Can Menopause Weight Gain Be Prevented?
It is natural for women to gain weight during the perimenopause period. Women between the ages of 35 to 55 often notice a steady increase in their weight and a gradual change in their body's shape.
Statistically women tend to gain around 10 to 15 pounds during menopause. This weight increase is spread over the years and generally an increase of around 1 pound is noticed in each perimenopause year.
This increase in fat is unfortunately all in the abdomen area thereby giving women the much dreaded apple shape as supposed to the pear shape of a woman's body in her youth.
The increase in weight is not because of an unhealthy life style; it is a normal side effect of menopause. It is far better for a woman to learn to take this in her stride rather than getting unduly anxious or depressed.
This period extends for about 10 to 15 years in most women and is generally referred to as the time around menopause when the menstrual cycle in a woman's body starts changing and getting ready to shut down.
What are the Causes of Weight Gain during Menopause?
Hormone fluctuations are the main cause of the increased weight during menopause. The hormones in a woman's body are responsible for the overall metabolism, appetite and the general storage of fat in the body. A declining level of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone makes it very difficult for a woman to maintain her body weight during menopause.
· Estrogen: Estrogen levels decline sharply during menopause. Fat cells are another source from where estrogen can be obtained, hence in an effort to increase the dipping levels of estrogen in the body it starts converting more and more calories into fats. Fat cells burn less calories than muscle tissue, hence the body starts gaining weight steadily.
· Progesterone: Progesterone levels also decrease during menopause. Lesser progesterone in the body is the major cause for bloating and water retention. This gives the feeling of being heavier and the clothes fit a little tighter. This weight gain due to progesterone is not permanent and generally disappears after a few months.
· Androgen: Unlike estrogen and progesterone the hormone androgen increases during menopause. This hormone is the main culprit in sending all the weight gain directly to the mid section. It is because of an excess of androgen in the body that women start getting an apple shape as opposed to a pear.
· Testosterone: This hormone is responsible for converting calories to lean muscle mass. A drop in this hormone during menopause causes less muscle mass to be created, this reduces the number of calories our body burns and causes an increase in weight.
Can Menopause Weight Gain be Prevented?
A balanced diet that has less refined sugars and grains and more fruits and vegetables can help control the weight gain to a certain extent. Start a habit of eating a large green salad every single day. Snack on fruit. Try out all kinds of veggies and dips.
Avoid or cut back on caffeine and alcohol as much as you can, and be sure to exercise regularly. Aerobics and weight training exercises are generally beneficial in reducing weight. Even going for a long walk every weekend can help a lot.
However, it is important for a woman to understand that the weight gain during menopause is natural and can sometimes be very difficult to fight. It is in fact beneficial as it may help minimize the other symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and anxiety.
Monica Nelson writes about health topics, about womens health questions including early signs of menopause and some of the most common pregnancy questions. These health articles are provided as a helpful news service and are not to be considered medical advice. Always talk to your doctor about health issues such as pregnancy.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Monica_Nelson
As you can see there are things happening during menopause we have no control of. But knowing them will help us to prepair better to prevent menopause weight gain.Related article:
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