The Menopause Diet: 5-Day Meal Plan to Lose Weight

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If you’re currently going through menopause or perimenopause, you may be experiencing some challenging symptoms, including weight gain. The good news is that there are several strategies you can use to manage your weight during menopause.

In this guide on menopause diet with a 5-day plan to lose weight, we will discuss the basics of menopause, and how to handle it better with useful tips. We will also share a sample menopause diet chart.

What is menopause?

Menopause is a natural process that marks the end of your reproductive years. It happens when your body naturally transitions to menopause from perimenopause and your ovaries stop releasing eggs and hormone production decreases. This leads to the end of menstruation. The average age of menopause is around 51 years old, but it can occur earlier or later. Perimenopause starts earlier than menopause.

Why do women gain weight during menopause?

One of the most common symptoms you may experience during menopause is weight gain, particularly around the midsection. This is due to a combination of hormonal and age-related metabolic changes.

As you approach menopause, your estrogen levels decline and your body’s ability to regulate weight is affected. Lower estrogen levels can also lead to insulin resistance, causing your body to store more fat.

Advancing age is also another factor in weight gain because your metabolism naturally slows down, making it easier to gain weight and harder to lose it.

How to lose weight during menopause

There are several easy tips for losing weight during menopause. By making small, sustainable changes to your diet and lifestyle, you can successfully manage your weight.

Eat more of hormone-balancing food

The most important step is to adopt healthy eating habits. Eat more of:

• Fresh vegetables and fruits,
• Leafy greens,
• Beans and legumes,
• Fish rich in omega-3 (anchovy, mackerel, salmon, sardines…),
• Raw nuts (hazelnuts, almonds, walnuts, cashews, peanuts),
• Seeds (flaxseed, chia, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame, black sesame), and
• Herbal teas (Fennel, linden, green tea, yarrow, anise, thyme).

Also, cut out refined carbs and fast food, and limit your alcohol intake. These small changes can help you stabilize your blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation, both of which can contribute to weight gain. To have better digestion and detox your body, increase your daily water consumption by up to 2 liters (67 US fl oz) a day.

Try intermittent fasting

You can give intermittent fasting a try to have a weight loss boost by only managing the hours you eat. It helps balance hormones like insulin and cortisol, which play a significant role in weight management. Stable insulin levels can reduce fat storage, especially around the abdomen, which is common during menopause.

Intermittent fasting can also help regulate appetite by influencing hunger hormones like ghrelin and leptin. This can reduce overeating and cravings that may contribute to weight gain during menopause.

Bear in mind that you can adapt intermittent fasting to any diet you want. For instance, you can try the famous ketogenic diet (aka keto diet) while following your intermittent fasting schedule. The keto diet (high fat – low carb diet) is known to have an accelerated fat-burning effect.

Get Fasting Kompanion to get a tailored fasting plan for you.

Get your body moving

Regular exercise helps with menopausal weight gain by boosting metabolism, enhancing muscle mass, and improving insulin sensitivity. Regular physical activity increases the number of calories burned, which helps in creating a caloric deficit necessary for weight loss.

Strength training builds muscle, which burns more calories at rest compared to fat. Additionally, exercise helps regulate hormones like insulin, reducing fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. It also combats stress and improves mood, which can prevent emotional eating and further support weight management during menopause.

It’s important to remember that weight loss may not happen as quickly or easily as it did in the past, but with patience and persistence, it is possible to achieve and maintain a healthy weight during this time of life.

Menopause diet plan to lose weight

To help you manage your weight during menopause, here’s a 5-day free menopause diet plan to follow:

You can use this meal plan as a perimenopause diet plan to have a smoother transition to menopause.

To sum up

Menopause is a time of natural transition. Instead of hating this period and what it brings, you can follow our tips that will help you get used to it more easily. If you’re dealing with weight-related issues, don’t put too much pressure on yourself and give your body some time to adjust to this next stage in life.

The best diet plan for menopause is the one that’s the most sustainable for you. Besides that, eat fresh and healthy, move your body, and don’t forget to put a smile on your face.