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Menopause And Weight Gain As Part Of Menopause

For some unfortunate women, there is a connection between weight gain and menopause. Why does weight gain happen for some women, but not all? Chemical and emotional changes in our body can really affect us.

One of the biggest and most frustrating symptoms of menopause for most women is weight gain, particularly around the midsection.  Approximately 90% of menopausal women experience weight gain.  The weight gain is caused by hormonal shifts due to menopause.

Women who begin menopause will most likely note a change in their body shape.  They typically gain between 10 to 15 pounds during the first menopausal years.  The weight usually comes on gradually and is not a result of overeating or lack of physical activity.  The weight usually comes on by about a pound a year. 

Women who experience early menopause or surgical menopause may experience more rapid or extreme weight gain.  The weight will also distribute itself differently than it used to in your younger years.  

Estrogen is known as the female sex hormone and is responsible for causing monthly ovulation.  Menopause causes your estrogen levels to decrease rapidly, which in turn will cause your body to stop ovulating.  Estrogen also tends to play a part in menopausal weight gain.  As the ovaries produce less estrogen, the body looks for other places to get the estrogen from.  This causes your body to work harder to convert calories into fat in order to increase estrogen levels. 

Insulin resistance can occur during the menopausal years.  When this happens, your body turns every calorie into fat.  Most women tend to eat a low fat high carbohydrate diet.  Eventually, processed and refined foods can make your body resistant to insulin produced in the blood stream.  This can be one cause of weight gain after the age of 40.  Additional stress can also be a contributor to weight gain during menopause. 

What can you do to avoid weight gain during menopause?

Eat a well balanced healthy diet high in fiber.  Avoid refined sugars and eat a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Don’t go on unhealthy crash diets or fasting diets.  Limit caffeine, smoking and alcohol intake.  Stay active and fit.

If you put on an excessive amount of weight during menopause, this may be a sign that your hormonal balance is off, there could be an issue with blood levels or eating habits.  Experts urge women to be weight and health conscious during menopause as excessive weight around the abdomen may lead an increased risk of heart disease or high blood pressure. 

Accept and love yourself for who you are.

If you do gain weight, don’t be too hard on yourself.  Remember that you are still the same person and the additional weight doesn’t change that.  Look upon it as a growth and change in life.  Getting to a menopausal age is something to be proud of.  Embrace it, enjoy it and take care of yourself.

Tags: avoid weight gain, Menopause, Weight gain

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