Weight gain is a very common occurrence during menopause, with nearly 90% of women gaining some amount of weight during this period of hormonal transition. You may be attempting to lose such weight with a healthier diet and a reduced calorie intake. There are a great many myths regarding menopausal weight loss that must be considered to ensure greater success. Take all advice with a grain of salt, and remember that implementing these false weight loss myths will likely be counterproductive in your endeavor to lose weight during menopause. Ten of the most popular counterproductive weight loss myths are provided here:
1. All fat is detrimental.
Although most foods that are rich in fat often can increase your body weight, some types of fat are actually good for you. Saturated fats are the form you should attempt to eliminate. Foods such as nuts and lean meats (chicken, lean beef and pork tenderloin) contain healthy fats that are essential to the proper function of the body. This type of fat will also make you feel satisfied for a longer amount of time, ensuring less food is eaten throughout the day.2. Carbohydrates shouldn’t be eaten.
Similar to the common generalization of fats, this assumption of carbohydrates is also false. There are different types of carbohydrates, with refined carbohydrates, often found in processed foods, being the detrimental kind. Beneficial carbohydrates are complex carbs, found in wholegrain pastas and breads. These complex carbohydrates help you to feel satisfied for a longer amount of time, and many foods that contain these carbs also contain sufficient amounts of fiber to nourish the digestive system.3. Skipping meals can help to cut calories.
Although skipping a meal may be a seemingly great way to cut out calories and fat, this is an actually extremely unhealthy practice that promotes weight gain. Skipping meals results in increased hunger that causes overeating at a later time, and also slows the metabolism, preventing the body from adequately processing fats and sugars.4. A diet rich in protein will promote weight loss.
Although protein is an essential nutrient, the best way to maintain a decent diet is through complete balance. Consuming constituents of each food group with a variety of vitamins and minerals will provide your body with the energy it needs to maintain proper metabolism and processing ability. Extremely high-protein diets can be accompanied by large volumes of cholesterol and fat, both of which promote heart disease and weight gain.
5. A diet consisting of primarily one product will help you lose weight.
Miracle diets that implement just one food or beverage are rampant and are readily absorbed by women desperate to lose weight. The simplicity of these diets should be an automatic giveaway of their ineffectiveness. Although some of these diets can help you to rapidly lose weight, they are detrimental over a prolonged amount of time, as the body should not be sustained with just one type of food. A balanced diet is much more conducive to weight loss and healthy maintenance of the body.6. Eating a low-fat or fat-free version of all your favorite foods promotes weight loss.
Oftentimes fat-free and low-fat versions of foods are interpreted as being healthier than their richer counterparts. To replace the lack of tasty fats, these foods are often filled with sugars and starch. Although they may have less fat, these versions of foods often have the same amount of calories as the “real” versions. Because of this, more of these foods should not be eaten (as they often are). For many of these foods, you may as well enjoy the full version, as the fat-free or low-fat versions are often equally unhealthy.7. Fast food should be avoided at all costs.
With the influx of health-conscious Americans, however, most fast food restaurants now offer many healthy choices. By avoiding fries and hamburgers and replacing them with fast food salads, you can greatly reduce menopausal weight gain.8. Cardiovascular activity is more important than lifting weights.
Although cardio activity strengthens the heart and burns calories, it should always be balanced with weightlifting. Lifting weights increases your muscle mass, allowing you to increase calorie consumption throughout the day. Not only this, but weightlifting can tone the body and make you more physically attractive!9. Eating any food after 7:00 PM promotes weight gain.
Food does not possess a fantastical ability to increase its calorie count after a certain time. You only need to ensure that you are not eating over the limit of your daily calorie intake. Snacks are an important part of a balanced diet, as they keep the metabolism high between major meals. Snacks can also alleviate daytime fatigue, another common symptom of menopause.10. Dessert should never be eaten.
Many women develop a hearty sweet tooth during menopause, when stress and anxiety call for a satisfying sugary treat. Instead of chocolate and other rich desserts should be replaced with fruits and other natural sweet foods.Weight gain is a common symptom of menopause, and most women gain an average of 15 pounds during the transition. Weight gain can be alleviated by implementing a healthy diet and exercise routines. There are many weight loss myths that must be taken with a grain of salt, as strict following of these myths often leads to even greater weight gain during menopause.
Know how to lose weight with power yoga and avoid menopausal weight gain.
