Can menopause cause weight gain?

Menopause comes with many different symptoms, some of which can be more severe than others. There are many common symptoms that a woman may experience and weight gain has appeared to be one of them. 

Studies have shown that due to lower estrogen levels, slower metabolism, and poor quality of sleep, women often gain more fat around their abdomen area (stomach, hips and waist). 

As the body ages, it loses more muscle, which contributes to weight gain, as our body needs muscle to burn calories. When there is less muscle, it is harder to burn calories which have been consumed. Due to the average age at which a woman may experience menopause being the late 40s and early 50s, they may well already feel the impact of aging and weight gain in general. 

It is therefore important to become more mindful of not only what foods to consume, but also how active a woman should be. Keeping a healthy routine and a healthy diet will help to lessen menopause symptoms, as well as help to keep on top of weight gain. 

How to lose weight and keep it off

As the population naturally becomes more health-conscious, there are now more ways than ever to help to maintain a healthy weight. 

Getting enough sleep

It may become challenging to get a good night's sleep due to hot flashes or other symptoms such as stress and anxiety, but it is very important to try and get a good night's rest. Hormones that are important for hunger and satiety are disrupted, making you feel hungrier and less full, which contributes to unwanted weight gain. 

If sleep has become a challenge, avoiding caffeine and reserving exercise for the morning are options many women opt for. Using relaxation techniques before going to bed, sticking to a regular sleep schedule and reducing screen time 1 hour before bed can be great ways to combat insomnia. If hot flashes are disrupting sleep, look at adjusting the temperature in the room. 

Alternatively you could try Internal Youth’s Advanced Menopause Complex which contains hand-picked ingredients, such as Saffron and Maca Root, to combat these symptoms in a bid to eliminate hot flashes as well as reduce stress and anxiety. 

Keep moving

Exercising is always going to help with reducing menopause symptoms and especially when it comes to gaining weight. As the body gains muscle it burns fat more efficiently, which helps to control weight. 

Some options for exercise (but not limited to) are running, strength training, or simply going for long walks are great to do as often as possible. For most healthy women experts recommend exercising for at least 25 minutes per day (or 150 minutes a week). 

Create healthy eating habits

Aside from exercising, making sure to eat healthily is important. Certain healthy foods can support hormone imbalance, but also reduce refined sugar & saturated fats in the body.

When a woman gets to the age of 50 it's good to decrease the daily calorie intake by 200. After the age of 60, it's good to decrease it even further to around 400 to 500 calories per day. Of course, if a person is very active then having up to 2,000 calories per day is good. 

Eating a healthy, balanced diet low in saturated fats, sugars, and oils and high in fruit, vegetables, and whole grains is important. 

Whilst it can be challenging to make massive changes to your diet and exercise regime all at once, making gradual adjustments can provide the key to staying consistent.