The Menopause Diet: 5 Day Plan To Lose Weight

Many women mistakenly believe that menopause causes weight gain and that there’s nothing they can do about it. Wrong! The Menopause Diet 5 Day Plan To Lose Weight can help.

In this post, we’ll talk about how to break the weight gain cycle and kickstart your weight loss in just 5 days. All it takes is a willingness to commit to a few behavioral changes. 

What Causes Weight Gain Around Menopause?

Midlife weight gain is real, but don’t blame just menopause. The hormonal changes of menopause cause fat storage to shift from the hips and thighs to the abdomen which increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. But weight gain during menopause is also linked with normal aging and long-standing lifestyle habits.

The main causes of weight gain around menopause, include: 

• Diet. Eating processed foods and added sugars contributes to weight gain.
• Loss of muscle mass. This occurs due to age, hormonal changes, and decreased physical activity 
• Not enough sleep. Many women have trouble sleeping during menopause. Poor sleep is linked to weight gain 
• Sedentary lifestyle. Women in midlife often become less physically active than when they were younger.

What is The Menopause Diet: 5 Day Plan to Lose Weight?

The 5-day plan is a way to set yourself up for long-term success by increasing awareness and making small, consistent behavioral changes. Kickstart your weight loss and start noticing a shift in your habits and your weight in just 5 days by committing to the following steps.  Small, consistent changes, over time, create massive results.

Day 1: Develop Better Eating Habits

Buy a scale and commit to using it. The number on that scale is not an emotional event. It’s neutral data that simply reflects the result of your food choices and calorie expenditures. Use it as a helpful tool to help you understand what is and is not working.

Make Food Decisions Ahead of Time.  When it comes to food, if we allow decisions to be made in the moment, our unmonitored brains will always pick based on our emotions or what makes us feel good in that moment for that instant feel good dopamine hit! But the unwanted consequences lead to more of what we don’t want in our lives. Making decisions ahead of time helps us live in integrity with who we want to be. Planning ahead means deciding what you will eat ahead of time and having healthful foods on hand which makes it easier to choose healthy foods in a pinch. This practice takes away the pressure of decisions ‘in the moment’ of an urge and sets you up for longterm weight management success. 

Eat Mindfully and Monitor Portion Sizes.  Mindfulness is essential to successful weight loss. Think before you make food choices and monitor portion sizes. Are you eating because you are hungry? Or is it boredom, or avoidance of hard emotions? Becoming aware of your thinking around food is one of the most powerful skills you can develop to master your weight and fitness goals. 

Day 2: Cut Out Sugar and White Flour. 

This practice alone will help you drop pounds. Try consciously and dramatically limiting added sugars and refined carbohydrates. Make foods that are processed and refined (which typically come in a box or bag at the supermarket) off limits. What to eat instead? Both the Mediterranean-style diet and the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet regularly top international lists of the world’s healthiest diets because of their recommendations to eat fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and plant proteins like nuts, seeds, and legumes more often. 

Day 3: Hydrate

The hormone fluctuations of the menopause transition can make it more difficult to maintain normal fluid balance. Many women notice an increase in water retention. Staying well-hydrated helps a lot. And there are other benefits you’ll notice right away. Studies have shown that drinking cold water can help burn calories, act as a mild appetite suppressant and flush waste from the body.

Day 4: Get Moving. 

Incorporating regular physical activity, including aerobic exercise and strength training, into your daily routine can help you shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. If you’ve been sedentary for a while, start with something attainable, like a 15-minute walk each day. Slowly increase what you do. Small consistent steps add up to solid results over time. Research shows that aerobic exercise can decrease body fat after menopause.  Adding resistance training three times a week can improve lean body mass and reduce body fat in postmenopausal women.

Day 5: Make Sleep a Priority.

Research shows sleep problems are associated with weight gain. Poor sleep affects your appetite hormones, metabolism, energy expenditure, and immune system, and are associated with weight gain. In addition, menopause-related hot flashes and night sweats contribute to disrupted sleep. Focusing on a comfortable sleep environment and a regular sleep/wake schedule will help you get a sufficient amount of restful sleep which can help reduce menopause-related weight gain.

The Menopause Diet Final Thoughts

No one, including doctors and dietitians, eats perfectly all the time. The menopause diet 5 day plan to lose weight is meant to help you understand and implement science-backed habits to your daily routine that will kickstart your weight loss now and set you up for long-term success you’ve only dreamed of before. You’ll start seeing results in just 5 days. 

Menopause is your time for reinvention! This is the rest of your life; Use this time to optimize your weight and health so you can enjoy these years to the fullest!