Have you heard that carbs are bad, that if you want to lose weight, you can’t have your favourite foods anymore, or that you have to skip meals. In this episode, I’ll discuss some common myths, that we’ve all heard before, that could be actually be standing in the way of your progress and sabotaging your weight loss. So let’s get started.
Myth 1: Menopause causes weight gain.
Yes, many women find that they gain weight during menopause but it’s not something that happens overnight. The weight may have been slowly increasing over the years. We tend to slow down and move less as we get older, but still tend to eat the same amount of food. With menopausal hormone fluctuations and mood changes, we may also feel more cravings and turn to comfort food more often. During menopause we also tend to experience a change in body composition to having less muscle and more body fat, as well as a change in our fat distribution, or where we store the bodyfat (to around the midsection). I’ve personally experienced this – I always tended to carry my extra weight around my thighs but at some point in my forties, I started noticing that I have a tendency now for any extra weight to go straight to my belly. But menopause does not necessarily cause that weight gain – it’s more to do with that decrease in movement, muscle loss, and a change in fat distribution – and actually women and men gain approximately the same rate of fat in their forties and fifties.
Myth 2: It’s impossible to lose weight during perimenopause.
Weight loss may not happen as easily as it did during your younger years. When you were younger, you probably had a higher metabolism, higher energy, and were likely a lot more active. But it’s certainly still possible to lose weight in your 40s and beyond. And actually, the menopause transition could be an excellent time to start taking steps towards weight loss and making changes that will support your health in post menopause.
Myth 3: Vegan diets are automatically healthy.
There are lots of foods that are technically vegan, that are highly processed and calorically dense. Soft drinks, fries, cookies, and chips come to mind. It’s even possible to be vegan and never eat a vegetable! (A whole-foods based vegan diet is very different, of course.) There are plenty of overweight vegans. I became overweight myself, as I was eating a lot of comfort food to get myself though having a stress job that I hated. I felt that as long as something was vegan, I would eat it. I actually surprised myself when my waistline became greater than 35 inches, after I had been vegan for over a decade. Why was this surprising? This is one of the first signs of metabolic syndrome which can put you on the path to type 2 diabetes. A vegan diet can reverse type 2 diabetes – but that doesn’t mean that you can’t still develop insulin sensitivity as a vegan if you aren’t eating in a way that supports your health.
Myth 4: Vegans don’t get enough protein for weight loss.
As vegans, we probably need to pay more attention to protein but it’s not difficult to get enough protein. Because many of our protein sources don’t have all of the amino acids, we need to make sure we get our protein from a variety of sources. Soy products like tofu and tempeh, quinoa, and hemp have all of the amino acids, while legumes should be combined with whole grains for a complete protein profile.
Myth 5: Carbs make you gain weight.
The type of carbohydrate is what matters here. Highly processed products containing sugar, fat, salt, and additives are difficult to eat in moderation, and can often leave you craving more. Have you ever eaten something salty and then craved a sugary snack shortly after? But slow digesting carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, beans, and whole grains can actually help with weight loss. They are high in fiber and they digest slowly, so they can help you feel full longer, and are great for your digestion, as long as you aren’t eating something you have a sensitivity to. They also help you maintain a consistent energy level and avoid crashes. Carbohydrates can also help with your mood and cognition, which I think is pretty important when you are trying to lose weight -- especially during perimenopause.
Myth 6: The best way to lose weight is by skipping meals.
Skipping meals, especially if you are also exercising, can put your body into survival mode and deplete your muscle mass because your body has to break down your muscle tissue to fuel itself. Your body then wants to store bodyfat when you do eat again, to help with survival, and after having already lost some muscle mass, this can lead to disappointing results.
During and post menopause, we need to ensure we are getting adequate nutrition to support thyroid function. If you have a dip in thyroid function due to undereating, it can be difficult to get it back.
Undereating also deprives your brain of glucose, leading to brain fog.
There has been research done with intermittent fasting with positive results, but it is mostly done on male university students, and women respond differently than men, with increased stress levels. Providing your body with adequate nutrition from whole food sources gives it the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients it needs, which is important for your bone health, thyroid, as well as helping to keep your blood sugar steady and supporting your hormones.
Myth 7: You can out-train a bad diet.
Some people think that what you eat is not important, as long as you work it off.
I experienced this one a few times in my 20s. After eating some overindulgence, just work out extra hard later. Sometimes my nervous system would feel fried after a long, intense workout and I would feel shaky and like my brain was buzzing. It was very uncomfortable, put my body in a state of stress, and I’m certain my cortisol was off the charts. And actually – these intense workouts made me feel constantly hungry and craving more of these foods. And it makes sense - your body will look for calorically dense or sugar-laden foods as a source of instant energy.
During the menopause transition, less can definitely be more. Especially if you are dealing with fatigue. An overly intense workout can actually set you back if you don’t listen to your body. It’s better to exercise based on your energy level each day.
Myth 8: You have to count calories to lose weight during menopause.
It’s not necessary to count calories. You can learn, or relearn, to recognize your body’s physiological cues and stop eating when you feel satisfied. Even just avoiding overeating can lead to significant weight loss over time. Personally, I have done both approaches in my life, and found that counting calories made me feel deprived, but eating according to physiological cues and slowing down to enjoy my food made me feel more satisfied. In my opinion, calorie counting works but it can be difficult to maintain (I mean when I counted calories it was sort of a crash diet and I was at my goal weight for a couple of days!), but mindful eating and portion size helps with a more sustainable weight loss that will actually last because you don’t feel deprived and instead, feel more satisfied.
Myth 9: You have to eliminate a certain food to lose weight during perimenopause.
Although you may need to eat less of certain foods, like calorically dense foods, you can still have the foods you enjoy. If you feel like you can never have your favorite food again, this is putting unnecessary stress on yourself, and can make your approach to weight loss feel unrealistic. This can set you up for failure. You can definitely find ways to still enjoy your treats – maybe you can still have it every week or eat a smaller amount.
Myth 10: You have to be perfect with your diet and exercise for perimenopause and weight loss.
It’s more important to be consistently taking steps that move you towards your goals, than to attempt to be perfect in a way that’s unsustainable. Stress can work against you during menopause (and exacerbate other menopause symptoms), so I highly recommend finding a way to approach weight loss that is more forgiving.
If you enjoyed this episode, check out Peri-Menopause Weight Gain and Loss and Ten Ways to Control Menopause Cravings.
Blissful Menopause Weight Loss Quick Start
If you want to lose weight and are not sure how to get started, and want to finally start taking action but in a manageable way, the Blissful Menopause Weight Loss Quick Start was designed with you specifically in mind. We work on mindset to overcome feelings of overwhelm as well as uncertainty of “am I ready yet”. If you feel like you’ve been wishing you could lose weight but feel stuck in a pattern of overeating and not exercising, this program was created with you specifically in mind. This is a self-guided mini-course and it involves the mindset techniques I used in my own weight loss, and it also helps you develop your own movement strategy, food strategy, and stress management strategy. It will get you started on the path to help with perimenopause and weight loss right away.
If you have been struggling with menopausal weight gain, grab my free guide, Menopause Weight Loss Mistakes. Find out if these seven mistakes have been sabotaging your weight loss!
DISCLAIMER: This website'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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