The secret to weight loss in midlife

A very common and unwanted symptom of perimenopause and menopause is weight gain, particularly around the tummy area. You’ll probably find that the things you did to shift those extra pounds in your 20s and 30s are no longer working for you, despite dedication and willpower. Yes, weight loss is harder in midlife and the rules are different after 40, but it’s not impossible when you know how.

Carrying extra weight around the middle is bad news for your health overall, increasing your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and some cancers, so we want to say goodbye to it.

‘Isn’t it just a case of eat less and move more?’ I hear you ask. Nope, that’s really not very effective for weight loss and if only it were that simple. Did you know that what you eat is only one part of weight loss? A lot of it comes down to hormones (yes again!) Hormones play a HUGE part in weight loss, and they all need to be functioning well, in the right amounts and working together.

Let’s briefly talk about the other pieces of the weight loss jigsaw puzzle:

Oestrogen

During perimenopause, progesterone levels fall rapidly as you ovulate less regularly and, although oestrogen is decreasing too, it’s falling at a slower rate, meaning you can end up being oestrogen dominant (that’s too much oestrogen in proportion to progesterone). A common symptom of which is weight gain, causing you to store more fat around your middle.

Thyroid hormones

The thyroid gland plays a role in metabolism. It comes under pressure in your 40s and can struggle to keep up. Low levels of thyroid hormones can slow metabolism, causing weight gain. The symptoms of low thyroid function are very similar to the symptoms of perimenopause, and because of this, it’s thought that thyroid conditions in midlife women are largely underdiagnosed.

The stress hormone, cortisol

Stress is so common for women in midlife and causes the stress hormone cortisol to be released from the adrenal glands. Cortisol causes the body’s stored blood sugar to be released, raising insulin levels and contributing to weight gain, especially (you guessed it) around the middle. High cortisol levels can also disrupt sleep which further contributes to weight gain (see below).

The fat-storage hormone, insulin

Insulin is known as the ‘fat storing’ hormone, it also prevents fat burning! It’s made in the body in response to eating carbohydrate and the more refined carbohydrates and sugar you eat, the more insulin is produced and released. As we age, our bodies become less responsive to insulin and more and more is produced as a result, leading to increased fat storage and risk of type 2 diabetes. Bad news all round.

Sleep

Sleep deprivation causes an imbalance of hormones involved in appetite regulation - grehlin and leptin. Grehlin is our hunger hormone and levels go up when we don't get enough sleep, making us hungrier. Leptin is the hormone that tells us when we’re full, this process stops working as well when we’re tired. Lack of sleep also messes with levels of stress hormones and the body’s sensitivity to insulin, both of which contribute to weight gain.

Digestion

There’s a lot of research into the microbiome (your gut environment) right now, and there are proven links between the balance of bacteria in the gut and being overweight. An imbalance of good to bad bacteria in your large intestine could cause you to absorb up to 15% more calories from food! Not fair, I know. If your digestion isn’t working as well as it should be, you’ll probably experience symptoms such as bloating, constipation, diarrhoea, acid reflux and nausea. It’s worth seeing a professional to get it checked out.

Exercise

Exercise for weight loss isn’t just about burning calories. If you’ve ever looked at how many calories you’ve burned during a workout to realise its the equivalent of a slice of bread, you’ve probably realised this. Exercise has many other benefits for weight loss including helping our appetite hormones to work more effectively and increasing our cells' responsiveness to insulin, to keep levels low.

Toxins

Toxins place stress on the body and extra burden on the detoxification system, contributing to hormonal imbalances. They can impair thyroid hormone production and also damage the cells in your body that produce insulin, disrupting its action.

So, what next?

With so many different contributing factors to weight gain, you can probably understand why each person needs their own bespoke nutrition and lifestyle plan for weight loss. Most of the weight loss solutions you have likely tried are based, possibly, on flawed science but also likely not designed for women your age.

In clinic I work with the best private laboratories to investigate your hormone levels and digestive function, for a more targeted approach. Combining this with the personalised diet and lifestyle elements, we’ll work together to shift those unwanted pounds and have you looking and feeling your best again. Email me or book a free call so we can talk about the approach which might work best for you.