Dr Nighat Arif – GP
"What’s the best way to prevent weight gain AFTER menopause?”
One of the most common questions I get from women in my South Asian communities is “Dr Nighat, I am menopausal and can’t shift the weight”
It is vitally important to get into good habits when you are younger and to stick to weight-control basics:
1) Move more. Try to do any activity that gets your heart rate up and strengthens your muscles. As you gain muscle, your body burns calories more efficiently. For most healthy adults an activity such as jogging.
2) Eat less. To maintain your current weight or to try and lose excess pounds you might need about 200 fewer calories a day during your 50s than you did during your 30s and 40s. So keep an eye on that sweet tooth. It’s that sneaky sugar that adds calories.
3) Limit alcohol intake. Alcoholic beverages add excess calories to your diet and increase the risk of gaining weight.
4) Drink more water. Hydration is sometimes what our body needs rather than food. Water in the body is essential for so many important processes to take place. From our blood system carrying essential glucose and nutrients to cells, to kidneys getting rid of waste products we no longer want. An adult should try and drink 1.5-2litres a day.
September 2023
Dr. Harriet Holme
Kate McGeary
