Many women find that they gain weight more easily when their body goes through menopause, particularly around their bellies. This is due to several factors including a reduction in muscle mass, lower oestrogen levels and menopausal symptoms that get in the way of a healthy lifestyle.
However, while this is totally normal, menopause-related weight gain does not have to be a life sentence. A weight loss life coach who specialises in helping menopausal women shift stubborn fat shared her top tips for seeing results. Among other weight loss tips, she stressed the importance of getting enough sleep, as getting too little can lead to excess inflammation.
Pahla B said on YouTube: “Around here at the Pahla B fitness channel, we’re all about making peace with your menopausal body.
“And I think that one of the best ways to make peace with your body is to get to a healthy weight that feels comfortable and right for you.”
‘Inadequate sleep actually shows up on the scale faster than eating the wrong number of calories’
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The expert detailed the five key points of her “Five-Oh” weight loss method: eating the right amount of calories, drinking the right amount of water, getting an adequate amount of sleep, exercising moderately every day and managing your mindset.
While it is well known that a healthy diet and exercise regime work wonders when it comes to weight loss, many people underestimate the power of sleep.
Pahla told slimmers: “Inadequate sleep actually shows up on the scale faster than eating the wrong number of calories.
“Did you know that during sleep, your body is repairing your muscles, it’s rejuvenating your brain and it’s working on stabilising your moods?
“Sleep is essential for us, and the thing about not getting enough sleep is that when your body doesn’t have time to do all these things that it needs to do, we’re interrupting dozens – honestly, probably hundreds – of processes.
“And at least some of them mean that we’re not clearing out all of the inflammation in our body.”
Pahla explained that some inflammation can be good for the body in that “it’s part of getting stronger”, but when it doesn’t get cleared out properly, “it shows up on the scale as water weight”. In this way, getting enough sleep will help you manage your weight.
According to a GP, unlocking the power of sleep is the “secret weapon to supercharging your weight loss”.
The expert explained that not getting enough sleep could be sabotaging your best efforts, as a tired person is more likely to be tempted by treats.
The health expert explained: “Did you know that one in three of us doesn’t get enough sleep? In 1910, the average sleep duration was nine hours. Now, we get less than seven – and we all know that a tired brain makes bad decisions.
“In fact, the part of your brain that makes decisions is the frontal lobe, and this essentially goes on holiday when you’re tired.
“The reward centre revs up, so it’s really hard to say no to that second slice of cake.”
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Most healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night
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According to the Sleep Foundation, most healthy adults need at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Speaking about “eating the right number of calories”, Pahla explained that this does not mean eating less. In fact, eating less “can actually be the problem”.
She said: “You don’t want to eat less than you are right now or even take the number your weight loss app spits out at you.
“There’s a right number of calories based on your age, your height, your current fitness level and your weight that your body needs to be able to lose weight.”
And according to the expert, it’s important to be consistent: around this same amount every day. The problem with eating too little most of the time – and too much once in a while – is that the body starts to think that it’s “starving to death”.
But when you’re eating the “right number of calories” on a specific basis, the body can relax “and lovingly release the weight”.