Menopause Weight Gain:
Weight fluctuations over one’s lifetime are common, especially for individuals whose hormonal shifts can affect their weight during menstrual cycles, pregnancy, lactation, perimenopause and menopause. While menopausal weight gain is not guaranteed for everyone, it can be a common concern for those approaching middle age. The best exercise is the one you do, but experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity and two days of muscle strengthening per week. A combination of yoga, Pilates and walking is my personal favorite regimen. The biggest bang for your effort is weight-bearing exercises, like Pilates. It focuses on core strength, which is where menopausal weight deposits.
Exercise is key to maintaining a healthy weight and combating the muscle loss that comes with aging and can put older adults at higher risk of disability. Many middle-aged women striving to keep the pounds off find that combining the first two levels lowest price of weight gain treatments – lifestyle adjustments and herbal supplements – gives them the best and lasting results. For some women, however, a more conventional treatment approach, consisting of medications and surgery, might be necessary.
Niebergall encourages people to make their health a priority, avoid extreme diets and workout plans, and commit to eating in a sustainable calorie deficit, with enough protein and fiber, and moving every day in some way. Now 63, she’s in the best shape of her life and wants others to know it’s never too late to make healthy changes and that age doesn’t have to equal weight gain. During menopause, you might find that your energy levels are decreasing. But staying active during the menopause transition can make a huge difference in shifting weight from places that you do not want it to go. But is menopause really to blame for women’s midlife weight gain?
This, in turn, may result in larger blood sugar dips, which increase the likelihood of eating more throughout the day. Research by ZOE scientists found that your sleep affects your blood sugar levels the next day, after you eat. Specifically, not getting enough sleep can lead to blood sugar spikes after breakfast. Keep in mind that not everyone gains weight in their belly during menopause. You may also notice that menopause belly lessens or goes away as you get older and your body continues to change.
According to some research, a woman’s resting energy expenditure, or the number of calories she burns during rest, declines during and after menopause (4). Preventive health care as you age may include recommended health screening tests, such as colonoscopy, mammography and triglyceride screening. Your doctor might recommend other tests and exams, too, including thyroid testing if suggested by your history, and breast and pelvic exams.
The hardest part of the menopause for Niebergall was the night sweats, which disrupted her sleep and made her tired. Research shows that most people eat more when they’re sleep-deprived, and it’s also harder to exercise if you’re lacking energy. Your body shape have a peek here may change during and after menopause, and that’s natural. Fat that is present on your butt and thighs may move to your belly. You may find that even though the number on the scale is not moving that much, your clothes are not fitting the way that they used to.
When you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without your menstrual cycle (period), you’ve hit menopause and enter a period of postmenopause. When you enter menopause will vary, but the average onset is age 51. Part of this research is looking at whether this drug can reverse existing osteoporosis. Based on findings, it could help not only menopausal women, but an entire aging population. ‘What was remarkable with our animals was that they were not putting on this fat weight gain.
While many of the health and lifestyle habits that contribute to menopause bloating can also play a part in menopause weight gain, keep in mind that your genetics also play a role. When you think of menopause, you might automatically think of hot flashes and mood swings. While a drop in estrogen and progesterone (which occurs during menopause) certainly causes these symptoms, another notable change many women experience during menopause is weight gain. Sarcopenia typically begins after age 40, leading to a 30% to 50% decline in muscle mass by age 80. Several factors can lead to weight gain during and after menopause, not all of which are necessarily due to menopause itself. It’s often difficult to separate the causes of midlife weight gain since hormones, changes in activity levels and other lifestyle circumstances can all play interconnected roles.
If the people in your family also carry more weight in the midsection, especially after menopause, there is a higher likelihood that you will, too, if nothing is being done to prevent it. One way to keep yourself accountable to a healthy diet is to keep a food journal. Keeping a record of everything you eat can help you to avoid mindless snacking and be additional reading more conscious of what you’re eating and when. Eating a diet that’s healthy for you can help keep your weight in check. And some foods may help to lessen other symptoms of menopause, too. You may feel like you just have lousy self-discipline when in fact it’s your body chemistry that’s making it more difficult to eat healthy and to know when to stop.
Perimenopause is defined as the months or years of transition before your period stops, and menopause is marked by going 12 months without having a period at the end of this transition. Catherine Hansen, MD, MPH, FACOG, FRCSC, NCMP, is a board-certified ob-gyn, certified menopause practitioner, and head of menopause at Pandia Health, a women-led control delivery service. She completed her residency in obstetrics and gynecology followed by a fellowship in sexual health, a certification in menopause, and a strong alignment with an integrative approach to care.
To lose menopause belly weight and keep it off, you’ll need to lower your caloric intake, increase the calories you burn, or both. Menopause weight gain can show up without any obvious behavior change and will not go away on its own. Like any other weight loss, losing menopause weight requires you to use more calories than you take in.