Menopause and weight gain are closely linked in many women\u2019s minds\u2014the shifting of your curves and appearance of bigger numbers on the scale can be a big shock. Our bodies do change with menopause, but that\u2019s no reason to just accept the bulge and toss out your skinny jeans. Menopausal weight gain is primarily affected by 5 main factors: hormones, exercise, genetics, diet, and stress. While we can\u2019t completely stave off the effects, understanding the changes your body will go through and making small adjustments to your lifestyle can help you reign in your growing belly fat and the health issues\u2014like heart disease and high cholesterol\u2014that often come with it.<\/p>\n
Our weight shifts as we age, moving to our bellies and expanding our waistlines. Unfortunately abdominal fat is not just an extra bit of padding right under the skin (subcutaneous fat), it is also visceral fat \u2013 found deep inside your abdomen surrounding your internal organs.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s this visceral fat that increases your risk for high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, and cancer. Some research has also linked belly fat \u2013regardless of overall weight \u2013 with premature death.<\/p>\n
Managing your weight and fitness during and after menopause is crucial to staying healthy well after menopause is over. Here are the biggest factors that lead to belly fat and what you can do to avoid it.<\/p>\n
<\/b>While some studies do link lower estrogen to increased appetite,\u00a0the effect on muscle appears to have a larger impact on your waistline. As estrogen levels dip, muscle mass all over the body shrinks and your muscle to fat ratio decreases. This affects your metabolism (the speed at which your body burns calories) because even at rest muscle burns more calories than fat. A recent study<\/a> by the Mayo Clinic also found that the lack of estrogen during menopause not only causes fat cells to increase the amount of fat stored, but it is also the cause of fat re-distributing from your hips to your abdomen and thighs.<\/p>\n So the bad news is that even if your diet doesn\u2019t change, your metabolism can slow down and those unused calories might jiggle in places you don\u2019t want them to. The good news is you do have options in controlling your hormones. Contrary to popular belief, estrogen hormone replacement therapy (HRT) doesn\u2019t cause you to gain weight.<\/p>\n Recent studies show that HRT administered for menopausal symptoms like hot flashes and mood swings can also help you avoid abdominal fat by keeping your muscles healthy and your curves where they are. There are also natural options for boosting estrogen in the body\u2014including certain herbs and plant based phytoestrogen.<\/p>\n Certain parts of our lives might calm down a bit as we grow older, but this is not the time to give up on exercise. A National Institutes of Health review found that people who did aerobic activities for at least 10 minutes every day had waistlines that were on average 6 inches smaller than those who did not exercise.<\/p>\n But don\u2019t just stick to aerobic exercise, as we\u2019ve seen muscle building is keyto maintaining your health through menopause. A combination of aerobic exercise and strength training not only helps you build muscle, but also assists in maintaining bone density and preventing osteoporosis<\/a>\u00a0\u2013for which menopausal women are also at a higher risk.<\/p>\n Exercise also increases the release of endorphins (happiness hormones), which help combat other symptoms of menopause such as mood-swings, depression, and anxiety.\u00a0It might feel like a chore at first, but once you get into a routine, exercise can make you feel (and look!) amazing.<\/p>\n You\u2019ll also want to exercise those super important muscles that you can\u2019t see: your pelvic floor muscles<\/a>. During menopause you lose muscle tone in every part of your body, including your pelvic floor, which can contribute to issues with incontinence, vaginal dryness, and even prolapse. So be sure to keep up with your Kegel exercises<\/a> and invest in a good Kegel exerciser<\/a>\u00a0to help you keep your most important muscle group as toned as the rest of you.<\/p>\n To keep a healthy weight you have to burn more calories than you eat, but that doesn\u2019t mean that you have to starve yourself \u2013 just start eating healthier. One University of Pittsburgh study of 465 overweight and obese post-menopausal women showed that women who ate more fruits and vegetables while reducing desserts, meat, and cheese not only lost weight, but also maintained that weight loss for four years.\u00a0Work in some time to speak to your doctor or a nutritionist, you don\u2019t have to give up all of the foods you enjoy, just be aware of where that extra slice of cake (handful of chips) might end up.<\/p>\n <\/b>This is one case in which you really do<\/i> get it from your mama. Women in the same family often have similar experiences with menopause-whether it\u2019s hot-flashes<\/a> or weight gain. Have a chat with your mother, aunts, and sisters about how they were affected by menopause, who better to help you prepare for it than someone close to you who has already been through it?<\/p>\n Menopause is a time of change not only in our bodies, but also other parts of our lives, we see changes in our families, with children moving out or older relatives passing away, as well as increases in responsibility at work and strains on their marriages. All of these changes often create higher stress levels, which have been linked to increased appetite and a lower rate of exercise in all people. Finding a way to eliminate or manage stress <\/a>early is a good way to ensure that you keep those inches off. If you\u2019re already exercising it will go a long way toward relieving stress, but there are other simple things you can do to lower your risk.<\/p>\nKeep Active! <\/b><\/h3>\n
Adjust Your Eating Habits <\/b><\/h3>\n
Understand Your Genes<\/b><\/h3>\n
Manage Your Stress<\/b><\/h3>\n