Weight gain with menopause in women

Causes of weight gain with menopause in women

Closer to 45 years, all women gradually decrease the production of sex hormones. This process is called menopause, which leads to the complete cessation of reproduction – menopause.

During this period, serious changes occur, the hormones estrogen and progesterone are synthesized worse and worse. These hormones are very important for women’s health: they are responsible for the maturation of eggs, the condition of the uterus, skin elasticity and metabolic processes in the body.

Estrogens make tissues more sensitive to insulin, which is responsible for processing sugars. If there is not enough estrogen, the cells stop absorbing sugar normally, and the level of glucose in the blood rises. This is a dangerous condition, so the body seeks to remove sugar in any way, urgently processing it into fats.

Leptin is a hormone produced by adipose tissue. It controls appetite and satiety. The level of leptin depends on estrogens, and if the latter is low, the concentration of leptin also decreases. This provokes hunger, despite the fact that objectively there are still enough energy reserves. Because of this, a woman eats more and unconsciously chooses high-calorie junk food.

It is because of metabolic disorders in menopause that obesity often begins, even if a woman was not previously inclined to this. The balance between the received and expended calories is disturbed, and the excess is deposited in fat reserves. Especially dangerous is the deposition of fat in the abdomen – the so-called visceral obesity. Fat is formed in the abdominal cavity around the organs, and disrupts their work. Excess visceral fat provokes the development of diabetes.

How to stop weight gain during menopause in women

Do not think that weight gain with menopause in women is inevitable. Only the predisposition to this increases, and the accumulation of fat reserves occurs due to imperceptible changes in lifestyle and nutrition.

Psychological attitude

It is important to calmly accept the changes that are now taking place. All women go through menopause, and it is inevitable. Menopause does not mean old age and does not make you ugly, if you follow some rules.

Excessive worries about menopause result in stress and depression, which are often imperceptibly “jammed” with junk food. According to statistics, for self-comfort, women usually choose sweets, fatty or salty. Under stressful conditions, the hormone cortisol is actively produced. It increases appetite, and it is even more difficult to refuse food.

Therefore, it is very important to reduce your worries. You can turn to a psychologist if you can not do it yourself.

Balanced diet

Now you need to especially pay attention to your diet, even if you didn’t follow it before. To prevent weight gain, you do not need to go on strict diets. It is enough just to eat often, in small portions, and choose healthy foods. Avoid high-calorie foods, give up pure sugar. It is better to replace it with fruits.

If obesity still began, try to calculate the calorie content of the diet for the day. Special exercises will simplify the task. Next, you can contact your doctor or nutritionist to adjust your diet. You may need to take a couple of tests.

Physical exercise

After 45, energy consumption inevitably decreases, loads are not enough to process all the calories received. Due to a passive lifestyle, the muscles weaken and gradually the muscle tissue is replaced by fatty tissue.

To avoid this, you need to give yourself feasible loads. You can start with simple exercises and stretching, gradually adding active exercises when the body gets used to it. At the same time, take into account the peculiarities of age – the bones become more fragile, so it is better to avoid active jumping and other things.

Healthy sleep

Sleep often worsens during menopause, not only because of nervous experiences. Physical symptoms appear: sweating, fatigue. At night, the sensations of hot flashes and stuffiness are especially pestering.

With lack of sleep, the level of cortisol, the stress hormone, also rises, which worsens the situation with being overweight. Such a dream does not restore strength, and of course there will be no desire to exercise and eat right.

To improve sleep, it is recommended to take a contrast shower in the evenings, fall asleep before 23 pm, sleep with an open window for good air ventilation. If nothing helps, you need to see a doctor. Perhaps some mild herbal sleeping pills will suffice.

Regular medical checkup

Since hormonal changes increase the risk of various diseases, you need to regularly visit your gynecologist, as well as an endocrinologist. With the help of tests, doctors will assess the level of hormones, if necessary, prescribe additional studies.

It is important to monitor your blood glucose levels to avoid diabetes. If the tests are not too good, menopause is difficult and the health risk is too high, the doctor may prescribe hormonal drugs. But usually this is a last resort. It is important to understand that synthetic hormones do not reduce weight or suppress appetite, there is no such magic pill. Such drugs only alleviate the symptoms of menopause, which indirectly helps to cope with increased appetite.

Popular questions and answers

Since all changes in the female body with the onset of menopause are associated with the hormonal background, understanding physiology will help prepare for this period. Answers popular questions from patients вgynecologist Budnik Irina.