Holiday Table © lynette sheppard
Here it comes, Thanksgiving (in the US, at least.) Wherever you are on this pretty blue planet, holidays are in the offing. A time for family, fun, and feasting. And fear – of the numbers shooting up on the scale. Pamela Brown shares her best weight management tips for Menopause Goddesses in this timely guest post. Enjoy it – and have a joyful Thanksgiving full of gratitude.
5 Keys to Effectively Manage Weight during Menopause and Beyond
Do you want to feel sexy, desirable, energetic, and strong all throughout life, no matter what? Just because you are in menopause transition doesn’t mean that life stops; in fact, life is just beginning anew.
When it comes to taking charge of your body and life after 40, there are 5 key areas that if addressed will leave you feeling healthier, happier, and more satisfied in life.
5 Keys to Body and Life Transformation Success:
1. Hormone balance
This is a very necessary and primary step if you want to lose weight during menopause. Without getting your hormones working in harmony with each other, it will be harder to lose the excess weight you desire to lose.
Visit a competent hormone specialist that will test all hormone levels and help you find healthy, alternative ways to get all back into balance.
2. Stress reduction, both internal and external
Stress can include low self-esteem, low body-image, lack of social support, work-related and family stress, etc… Stress leads to excessive weight gain, not to mention hormone imbalance which prevents weight loss.
When you deny yourself self-care, such as movement, relaxation, fun, and any other enjoyment in life, you immediately turn to substitutes. These substitutes, when done excessively, can further keep your desired body away from grasp. Examples of these substitutes include food, drinking, drugs, and even sex.
Also, when you don’t do things to lower stress, your stress hormones rise drastically, which helps you to gain more weight, regardless if you eat or not. It also becomes harder to lose weight, even when you’re exercising or eating healthy.
3. Personal development
Are you working to develop a positive mental attitude towards menopause, your body, the exercise you do, or the food you eat? For instance, do you exercise because you want to be a better woman and have a more fulfilling life, or do you do it only for appearance reasons?
Or, do you see food as fuel to keep your body moving efficiently, or as fat calories? Personal development is necessary to transform how you think and feel about yourself. Those thoughts and feelings you carry about yourself determines the food you eat, the exercise you do, your lifestyle behaviors and health.
Body transformation becomes easier when you build a strong personal foundation from which to begin.
4. Movement
If you are not in a structured exercise program, how do you find ways to be more physically active? Do you make common household duties into intense exercise sessions, such as performing squats while putting up groceries?
Do you try to get into more yard work, or take walks around the block with your children or grandchildren? Movement is necessary if you want to feel complete, sane, relaxed, balanced, strong, and capable.
Get creative and find more ways to move each day!
5. Nutrition awareness
We are so busy these days that many times we don’t pay attention to what we put in our mouths, especially if you have family, career, and personal obligations to fulfill each day.
When you slow down and pay attention to what you are about to place into your mouth, and why you are eating those foods, you are better able to change any unhealthy eating behaviors you may practice daily. You can’t change what you don’t understand.
So, if you want to create the best life and body possible during menopause, follow these 5 keys to success. Movement and nutrition is important, but neglecting personal development, hormone balance, and stress reduction will make your journey harder and lower motivation to get healthier or lose weight. What areas do you need to work on? Please feel free to leave your comments below!
Bio: Pamela Brown, The Body Confidence Fitness Coach, helps women over 40 who are dissatisfied with their bodies and having problems losing weight to build the confidence and inner strength to create the extraordinary body and life you deserve and desire. If you want to keep in touch, then subscribe to Pamela’s free online fitness and magazine at www.pamelabrowncoaching.com.
