As women age, their bodies go through many changes. One of the most significant changes is menopause, which can cause a number of symptoms, including weight gain. While the reasons for weight gain during menopause are not entirely understood, there are a number of factors that may contribute. Let’s take a closer look at some of the reasons why women may gain weight during menopause.
What Causes Weight Gain in Women During Menopause?
1. Hormonal changes
Menopause is a time when a woman’s hormone levels are changed dramatically, second only to pregnancy. It’s common for estrogen levels to decline during menopause, which can lead to weight gain as well as other symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats. Progesterone and testosterone also decline, and for any woman who has PCOS (diagnosed or undiagnosed), this swing in hormones can wreak havoc on your inflammatory system.
2. Metabolism
With all those changes in hormone levels, our body has to get used to this new normal. Metabolism may have slowed during perimenopause (right before you stop having your period), but many women do not notice the dramatic change in their body weight until after menopause. Although these changes don’t happen overnight, the ups and downs of your ovaries’ change in status can really mess with your metabolism. While your body is left trying to figure out what is happening, so are you. Why can’t I sleep at night? Why is this room so hot? Why is my libido so weird?
3. Diet
Because of those hormone changes and metabolism alterations, what we eat can also affect our weight more during menopause. Women find that their appetite increases during menopause, which can lead to overeating.
More often, women with mood swings may emotionally eat more than before, leading to a diet higher in processed food (or comfort foods). And because your body is trying to adjust, these foods cause more inflammation and are processed differently than before. Gosh, you’re really struggling!
4. Lifestyle
With a slowdown in metabolism and age-related loss in muscle mass, it can make it difficult to maintain or lose weight when we get older. Being less active due to mood swings can lead to weight gain. You may also need to alter your activity to achieve the same benefits as you did when you were younger. This does not mean more, but rather different.
Increasing weight-bearing activities, like walking or lifting weights, can increase muscle mass and bone health to prevent osteoporosis. After menopause, your risk of osteoporosis triples. Getting a DEXA scan if you are 5 years past menopause may be a good way to help determine what type of exercise you need, activities that build more muscle or more bone?
5. Medical conditions
Some medical conditions, such as hypothyroidism and type 2 diabetes, contribute to weight gain during menopause. It’s important to consult with your doctor if you are experiencing any significant weight gain during menopause. If you have PCOS, you are more likely to have a weight gain during menopause and struggle to get that weight off. Even though your hormones have changed, the dynamic around PCOS has not.
Wrapping Up
I hope this blog post was helpful in understanding some of the reasons why women gain weight during menopause. You may even get in touch with me to know more about menopause and how my program on
weight loss for women in Spokane can help you. Not sure if you are in menopause? Just sign up for a free consultation for Primary Care in Spokane, WA, to learn more about how to determine this.
