Post-menopause weight loss: Doctors reveal 4 principles for healthy reduction

For women navigating weight loss after menopause, preserving muscle mass while reducing fat is paramount. Experts suggest a multifaceted strategy combining strength training with Zone 2 aerobic exercise, ensuring adequate daily protein intake, incorporating natural soy isoflavones, and monitoring waist circumference.

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The most important thing in losing weight after menopause is to 'preserve muscle and reduce fat'.

Contrary to traditional beliefs, research indicates that metabolic rate remains relatively stable until around age 60, rather than sharply declining in the 40s or 50s. However, the hormonal shifts during menopause, specifically the decrease in estrogen, cause a redistribution of body fat. Fat tends to accumulate more in the abdominal area, increasing visceral fat, rather than remaining in the hips and thighs.

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From age 20 to 60, human metabolic rate is almost a straight line. It unexpectedly overturned the traditional view that metabolism might decline at 45 and collapse at 50.

Aggressive dieting methods that worked in younger years can be counterproductive during menopause. Studies show that calorie restriction alone, especially when combined with low protein intake, can result in significant muscle loss. For instance, one study found that postmenopausal women on calorie-restricted diets lost an average of 10.8 kilograms, with 32% of that loss being muscle mass.

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If you only rely on dieting to lose weight during menopause, you might lose muscle along with fat.

To combat this, physicians recommend increasing daily protein intake to 1.2-1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, prioritizing sources like fish, chicken, eggs, tofu, and edamame. Including foods rich in soy isoflavones, such as tofu and unsweetened soy milk, can also be beneficial. Monitoring waist circumference alongside weight is crucial, as an increase can signal dangerous abdominal fat accumulation. Women with a waistline over 80 centimeters and men over 90 centimeters are considered at risk for abdominal obesity.

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