I remember the day I stepped on the scale and saw that I had gained 20 pounds. I was devastated and ashamed. I felt like I had failed as a health professional, and couldn’t understand why my body was betraying me despite my best efforts to eat well and exercise regularly.

But, I didn’t let that setback defeat me. I knew that weight gain during menopause is a common experience for many women, and that it’s not a reflection of my worth or my ability to lead a healthy lifestyle. Instead, I continued to focus on regular exercise and healthy eating, knowing that these habits would still benefit my overall health and well-being.

As it turns out, my body was going through natural changes that I couldn’t control. Hormonal fluctuations during this time can lead to an increase in body weight, but it doesn’t mean that I’m not fit. According to research, individuals who are classified as overweight or obese based on their BMI may still have a lower risk of premature death if they have a high level of physical fitness. Additionally, the concept of “metabolically healthy obesity” may exist, where individuals who are classified as obese based on their BMI may still have favorable metabolic health markers, such as normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Research has also shown that during menopause, women experience a significant decrease in lean muscle mass, which can lead to a decrease in metabolism, making it harder to maintain a healthy weight. However, regular strength training and resistance exercises can help to maintain and even increase muscle mass, which can help to boost metabolism and prevent weight gain.

It’s also important to note that during menopause, many women experience sleep disturbances which can lead to weight gain. Studies have shown that poor sleep quality is associated with weight gain, and improving sleep quality through lifestyle changes such as regular exercise, avoiding caffeine, and maintaining consistent sleep routine can help to prevent weight gain.

So, to all the women who are going through the struggles of weight gain during perimenopause and menopause, know that you’re not alone. And, more importantly, don’t let the scale define your health and fitness. Remember, regular exercise, healthy eating, strength training, and good sleep hygiene can all contribute to overall health and well-being during this time.

I know it is simple changes but they are not easy to stick with and be consistent. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t hesitate to reach out to a health professional for support. Together, we can navigate through this phase and continue to lead a healthy and fulfilling life.

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They have to do with your metabolism and I hope at least one of them leaves you feeling empowered!

It’s tempting to think of your metabolism as something you can “turn up” or “turn down” … but the fact is, metabolism is a complicated process that happens in your cells – and the more cells you have, the faster your metabolism.

(Random fact: the average person has 30 trillion cells! That’s a lot of cells … and a lot of metabolism.)

The biggest chunk of your calorie burn (aka your metabolism) happens just to keep you alive – it’s known as your BMR, your basal metabolic rate. BMR can vary a LOT between people. Older we get slower metabolism we get unless we do something about it.

Some things that impact your BMR are things you can’t control – genetics, gender, and more (we’ll get into some of this later).

But there’s actually a lot you CAN do to turn up your metabolism even if you are over 40, and it has to do with your body composition.

I like to think of these ‘metabolic boosters’ like compound interest … it’s not going to make you rich overnight, but over time, it adds up in a big way!

Here it is …

while you’re resting. That’s triple the amount of a pound of fat, which comes in at about 2 calories a day.

So, 10 pounds of fat would burn 20 calories a day, while 10 pounds of muscle would burn 60. Not that impressive.

But over a year, 10 pounds of muscle burns 21,900 calories (a little over 6 pounds), while 10 pounds of fat burns 7,300 calories in a year (around 2 pounds).

That means workouts that build your muscles – whether it’s old-school bodybuilding workouts, or fitness workouts that include weights – have a double-whammy effect!

Not only are you burning calories WHILE you’re doing them, but you get a BONUS burn in the future as you build muscle! Pretty cool, right?

Want to get even MORE tactical?

The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that if you want to build muscle, on top of adding resistance training to your workouts, you should eat 1.2 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight per day – which equals 0.5 to 0.8 grams per pound of body weight.

If you need help to start building muscles, burn fat and lose weight without going to the public gym and not spending too much money on a gym membership that you never use or big $$$ for a personal trainer, I am inviting you to try my live-streaming fitness classes for women over 40.

You get 7 days free with the access of over 120 hours of classes. Live Streaming fitness classes are delivered fully online in our closed Facebook group. When you join the class, you will be doing what my class is doing in realtime or on replay if you can’t attend in real time. My classes are not staged and have real women who are trying to get fit, lose weight and feel full of energy. If you are interested, you can request to join here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/livefitnessclasses.

Make it a fit day!

Lilia, Nutritionist & Fitness Coach.

The post This burns 3x more calories first appeared on Ditch The Diet Studio.

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If you’ve ever studied “behavior change”, one of the first things you learned about is the “transtheoretical model of change.” Sounds complicated but it’s not!

It was developed back in the 1970’s after researchers studied smokers who were trying to quit. They broke down the “5 Mindset Stages” people go through to create a new lifestyle change.

In a nutshell, those stages are:

• Precontemplation – This is before you’re aware of a “problem” (like the need to lose weight) or are even thinking of making any changes.
• Contemplation – You’ve got a problem that you want to solve, and you start thinking about making some changes. You started thinking of doing something about your extra pounds.
• Planning – This is when you are planning to actually make the changes. You are looking for a Nutritionist to help you with your diet or a fitness coach to help with your fitness.
• Action – When you’re in the process of changing. You are doing IT!
• Maintenance – You’ve successfully made the changes and are maintaining them! Probably the most difficult stage for 95 % of people.

I want to talk about the jump from “Planning” to “Action” … because it is so easy to get these mixed up with each other!

It’s also super easy to get stuck in planning mode.

This is especially true with all the info online, where you can literally spend hours going down one rabbit hole after another looking for the “perfect” solution to whatever problem you’re trying to solve.

Being educated and informed is always a good thing! But sometimes we confuse that prep/planning time with actually taking ACTION toward our goals.

Basically, it boils down to the fact that spending 5 minutes going for a brisk walk will get you closer to your goal than spending a half-hour shopping for the right sneakers or reading articles about the “perfect” diet or fitness routine.

(Raise your hand if you’ve ever been guilty of this! We’ve all done it from time to time.)

It doesn’t have to be a BIG action, but taking 1 or 2 steps in the direction of your goal will help you get to the “maintenance” state sooner than later!

If any of this sounds familiar to you, try experimenting by stacking some action RIGHT into your planning.

Go for that walk (or eat that apple instead of a candy bar) AND do your research if you still feel like you need to gather more info.

It’s all about taking IMPERFECT action. 

And if you want to jump to the front of the planning line, this is my specialty! I can help you create a custom blueprint for success to help YOU reach your goals!

Have you checked out my upcoming 8 Week New Body Project, yet? New round starts every 2 months. This is an 8 week remote (from the comfort of your home) program. I only take the first 10 women over 45 that I can give them my full attention. The program is delivered fully online with live consultations with me every week. If you want to get on the waiting list, please fill out the application form HERE.

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The post This Is What Happens When You Stop Exercising …
 first appeared on Ditch The Diet Studio.

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Results! We all want results regardless the age, am I right?

And the faster, the better!

Well, what if I tell you that going to fast to get to the finish line is actually slowing down your progress and making the road harder … especially when it comes to keeping those results for the rest of your life!?

Have you ever heard the saying, “To go faster, you must slow down?” 

It’s an idea that has been around for ages … because it actually works.

It can be a hard concept to wrap your mind around, but U.S. President Abraham Lincoln summed it up pretty well with this quote:

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”

So how does this apply getting results with fitness & weight loss?!

Sharpening the axe is mastering the basics.

It’s building a foundation of healthy habits. And it’s so important because everything sit on it!

But the thing with the basics is that they can seem … well, basic. Especially if you’re in a rush!

It can be tempting to get sucked into trying a “hack” or a magic pill to speed things up … or trying the latest trend your friend/coworker/brother-in-law is experimenting with. I’ve heard this one so many times.

Remember: you will get at least 90% (and maybe even 99%) of your results from the basics! 

With health & fitness, those basics include:

1. Feeding your body with whole, healthy foods;
2. Getting enough sleep;
3. Intentionally moving your body to make it strong;
4. Drinking enough water;
5. Breathing in fresh air every day, and
6. Reducing stress.

If you do all of those things, you definitely WILL get results.

Then, once you have those basics covered, you can start to add “extras” to spice up your results.

Does this make sense? I hope so!

If you’re ready, I’m here to help you with all of those things!

If you’re ready to take action, let’s set up a 30-minute Discovery session in-person or online.  You can book your free consultation HERE.

Make it a healthy day,

Lilia, Nutritionist & Fitness Coach.

The post A “HACK” For Speeding Up Your Results! first appeared on Ditch The Diet Studio.

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