Hot flashes and mood changes aren't the only symptoms of menopause. Many women also say it becomes harder to control their weight around this time. And take if from me - IT"S TRUE!
With menopause and peri-menopause, estrogen levels fluctuate wildly leading to irregular periods, temperature intolerance and mood disturbances. With menopause there is an increase in visceral fat, which is the deep abdominal fat that increases the risk for health problems like heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Research shows that up to 90% of women gain weight during and after menopause. Sop what is a Girl to do?
Fact: Lack of Estrogen makes it harder to control weight
Estrogen plays a role in regulating body weight. Women who take hormone replacement therapy experience fewer problems with weight gain increased tummy fat. There are many benefits to hormone replacement therapy, but there are also risks that need to be considered when making these decisions.
Loss of estrogen has a metabolism-slowing effect. In the absence of estrogen, you burn as many as 80 fewer calories a day. Estrogen also regulates two hormones called lipoprotein lipase and hormone-sensitive lipase that directly affect fat storage. When hormone-sensitive lipase is active, fat is oxidized to be used as energy. Estrogen puts the brakes on fat storage by activating hormone-sensitive lipase and inhibiting lipoprotein lipase. Once estrogen levels decline, the body shifts more to the fat storage mode. (I know, this is a bummer!)
As you can see, the decline in estrogen that happens at menopause makes it harder to control your weight in a number of ways – by making it easier for your body to store fat, and by decreasing metabolic. So what can you do about it?
So What’s a Girl to Do?
One of the best things you can do to prevent weight gain during menopause is exercise. Research consistently shows that women who are physically active either avoid menopausal weight gain or significantly reduce it.
What type of exercise is best? You guys hear me say this all the time! More intense exercise creates a metabolic environment for fat burning. So do not decrease your exercise intensity as you age. And remember you can add intensitywithout adding impact! High-intensity interval training and metabolic workouts are better than steady-state aerobics for reducing body fat and increasing metabolism. If you are walker – add hills to add intensity. If you bike, get out there and climb!
As estrogen levels decline, loss of lean body mass accelerates so it is important to include strength and resistance training. Resistance training helps to preserve lean body mass while giving to help keep your metabolic rate increase. It also improves bone density. If there’s one thing every woman going through menopause needs to do it’s workout with enough resistance to build muscle.
Nutrition – the essential link
Limiting processed foods and rapidly absorbed carbohydrates helps to improve insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity declines with age and is a risk factor for weight gain and other health problems. It’s important to get enough protein and fiber to boost satiety as well. Choose more whole foods and fiber-rich vegetables along with monounsaturated fats in nuts, olive oil and avocados along with omega-3s from fatty fish.
What Else can you do to minimize weight gain?
Make sure you’re getting eat least 7 hours of sleep per night. Also, taking control of stress is a key factor. What relieves your stress? A nice walk outside and getting back to nature? Reading a good book? Prayer, meditation? Whatever works to lower your stress - do IT and do it about three times a week. Stress and lack of sleep increase cortisol levels and further add to the problem of visceral abdominal fat.
References:
Medscape.com. “Exercise, Weight Gain and Menopause”
Menopause International, vol. 16, no. 3, pp. 100–104, 2010.
Exp Biol Med December 2004 vol. 229 no. 11 1127-1135.
Southwestern Medical Center. “Study shows estrogen works in the brain to keep weight in check”
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