Midlife weight gain occurs for many women during menopause and it’s compounding an already-present problem of weight gain that begins in your 30s (if you let it). But as this post will share, it’s not the 10lb problem it seems. It’s worse. In the aging process a gradual creep of weight is not what it seems. A weight gain of 10 lbs. per decade that is the average is really a 20 lb. body composition problem. What do I mean? Without exercise interventions (that you know I’m going to talk about) the average adult loses 5 lbs. of muscle mass per decade and gains 15 lbs. of fat. The result is a 10 lb. change on the scale, but a 20 lb. physical appearance change and a far more devasting health problem. [Please, I can hear a few of you say, no not me, I’m the same weight as I was. OK, girlfriend… are you wearing the same clothes, same size, as strong? Or has that mass changed so it’s more fat and less muscle? Be honest.] The Answer? So, exercise, right? Yes, but as all the exercise modes have emerged over the last 40 years, there doesn’t seem to be a clear message to adults how to prioritize that activity. Barre exercise and yogalates won’t keep you alive and thriving as long or as powerfully as other forms of exercise. The one that offers the most benefits? Resistance training. Also known as strength training or weight training, to be specific. Resistance Training or Really Weight Training? You’ll ask, what about bands, are they good? Me: They’re better than nothing. What about suspension training (TRX) is that good? Me: It’s better than nothing. You’ll ask, what about body weight? I’ll say, you should be able to move your own body weight… and I’ll ask: But what’s best? The closest thing to the dog food bag, baby in a basinet, and china on the top shelf… is weights. It doesn’t matter what shape. Kettle bells are weight, dumbbells are weight, books in a backpack are weight. And your body doesn’t know the difference. Why strength training? You may not lose weight on a strength training program, right away. But read on, and decide for yourself, would this be OK even if you didn’t lose weight? Without changing anything else (no more or less eating, sleep, water or stress changes) the results you can expect from starting a strength training program [like STRONGER] include: Loss of 4-lbs fat in 4 weeks Gain of 3-lbs muscle in 4 weeks And those results are typical each of the first three months. What’s that mean? A total loss of only about 3-lbs? And in full disclosure… some don’t lose at all. In fact, a few gain. And that is flipping awesome! Why? Offset Midlife Weight Gain with Weight Training Because MUSCLE… metabolically active muscle that burns fat … is more dense than fat. That means you’re on your way to a better metabolism for the rest of your life. Losing muscle (since age 30 unless you’ve been lifting weights and increasing protein) has a damaging cumulative effect on metabolism. If you don’t lose weight but you lose inches, your clothes will likely fit better … or looser. You might get reacquainted with some old favorite clothes or use a notch you haven’t used on your belt recently. Or, you may have to use those three little words I used to love to hear my mom say, Let’s go shopping! There’s more. When you improve your strength (some adults who begin strength training increase strength by 50% during 12 weeks) you can do more… of the things you love and also the things that help you be more active, use more energy, and yes, lose weight if you need to. The Good News: Eat More and Avoid Midlife Weight Gain  That’s not all. When you increase your lean muscle tissue you can also eat more. About 300-350 kcals more and still reap the rewards of increase metabolism and weight loss. Let’s face it, the deprivation diets you’ve tried backfire on you and literally, come back to bite you in the butt. When you eat more, you message your body to burn more. If you’re choosing high quality protein and whole foods like vegetables you’re also enh