Menopause and weight gain

Menopause and weight gain 

One of the bug bares of menopause (amongst other things) is when your body goes through menopause, it can affect your weight. I would consider myself an active person, eat well, exercise frequently and yet I have started to notice, and friends have also commented on their own experience of starting to store fat around the middle.  

Menopause and weight gain - why it happens 

Hormone changes during menopause can influence a woman's weight and body composition. They can cause you to gain weight, lose muscle mass and gain fat. 

• Oestrogen helps regulate the menstrual cycle; it also plays an important role in bone health and body fat distribution. During menopause, levels of oestrogen decline as you approach the end of your fertility window (the time when you're most likely able to become pregnant). This leads to less oestrogen being produced by ovaries or taken in through food sources such as dairy products or beans. As a result: 
• - Your metabolism slows down because there's less energy available for physical activity if you aren't menstruating regularly anymore; this means fewer calories burned each day at rest than before menopause began taking effect. 
• - A decrease in oestrogen also means lower levels of testosterone (anabolic steroids) which means less muscle growth capacity. 
• - You lose bone density because oestrogen helps keep your bones strong and healthy. As it declines, so does the strength of your skeleton. 
• - Your body fat increases because there's less testosterone available to stimulate the production of lean muscle tissue. 
• - You gain weight because your metabolism slows down, which means fewer calories are being burned each day at rest. 

The combination of hormone therapy and weight loss may be an effective treatment for menopausal women who experience excessive weight gain. 

If you are experiencing menopausal weight gain and want to lose the extra pounds, hormone therapy may be an option. However, it's important to note that hormone therapy alone is not always effective in helping people lose weight. In fact, some studies have shown that women who only used oestrogen cream gained more weight than those who did not use any hormones at all! If you do decide to try hormone replacement therapy (HRT), your doctor will monitor your progress closely and adjust the dosage if needed. 

Other tips I have discovered  

• Eat smaller portions of food at each mealtime instead of eating large portions every few hours throughout day 
• Be mindful of your alcohol intake, sorry ladies!  
• Cut out fizzy drinks from diet; replace sugary drinks with water or unsweetened iced tea 

Your body might not be able to process sugar as well. 

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that your body breaks down into glucose, which is used for energy. It's important to know how sugar is processed by your body because it can affect your overall health and weight. 

When you eat something sweet, such as cake or ice cream, the pancreas releases insulin into your bloodstream to help move the sugar into cells where it can be used for energy. But menopausal women may experience difficulty processing this hormone due to hormone fluctuations that occur during menopause--meaning they might have higher levels of insulin circulating in their bodies than non-menopausal women do. This can make you feel tired and hungry more often because there's not enough fuel being delivered through food or exercise; however, eating more sugary snacks will only make things worse! 

You may be less active during menopause. 

There are many reasons why a woman might experience fatigue during menopause, including: 

• Low oestrogen levels can make you feel more tired than usual. 
• Your metabolism slows down as you age and it becomes harder to lose weight. 

If you're having trouble staying motivated to exercise or do other activities that require physical exertion, try these tips: 

• Set aside some time every day (even if it's only 20 minutes) for yourself so that exercise feels less like drudgery and more like something fun and rewarding! 

Conclusion 

With these tips, you can make it easier for your body to process sugar and fat, as well as keep active. It's important to remember that menopause doesn't have to lead to weight gain or a less healthy lifestyle if you're willing to do some work! 

And of course, my wellness collection of teas are completely caffeine free, 100% zero calories and the perfect addition to your wellbeing routine.