In their forties and fifties many women typically find that they’re several pounds (and sometimes stones) heavier than they were in their twenties. The hormonal changes that accompany the run up to the menopause mean that we are predisposed to gain more fat in the abdominal area, around the waist. So even if you find that your weight doesn’t increase with age you may still find that your body shape changes. Indeed, research has shown that menopausal women have on average 20 per cent more body fat than pre-menopausal women and most of this body fat is around their waist.

Although this increase in body fat may help reduce your risk of osteoporosis the downside is that it significantly increases your risk of developing diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer. New research also suggests that it can dramatically raise your risk of Alzheimer’s later in life. And if all that wasn’t enough abdominal fat is a deep, firm fat that lies close to your organs where it can disrupt levels of glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol and certain hormones in your blood lowering your immunity and raising your risk of disease even higher.

 

Unfortunately, abdominal fat is notoriously hard to shift. Dieting won’t help either because if you restrict your food intake to a low level you deprive your body of essential nutrients like fatty acids and calcium, triggering deficiency-related conditions like osteoporosis, while at the same time feeling so hungry that your mood plummets.

 

Although dieting isn’t advised in midlife there are fortunately a number of simple and effective natural ways to help you stay slim and healthy. Losing middle age spread isn’t easy but it isn’t impossible. Mid life is a more comfortable time of life. Research shows that after the age of 44 most women feel happier and more fulfilled than they have ever done before because they are less concerned about what other people think. But just because you feel more relaxed and confident about yourself this doesn’t have to mean that you need to let your waist line relax as well.  The following tips will help you stay trim and with the minimum of effort.

 

Stay active

The first step is to is to stay active and to take cardiovascular exercise like swimming, running, cycling or walking very briskly for blocks of 30 minutes at least five times a week. If your children have left home for school or university or college you may not be as active as you once were so you need to build a structured exercise programme into your weekly routine to ensure that your metabolic rate stays high enough to burn off that extra weight.

 

Strike a pose

Yoga is a great way to help tone your body. Not only will it enhance your flexibility and build up muscle mass (and the more muscle you have, the higher your metabolic (fat burning rate)), but it will also relax both mind and body and dissolve feelings of stress. A 2005 study in Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine found middle aged women who practised regular yoga – at least 30 minutes a week – gained less weight than their more inflexible friends.

 

Lift weights

On average people over the age of 25 lose 1 pound of muscle tissue every year and this slows down their metabolism. But gaining one pound of muscle tissue increases your metabolic rate. The best way to build muscle is to strength train. A study by the University of Pennsylvania in 2006 found that women who did weight training regularly over two years were less likely to gain weight around their waist.

 

 

Eat a hormone balancing diet

When it comes to food, you should be eating plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, particularly phytoestrogenic foods like legumes including soya, lentils, etc., bean sprouts, linseeds and green, leafy vegetables which help to boost your metabolism (fat burning) and to cushion the effects of hormonal changes, minimising such menopausal symptoms as hot flushes and night sweats. Keep your consumption of sweet foods (apart from fruits) and caffeine-packed drinks low. Eat plenty of whole grains (oats, brown rice, for instance) and lots of good quality proteins, such as omega 3 rich oily fish, eggs, nuts and seeds. Avoid red meat and animal produce, with the exception of dairy products which can be eaten in moderation (buy organic where possible and yogurt is the best choice out of the dairy products).

 

Plenty of H2O

Many women mistake dehydration for hunger so the next time you are hungry try drinking a glass of water and then waiting twenty minutes to see if you are still hungry. In a study by the American Obesity Society in 2006 people who swapped soft fizzy drinks for water lost 5 pounds more than those who stuck to sugary drinks (they lost extra calories from the fizzy drinks and also it probably changed their appetite too). Aim for between 6 to 8 glasses of water a day, more if you are exercising or sweating.

 

Down size meals

You’re more likely to be able to afford an executive lifestyle at midlife but massive, boozy lunches and dinners are bad news for your waist line. Eat small, regular meals and snacks instead to keep your metabolic rate (fat burning) up.

 

Snack attack

The temptation to snack on chocolate and other sugary snacks can be over powering for women with children still living at home. It can also be hard for women whose children have recently left home for school, college or university. The start of the new academic year every September can be particularly difficult. Suddenly the house is empty and feelings of loneliness can be overwhelming. It is so tempting to reach for the biscuit tin as a comfort fix but this won’t solve anything. If this sounds familiar try to ride out your craving by going for a walk, chatting to a friend or your partner or investing your energy into things you really want to do now that you have more time on your hands. If you find that you really are hungry swap sugary snacks for a small handful of unsalted nuts, pumpkin seeds or dried fruit. And remember, that even when your kids have left home they still look to you as a role model. If you don’t eat healthily or take care of yourself how can you expect them to do the same?

 

Supplement your life

In addition to eating a healthy diet to boost your metabolism and balance your hormones and blood sugar levels so that you don’t get food cravings you should also take a good quality multivitamin and mineral supplement every day. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement should never be a substitute for a healthy diet but as modern farming methods and processing techniques deplete nutrients from much of the food we eat today, even if you make all the right food choices it is still increasingly difficult to get all the nutrients your body needs to keep you healthy and slim. A multi vitamin and mineral supplement is therefore a good insurance policy to guard against possible deficiencies. For weight loss make sure in particular that your supplement contains the recommended daily amount required for calcium and chromium.  (The multivitamin and mineral I use in the clinic, which has good levels of both calcium and chromium is MenoPlus – see the Resources Page).

 

A recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association revealed that women in their 50s who took a calcium supplement every day put on less weight after 45 than women who did not. And researchers at Purdue University in Indiana found women taking calcium daily lost 6 pounds over two years.

 

Chromium can help keep your blood sugar levels stable so that you don’t get food cravings after a meal. Researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Research Centre found that people who took chromium, multivitamins and B complex vitamins gained less weight over a 10 year period than those who did not.

 

Go green

Green tea can raise your metabolism so that you burn extra calories. According to research in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition an extract from green tea can help speed up fat burning. Researchers discovered that people who drank green tea containing a green tea extract used up more calories than those drinking ordinary tea. (There is a green tea extract in the Nutri Plus which is used to get rid of fat around the middle – see the Resources Page).

Dieters in a study by Pennsylvania State University used two bowls of soup per day – either as a snack or base for veggie soup – for a year and lost 50 per cent more weight than those who consumed the same number of calories from low fat snacks. Don’t just eat soup at restaurants, home made soups made from vegetables, such as carrots, peas, leeks and butter nut squash make nourishing snacks and lunches.  Interestingly there are many cultures, e.g. Japan, where they have soup for breakfast.

Q: I have Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) and need to lose a couple of stone in weight. I’m finding this very hard. My doctor has suggested that I limit my carbohydrate intake. Is this the right thing for me to do?

A: I’m not surprised that you are finding it hard to lose weight as many women with PCOS do. I hope your doctor has explained to you that PCOS is caused by an imbalance in several sex hormones and this imbalance not only triggers symptoms such as irregular or no periods, facial hair, acne, and infertility, but also makes weight loss more difficult.

 

Many women with PCOS suffer from insulin resistance which is a condition in which the body resists the effects of insulin and so produces more to compensate. These constant high insulin levels keep blood sugar levels low, which in turn often prompts cravings for sugary foods and unfortunately this means that it is easier to put on weight – and harder to lose it.

 

There’s even more bad news, I’m afraid. Insulin resistance also increases the risk of longer-term health problems. For example, women with PCOS and insulin resistance are more likely to develop diabetes or have a heart problem.  Fortunately, the good news is that with weight loss the risk of developing problems like this can be dramatically reduced.  In fact, studies have shown that losing between just five and 10 percent of body weight is enough to ease symptoms of PCOS, reduce the risk of getting diabetes and heart disease, and improve fertility.

 

The reason your doctor has advised you to take notice of your carbohydrate intake is that he or she is trying to help you combat the effects of insulin resistance and keep your blood sugar levels balanced. If your blood sugar levels are balanced it is much easier for you to lose weight because you feel fuller for longer.

 

My advice is therefore to limit your intake of sugary and refined carbohydrates foods made from white flour and to replace them with wholegrain carbohydrates such as brown rice, oats and whole wheat pasta. Studies also show that eating healthy protein together with your carbohydrates can help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.

To keep your blood sugar levels, your weight down and your symptoms at bay it is also extremely important that you eat little and often and don’t leave long gaps between meals.

 

As far as supplements the following may prove helpful:

• Chromium: low levels of chromium can trigger insulin resistance. Chromium is a well researched treatment for overweight women and studies have shown it can help control cravings and reduce hunger. Take 200 mcg a day.
• B vitamins: A 2003 study also found that vitamin B supplementation not only boosted weight loss but improved ovulation. Aim for 50 mg of each B vitamin a day, as a vitamin B complex. 
• Zinc is crucial for appetite control, hormone balance and for insulin regulation. Take zinc at 30 mg per day.
• Magnesium: There is a strong link between magnesium deficiency and insulin resistance so women with PCOS should aim for 300 mg of magnesium citrate per day.

 

Finally, don’t forget that exercise is important for everyone who needs to lose weight but it is especially important if you are overweight and have PCOS, as weight gain just makes your symptoms worse. One of the best ways to keep your blood sugar levels in balance, lose weight and reduce your symptoms of PCOS is to combine a healthy diet with a regular exercise programme. Aim to exercise at least five times a week for 30 minutes.

 

Whatever you do don’t try to crash diet in an attempt to lose weight as this will just slow down your metabolism or fat burning. On this programme you might find you lose weight more slowly than you think you ought to, but if you follow my advice you should still see those pounds gradually drop off and your symptoms ease or even disappear within three months.

 

(For more detailed information on PCOS see my ebook on PCOS)