Losing weight is one of the issues that most concerns many women, especially those who are changing their lives. Whether intermittent fasting and menopause are compatible is a question that many of us ask ourselves. Is this the best way to lose weight in menopause? Is it beneficial to carry out this way of eating?
Intermittent fasting during menopause – yes or no?
Intermittent fasting has been a method with which many people have lost weight. There are different modalities of this, going through eating 12 hours and fasting another twelve, or as the 12-12 formula is known. We also find 10-14 and 8-16, the latter being the hardest.
You have to understand that in menopause there are many processes in the woman’s body that slow down. Fewer calories are burned at rest, insulin sensitivity is reduced and, therefore, weight is gained.
Although you have probably rushed to answer the question in the title of this post, we tell you that a study carried out at Laval University in Quebec, Canada, has shown that intermittent fasting and menopause can be compatible, and very much so.
Apparently, in the study that was carried out with several menopausal women, the volume of the waist, metabolic rate and cholesterol levels were reduced. Statistics were also released that determined a loss of 7 kilos in a time period of between three and twelve months.
On the other hand, according to a study carried out by the Harvard Medical School, it was explained that intermittent fasting is the solution to the hormonal imbalances that occur during menopause. the explanation given is that as long as we don’t take anything between meals our insulin levels drop enough to burn fat.
The benefits of intermittent fasting during menopause
In addition to weight loss, intermittent fasting and menopause have many benefits. Among them:
- It reduces inflammation that is related to weight gain, fluid retention and other problems.
- Improves mood and self-esteem.
- Decreases depression and improves body self-image, which increases self-esteem.
- Increases life expectancy. It has not yet been determined what percentage it does in humans, but in animals an increase of between 33 and 83% was noted.
- Helps maintain muscle mass, which burns calories more quickly.
