Menopause Weight Gain

If you’re over 40, you’re probably fighting excess menopause weight gain. And you’re not alone: roughly 90% of all women between the ages of 40 and 55 struggle to lose extra body fat. Even worse, it’s a different type of fat. In your 20s and 30s, you probably lost unwanted pounds by simply eating a little less and exercising a little more.

Now, losing that extra weight is much more difficult. In fact, middle-aged women often complain that no amount of dieting or exercise can eliminate their belly fat. Despite all efforts, their bodies slowly transition from a pear shape to an apple shape. Why? The answer is both simple and complex—and it all begins with your hormones.

Hormone Imbalance: The Root of Mid-Life Menopause Weight Gain

Mid-life weight gain is often associated with hormonal shifts that begin as women approach menopause. This typically starts in the mid-40s. You see, as you age your ovaries produce less and less estrogen. Since estrogen is vital to many life-sustaining functions, the body looks for other places to generate the needed estrogen. And since fat cells can produce estrogen, the body reprograms itself to convert calories into fat to meet the needed hormone levels.

The bottom line: the mechanism of mid-life weight gain cannot be addressed without first addressing the fundamental issue of hormone imbalance. Simply put, if your hormone balance is off, your weight problem will persist — no matter how much broccoli you eat, how many stairs you climb, or how many diet pills you consume.

About Menopausal Weight Gain

As women approach their forties and fifties, menopause is an inevitable fact of life. Their estrogen levels drop, their ovulation will stop, and when there has been no menstrual cycle for twelve months, a woman is officially in menopause. It might happen as early as in their late thirties or it might take until their sixties.

A host of symptoms comes with the onset of menopause, making it a very difficult time in a woman’s life. Menopause weight gain is often one of the most distressing effects of menopause that women experience. When women age and experience weight gain, it is usually around the waist and in the abdomen, creating more of a belly. Self-esteem may be crushed.

In addition, women can experience other effects such as hot flashes which involve a sensation of heat washing in waves over a woman’s body, especially her head and neck. She may have this feeling several times a day or rarely. Hot flashes could last half a minute or several minutes. In addition, women often experience insomnia, night sweats, incontinence, and vaginal discomfort. An unsettled emotional state and the inability to focus are other side effects to consider.

Continue reading about weight gain during menopause.

Weight Gain Treatment Options

Women are often frustrated over the multiple symptoms of menopause, especially weight gain. Women do not have to accept menopause weight gain in their lives. They can be proactive, increasing their exercise levels as well as doing a variety of activities. It’s important to add strength training and to have cardio exercises as part of the daily routine for weight gain treatment.

Women can stop overindulging and replace tempting snacks with a healthy alternative like a fruit, vegetable, or yogurt. Supplements and hormonal therapy may help women to take control of their lives again. Another way to help women lose menopause weight or avoid weight gain is to find a support group of women going through similar symptoms. By discussing the situation with others, women may be less likely to dwell on it and find innovative solutions to the problem created by other women.

Women can exercise with members of their support group for motivation and discipline. Help can be found on the internet as a comprehensive source for information about anything. Women can also consult their doctors about the best alternatives to counteract the symptoms of menopause. As in any period of life, being motivated and keeping active seem to do the trick most of all. Women should plan to be on the move, stock the house with healthy alternatives, eat out rarely and choose wisely when they do. It is also a good time to think about traveling and including variety in forms of entertainment, especially those that require women to move.

Women need to maintain muscle mass, cut back on cholesterol and fat, and do their best to be well rested. It is a time in their lives when they need to be understood by others, be surrounded by loved ones who care, and when women can take control of their bodies simply by being aware.

Know all the treatments associated with menopause weight gain.

Weight Gain Symptoms

Most people notice weight gain because clothing starts to get tighter or the number on the bathroom scale increases. There are no other symptoms of weight gain, and most women know they are gaining weight, so it’s unnecessary to identify this symptom of menopause. Although weight gain is not a symptom only seen during menopause, there are unique symptoms associated with weight gain during menopause. You will find a list of weight gain during menopause symptoms on the right side of this page.Among the menopause weight gain symptoms:

See all menopause weight gain symptoms.

Weight Gain FAQ’s

FAQ: Is weight gain a cause for concern?
A: Yes, gaining weight can make a person at higher risk for certain medical conditions. Some conditions and diseases that can be associated with excess weight include:

• Stroke
• Heart disease
• Osteoarthritis
• Kidney disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Breast cancer
• Sleep apnea
• Insulin resistance
• Type 2 diabetes
• More severe menopausal symptoms

FAQ: If diet, exercise and herbal supplements are not enough, are there other ways to treat weight gain?
A: Unfortunately for some women, changing their diet, exercising regularly and taking supplements is not enough to prevent weight gain. These women may want to discuss diet pills or surgical options with their doctor. The most common type of surgery is liposuction, which reduces fat in a targeted area. Women discussing medications or surgery to help with weight loss should discuss these options with their doctor. They both have risks and side effects associated with them, and only a doctor can help the patient decide is these are the right treatments for them. Read more FAQ’s on weight gain during menopause.

See all frequently asked questions related to menopause weight gain.