At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
On average, women gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during this time,” she says. For the sake of simple math, this means if you weigh 100 pounds, on average you will gain five pounds in the two years after your final period.
The decrease in estrogen and progesterone, along with aging in general, triggers metabolic changes in the body. One change is a decrease in muscle mass, resulting in fewer calories being burned. If fewer calories are being burned, fat accumulates. Genetics, lack of sleep and a sedentary lifestyle play a role as well.
Exercise More Often, More Intensely to Counter Midlife Weight Gain. Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training.
Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.
Avoid super starchy foods, processed foods, and refined sugar. So there you have it, friends. There is no miracle cure for reducing belly fat. Eating well, moving our bodies, and reducing stress all seem to be the ticket to keeping it in check.
"Postmenopausal women often eat as many calories as when they were younger, as they have long-standing habits that are harder to break," says Julie Upton, M.S., RD, C.S.S.D. "If post-menopausal women cut back on calories and up the intensity of their exercise, they lose weight and tone up, just like younger women.
This may be due to menstruation, heart or kidney failure, preeclampsia, or medicines you take. A rapid weight gain may be a sign of dangerous fluid retention. If you quit smoking, you might gain weight. Most people who quit smoking gain 4 to 10 pounds (2 to 4.5 kilograms) in the first 6 months after quitting.
As your estrogen levels decrease, your metabolism slows down. This makes you gain weight — even if you haven't changed a thing about the way you eat or move — and makes it harder to lose weight.
You may notice weight gain during menopause changes your body in different ways—for example, your face looks fuller or your belly is softer than it used to be. The weight you've gained in your abdomen during menopause will usually feel fleshy and thick, and you might notice some "rolls" of fat.
What does hormonal weight gain look like? Hormonal weight gain looks like any type of excess weight. Factors such as age, sex, body type, and cause of weight gain may make you gain weight differently. However, it's not possible to know that hormones are causing your weight gain by the way it looks.
I'd say that breast cancer patients are the majority of patients who come to us for help with weight gain. Weight gain is also extremely common among patients with prostate cancer, as well as lymphoma, multiple myeloma and chronic leukemia.
Estrogen is viewed as a hormone promoting fat burning. After menopause, estrogen levels drop.
Omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain your hormonal balance and aid in weight loss. There's also evidence that omega-3s can help control insulin resistance.
So What Should I Eat? Most women will benefit from a well-balanced diet that is low in sodium, added sugars, and saturated and trans-fats, and is high in fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. A well-balanced diet includes only moderate amount of dairy products and meat protein.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help with Belly Fat During Menopause. 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.
Fruits and vegetables like apples, pears, peaches, carrots, celery, and cabbage all contain phytoestrogens. They are also loaded with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help protect against disease. When incorporated into your daily diet, these foods can help to boost your estrogen levels naturally.