8 Ways to Stop Weight Gain During Menopause

Talking to most women over 50 you will quickly find that many feel like going through menopause has caused them to gain weight! Indeed it is very common to put on weight at this time, and while some of it may be due to lifestyle changes, that does not explain why suddenly women develop a tendency to put on weight around the abdomen.

Actually this begins during perimenopause, which are the years leading up to menopause. When we were younger, our bodies produced more oestrogen, which caused us to store fat on our hips. As we age, the amount of oestrogen produced by our bodies decreases, the fat goes to our stomach instead of our hips. Women also tend to become insulin resistant when they get older which makes our bodies store fat instead of burn calories.

The bad thing about storing weight around the abdomen is the increased health risks. These risks include diabetes, cardiovascular disease, hypertension and some cancers.
The start of perimenopause is often the start of weight gain at the average of 1 pound a year. A good recommendation to avoid that is to keep your calorie level at 1,200 - 1,500 calories a day.

To help counteract the weight gain during menopause, there are several things you can do.

o Eat a diet that contains fruit, vegetables, beans, grains, cereal, fish, extra lean meat and low-fat dairy.

o Increase fiber intake.

o Gradually reduce calories, your metabolism needs about 200 less calories than before.

o Reduce caffeine and alcohol.

o Avoid sugar.

o Keep fat intake between 20% and 35% of your daily calories

o Get 30 minutes of moderate exercise daily - find something you like to do and stick with it!

o Strength training to maintain and build lean muscle, use weights and resistance.

Your doctor may prescribe hormone therapy with estrogen to control menopausal symptoms. While it may cause bloating and water retention this is usually temporary. Studies have shown that therapy does not cause weight gain, It is believed that hormone therapy can reduce the risk of heart disease. It does this by preventing the storage of body fat around the abdomen and lowering cholesterol. However, hormone therapy has been linked to an increased risk of breast cancer and that in itself is reason enough from some women to avoid it.

Consult with your doctor before starting any exercise program if you have any medical conditions or your fitness levels are low. Your doctor can also help with symptoms of the menopause and weight gain.