In the Weighless Program, we have members spanning a wide range of demographics. One well-represented group is perimenopausal and menopausal women. As a result, a common question that pops up is whether or not the “middle-age spread” is inevitable.
As we tell our members, just because something is common, doesn’t mean it is inevitable.
I recently interviewed Dr. Tamsin Lewis on the Get-Fit Guy podcast (player below). Dr. Tam is both an Ironman athlete and a Medical Doctor as well as a middle-aged woman herself. So she understands the body both medically and athletically.
When I asked Dr. Tam if this middle-age spread is indeed inevitable, she replied: “I don’t think anything in life is inevitable, is it? Apart from death and taxes. Menopausal weight gain is certainly common, but that doesn’t mean it is inevitable or even normal.”
“Theoretically, [during menopause], your body does become more prone to storing weight around the middle.” and that is why she advises the patients that she works with to make some changes to their diet, how they exercise, and perhaps even look into hormonal supplementation.
In the Weighless Program, we question common assumptions and dissect “conventional wisdom.” We also encourage our members to experiment with changes in exercise and diet to learn how our bodies respond rather than accept a one-size-fits-all solution–or throw our hands in the air in defeat.
Ageing happens, there is no doubt – but that doesn’t mean we have to go down without a fight!