This episode is a lot more personal because I’m sharing my own story of weight gain during perimenopause. It’s super common to gain weight as we get older and this is the number one complaint that I hear about. But the good news is I’m also sharing how I lost the extra weight.
How I went from Being Fit to Overweight
For some background, I was always interested in health and fitness. I had a very active lifestyle, and I walked everywhere – didn’t own a car so my feet were my main method of transportation. I also was very interested in weight training in my 20s and would consider myself as being quite fit back then. My big goal was to do chinups and there was a time in my life when I could actually do a few of them. In my 30s, I slowed down a bit on the weight training as I picked up other hobbies. For example, I got involved with food photography and that took up quite a bit of my time and so I moved weight training down a bit on the priority list. I also developed an injury in my shoulder. I worked as a secretary and I lifted a box full of binders overhead at work. I tore a muscle in my rotator cuff and my shoulder became very weak and unstable. On top of that, I had a nerve condition in my neck arise at the same time as the shoulder injury, and whenever I would try to rehab my shoulder, it would get flared up. And when it flared up, it could turn into a headache with numbness in my jaw, dizziness, and double vision. So again, weight training took a back seat. I did continue to walk absolutely everywhere however, usually around two hours a day.
Fast forward another decade and I found myself moving from a very walkable city to a small community in northern BC for my husband’s work. It was a lot more difficult to get out and walk because the weather was so harsh. Temperatures of -45 or -50 would not be uncommon, and the winds were very strong. The snow would feel like tiny razor blades hitting my face and my skin and eyes would get red from the cold. There was also ice and snow, not a lot of sidewalks, and also, not really a lot of places to go, as this was quite an industrial area. I still made it a habit to get outside most days, but I definitely didn’t go as far as I once did.
How Stress Made Everything Worse
On top of this, I had a very stressful job that I didn’t like – I often was in tears because I hated it so much – and I would often turn to comfort food to get through my day. This was usually chocolate. I felt like I needed chocolate in order to work because it was something to make my day a little better and I would often reach for it if I felt bored or stressed. I worked remotely so I really didn’t have much reason to go out of the house. I didn’t know anyone, I basically just tried to get through my day until my husband would come home.
Because I was vegan and still eating lots of salads and healthy foods, I hadn’t realized how much my health had deteriorated. And because I was still getting out for short a walk most days, I still felt I was being somewhat active and hadn’t quite realized how much my activity level had decreased.
This slow decline in activity as we get older is very common, and along with it comes the loss of muscle mass and transition to higher composition of body fat.
Enter perimenopause. I had gained about 20 pounds. I felt uncomfortable, my joints hurt, and I had difficulty sleeping and would wake up in a hot sweat. I would often wake up not breathing – which I attribute to overeating too late at night. I also felt a lot of anxiety – this was likely due to the sugar I was eating to get through each day, which would put me on a roller coaster of sugar highs and crashes. And I felt unhappy and exhausted.
Putting an end to the peri menopause weight gain
My clothes no longer fit. I came to a point where I had to decide whether I was going to make some changes or continue down this path. It is often easier to continue doing what you’re doing, even if you don’t like where it’s taking you. This can be true with health, relationships, and jobs. It can be very difficult to make a decision to change, and I put it off for a while. Then I read an article stating that one of the signs of metabolic syndrome is having a waist circumference greater than 35 inches. Metabolic syndrome basically puts you on the road to pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Well, my waist was greater than 35 inches, and I’m also only 5’2”. I was shocked at this, because I knew that a vegan diet can reverse diabetes, and I never thought I would be at risk of diabetes or heart disease.
My Menopause Weight Loss Plan
I had taken some mindset trainings through the Yes Supply Method (affiliate link) and used these techniques to help me to transform how I see myself. One exercise I started doing every day was to visualize my future self at my goal weight, and notice how I’m going through my day as this future version of me, what activities I’m doing, what clothes I’m wearing, what I’m eating. I went from feeling stuck to seeing myself as fit and healthy and working towards my goal. I also busted through some limiting beliefs around being stuck in my job that I hated. I began to see myself as this fit person, and started taking actions and making better choices. I did some EFT tapping to get through cravings, or I would go for a walk around the block. I didn’t do any dieting or going to the gym, but slowly started increasing my activity again.
I started to learn about menopause and how we don’t absorb protein as efficiently, as we get older. I had always heard that it’s impossible to have a protein deficiency as a vegan, and that all food has some protein, and so I never really made any special effort to eat it, especially if I wasn’t weight training. But now I started to learn that protein protects not just muscles, but also bones, mood, and blood sugar levels. So I started making sure I was getting some protein at each meal. Almost right away, that started to help me with some of the fatigue I had been experiencing. And I didn’t feel like I could never have chocolate again. Instead, I would just not keep it in the home, so basically if I wanted it, I would have to walk to the health food store and then I would only buy one chocolate. And then I would eat ¼ cup of pumpkin seeds before the chocolate for the protein and to avoid sugar spikes.
I found that if I went for a few short, 15-20 minute walks throughout the day, it was less likely to make me feel fatigued and exhausted than if I tried to do one huge walk. I could rest in between. Also, I was more likely to actually do my walks if I broke them up into smaller chunks than if I had to mentally prepare myself for something an hour or longer. I also started the practice of going outside early in the day for a short walk to get some sun exposure. This had a huge impact on my mood and my energy.
I also started weight training again. At first it was mostly body weight, and I absolutely love doing standing yoga poses and flows that don’t involve my upper body. But I also decided it was time to try again to rehab my shoulder and I was able to start adding in some light weights for my upper body.
I also already had a meditation practice but I started to focus on pleasurable meditation, feeling a sense of aliveness throughout my body. I engaged with my senses more while walking outdoors – I call this a pleasure walk – and mindfully eating.
Other Benefits to Menopause Weight loss
Well, the pounds started to come off, but that was not the only benefit I experienced. I didn’t do anything drastic like crash dieting and I didn’t count calories. Instead, I focused on adding in the nutrients I needed – protein, fiber, as many colorful foods as possible, omega 3s, and lots of water. I also got my waistline back down below 35 inches – this type of visceral fat is dangerous for heart disease and so I got back into the safe zone. I did this gradually, around 1 pound per week, although the first couple of weeks were a couple more which was probably water weight. I felt way more energy, I felt happier, and the pain in my joints went away. My healthy habits became a part of me again. Not in an obsessive way like in my 20s, but in an enjoyable way. I was less focused on how my body looks and more interested in how I felt.
I don't have my 25-year-old body back, and I have zero interest in trying to do a chin-up, but I am at a weight and fitness level that is realistic for me, I am happy with, and am continuing to make improvements and add new habits to benefit my health.
And I also started to see menopause differently, as a time of positive change. I realized that I could set the tone for how I want the rest of my life to be.
I did some certifications and training to formalize my learnings so that I could share this information with other women. If you are struggling, know that there are always ways to improve your health without overwhelm, and the small things you do each day can really add up! I invite you to check out my one-on-one coaching if you could use some support with menopause. Maybe you aren't sure how to get started but you definitely don’t have to go through this alone!
If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review to make it easier for others to find the podcast, or forward it to a friend who could benefit from the information. Thank you for listening and I hope you have a great day!
You may also wish to check out my posts on Managing Cravings, and Five Things Vegan Women Need to Know About Protein During Menopause.
Further help for Menopause
My free Vegan Menopause 3-Day Meal Plan is packed with plant protein to help you feel full longer, stabilize your blood sugar, protect your bones, boost your mood, and feel better overall during perimenopause!
In my free guide, Five Action Steps to Elevate Your Vegan Menopause Experience, I share five simple steps you can implement immediately, to feel more calm, more positive, and less affected by menopausal symptoms.
DISCLAIMER: This podcast’s information is general in nature and for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.
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