Weight gain is one of the most common complaints women have during menopause. It’s an OB/GYN thing. Dr. Mary Claire Haver, MD and founder of the galveston diet, heard repeatedly from his own patients. “Women often complain that they are experiencing weight gain, specifically around the waist, even though they have changed their eating or exercise habits,” she says. They would tell him that they sacrificed the sugar, Pizza and alcohol for weeks, even months, and it had made no difference. What gives?
Dr. Haver says that, for a time, she found the complaints hard to believe. Surely, without knowing it, they must be eating more calories than they thought, she thought. But then Dr. Haver entered perimenopause and the exact same thing happened to her. “I started restricting calories and doubling down in the gym with no lasting results,” she says.
Curious as both a doctor and a scientist, she began to investigate why weight loss was so difficult in middle age. She even enrolled in a culinary medicine program at Tulane University as part of her search. Finally, she found a formula that worked, involving a combination of intermittent fasting and follow an anti-inflammatory diet. He began sharing his plan with patients, who also had success with him. And so the Galveston Diet was born.
Why is it so difficult to lose weight during perimenopause and menopause?
Like Dr. Haver, registered dietitian Katie Heaney, DR, You often hear from perimenopausal and menopausal women who struggle to lose weight despite changing their diet and lifestyle habits. It’s not just her imagination; Heaney says it’s actually harder to lose weight during this life phase. She explains that as women age, their bodies require fewer calories than in their fertile phase of life. For example, it is recommended that women over the age of 50 reduce their daily caloric intake by 200 calories. This is due to a loss of muscle mass and because the metabolism is slower. “With reduced caloric needs as women age, weight gain is inevitable if they don’t eat healthy and increase physical activity,” she says.
Dr. Haver says that fluctuating hormones can also lead to weight gain, which is most likely to set up camp around the midsection. “Changing levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone all play a role in age-related inflammation,” she says, adding that inflammation can make someone more prone to weight gain. “The aging pathway appears to be very susceptible to nutritional choices. Some options cause a rapid progression of the aging process, while others slow down the inevitable,” he says.
Related: Your guide to perimenopause, that mysterious in-between period of womanhood
What is the Galveston Diet?
Since inflammation can facilitate weight gain, it follows that a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods will have the opposite effect, facilitating elimination. That’s why the Galveston Diet focuses on anti-inflammatory foods. “Foods that can contribute to inflammation, such as foods that are high in saturated fat, sugar, and artificial ingredients, can also contain more calories, which can lead to weight gain,” says Heaney. “[But] many anti-inflammatory foods, such as fruits and vegetables, are low in calories, which can help with weight loss.”
Foods You Can Eat on the Galveston Diet
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fruits
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Vegetables
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Lean protein (including skinless white meat poultry, tofu and lean meat)
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Seafood
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garbanzo beans
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Beans
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Nuts and seeds
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olive oil and avocado oil
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Dairy products
Foods You Can’t Eat on the Galveston Diet
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Fried food
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Refined carbohydrates (including white bread, pastapastries and white rice)
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Sodas or other beverages filled with sugar or artificial sweetener
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processed meat
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Foods high in saturated fats (such as baconsausage and ice cream)
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Alcohol
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Canola oil and vegetable oil
In addition to eating foods that are anti-inflammatory and minimizing pro-inflammatory foods, another component of the Galveston diet is intermittent fasting, which limits food consumption to a particular window. Dr. Haver recommends a 16/8 method, where someone has a 16-hour fasting window and then an eight-hour eating window. “I prefer this method because it is easily incorporated into the daily routine and quickly becomes a habit that requires little or no effort,” he says.
Dr. Haver says that the reason intermittent fasting is a key part of the Galveston diet is because “studies are showing that fasting improves insulin resistance, lowers blood sugar, lowers fasting insulin levels, decreases inflammation, and reduces harmful lipids in the bloodstream.” As a dietitian, Heaney says that intermittent fasting can be effective for short-term weight loss for most people, however, more scientific evidence is needed to show that it is beneficial in the long term. And while there are several windows of fasting to consider, science hasn’t shown any particular one to be the most effective. From her point of view, what matters more than the fasting window is how consistent someone is in following it.
Related: What is the anti-inflammatory diet and what foods can be eaten on it?
Are there risks or side effects to be aware of?
As with any diet, it is beneficial to speak with your health care provider before trying the Galveston diet. There are also some risks to be aware of. Heaney says that when intermittent fasting is taken to extremes or done incorrectly, it can cause hormonal imbalances. She also says that women who are pregnant or nursing should not fast.
“Those who are underweight, have a history of eating disorders, diabetes or problems with blood sugar control, adrenal fatigue and chronic stress, a medical condition, and are taking medication should never fast without first consulting a doctor,” says Heaney. . Dr. Haver adds that people with type 2 diabetes or those under the age of 18 are not recommended to fast. Additionally, he says that anyone who has had gastric bypass surgery or other gastrointestinal problems should talk to their doctor before trying this diet.
Overall, Heaney says that the Galveston diet may be an effective way to lose weight during perimenopause or menopause, but more scientific study is needed to truly confirm its effectiveness. “The reason the Galveston Diet can be helpful for weight loss is because it advocates eating whole foods, healthy fats, and plenty of vegetables when preparing and cooking your own meals and vegetables,” she says. However, she adds that there are other dietary plans that also advocate this, such as the Mediterranean dietwhich has been extensively studied.
The bottom line is that there is no one perfect eating plan for everyone. The Galveston Diet is one of many healthy eating plans to consider and may be beneficial if you are perimenopausal or menopausal. Talk to your health care provider or a dietitian about what’s best for you and start from there.
Next, Check out this list of 40 foods that help burn belly fat.
