Overcoming Confusing Muscle Loss During Menopause

Sep 25, 2020

 My question is "why am I still having muscle loss while doing it all right?" I have one of those smart scales and yes I am losing weight, my STRONGER program is tightening and toning for sure. Every day the skeletal muscle declines a little. I follow Dr. Anna Cabeca's keto green 16 program, strength train twice a week, HiiT 20 minutes twice a week, all other days are gardening and gratitude walking. Gotta be something I am missing.

-Deborah

How long does it take to gain a pound of muscle? - Dawn

I answer these two questions from listeners in this episode. If you’re experiencing muscle lose too these suggestions may help.

• First, don’t weigh daily. You fluctuate based on water weight, sodium content of what you’ve eaten, your hydration level. You’ll drive yourself crazy. Weigh one time a week same time of day and same status… same clothes, same before food and exercise.
• Next, check your protein intake and after the ketogreen16, resume your 30 grams at 3 meals a day while keeping your veggie intake high. If you stay on the sub-protein intake for longer you’ll not have enough. And you do still need to boost your alkalinity with veggies!

Other Things to Check

• You may want to look at your weight training and be sure you’re reaching muscular fatigue. Though it sounds like you are, I mention for others exercising and not seeing results.
• Make sure you’re bookending those workouts with high protein once you’re through the 16 days. Your muscle protein synthesis is boosted post workout when you’re doing resistance training and to a lesser extent HIIT.
• Be sure your sleep is on point. Without sleep quality and quantity according to your need- cortisol, growth hormone, and testosterone are not optimized for you to experience muscle benefit. And you could have more breakdown than increase.

Gaining Muscle

And for Dawn who asks how long it takes to gain a pound of muscle, it’s almost impossible to predict that. And yes, after 50 it’s much easier to lose than to maintain and to gain.

You must be using adequate stimulus, not more exercise but the right exercise, the right rest, and adequate protein and overall micronutrient density to build muscle.

You’ve got to sleep and prioritize it. So all things said… not as long as you think, but you have to make a consorted effort once you understand exactly what the right steps are and do them.

Link to resources mentioned in this episode:

Dr Anna Cabeca’s KetoGreen16

STRONGER program (open for enrollment a few times a year)