Sag Syndrome

Published April 7, 2017, Delray Newspaper |  Boca Newspaper

By Christine King

What? You know. One morning every woman turns to view her backside in the mirror and POOF…it’s a lot lower and softer than yesterday. As a bonus, fastening your skirt button is no picnic either.  All the while energy has plummeted and confusion and panic invade your mind.

As your mind races like a computer processing food intake, exercise habits, and any other changes; a large black screen pops into your mind.  It reads in all white caps “NOTHING’S CHANGED.”

Sounds confusing, right?  Allow me to help you dissect this mystery.

Symptomatic or not, biologically, women begin perimenopause at age 35. Most begin feeling the effects around age 40. Most noticeable include sagging body parts and weight gain with no change in exercise or dietary habits. What’s happening?

As a woman’s hormones begin to shift nature takes over. Without a laser focus effort on staying healthy and fit, many women are regretfully buying larger sizes, feeling sluggish and not sleeping well.

You’ll be pleased to know much of this is avoidable. Being conscious of your dietary and exercise regimen is an absolute must. Learning how to be ahead of the curve combats the extra curves, bumps and lumps.

The symptoms mentioned above along with changes in emotional well-being and the reduction of the skin’s elasticity and thickness are all invited guests to the party. In addition, hormonal changes can shift your body composition, so any pounds you gain tend to land in your middle.

Low confidence also plays a role in the reduction of your physical and social activities. Although hormones aren’t completely to blame for these changes, they are responsible for the decrease in cell growth rate and metabolism. Avoiding and preventing some of these “changes” require daily monitoring, just like the antivirus protection on your computer.

To begin, here are the five essentials:

  1. Control bloating. Watch salt and processed food intake.
  2. Change your exercise regimen. Safely add more resistance (weights) and add sprints to your cardio. Your body will react quickly to the change and the increase of lean muscle tissue bumps up your metabolism and burns more calories.
  3. Reduce portion size and eat every three hours. Switch up your food thoughts from three large meals to “mini-meals”. A “mini-meal” consists of a lean protein and a healthy carbohydrate (fruit or vegetable).
  4. Reduce Stress. Women in their forties statistically have more stress than years prior. Stress produces an elevated level of the hormone cortisol. Cortisol prevents weight loss. Implementing even a very simple form of stress relief is paramount. This can include meditation, deep breathing, a walk on the beach, coloring in one of the cool new adult coloring books; basically anything that brings your stress down a few notches.
  5. Thyroid check. See your doctor for a comprehensive thyroid panel. After age 40, many women experience hypothyroidism which contributes to weight gain and energy loss.

Sag Syndrome can be avoided.  Diligence and consciously monitoring food intake and exercise habits is the magic formula to combatting the “Forty Fairy” from creeping into your body and magically adding weight and discord to your body and mind.  Seek guidance from professionals and know…YOU CAN DO THIS!