“You’re eating too much, that’s why you’re fat”

This barnstormer was posted by James Smith on Facebook this week. The usual Calories In vs. Calories Out.

"It's a fact that the sun comes up every day and so it's your fault that you don't have a tan to show for it."

We all know the sun comes up every day, there's no denying it, but it's obviously more complicated than that. This sort of message, "you're eating too much" is damaging and sometimes downright dangerous.

It encourages women to go on drastic diets, slashing calories because they're "just not trying hard enough" and they're desperate. In reality there's a shit storm happening inside that he's conveniently forgotten to mention or (let's face it) hasn't got a clue about. So, stay on your sunbed in Bondi, James, and shut your mouth before the sand gets kicked in.

The last thing you want to be doing in peri and post menopause is drastically cut calories and increase cardio.

If you're putting weight on and you don't like it what do you do?

There isn't one simple answer. It might be that you are eating a bit too much but it's more subtle than that. It's a combination of approaches that all interlink - who doesn't love a Venn diagram?

 Rest & Recovery 

Stress is very high in mid-life even if you don't feel it. Tackle this first.

Have you had your thyroid levels checked? It's VERY common to get problems in peri.

Sleep
Are you sleeping well? Do you feel rested when you wake up? If you don't it will affect how you feel all day and you'll be chugging carbs like no tomorrow just to get through and exercise is the last thing you want to do. 

Recovery
This isn't just sleep. Are you doing too much exercise without enough rest built in or fuelling your body for that exercise?

Peri symptoms
The list is as long as your arm and then some (especially poor sleep). If you're suffering, consider HRT. Why women think this is a sign of failure I don't know. "No, I don't want a plaster cast for my broken leg thanks. I'll cope without."

Cortisol
Fluctuating sex hormones in peri leads to a natural increase in the stress hormone cortisol. It signals the body to store fat. You need to dampen cortisol down when you don't need it (rest and food).

 Nutrition & Supplements 
Eat whole foods whenever you can
Eat regular meals that include protein, carbs and moderate fat.

If you're an active woman who is not morbidly obese forget keto, forget fasting

Eat BEFORE and AFTER exercise. ALL exercise raises cortisol. You want it during exercise. You don't want it after. Neither do you want to break down muscle tissue to fuel that exercise.

 Exercise 
Are you weight training? Well, if not you should be. It builds muscle tissue, it increases bone density, it burns glycogen (stored carbs), and improves insulin sensitivity (a big problem in peri/post).

I don't do any cardio in the winter. It's too cold and I can't be arsed. I don't need it. Neither do you, unless you love it.

Running (or cycling) DOES NOT build bone density (I've seen this claimed plenty of times - it's wrong). Running doesn't build muscle tissue either. And, unless you're incorporating anaerobic sprintervals, the steady aerobic cardio most middle-aged women do, is not burning glycogen, it burns fat. (Sounds good, but it's not.)

Think "get strong"
instead of shrinking yourself