Fat cells of men and women are, and act, differently. Women’s fat cells
are:
- 5 times larger
- Have twice the number of fat-storing (lipogenic) enzymes
- Have half the number of fat-releasing (lipolytic) enzymes
Pregnancy - fat levels to protect and cushion foetus.
Menopause - fat cells produce oestrogen to ease transitio.
Around 35: oestrogen levels begin to dip, increase in weight, larger breasts.
Around 45: calorie needs drop by up to 400 calories per day.
Around 55: fat cells show some decrease in size; food 'cravings' tend to favour protein and vegetables.
Some mid-life weight gain is healthy (between 5 and 15 lbs). Fitness not thinness is key to long life.
The fat cells at waistline are better equipped to produce oestrogen than those at hips, buttocks or thighs. Post-menopause, fat cells in thighs, buttocks, waist and arms shrink somewhat, but those in the breasts do not.
Menopause is occurring earlier, and taking longer, probably due to a combination of factors; not having children, having few children at a later age (35+), oral contraceptive use, stress, earlier puberty and dieting.
Dieting during the menopause is unlikely to be successfull; the body sees this as famine, so the fat cells store more. It is not realistic to weigh what you did at age 20, or before you had children. Dieting thins the hair, muscle, skin, bones and thinking capacity.
Take a patchwork approach to exercise:
Eat smaller meals and eat more often. Try 5 meals a day. Largest meal at lunch, smallest in evening as metabolism dips at 6pm.
When you ignore hunger, after c.30 mins the body intensifies hunger signals. After a further 30 mins survival mechanism kicks in and slows metabolism, releases glucase from muscles and stimultes fat storage enzymes for when you do eat.
Your stomach is the size of your fist. A good-sized handful of food, when chewed, is about a fistful. Eat a healthy, balanced, mixed diet. All fruit and vegetables contain some phyto-oestrogens.
Source: Menopause Without Weight Gain by Debra Waterhouse. Thorsons, 1999. ISBN:0-7225-3449-3
Around 35: oestrogen levels begin to dip, increase in weight, larger breasts.
Around 45: calorie needs drop by up to 400 calories per day.
Around 55: fat cells show some decrease in size; food 'cravings' tend to favour protein and vegetables.
Some mid-life weight gain is healthy (between 5 and 15 lbs). Fitness not thinness is key to long life.
The fat cells at waistline are better equipped to produce oestrogen than those at hips, buttocks or thighs. Post-menopause, fat cells in thighs, buttocks, waist and arms shrink somewhat, but those in the breasts do not.
Menopause is occurring earlier, and taking longer, probably due to a combination of factors; not having children, having few children at a later age (35+), oral contraceptive use, stress, earlier puberty and dieting.
Dieting during the menopause is unlikely to be successfull; the body sees this as famine, so the fat cells store more. It is not realistic to weigh what you did at age 20, or before you had children. Dieting thins the hair, muscle, skin, bones and thinking capacity.
Take a patchwork approach to exercise:
- Aerobic - 4 hours per week. Walking, cycling, swimming. Stimulates fat release.
- Strength - 1 hour per week. Gardening, cleaning, weight lifting, dancing, walking, jogging. Speeds up metabolism and conditions muscles to burn released fat.
Eat smaller meals and eat more often. Try 5 meals a day. Largest meal at lunch, smallest in evening as metabolism dips at 6pm.
When you ignore hunger, after c.30 mins the body intensifies hunger signals. After a further 30 mins survival mechanism kicks in and slows metabolism, releases glucase from muscles and stimultes fat storage enzymes for when you do eat.
Your stomach is the size of your fist. A good-sized handful of food, when chewed, is about a fistful. Eat a healthy, balanced, mixed diet. All fruit and vegetables contain some phyto-oestrogens.
Source: Menopause Without Weight Gain by Debra Waterhouse. Thorsons, 1999. ISBN:0-7225-3449-3
