What You Need To Know About Menopause And Weight Gain

Menopause and weight gain seem to go hand in hand. This is the usual grievance of many women from ages 40 to 50. These women complain they are having a hard time maintaining their present body weight. What’s worse is that the weight accumulates more on the abdomen and not on the hips and thighs thus creating more problems for women.

Many women get shocked and frustrated with the drastic changes brought about by menopause. Weight gain is one of them. Even if they exercise and eat a balanced diet, they still fail in controlling those extra pounds that are added everyday.

It would be hard to accept but this is actually a natural phenomenon. The changes in hormonal levels in the body are responsible for the weight gain. These hormones that are likely to be affected are progesterone, estrogen, androgen, and testosterone.

Also, change in lifestyle is another reason for weight gain. Menopausal women often reduce the amount of exercise they do in comparison to their younger life and thus it leads to accumulation of fats in the body.

They also tend to increase their caloric intake that is beyond their requirement. This again results to weight gain. As if these causes are not enough, genetic factors are also partly to blame for weight gain during menopause.

Being aware of the connection between menopause and weight gain can help women get rid of the problem. One obvious tip is for women to be more disciplined and careful with their health. If you are having the same problems then these tips are for you.

A balanced diet will greatly help in maintaining your weight. You must avoid sugar and junk foods.

Secondly, do not use a crash diet for weight loss. This is a misconception that a crash diet can help lose weight. In fact a crash diet deteriorates your health even more.

You must also remember that losing a drastic amount of weight in a very short period of time can be dangerous. It can in fact lead to osteoporosis. So your weight loss should be a gradual and balanced one.

You should also avoid food and drinks containing alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. These foods are going to exacerbate water retention, which means they are not good for the body. Make sure you drink lots of water everyday.

Exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help combat your weight problem. Aerobic exercises will be good for you because it helps burn excessive fats and also speeds up your metabolism. Weight bearing activities and simple exercises like walking, running, swimming or riding a bicycle can help you lose weight.

Tagged with: health • Menopause

Filed under: Menopause

Like this post? Subscribe to my RSS feed and get loads more!