The questions about metabolism, specifically menopause metabolism, pour in at Flippingfifty.com. The questions and the answers today come from a recent 6 session Menopause Metabolism Makeover that was once of the juicy bonuses for new course members and will be available inside our Café members area.
Over 130 women took the live course. The questions kept us on those live sessions for over 90 minutes. This is clearly a topic you want to know more about and so I’m sharing this with you.
But first I want to share this since during this at home sheltering with opens and closes and masks, no masks, your challenges and temptations may have been greater. This came from one of my Flipping 50 members.
In Her Words
I’m so excited, I just have to SHOUT! I’m totally blown out of the water! I’d had a tough fall and early winter, so was dedicated to STRONGER, (some limited hip modification, HIIT twice a week and walks. Plus I was following [Flipping 50] Food Flip eating habits. I knew my shorts were looser, but resolved not to measure until I finished STRONGER I. Well, the results are in and if the tape measure doesn’t lie, I’m down 12 inches overall and down 1.5% body fat! … So pumped to keep up this dedication and start STRONGER 4. Who’s going to be my workout buddy???
The Flipping 50 Virtual Membership is open through July 15, 2020. At a special make-it-easy for you COVID rate. I’m meeting you part way and funding $80 of your membership. Plus enrollees get the ½ day virtual retreat with me later this month.
If you’re looking for menopause metabolism support, exercise options for safe at home, and want access to the first and only membership to programs and coaching designed for women in menopause based on research on you… then you’re home.
You’re not a small man, nor a 20-something woman. Your hormones, metabolism, body composition all mean you need a specific exercise blueprint to adjust to changing hormones. It’s here. You should be here. Doors close July 15.
If you’re joining me tomorrow night… at the Flipping 50 Master Class – I’m talking about something indirectly related to today’s episode… and that is Fascia- and what it’s got to do with your fit or fat
What would you say is the single biggest metabolism booster? – Debra
Exercise. The right kind of exercise at the right time.
What are strategies for keeping metabolism up even when under stress? (I hit a 5-month plateau compounded by COVID and serious aging parent stress) – Leslee
Water, sleep, deep breathing, gratitude, keep up but change your exercise slightly, help your gut health with collagen (there’s some in my Paleo Power protein, or bone broth, lemon, or ACV)
What factors other than exercise help to rev up metabolism and are those factors different for 50 and 60+ women? – Connie
The factors working against you are definitely different. If you’re not exercising with intensity and in short, not long sessions because of the way you once learned decades ago; and timing it right; prioritizing sleep; eating adequate protein – and timing that right;
How do I know what my metabolism rate is – is it high, low, or where it should be? Can metabolism be improved without taking a supplement? – Diane
The short answer is yes, and no both. Depending on how you use the word supplement.
Taking a metabolism supplement like those dangerous ones in diet pills of decades ago is not the way to go. However, your body needs adequate micronutrients and vitamins to work. So if you are tired all the time, you haven’t been taking a high quality multivitamin at the very least, I would test. Vitamin D, B12, iron, magnesium are just a few that can be related to fatigue and to metabolism for women in midlife. Few of us who want to thrive and be full of energy are going to do so from food. It’s a myth you can eat healthy and get all you need.
Testing
You can have a test done to determine your basal or resting metabolic rate. That’s the most accurate way and then from it you can either do a test to determine how many calories you burn during exercise at increasing levels. However, that’s truly uncomfortable. It unfortunately will bring you back to calories in and forgetting your hormones rule your metabolism.
You’re at optimal weight, you have lots of energy, a good appetite, sleep well, wake refreshed, good muscle tone.
Your hormones change. Estrogen drops and cortisol goes up during menopause. That makes it harder to hold on to lean muscle and easier to add fat. Insulin response can change. Ghrelin and leptin can work against you. Testosterone and growth hormone production goes down and will be reduced if you’re not sleeping. So while there are things that can see to stack the deck against you… that’s only if you choose to lie down, drink your wine, eat sugar, not exercise correctly – over exercise or under exercise, count calories and think if you eat fewer and burn more that will work.
Menopause Metabolism Disaster
That is just not your game plan for success. Once you’re in menopause that’s not even a short-term win. You’re much more likely to feel worse faster.
You want the Flipping 50 lifestyle -especially now. Short, more frequent exercise sessions – two of them strength training, two high intensity intervals, and then fill in with short low to moderate movement. Be an active person. Who then gets hungry for whole food and has very few cravings because she isn’t depriving herself and trying to exercise more constantly.
Is fatigue the best immediate signal that your metabolism is low? – Catherine
Not just fatigue, but an “always tired” feeling. Though fatigue can be due to many things – not prioritizing sleep, wrong dietary choices – even if you’re eating healthy if your body isn’t digesting those foods and absorbing the micronutrients…
Dry skin, brittle nails, hair loss, frequent headaches, cold, low libido, depression, low pulse rate, you’re constipated or have a slow transit time.
You’re gaining weight or your weight is clearly fat not muscle. And you can’t lose it doing the right things.
Is it myth someone can have a fast or slow metabolism? How much is metabolism tied to our DNA/genetics? – Melanie
Your epigenetics control everything about you. Your mindset is also a big factor. If you’re unfamiliar with the power of placebo, get acquainted. If you’re telling yourself and saying out loud your metabolism is slow and you’ve ruined it by dieting for years, your body is listening. You can change the expression of your DNA. That is you can help certain genes express and other be suppressed by your thoughts and your habits.
How do I know if my years of dieting has totally ruined my metabolism and can I get it back? – Donna
Yes. It probably did some damage. Yes, you can get it back. As long as you’re willing to let go of trying to exercise more and eat less. That’s one foot on the gas and one on the accelerator. There’s probably nothing worse than exercising more and harder and not eating enough to fuel that body.
From one of my Flipping 50 virtual members – What is the formula for continuing on this journey (since we’re all doing some type of strength training program designed for women in menopause in the member’s area) – what’s the formula for optimizing metabolism as we continue? -Tobie
Keep strength training once you start. Never stop! Continue to overload your muscles with adequate intensity. You may go through different injuries from falls or repetitive stressors from your work, but you can always do something. Never stop.
Keep getting breathless for short periods of time regularly. Two or three short interval sessions a week is a must.
- Exercise – do it hard make it count, don’t overdo it.
- Food – eat whole foods, don’t overdo it.
- Sleep – do it, make sure you prioritize it.
- Hydrate – every cell in your body needs water
- Supplement to reach nutrient sufficiency
Get a micronutrient test. Find out where you are. Fix levels that aren’t optimal- I didn’t say normal. There’s a difference. Work with a health coach on a plan.
Last, but not least.. you may want to consider Hormone Replacement. Your hormones control your fat storage and fat burning. If you’ve made the lifestyle changes to influence your hormones naturally, you may still need a boost.
Resources:
Flipping 50 Online Membership (enrollment closes July 15)
July Master Class – Fascia | Your Fat and Your Fit
Books:
Dr Alan Christianson – Metabolic Reset
