Keep in mind that not everyone gains weight in their belly during menopause. You may also notice that menopause belly lessens or goes away as you get older and your body continues to change.
There's no magic formula for preventing — or reversing — menopause weight gain. But sticking to weight-control basics can help: Move more. Physical activity, including aerobic exercise and strength training, may help you lose extra pounds and stay at a healthy weight.
An indication of leptin resistance may be an accumulation of body fat, especially in the belly area. Accumulation of belly fat is a characteristic of menopause. With all the biochemical changes that occur in a woman's body during menopause, medical professionals may consider leptin resistance as part of the cause.
Estrogen and progesterone levels decrease significantly during menopause. Emotional and mental changes occur as well. The reduction of female hormones leads to redistribution of body fat, particularly to the abdominal area.
Causes of Bloating During and After Menopause
“Menopause belly” can be attributed partially to hormonal changes, such as drops in levels of estrogen, via shifts in the gut microbiome. The gut microbiome is the community of beneficial bacteria that aids digestion in the intestines.
Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
To attack belly fat and any other menopausal weight gain, you'll need to burn between 400 and 500 calories most days of the week from cardiovascular exercise, such as walking briskly, jogging, bicycling, dancing, or swimming, Peeke says.
It's common for those entering this natural stage of life to gain weight and belly fat (sometimes called “menopause belly”) and experience other bothersome symptoms — sleep-interrupting night sweats, hot flashes, vaginal dryness that causes pain during sex, urinary tract infections, irregular periods, depression, ...
Many women will experience changes in body shape and composition at menopause. These changes can be among the most frustrating symptoms experienced at that time. Although actual weight gain may be modest for many women, it can add significantly to the burden for those women who are already overweight or obese.
Overall, a combination of lifestyle changes, such as dietary modifications, exercise, stress management, and adequate sleep, is key to reducing hormonal belly fat effectively. In some cases, hormone replacement therapy or body shaping procedures may also be considered.
Most women gain about a pound a year on average during the menopause transition. While that doesn't sound like a lot, the big issue is where those pounds are suddenly going—right to your belly! Belly fat is such a common occurrence that there's even a name for it, the menopot.
This suggests that menopause plays a role in many midlife women's transition from a pear-shaped body (wide hips and thighs, with more weight below the waist) to an apple-shaped body (wide waist and belly, with more weight above the waist) (see figure).
It's important to remember that with regular exercise, it is possible to get rid of all that belly fat. Apart from a good diet and proper sleep, you will need to workout on a regular basis to tone up the tummy.
Commons Indicators for the End of Menopause
Women may find that they are sleeping better and feeling healthier overall as their hormone levels even out. This can also lead to improvements in mood, energy levels, and cognitive function.
Many women notice an increase in belly fat as they get older even if they don't gain weight. This is likely due to a lower level of estrogen because estrogen seems to have an effect on where fat is located in the body. Genes can contribute to an individual's chances of being overweight or obese too.
Lemon water can promote fullness, support hydration, boost metabolism, and increase weight loss. However, lemon water is no better than regular water when it comes to losing fat. That being said, it is tasty, easy to make, and can be used as a low-calorie replacement for high-calorie beverages.
According to data from the CDC, women's average weight goes up 7 pounds between our 20s and our 30s. It then drops a little in our 40s, before rising about 2 pounds in our 50s and staying stable until dropping again after age 70.
Quick Read Do you gain weight during menopause? Most people gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight in the first two years of menopause. This is due to slower metabolism and lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise.
In consequence, visceral fat mass increases during menopause by 44% and the mass of gynoid fat rises by approximately 32% [5].
Struggling with belly fat and sudden weight gain as early as perimenopausal thru to post-menopause is really common. Data shows that post-menopausal women really struggle with obesity. You're not alone. According to science, you can actually lose hormonal belly fat!
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle through a balanced diet, regular physical activity, proper sleep, and stress modification can help with managing and reversing hormonal weight gain and decreasing the associated health risks that may result if it is not addressed.
Hormone replacement therapy can help in many ways with your weight loss goals if you're suffering from symptoms of menopause. Several studies have found that menopausal HRT can have a big impact not only on weight loss, but also how much fat your body stores and where.