| On average women gain 1.5 pounds per year between 50-60 years of age according to the Mayo Clinic Proceedings data. In the US, nearly 75% of women over 40 are overweight. You’re likely not surprised by this data and hopefully for some of you it’s good to know you’re not alone. The bigger question is – how do we stop this cycle for us and future generations? If you’ve been hanging out with me for a bit you likely know – I don’t do weight loss programs. But I’m very fascinated by metabolism and the weight gain phenomenon over 40. One of the biggest factors I’ve found is the connection between intense carb cravings and declining estradiol. It seems to start cyclically right after ovulation and before the period and then turns into an insatiable craving that tests those with the strongest will power. And the worst part? For many women this phenomenon creeps up and before you know it you’re crushing entire bags of chips and snac-cidents are a daily thing. If you’re like me you find you end up beating yourself up day after day because of one episode after another. You tend to wonder – what the heck is wrong with me? Why can’t I just quit the indulgences? The good news is – you can stop this behavior. And NO…estradiol supplementation isn’t going to solve all your problems. I wish. My podcast guest today, Ashley Fillmore, highlights one of the missing links to restoring your metabolism……figuring out what the carb cravings are trying to tell you. Yes, the timing and type of cravings are crucial clues as to what’s happening in your body. How do you break the cycle of these snac-cidents? Identify when you have them. Assess what feelings you have when you’re searching for your snackDetermine what you can do in the moment or earlier in the day to ward off this phenomenon Every hormone and metabolism guru will tell you three things matter as you get older:SleepProteinStress management They are 100% on the right track. But what they aren’t going into is the brain damage many women have given themselves when it comes to food. So when food becomes the stress and the stress management tool… …what the heck do you do? Re-wire your brain and break every single food rule, habit and behavior you’ve created that relates to your portions, timing of food and even the process in which you eat. For example, here’s what I’m up to right now… I used to snack while I was making any meal. Now I refrain from eating till my food is portioned out and I’m sitting down at the table. Chips, salsa and guac were always left out as a buffet. Now I portion out the chips and dips. Getting home from work was always a throwback to my after school snack binge days where I could crush 1/2 a box of vanilla Snackwells or a few bowls of Almond Honey Bunches of Oats cereal. Now I head out for a walk before dinner or if I’m working late I eat early to stick with my 6p food cut off time. You might be thinking – wait that sounds like a lot of food rules. In the past I would have thought about it that way too. These days it’s more about treating yourself like an experiment, detaching from the diet mentality and figuring out what works and what doesn’t. Getting real honest with yourself isn’t easy but it’s a key factor to stop the weight creep. Estrogen decline affects insulin sensitivity and fat distribution making dieting less effective than it was in your 20’s. Insulin resistance actually starts in your brain and is triggered by overindulgence in highly processed carbs, and/or super sweet fake sweeteners over longer periods of time. At the same time your body knows carbs boost serotonin, the happy neuro-chemical that soothes stress and also is needed to make more estrogen! This viscous cycle of brain asking for carbs, primal cravings taking over and excess fat storage can be broken. Developing more will power isn’t the answer. You have to step up your game and not expect estradiol to yield miracle weight loss. Ashley Fillmore and I dive into this phenomenon and how to listen to your body’s cues to stop the cycle in episode 553 of The Health Fix Podcast (click HERE to listen in). If you’re struggling with an insatiable appetite or finding you can’t seem to avoid snac-cidents these days there is support out there and Ashley Fillmore is a great resource. You don’t have to gain 1.5 lbs a year or more over 50! Click the link orange button below to learn more about Ashley and click HERE to listen into our podcast. Here’s to sleuthing out your metabolism, Dr. J |
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