Menopause: Avoid popular weight loss technique that can make you gain weight

Eating fewer calories than people burn is usually the go-to way of losing weight. But for menopausal women, experts suggest this method might have an adverse effect on their desired goals in the long-run.

If women want to shed pounds, nutritionists at Forth suggest changing their diet is the first step they should take.

Not only that, but they must also be conscious of how much they are eating.

It is common knowledge that consuming excessive amounts of even the healthiest food will still promote weight gain.

Forth’s experts said: “It is considered one of the most effective ways to lose weight.”

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The experts advised: “If you are considering a calorie deficit to lose weight in menopause, it’s important to ensure you are consuming enough calories to fuel your body.

“You should also be achieving a well-balanced diet to support your body through the tricky transition.”

According to research, the number of calories women burn during rest declines during and after menopause.

So while eating less is usually at the top of everyone’s list of dieting strategies, eating so few calories can sometimes make weight loss harder.

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Studies have found that restricting calories to low levels can cause loss of muscle mass and a further decline in metabolic rate.

So while very low-calorie diets may result in short-term weight loss, the effects on muscle mass and metabolic rate will make it hard to keep the weight off.

Not only that, but insufficient calorie intake and decreased muscle mass may lead to bone loss, according to Healthline.

The NHS states that the current recommended guidelines for an adult woman’s calorie consumption is 2,000 calories a day.

But according to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, women are likely to need between 1,600 and 2,400 calories.

This depends on their age, size, height, lifestyle, overall health, and activity level.

For menopausal women, MiddlesexMD suggests a sedentary older woman in her 50s and 60s should consume about 1,600 calories per day.

But if a woman is more active, they can bump the number up to 1,800 calories.

source: express.co.uk