leaky gut, all of which can contribute to weight gain, bloating, and digestive problems.

The problem is that not all probiotics are created equal. If you need help reversing menopause weight gain, you need to make sure you’re using probiotic strains that have been studied specifically for their weight loss benefits. 

The following strains have been shown to be especially effective when it comes to menopause-related weight management:

• B. Breve: A naturally occurring probiotic strain that can reduce inflammation and help to balance blood sugar
• B. Lactis: A probiotic strain found in raw milk that boosts the immune system, minimizes inflammation, and balances cholesterol levels
• L. Gasseri: A probiotic strain found in fermented foods that helps to prevent weight gain

2. Adjust Your Diet

Probiotic supplements are great for your gut health and combating menopause-related weight gain and digestive issues. If your diet is subpar, though, all the supplements in the world aren’t going to help you. 

If you want to turn the tables on menopause weight gain, you need to make sure you’re eating fewer calories than you’re burning. It’s also important to make sure you’re eating healthy, nutrient-dense foods that keep you satiated, promote proper blood sugar balance, and prevent bloating. 

When structuring your meals, make sure you’re mainly consuming the following types of foods:

• Fruits
• Vegetables
• High-quality protein sources (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, legumes, etc.)
• Healthy fat sources (avocados, olive oil, coconut oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, etc.)
• Whole grain, high-fiber carbohydrate sources (whole wheat bread, whole grain pasta,etc.)

Make an effort to minimize your consumption of foods that are high in sugar, refined carbohydrates, and vegetable oils. It’s common to have cravings for things like chips, crackers, cookies, and baked goods during menopause, but these foods won’t do your waistline or your blood sugar any favors. 

Consider reducing your alcohol consumption, too. It has been shown to increase weight gain and make other menopause symptoms (including hot flashes) worse.

3. Strength Train

Regular exercise is very important for menopausal women (and women in all stages of life, for that matter). When it comes to deciding what type of exercise to do, it’s essential for perimenopausal, menopausal, and postmenopausal women to prioritize strength training. 

When estrogen levels decrease with age, muscle mass also decreases. This, in turn, slows down the metabolism and causes the body to burn fewer calories during workouts and at rest. As a result, it’s easier for women to gain weight even if their diet hasn’t changed (that explains why you might’ve noticed your pants getting tighter even if you swear you’re eating the same way you always have).

Strength training is one of the best ways to preserve and gain muscle. Lifting weights is a great option, but you can also do bodyweight exercises like push-ups, squats, and lunges.

If you’re new to this type of exercise (or exercise in general), consider working with a personal trainer. They can put together a fitness plan that works for your lifestyle and goals. They can also provide additional accountability and help you ensure you’re fitting in your workouts even when life gets extra busy.

4. Get Enough Sleep

A good night’s sleep can be hard to come by when you’re going through menopause. Between hot flashes, increased anxiety, and digestive discomfort, it can feel impossible to sleep through the night. You should do what you can to prioritize sleep at this point in your life, though. 

Sleep deprivation can exacerbate your menopause symptoms. It can also slow down your metabolism, increase your food cravings, and make it harder for you to lose weight. 

If you have a hard time falling asleep at night or staying asleep, try these strategies:

• Stick to a consistent nighttime routine and go to bed and wake up around the same time each day (even on weekends)
• Cut off caffeine early in the day (try to stop consuming caffeine by about noon)
• Wear blue-light-blocking glasses when watching TV or using your computer in the evenings (blue light causes your brain to think it’s still daytime)
• Drink tea before bed (Black Cohosh, Valerian Root, Ginkgo Biloba, Red Clover, and Licorice teas have all been shown to help reduce night sweats)

5. Seek Support

Finally, make sure you’re seeking out support and finding ways to manage your stress. Menopause can be a difficult time for a lot of women, especially when you’re dealing with symptoms like weight gain that feel out of your control. There’s no reason why you should go through any of the stages of menopause alone. 

If you seek support from friends or loved ones who are going through the same symptoms as you, you can feel less alone and may have more motivation to continue taking steps to improve your health. If you and your friends are working out together, for example, you’ll have a stronger sense of accountability and will be less likely to skip your workout classes.

Seeking support from professionals is important, too. For example, work with your doctor or a registered dietitian to put together a meal plan that works for your needs and ensures you’re getting enough nutrients. 

You might want to consider talking to a therapist as well. They can help you through this transitionary period and learn new coping strategies that are good for your health and don’t derail your weight loss progress. 

Say Goodbye to Menopause Weight Gain Today

Weight gain, especially around the abdomen, is a common menopause symptom. You can combat this issue in a healthy and natural way, though, by following the tips outlined above. 

Of all the tips we’ve given, one of the most important is to make sure you’re taking the right probiotic. If you’ve tried other probiotic supplements and haven’t seen improvements, it’s likely that the supplement you picked up didn’t contain strains that have been proven to help with menopause weight gain. 

Provitalize is a science-backed menopause supplement that contains tested probiotic strains as well as powerful plant-based ingredients, including Curcumin and Moringa Leaf to help you naturally balance your estrogen levels, manage your blood sugar, and say goodbye to the extra weight you’ve gained during menopause.