If you are a woman in your 40s and you’ve noticed your weight creeping up (especially in the belly area), no matter how hard you try to diet and exercise, this may be related to your hormones. Weight gain during menopause is a common experience for many women, and it can be attributed to a combination of hormonal, metabolic, and lifestyle factors. Our naturopathic doctors will break this down.
Hormonal Changes
Estrogen Decline: During menopause, the levels of estrogen, a key hormone in the female body, significantly decrease. Estrogen plays a role in regulating body weight, and its decline can lead to an increase in fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. One of the reasons for this is because abdominal fat is hormonally active and as the ovaries produce less estrogen, the body will look to the adrenal glands and fat tissue to make estrogen.
Insulin Resistance: Lower estrogen levels can also affect how the body responds to insulin, potentially leading to insulin resistance. This can cause the body to store more fat.
Metabolic Slowdown
Decreased Metabolic Rate: As women age, their basal metabolic rate (BMR) tends to decrease, meaning they burn fewer calories at rest. This is partly due to a natural loss of muscle mass with age, which is exacerbated by the hormonal changes of menopause.
Changes in Fat Distribution: Menopause is often associated with a shift in fat distribution, with more fat being stored in the abdominal area rather than the hips and thighs, which can contribute to a more noticeable weight gain.
Lifestyle Factors
Physical Activity: Some women may experience a decrease in physical activity due to factors such as joint pain or fatigue, which can contribute to weight gain.
Diet: Changes in appetite, emotional eating, or a diet that doesn’t adapt to the decreased metabolic rate can also lead to weight gain.
Sleep Disruptions: Menopause is often accompanied by sleep disturbances, such as insomnia or night sweats. Poor sleep can affect hormones that regulate hunger and satiety (like ghrelin and leptin), leading to increased food intake and weight gain.
Psychological Factors
Stress and Mood Changes: The transition to menopause can be stressful and may be associated with mood swings, anxiety, or depression, which can lead to changes in eating habits and, subsequently, weight gain.
While there are many reasons for weight gain the good news is that there are also many options to help once the cause for weight gain has been determined. During an appointment with one of our Toronto Naturopathic doctors or holistic nutritionist, they will spend time investigating the reasons for the weight gain and can provide some treatment options. These options tend to have a big focus on diet and lifestyle changes. Lifestyle changes could include addressing sleep issues, identifying key exercises routines, supporting mental health, and most importantly stress management. For diet, we know there is lots of confusing information about which diet is the best for weight loss, so let us help guide you to the diet that will work best for you.