The Truth About Menopausal Weight Gain

You may have seen that some women start to gradually gain weight. You may also have heard from many sources that this is inevitable, but it is not true. Below you will find some information about the causes for why women in their 40s and 50s start to gain pounds due to menopausal weight gain or find it more difficult to maintain their usual weight and what can be done about it.

There are several causes for which most women shift in weight during their perimenopause (the years before their menopause). During this time, studies have shown that women gain about one pound. One of the most blamed causes is hormonal changes. But changing hormone levels associated with menopause aren't necessarily the single cause of weight gain. Aging and changes in lifestyle also play a big role in gaining weight during this period.

Other reasons include the lack of exercise (Menopausal women tend to exercise less than other women, which can lead to weight gain), eating more (in this way you'll take in more calories, which will be converted to fat if you don't burn them for energy) and burning fewer calories (the number of calories you need for energy decreases as you age. This happens because aging promotes the replacement of muscle with fat and muscles burns more calories than fat does. When your body composition shifts to more fat and less muscle, your metabolism slows down).

There may also be some genetic factors involved as well as hormonal changes or emotional factors (the stress hormones, like cortisol, block weight loss - despite adequate food, the body interprets prolonged stress as a famine-).

Weight gain have serious implications for the health: excess weight increases the risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure and insulin resistance, which can in turn lead to type 2 diabetes. Recent medical studies show that weight gain during the menopausal years increases breast cancer risk (women who gain in excess of 20 pounds after menopause increase their breast cancer risk by nearly 20 percent).But there are solutions and, fortunately, they do not involve complicated diets and extenuating physical exercises.

The strategies for maintaining a healthy weight at any age remain the same: be careful what you eat and start moving. First of all you need to increase your physical activities. Aerobic exercises, for example, are very convenient: they boost your metabolism and help you burn fat, without exhausting you. You can become more physically active without starting a formal exercise program. You can spend more time doing the things you love that also get you moving: do more gardening and dancing, for example.

Reducing the number of calories you eat is also something you should pay attention to. Slightly reduce the amount of calories you consume each day. By choosing a varied diet composed mainly of fruits and vegetables, you can safely cut back on calories and lose weight. You should know that your metabolism slows as you get older and you need about 200 fewer calories a day to maintain your weight as you get into your mid- to late 40s. . Limit the amount of fat to maximum 20 percent to 30 percent of your daily calories. Eat more fats from healthier sources, such as nuts and olive, canola and peanut oils.

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