Menopause can cause a lot of discomfort for women, from hot flashes to night sweats to mood swings and much more. It can also lead to weight gain, fatigue, sleeplessness, insomnia, and other unpleasant side effects.

There are ways to prevent or alleviate symptoms of menopause. We are happy to share these tips with you.

What is Menopause? How does Menopause work?

When a woman stops having menstrual cycles for 12 consecutive months and is unable to become pregnant again, it’s called menopause. Although 51 is the average age when women experience menopause, it is difficult to predict when.

Some women go through menopause at 40 while others wait until their 60s. Your ethnicity, your genetics, and the health of your eggs can all impact when you enter menopause.

A woman is officially in menopause if she goes 12 consecutive months without having a period. The signs that a woman is entering menopause may be visible up to 10 years before her lady menstrual period.

The term for this period is ‘perimenopause’ and it comes with many symptoms such as irregular periods, heavy periods, mood swings, irritability, hot flashes and irritability, vaginal dryness, and low libido.

It can also lead to difficulty sleeping, forgetfulness, and low energy.

It is important to remember that although your body produces less estrogen and your periods may be irregular, you can still become pregnant.

If you continue to use birth control, keep it up as this will help to avoid an unwanted pregnancy.

What causes Menopause Belly Fat?

Women often gain weight around their midsections as they transition to menopause. This can be very frustrating.

As your waist size increases, your chances of developing diabetes, heart disease, or other cancers increase.

It doesn’t have to be a part of post-menopausal women’s lives. Before we give you our top tips to get rid of your menopause belly fat let’s first look at the causes.

• Low estrogen

Falling estrogen levels can lead to insulin sensitivity. This can fluctuate your blood sugar levels making it prone to spikes and crashes. This will make you crave high-carb or sugary snacks. The loss of estrogen can lead to fat being redistributed to your midsection. This fat is from your hips, bum, and thighs.

• Slower metabolism

As we age, our metabolism slows down. Some research shows that peri- and post-menopausal women may burn 300 fewer calories per day than they did in their 20s.

• Reduced muscle mass

As we age, our muscle mass decreases which can slow down our metabolism and make it more difficult to lose weight.

• Genetics

Genetics can have an impact on how and where you are able to lose weight.

How to get rid of menopause belly fat

1. Get enough sleep

Your overall health is dependent on your quality of sleep. Sleep deprivation can cause problems such as high blood sugar, anxiety and diabetes, heart disease, kidney disease, depression, stroke, weight gain, increased body fat, and other health issues.

Quality sleep is just as important as healthy eating and exercise is for many people. Sleep disturbances are a sign of menopause.

Your body might not be able to cooperate even if your goal is to improve the quality and length of your sleep. Just give it a push. You’ll get there.

2. Reduce Sugar and Refined Carbs

You can reduce your sugar intake if you want to lose menopause belly weight. Sugar can trigger opioids and dopamine release, which makes us feel good and make us crave sugar even more. Sugar triggers both the pleasure and reward centers of our brains.

This makes it difficult to break. Sugar intake can cause weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It can also affect hormones and make you feel tired and slow.

Sugary ingredients such as sucrose, fructose, and any other words ending in ‘-ose’ should be avoided. Instead, use natural sweeteners such as honey or maple syrup.

Reducing refined carb intake can help with weight loss after menopause. Refined carbs such as cookies, cakes, pastries and candies, sweetened cereals, pasta, bagels, and pizza quickly absorb into the bloodstream.

This can cause spikes in insulin and blood sugar, which can lead to cravings for high-carb, sugary snacks.

3. Eat More High Fiber Foods

A great way to prevent menopause belly fat is to eat enough fiber. Fiber is good for digestion, weight control, and disease prevention.

Foods high in fiber can help you feel fuller longer and encourage regular bowel movements. To reap the benefits, you should consume at least 25g of fiber per day.

You can increase your fiber intake by eating lentils, black beans, and peas as well as broccoli, raspberries, peas, pears, and brown rice.

4. Eat High-Protein Meals

A good way to lose weight is to eat enough protein. Lean meats and eggs, as well as tofu, can help you feel satisfied and full, which will make it less likely that you snack on unhealthy food between meals.

If you are looking to increase your metabolism, protein will help curb hunger pangs and reduce cravings. High-protein foods are essential for fat loss after menopause.

5. Drink lots of water

Water is good for the body, as we all know. Water is essential for keeping our bodies hydrated and feeling energized. It also helps to improve our skin and flush out toxins.

However, few people know that water can also be used to lose weight and reduce belly bloat. It’s also free. Hot flashes can be prevented by keeping your body hydrated. So drink up!

6. Track calories In versus Calories Out

Although the idea of calories in and calories out is not new, menopausal women are more likely to burn fewer calories than their younger counterparts.

This makes it a crucial part of weight loss for those in their 40s and beyond. To reduce your menopause belly fat, you should keep a food diary for a while. This will allow you to get a better understanding of how much you eat each day.

A fitness tracker is a great investment to help you determine how many calories you’re burning. The Fitbit Charge 3, which I’ve tried and tested, is my favorite.

7. Consider Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting allows you to alternate between eating and fasting. Intermittent fasting is a way to eat only during a certain time period and not eat for longer periods.

This is a popular and effective way of improving your health and losing weight. It has been a very popular diet in recent years.

You can improve your metabolic health and help yourself lose weight by restricting your food intake.

It has been proven to increase energy, reduce stress, inflammation, insulin resistance, increase muscle mass, decrease belly fat, balance hormones, as well as help with symptoms such as hot flashes or night sweats.

8. Reduce Alcohol Consumption

A glass of wine can help you relax after a long day. However, alcohol can worsen the symptoms of menopause.

Drinking alcohol can raise your body temperature, which can cause hot flashes or night sweats. Alcohol can disrupt sleep and cause anxiety, stress, depression, and other symptoms that can lead to weight gain.

Many people find it difficult to stop snacking after drinking, so they are basically making it more difficult to lose weight.

You can reduce your menopause belly fat by eliminating alcohol from your diet.

9. Stop drinking Caffeine

Hot flashes can make it difficult to sleep at night. You may be relying more on hot chocolate to get you through the day.

But did you know that you could actually be perpetuating the problem? Research has shown that sleep deprivation can increase cortisol (stress hormone), and ghrelin levels.

It also decreases the amount of leptin, which is the hormone responsible for telling us when we should stop eating. People who are chronically sleep-deprived tend to eat more and have a harder time sticking to a healthy eating plan.

Proper sleep is crucial for weight loss after menopause. You can cut back on caffeine and get 7 to 8 hours of sleep each night.

10. Pay attention to your sodium intake

Salt causes bloating, water retention, and puffiness. But we don’t often realize how much sodium is added to the food we eat.

Although we might try to avoid salt in our own kitchens, pre-packaged and processed foods are often high in sodium. Restaurants add lots of salt to flavor up the food they cook.

Make sure you read your labels and drink extra water if necessary.

Too much sodium can cause insulin resistance and other health problems.

You should always consult your doctor about how much sodium you should consume daily to ensure that you stick to these guidelines.