by Paula Jager CSCS as published in Natural Muscle Magazine June 2011
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One morning mid February I had an urge to try on my bathing suit—I don’t know why I just did. Most likely because it had been cold, spring was around the corner and I had been hiding out in my sweats enjoying mass quantities of comfort foods—I didn’t gain much weight—the scale could not be right. If I had gained it had to be muscle. Well, I put on that swimsuit, grabbed a mirror and checked my rear. I almost threw up, that could not possibly be my body looking back at me. What the hell happened?
I am a CSCS and owner of a CrossFit facility that eats “right” and exercises year round. I am passionate in my efforts as well as my nature. I practically get on a pulpit and shout it from afar. I workout an average of 3-4 days a week consisting of 2 to 3 high intensity weight lifting days and 1 day of some type of sprinting with mobility work interspersed throughout the week. How in the world could I have gained 11 pounds? And 9 ½ of it was in my rear—that’s pure genetics there. Could it be my age, I am 51? Could it be because I am post menopausal?
In my “youth” I often laughed and rolled my eyes at my older female friends who complained of life disrupting hot flashes and “inevitable” weight gain around the middle once they hit menopause. It seemed to be the scapegoat for whatever ailed them. My answer was always the same—“stay away from the donuts and do some wind sprints—it’s what you eat and whether or not you move your arse. You can look nearly as fit at 50 as you can at 30”. They did not appreciate it and most of them responded with “wait till you’re my age—you’ll see”. Well, life rolls along and here I am 51 and post menopausal. I was the heaviest I had ever been in my entire life at 126 lbs, 19% body fat and I had a roll around the middle. Could I possibly have been wrong? Does the body change? Well of course it changes as we age but was it really out of my control?
First off I don’t even like the sound of the word “menopause”. It seems to be looked upon as a disease of some sort. For many I will admit there is definitely some dis-ease. But what exactly is the cause of that dis-ease and is it preventable through proper nutrition and exercise? I don’t believe it is something that necessitates a “pill” or a “replacement” for. It is a natural transition in a woman’s life, not something to be afraid of or looked upon as the end of life as once known. I have firmly believed if one eats right and exercises throughout their life—while there are definitely changes related to aging—one can do so gracefully, embracing this chapter of life and avoiding the inevitable weight gain and other common issues. A few years prior I did experience a few “warm moments” in the spring and fall but nothing that disrupted my life or lasted very long. Until this spring and the roll in the middle I have felt basically the same as I have for much of my adult life. I decided to test my hypothesis: was this weight gain inevitable or reversible through lifestyle modification? I say reversible.
I established a goal: 115 lbs and approximately 12% body fat. I chose a start and end date: 3/15-6/1. I kept a detailed food log for 3 weeks in www.fitday.com; changing not a thing for an honest assessment of what I had been consuming. This can be tedious, time consuming and not something I would do long term or for more than the duration of an occasional reality check or fat loss effort. However, if I did not know what I was consuming and in what amounts I would not know what I needed to change. Here’s what I found. . .
The macronutrient ratios were near ideal. The foods were all from quality sources and home cooked. But my average daily caloric intake was well over 2400 calories a day and my “indulgences” were averaging 2-3x a week coming from homemade ice cream, 70% organic cacao bars and grits; largest meal eaten late at night. So maybe that’s why all that junk was in my trunk?
Based on my findings eating as I had been all winter I was surprised yet the answer was clear. I knew what to change and now had a plan.
Stay tuned for the conclusion, what I did and After Photos. Let’s see if the hypothesis stands. . .