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Diet and
Exercise Can Spare You the Midlife Spread
by Betty Dixon - For the
Savannah Morning News I love crab cakes
and fried oysters. The best ones are served here in Savannah. However, catching
a glimpse of myself in the mirror gave me pause. The hips and thighs are
expanding to new dimensions.
My book club friends tell me this is
midlife, and now is the time to be proactive if I'm going to save what's left
of the slacks in my closet. This group of avid readers is over 35 but the
interesting thing is that none is overweight. They all look fit and trim. What
gives? What are they doing that I'm not?
Medical experts disagree on
how much blame to place on aging and how much on menopause, but all agree that
between 35 and 55, a women's body changes. Either you gain weight, or
maintaining your weight becomes much more difficult. The most notable weight
migration in women is toward the hip and thighs.
For most women,
increases and shifts in weight begin during perimenopause, the years leading up
to menopause. This is the time when your body produces less estrogen, which
seems to trigger changes in your weight and shape.
But fat cells have
an important role to play. They actually produce some estrogen, like your
ovaries, which may help you get through menopause more comfortably by reducing
the incidence and severity of hot flashes, mood swings and sleep disturbances.
Think back to puberty and childbirth, the two other major hormonal shifts in
your life. They both involved changes in body composition and weight, so why
should menopause be any different?
Sadly, expansion of existing fat
cells isn't the only change women face. Our metabolism slows down, and the
amount of muscle begins to decrease. Since muscle burns more calories than fat,
the less muscle you have, the fewer calories you will burn.
Extra
pounds not only make you feel old, but they are associated with heart disease,
high blood pressure and breast cancer. So, those extra pounds you are putting
on really need to come off. If you thought dieting was difficult in your 20s,
just try it now. Fat cells are stubborn, and they are not about to lose their
fight. Deprive yourself of too many calories and your body goes into a
starvation mode. This lowers your metabolism even more and jump-starts your
craving for fat and sugar.
What can you do? As boring as it sounds,
exercise and sensible eating are the key.
The ladies in my book club
all take time for themselves, and it shows.
Aerobic exercise boosts
metabolism and helps burn fat. If it's weight-bearing exercise, such as
walking, jogging and dancing, it will also strengthen your bones and counteract
bone loss, which helps prevent osteoporosis. You may also want to incorporate
strength-training exercises to increase your muscle mass, raise your metabolism
and strengthen your bones.
Eat sensibly. That means eating a variety of
foods in smaller portions. Because your metabolism slows as you age, you need
about 200 to 400 fewer calories a day. This is difficult but try and eat only
when hungry and only enough to satisfy your hunger.
As you age, your
body becomes less able to handle huge meals when you stuff yourself, and it's
more likely to store the excess as fat. So eat small meals.
Consume
most of your calories during the day, when your metabolism is higher. And try
to keep fat intake in check to reduce your risk of heart disease and
cancer.
Will hormone replacement therapy (HRT) help you control your
weight gain during menopause? Maybe yes, maybe no. But many studies show that
HRT has no effect on whether women gain weight as they enter menopause. It's
something to discuss with your physician; listen carefully to what is
recommended.
But if preventing pounds is your goal, the sure bet is
healthy eating and adequate exercise.
Take care.
Betty Dixon is
a registered nurse who writes a periodic column on health-related issues for
the Sunday newspaper. She holds a master's degree in health science and lives
on Wilmington Island. She can be reached by e-mail: betydixon@aol.com, or send
letters to The Closeups, P.O. Box 1088, Savannah, GA 31402. |
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