Women wonder whether midlife weight gain is a fact of life.
Both perimenopausal and menopausal women write me with this question.
Let’s take a closer look.
It’s true that during perimenopause and menopause there are many hormonal changes taking place.
You may have noticed some weight gain, particularly around your middle.
What’s happening?
Because fat calls produce estrogen, as your levels of estrogen diminish, your body will compensate by adding more fat cells.
However, there are other hormones to consider. Do not focus on only estrogen.
Adrenaline and cortisol also play a role in adding fat during menopause.
Adrenaline is a stress hormone. It’s the hormone that comes into play when you need to be ready for action. It’s that “flight or fight” behavior that is induced by adrenaline.
Cortisol calms you down after you’ve experienced a high degree of stress. Your cravings for fats and sugars come from your body being depleted and out of energy. You need to be ready for that next burst of stress and adrenaline production, so the cravings are indeed real.
During menopause you have an elevated level of both adrenaline and cortisol.
So, we’re back to the question, does menopause by itself cause weight gain or does what we choose to do when our hormones are elevated cause the weight gain.
It’s like answering the question, “What comes first, the chicken or the egg?”
It depends on how you look at it.
It also goes back to asking whether weight gain is INEVITABLE.
It might be more likely, given the hormonal changes that are naturally happening as we age.
Not inevitable though.
Lifestyle choices during this time in a woman’s life have a huge impact on whether weight gain is “inevitable.”
If you find yourself moving less and eating more, you need to ask why.
These factors are totally within your own ability to change, once you put your mind to it.
Decreasing the likelihood of gaining fat during menopause is easier with an active menopause lifestyle, proper nutrition and a stress management plan.
So, if you’re concerned about fat gain during menopause, just remember that you have the power as you go through menopause to avoid some of the potential negative side effects like weight gain.
It’s up to you to take control of your life and make better choices!
shelli
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