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Menopause Treatment in Littleton, CO, Regulates Hormones To Optimize Weight Loss Whenever Your Body May Be Putting A Damper On Your Goals.
You’ve probably heard people swear fasting is a way to boost metabolism and shed some pounds.
Some people genuinely do see results, but that’s not straight across the board. The problem comes into play whenever your hormones fluctuate throughout the month. Not to mention, menopause can lead to you burning fewer calories, and it’s not as easy to retain and grow muscle mass during this time.
However, it’s not as simple as that. While menopause treatment in Littleton, CO, can make a difference in weight loss, timing is everything for fasting, no matter your menstrual status.
To fast or not to fast? That’s the question before, during, and after menopause.
How Fasting Works
Fasting is when you go through a time without eating. It’s done for religious purposes, weight loss, and surgery prep.
All fasting discussed in this piece refers to optional, intermittent fasting — when you avoid eating for a designated amount of time, usually 12 to 16 hours each day. Once those hours are over, you can resume eating.
Though technically, you could reduce caloric intake whenever you are in fast, that has to be done with careful deliberation. The true point of fasting is to limit when you’re eating, which is supposed to increase fat burning, decrease inflammation, and improve gut health, all while helping you lose weight.
How Hormones Play a Role
Hormones affect metabolism, but there’s more to it than that. Everyone has a circadian rhythm — their natural, 24-hour clock that affects their wake and sleep times. Everyone must consider it whenever they’re choosing fasting times to maximize effectiveness.
Morning fasting works better for some, while evening fasting is more sufficient for others. It depends on your schedule for work and life.
Women shake up this concept by having a menstrual cycle, a lack of one, or even a near lack of one. And not every woman is on the typical 28-day cycle, only further complicating matters. This is important because where a woman is in her cycle impacts her energy levels, cravings, and metabolism, so not every time during the month provides the right condition for fasting.
At Ageless Expressions, we encourage you to know how your cycle affects fasting to enhance your results. If not, it could work against your favor.
How Fasting Got a Bad Rep for Women
If you’ve heard the rumor that fasting is bad for women, put it out of your mind. It received that bad rep from its relationship with cortisol, a stress hormone.
What happens is that fasting causes hormetic (a small, controlled amount of) stress. It’s not necessarily bad. In fact, it’s often positive. Take exercise, for example — it puts hormetic stress on the body each time you partake, but that leads to muscle building and toning, endurance, and even weight loss, depending on the type.
That said, this type of stress triggers the release of cortisol. And as you probably know, too much of that hormone isn’t good.
For women, this does more than just cause muscle breakdown and weight gain. It may alert their bodies that they can’t carry a baby right now. Not to mention, producing too much of it can put a stop to your menstrual cycle, especially if you’re leaner to begin with.
How to Fast Right, Considering Hormone Fluctuations
There’s a delicate balance when it comes to fasting, and what’s right for one person isn’t correct for another. The goal is to let your body produce some cortisol but not too much, which means tracking your cycle and working with it, not in opposition to it.
If You’re Still Menstruating
If you still get a menstrual cycle, you won’t want to fast every day, or you might end up with no period.
The first day of your cycle is when you begin bleeding. Fasting is particularly a good idea on this day because your body won’t care how you’re eating. It’s too busy producing estrogen, and cortisol has little to do with that hormone. For the next nine days, you’re golden, by the way.
Fast all you want because a high-carb diet during this time can lead to weight gain from increased insulin resistance.
You could extend this fasting regimen to cover the entire first three weeks of your cycle, but make sure you’re still receiving enough calories each day.
Once that part is over, forget the fasting for the next week. This is the week before your period. Progesterone increases during this time, and this hormone considers cortisol its enemy.
So, if you’re fasting at that point, then you might end up missing your menstrual cycle, spotting, feeling irritable, or having difficulty sleeping.
Ideally, if there were a time to eat a high-carb diet, it would be now, especially when you choose natural sources, like potatoes.
Are Perimenopausal
If you’re going through perimenopause, fasting might be a smart way to regulate your metabolism and lose weight. During this time, you might be “estrogen dominant” because progesterone usually declines more than estrogen throughout perimenopause. And, while this imbalance is causing mood changes, weight gain, and decreased libido, you can do your part by fasting to get rid of some of that excess estrogen.
As a rule of thumb, do not fast the week before your period or at times when you’re under more stress than usual.
Are Menopausal
Ahhh, menopause — some couldn’t wait to get there and toss those feminine hygiene products, while others look at it as a sign of aging and the closing of a chapter of their lives.
No matter your sentiments, menopause is a great time to fast. Everything is lined up how you want it. You won’t need to worry about fasting only on certain days. Your whole calendar opens up, and you can fast on as many (or as few) days as you like. You may even alter the length and days.
Learn more here: Prioritize Sleep & Revitalize Your Body with Bioidentical Hormone Therapy
Reaching Out for Menopause Treatment in Littleton, CO
If you’re perimenopausal or menopausal, your waistline may benefit from a bit of stimulation from menopause treatment in Littleton, CO. You will also decrease all those unpleasant symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.
If you’re not quite the right age for bioidentical hormone therapy, consider medical weight loss to help you reach your target weight.
During this, we’ll explain everything you need to know about fasting and the best techniques for you, and we can even prescribe medication to assist.
Check out our reviews to see if we’re the right option to help you meet your objectives.
Schedule your appointment by calling Ageless Expressions today at (720) 864-1272 for the menopause treatment support you need, even if it means regulating your hormones first. We’re conveniently located near the Littleton Community Trail.
