Wies: “Stubborn opponents, those extra kilos, but don’t give up”

There are several reasons why we suddenly struggle with weight gain, but the main culprit is the changing hormonal balance, particularly the decrease in oestrogen production.

This significantly slows down metabolism: the less oestrogen, the slower our metabolism.

Additionally, the lower oestrogen levels cause a loss of muscle mass. And muscles burn more calories than fat, which means your energy needs decrease. This means that if you want to maintain your weight, you’ll need to eat less than before.

Okay, so eating less is part of it, but that’s not the whole story. I’m lucky that I haven’t gained weight, but I see plenty of women around me who eat less and still don’t lose weight.

What works for one person doesn’t necessarily work for another. What I’ve come to realise is that women often think they’re eating healthily and lightly, but in reality, that’s not always the case.

It might sound patronising, but I recommend anyone struggling with this to make an appointment with a dietitian. Just to map out what you’re eating and what you can change.

Maybe you’re not eating enough fibre, or you’re unknowingly consuming more carbohydrates than you think. We’re used to dieting the way we did before, but often that method no longer works once you hit menopause.

A second tip is to take a closer look at how much protein you’re consuming. It’s very easy to track by using the My Eetmeter app from the Voedingscentrum for about three days.

That’s how I discovered that I wasn’t eating enough protein (we need about one gram per kilogram of body weight per day), even though it’s so important during and after menopause for maintaining muscle mass. For example, if you weigh 70 kilos, you need 70 grams of protein per day. It’s really important.

Finally, poor sleep or stress can also be reasons why losing weight isn’t working. So, it’s not just about food; you need to look at the bigger picture. Perhaps a menopause consultant can help you with this.

Those extra kilos may seem like stubborn opponents, but don’t give up. Because really, they can come off.

Wies Verbeek (58) is a journalist, founder of the website BLOW.nl, and author of the book ’n Beetje Leuk Ouder Worden, 101 verrassende en bewezen tips. And she’s right in the middle of menopause.