Menopause Weight Gain - The Middle Age Spread
Wonderful! As if dealing with hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings
and general irritability were not enough, now we learn that one of the
reasons for that inevitable “middle age spread” is not because we eat
too much – it is because our hormone levels (i.e. menopause) causes that
too! How fun. NOT.
But, do not fear, although menopause is frequently the cause of that
unexplainable weight gain, it is not so unexplainable after all. You see
hormone levels are directly connected to your metabolism. As estrogen
levels drop, so do the testosterone levels in a woman’s body. Yes, a
woman also produces a certain amount of testosterone. Testosterone
actually helps to burn fat and turn caloric intake into muscle mass. As
the testosterone levels drop, so does the body’s ability to fight off
fat, resulting in inevitable weight gain. Even if you eat the same
amount of food or continue to exercise as you did prior to starting
menopause.
Do not fear there are ways to combat this part of menopause, just like
you can combat all the other symptoms of menopause. An important aspect
of controlling your weight gain is to control your stress levels. Stress
is a major contributor of menopausal weight gain. Other things you can
do are rather easy; eat a balanced diet with plenty of fruits and
vegetables. Eating an apple or strawberries is so much better for your
body than filling up on sweets anyway.
Remain active. High impact aerobics or adding something such as
bicycling or jogging to your exercise routine will help increase your
metabolism. Watch the amounts of nicotine, alcohol or caffeine that you
take in. These things can increase water retention – which is frequently
one of the primary reasons your old clothes no longer fit you.
Whatever you do – don’t go on one of those crazy, fad, or insane diets.
Starvation is not the way to watch your weight and in reality only makes
it worse as it can cause the metabolism to slow down even further. You
want to do things that increase the metabolism not slow it down.
If you begin putting on too much weight (over 4-5kg) in a short amount
of time, this might mean that something more serious is at play. Always
see your physician before starting any kind of a diet. Have appropriate
blood tests taken to ensure that your hormone levels and blood sugar
levels are within normal ranges so that you do not cause your body any
harm while battling that middle aged bulge that nearly every woman faces
at one time or another in her life. |
