Over the years I've had many women come to me because they were struggling with post menopausal weight gain. It happens.
I received this email from Lynne who became one of my coaching students.
"I am a 55 year old woman with no menstrual period x 1 year (and only a couple of cycles in the year preceding). I have been eating low carb for about 5 years now. Before menopause I maintained a healthy weight of about 145 pounds.
In the past 18-24 months I have steadily gained weight. I have followed the ketogenic diet on your site for the past 9 weeks and during that time I have gained 2-3 kg (4-7 lbs) (76 kg – 168 lbs today and uncomfortable) and my clothes have not loosened.
Urine strips indicate I am in ketosis (low to moderate). I follow the program exactly (bulletproof coffee for breakfast, leftovers for lunch, and the scheduled meal for dinner). If I snack (rare) I have a few tbsp of raw nuts or cheese.
Please advise if you have any other suggestions? I am wondering if keto is not for me? I just seem to be gaining fat no matter what I do. I accept that menopause will come with some body changes but am frustrated that I can’t seem to stop the weight gain and that keto isn’t perhaps working. Thanks in advance for any info you can provide."
Maybe that scenario sounds familiar or you have a similar one.
Hormonal changes do make it more challenging for women in post menopause to lose weight. Aging, lifestyle and genetic factors all play a role in this.
For example, muscle mass typically diminishes with age, while fat increases. Losing muscle mass slows the rate at which your body uses calories (metabolism). This can make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight.
If you continue to eat as you always have and don't make changes, you're likely to gain weight. Genetic factors might also play a role in menopause weight gain. If your parents or other close relatives carry extra weight around the abdomen, you're likely to do the same.
How risky is weight gain after menopause?
Menopause weight gain can have serious implications for your health. Excess weight, especially around your midsection, increases your risk of many issues, including:
Breathing problems
Heart and blood vessel disease
Type 2 diabetes
Excess weight also increases your risk of various types of cancer, including breast, colon and endometrial cancers.
So what's the solution?
The short answer is a Ketogenic Diet and Exercise plan. But that short answer quite frankly is followed by a much longer answer.
Most people do Keto wrong. Unfortunately there's a lot of bad information out there. So regardless if your post menopause of you're 25 years old and have 20 pounds to lose when you search online for "how" to follow a Ketogenic Diet there's just simply a lot of bad information out there.
Meal timing, grams of fat/carbs/protein, time of day you exercise, length of time and alternating exercise intensity along with the incorporation of intermittent fasting (on a specific cycle) all play a huge role in losing weight.
And I've found that no two people are alike so working with an experienced coach who is able to really dig down deep for you and create a plan that works for YOU is so important.
You'll notice there's a picture of Lynne attached to this post. Her life was changed.
This is what Lynne had to say after completing her 90 Day Keto Jump Start Plan.
"I’m happy, full of life and energy! and sleeping like a baby too!!!! Although the visible difference is more obvious, I am truly grateful for the changes within. I used to fake my smile, now the joy I feel shines through! This community of wonderful people I call friends makes each day a true blessing! I am able to dream again and dream bigger then I ever thought possible! What do you dream of?? I was honestly skeptical this could really work for me but after talking to Sean on the phone I could see he really truly cared, and his experience was amazing so I decided to give it a try. If you're on the fence about Keto Jump start trust me, DO IT ! It will change your life, and Sean is absolutely amazing."
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