Weight Gain and Menopause - Discussion, Causes, Remedies

What are the reasons behind weight gain and menopause possibly coming together?

For some women, the onset of menopause reflects the first time in their lives when they have trouble losing weight, especially around the mid-section. For others, their life-long battle with weight becomes even more challenging.

Even if their weight appears to be the same when the step on their scale, some women report feeling their body has changed, and that the weight appears to be distributed differently. Menopause causes changes in eating habits, as well as shape, with more fat deposits around the abdomen, thighs and hips.

The move to midlife represents a peak in metabolic changes that actually began decades before. The rapid changes in hormonal levels, along with an increase in stress hormones, also lead to an increased link between weight gain and menopause.

For some women, the change in hormonal levels can be so drastic that they literally gain several pounds in the space of a week, without having made any changes to their diet or exercise routine. This in part explains why many middle aged women fight obesity.

However, this weight gain and menopause connection can be broken. By following certain diet and exercise routines, an otherwise healthy woman will be able to control her weight effectively while rebalancing hormones.

First, normal blood sugar and insulin levels must be maintained, so excessive carbohydrates should be eliminated from the diet. High glycemic stress which results from the consumption of refined carbohydrates like French fries, potatoes, ice cream, and so forth, can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and other cardiovascular diseases; these foods cause insulin resistance (also Syndrome X).

Weight alone cannot properly measure whether a woman carries excess weight. Rather, a woman should measure her hip-waist ratio, body mass index (BMI), and body fat percentage to obtain a clearer picture of her health. As many recent studies have shown, abdominally centralized fat deposits carry more danger of adverse effects than fatty deposits carried in other areas of the body.

Adding to the weight gain and menopause link, certain toxic stress triggers that often occur in midlife can also lead to excess weight. When serotonin, the “feel good” neurotransmitter, reaches depleted levels, cravings may be triggered and this can lead to excessive eating.

Exercise becomes vitally important in mid life, yet many women cut down on the exercises in their 40s and 50s. An efficient routine will burn calories and increase metabolism, aiding in weight loss or weight maintenance. A lifestyle change like adding a regular exercise routine will also protect one from heart disease and osteoporosis.

Many women in menopause (about 25 percent) develop or discover that they have a preexisting thyroid condition. Low thyroid function can result in decreased metabolism and subsequent weight gain. Symptoms of a thyroid condition include fatigue, cold hands or feet, and constipation.

Finally, as part of the change in your diet to remove excessive refined high glycemic foods and sugars, you will be making strides towards subduing cellular inflammation. Deficiencies in omega 3 fatty acids, over abundance of trans fats, as well as deficiencies in certain micronutrients such as vitamin C, vitamin B6 and magnesium, can also add to the weight gain and menopause connection.

By following a menopause diet that emphasizes smaller meal portions taken more frequently than three times per day, as well as high protein, vegetable and fruit abundant content, will help with weight loss or stabilization.

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