Menopause and Weight Gain - How are They Related

Menopause and weight gain. Do they, necessarily, have to go hand in hand? As a statistic, yes. But as a reality, no, not necessarily. Just as there are ways to deal with the hot flashes, the uneven mood swings, estrogen loss and general aches and pains, there is an easy way to deal with menopause and weight gain.

Statistics tell us that most menopausal women will gain 10 to 20 pounds, all courtesy of the change of life, and nothing to do with anything you might, or might not, be doing. It happens because of the change going on in a woman’s body. So, to better deal with the situation of menopause and weight gain, it helps to learn what’s going on.

Your body, at the time of perimenopause (that time just before menopause begins), starts changing some of its processes. Apologies for the morbidness of my next statement, but the body is wearing out. The “end game” is arriving and the body’s processes are telling itself to slow down. It’s an odd bit of irony that visceral fat (which is the kind of fat that women tend to collect at and after menopause) is not only the easiest to get rid of, but is also the most dangerous. If the end-game is coming, visceral fat tends to be the way the body concludes the game.

Visceral fat has been directly linked to hypertension, heart disease, pulmonary issues and type 2 diabetes, among other things. It is called visceral fat because it layers itself in amongst our organs and because of that, it directly affects them, interfering with the organs’ natural processes.

Enough of the bad news. Here’s the good news: if you’ve begun menopause and weight gain is the last thing you want to deal with, then be lifted by the fact that visceral fat is easier to get rid of than subcutaneous fat. You know how hard it is to get rid of that stubborn cellulite on your thighs, right? In all likelihood, if you’re working hard to get rid of subcu-fat, like cellulite, then you’re already well on your way to ridding yourself of visceral fat.

The key to it all, of course, is a properly nutritious, healthy diet and plenty of exercise—or exercise-like activities. So, just because you’ve reached menopause and weight gain might be a little inevitable, don’t stop dancing! An aerobic activity, 30 minutes a day, 6 days a week is fantastic. Make it swimming, walking and dancing, and you’ve got a healthy routine down pat.

Eat smaller meals, but more of them. Small meals, several times a day will help keep your nutrients flowing at a more regulated pace, which avoids the problems inherent with being out-of-balance. Drink plenty of water, as it is the lubricant that keeps things flowing smoothly—literally!

Menopause and weight gain—not mutually exclusive, but not the huge threat it looks to be, at first glance. This is the time to start taking the best care of yourself. If you’ve been putting it off, now is the time to start taking action.

Related article:
Weight gain during menopause.