Menopause and Weight GainWhat Every Woman Over 35 Should KnowMenopause and weight gain? You’re kidding, right? Yes, ladies. It’s true. But first let me begin by saying, “It’s NOT your fault!”. Nature plays a cruel trick on women as signs of pre menopause or perimenopause symptoms begin to set in. Belly fat loss after menopause can be far more challenging if you don’t understand how your body is changing during perimenopause and make the necessary lifestyle changes. You see, men are genetically designed to be ‘hunter-gatherers’. Women, on the other hand are genetically designed for child birth and child rearing. Our fat cells are twice as efficient at storing fat and only half as efficient at releasing fat when compared to our male counterparts. I agree…it isn’t fair. Perimenopause Weight Gain Perimenopause and Belly Fat - During the stage of perimenopause and as we begin to leave our reproductive years behind us, our hormone levels begin to fluctuate. Estrogen and progesterone levels begin to drop and a vicious cycle is unleashed. Our hips, thighs and waist circumference expands, and we begin to develop a round belly and accumulate tummy fat. It’s menopause belly fat, but I’ve also heard it referred to as a “menopot”. Fat begins to plant itself firmly around our mid-sections and our once hourglass shaped figures begin to morph in something that more resembles a beer mug! Our bodies’ response to dropping estrogen levels Now, the production of estrogen (or lack thereof) is a really big deal to our body and when it begins to drop, the body begins to initiate ways to compensate. It’s this ‘compensation’ process that can create that vicious cycle I was referring to earlier. Estrogen - the fat-friendly hormone Estrogen is produced mainly in the ovaries and as its supply begins to dwindle, the adrenal glands and the liver get busy converting testosterone (yes, we do have testosterone) into additional estrogen. What exactly does estrogen have to do with menopause and weight gain? Estrogen is stored in fat. Our bodies begin to store more and more fat in an effort to manufacture more and more estrogen, and release as little fat as possible in an effort to continue producing that much needed estrogen. Menopause and Weight Gain…the Belly Fat Blues You see, our fat cells begin to split to create more fat cells…sort of like forming a small army. In fact each fat cell can expand to almost five times its size! And the fatter the fat cell, the more estrogen it can produce! Conveniently, the area closest to the adrenal glands and the liver, where the extra estrogen is now being produced becomes the location of choice for fat storage as well. Hello menopause belly fat! Excess belly fat is the end result of our bodies’ effort to maintain an alternative estrogen supply production site. In fact, on average a woman will gain about one and one half pounds of fat per year if she makes no changes to her diet or activity patterns. Excess belly fat, also called ‘visceral fat’ has been called the ‘killer fat’. Believe me, it comes by it’s name honestly and is cause for concern. I encourage you to learn more about visceral fat and it's connection to menopause and weight gain here. Women lose one half pound of muscle per year In an effort to keep those estrogen-producing fat cells happy and producing much needed estrogen, our bodies will also slow down metabolism and do away with muscle – to the tune of approximately one half pound per year. Muscle is metabolic, meaning it burns fat and will help speed up metabolism. We become moody, irritable and hungry As estrogen levels drop, so too do the serotonin and endorphin levels in our brain. The result? We may begin to feel irritable and moody. We may also develop anxiety and fall into state of depression. Our appetites increase too. Dwindling estrogen and progesterone levels also affect appetite control. We begin to crave fat, salt and sugar. In our bodies’ attempt to raise serotonin and endorphin levels, albeit temporarily, our brain sends out the message in the form of food cravings. In the meantime, we’ve managed to shovel a carton of Ben and Jerry’s down…and a gazillion calories later…we do feel better temporarily…only to watch our waist circumference expand! The Good News about Menopause and Weight Gain Ok, so what’s the positive side to all of this? Thankfully, there are some important positive steps you can take to help keep your estrogen production levels healthy and avoid menopause weight gain along with the other ‘not so nice’ signs and symptoms of perimenopause that often plague women in these stages of life. The time to begin is now – regardless of what stage you find yourself in.
Menopause Weight Gain Here are 8 important tips and strategies that will help you effectively cope with menopause and weight gain.
What Women Should Know About Visceral Fat Women tend to view excess belly fat as a cosmetic issue. The truth is that it’s much more than that. It can lead to some serious health issues if you ignore it.
Menopause Belly Fat Loss Menopause belly fat is the most stubborn belly fat. Have researchers actually found a possible belly fat “cure” for menopausal women struggling to lose menopause belly fat – the most stubborn belly fat? It seems that way according to the results of a recent study out of Ohio State University! Lose abdominal fat with only two spoonfuls of this oil daily!
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