Are you frustrated because no matter how much you diet or how hard you work, you just can’t seem to take that extra menopausal weight gain off? Well, cheer up – I have menopausal weight gain solutions!
During peri-menopause and menopause, the lower Estrogen levels in our bodies trigger a reaction to make the body think it has to turn every calorie that we consume into fat – what an ugly trick to play! There is, however, another natural bodily mechanism that we can use to combat this weight gain and it doesn’t include starving ourselves! Lean muscle burns more calories than fat. According to our favorite sexy doc – Dr. Oz, lean muscle burns twelve times more calories! Wow! So the more muscle mass we have, the more heat those muscles generate with our normal daily activities, so we’ll burn carbohydrates and body fat more efficiently.
One of my menopausal weight gain solutions is a simple exercise that you can do even if you’re exhausted, and I’d like to share it with you now. You can do this exercise lying on the couch watching your favorite TV show. While the Stars Are Dancing or the American Idols are singing, you can be building lean muscle in your legs and melting away that stubborn menopause weight gain.
Begin lying on your side either on the floor or on your couch. Before you start, make sure that your back is straight – no hunching. Then, inhale slowly while counting to five and raising your top foot up toward the ceiling with your toes pointed. Counting slowly to 6 on your exhale, flex your foot and slowly lower it down. Try not to lower it completely, keep it an inch or so above your bottom foot so that the leg remains active the whole time. Repeat this leg lift as many times as you can, working toward 10. Make sure to keep your movements slow and matched to your deep breathing because the slow movements are what works those intrinsic muscles, making them stronger. The deep breathing brings fresh, oxygenated blood to all those muscles, making them healthier. When you’ve finished on one side, move to the other end of the couch and lie on your opposite side so that you can repeat the entire series with your other leg. When you can complete 10 leg lifts while pointing the toes up and flexing the foot down, follow it with another series of 10 where you flex your foot as you inhale the leg up and point the toes to bring it back down (opposite of the first series). This works a completely different muscle – as you’ll feel when you do it.
These are very simple exercises that anyone can do, they take very little time and can be done lying down, yet they are the quickest way that I know to build lean muscle in your legs. After just a few weeks you’ll notice your clothes fitting differently. And don’t be upset if the scale doesn’t change – toss it in the closet and pay attention to how you look and the way your clothes fit. Many women will lose inches but not much weight, because muscle weighs more than fat. It isn’t the weight you want to lose as much as the inches, so who cares if we weigh the same as long as our thighs are thinner! So keep going, and let me know when you’re ready for more simple solutions just like this one for your menopause weight gain dilemma!
Best of Health
Kathi
