Weight Gain During Menopause

Weight gain during Menopause is a topic that always creates a huge stir amongst my friends, my Menopause group, and posts for The Executive Menopause Coach. With the average woman after the age of 40 gaining about 1 pound a year, the average weight gain is likely to increase even more with hormonal and physical changes which take place as we go through the Menopause.

Weight gain during Menopause

Weight gain can often leave many women feeing low and self-conscious, especially if they have been active and fit and in good shape for most of their lives.  For most women, the weight tends to sit around their middle and once there, it can be exceedingly difficult to lose. Lots of women try crash dieting and cannot understand why they cannot just eat sensibly for a few weeks, and the weight will come off, like they could do in their younger years.  Lots of women notice weight gain during perimenopause which can be 10/12 years before the Menopause. There are lots of factors that play a role in weight gain around the Menopause.

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Why do we gain this weight during the Menopause?

With hormones fluctuating as you enter the Menopause, (Oestrogen can elevate and decrease, both causing increased fat storage) this causes your body to deal with your food intake differently and often this results in weight gain. As we get older, our metabolism (the rate of calories you burn) begins to slow down and reduces, causing us to store more calories and not burn them off like we used to be able to do. Lack of exercise will make this even worse, so keep on exercising regularly and keep on moving.

Going through the Menopause can be a stressful time and hormone cortisol will increase, when this happens you are more likely to develop weight around your middle. Lots of women also suffer with poor sleep, or inadequate sleep, this has also been linked to weight gain.

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The most effective way to combat menopausal weight gain is to counteract it (prevent the weight from building up) eat less and exercise more. It’s all about being in a calorie deficit to lose weight and maintain it. It has also been suggested that women burn less calories during and after the Menopause when they rest.

On the other hand, insufficient calorie intake and decreased muscle mass can increase your risk of osteoporosis too, so what you eat is going to have a huge impact on your weight going through this transition period in your life.

• Eat a healthy, well balanced diet that gives you all the nutrients you need. Make sure you have enough protein, vegetables, and fresh fruit. This will keep you at a healthy weight and help you in the long term, drastic dieting rarely works, and you put all the weight back on again, leaving you disheartened.

• Keeping toned, especially your muscle at this time is key, as they are more effective at burning calories than fat. Muscle mass decreases naturally and from that alone you will gain weight.
• Exercise – This is the most effective way to lose weight, but once or twice a week is not enough as we get older and go through this period of our lives. You need to be doing exercise most days in some way, shape or form. Aiming to do 10,000 steps a day is a great way to log your exercise. Whether it be walking, cycling, swimming or a yoga class or even housework and gardening, this all adds up to keeping in shape and keeping our excess weight off. Wiggle have some great offers on Exercise clothes and equipment!

• Supplements – There is no tablet out there that can help you lose weight, but some have been linked to making you feel fuller and can aid weight loss along with a calorie-controlled diet. This Green Coffee Extract is great for keeping you full!

GP – If you are really struggling with weight gain see your GP, they can help you find a solution and suggest ideas that might motivate you and help you in the long run.

A book that I would highly recommend is “10 Minutes Methods to Achieve Weight Loss After 50 or Menopause” by Patrick Bradley! Click here to purchase on audible now!

The Low Carb Diet

A Low carbohydrate diet is excellent for weight loss and helps reduce abdominal fat, you can still eat carbs and lose weight, but you do need to cut back on eating too many.

A Mediterranean Diet

Always been known for reducing heart disease and improving your health, a Mediterranean Diet can also help you to lose weight too.

Vegan/Vegetarian Diet

This can be another weight loss option but including milk and cheese has been shown to work well in older woman.

Other changes that can help with weight loss:

• Good quality sleep – lots of women have trouble sleeping during the Menopause but having a good night’s sleep is important for maintaining weight. Women are more likely to be overweight who sleep badly or too little.
• Acupuncture – This may help increase Oestrogen levels which can help promote better sleep, leading to better weight management.
• Stress – Yoga can be great for reducing stress, if you are stressed, cortisol levels rise which can be associate with weight gain.
• Green Tea – Drinking green tea can help with burning fat. This matcha Green Tea powder from Amazon is great!

If you want to lose weight, it is important that you put a plan in place for the long term, there are no quick fix overnight solutions.  Regular exercise, eating the right foods, and getting a good night’s sleep is the best way to lose and maintain a healthy weight as you go through your Menopause.

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*DISCLAIMER*This page does not provide medical advice; it is intended for informational purposes only and is based upon my opinion and experiences. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on The Executive Menopause Coach website. Always seek professional medical advice.