Weight gain and menopause: Where do the pounds come from and how do you get rid of them?

Weight gain and menopause often go hand in hand. This is (unfortunately) to some extent biological. On the one hand, the change is responsible for this, and on the other hand, it is quite normal to get a few more pounds on your hips as you get older.

But don’t be discouraged by it! We will show you which processes in your body are responsible for this and how you can effectively fight the unloved bacon rolls despite natural figure changes – despite the menopause.

For most women, the climate begins at about 47 years old and lasts about ten years. Every woman feels this time differently and perceives the problems and problems differently intensively.

However, women often struggle with the classic symptoms:

Hot flashes, sweats, sleep disturbances. The possible consequences of menopause are many, but hardly any is as feared as weight gain.

After all, your own weight is something you’ve been paying attention to all your life. But now you’re healthy and you’re in the gym and the pointer on the scale doesn’t touch a millimetre. Or worse, it is even moving in the wrong direction!

To understand the reasons for this, we need to look at what is behind the physical changes.

Where does the weight gain in menopause come from?

The alleged culprits are once again: the hormones.

Even before the menopause, the female body gradually reverses the production of the sex hormone progesterone. The estrogen level fluctuates strongly at first and is then significantly reduced during the menopause.

Estrogen in turn promotes water retention in your body. Due to the initial estrogen dominance in your hormone levels, weight gain due to too much water often occurs, especially at the beginning of menopause. In the later course of the change, however, this usually settles down.

So you see that this new imbalance is completely confusing your organism. In addition, the proportion of male sex hormones is increasing.

This leads to the known figure changes in alternation: The (otherwise) male hormone testosterone causes fat to deposit more on the abdomen – the fat pads on the hips and buttocks become less.

But the hormones alone are not to blame for the weight gain. Rather, it is a number of factors that play together here:

In addition to the changes in hormone levels, there is also a reduction in muscle mass due to age. But for a moment, “degradation” of “muscle mass” should actually lower your weight, right? Unfortunately, in the long term, the exact opposite is true.

The muscles in your body are constantly consuming energy. Your basic turnover is therefore higher. If the muckis disappear, your organism will automatically need fewer calories. With a constant diet, you inevitably start to increase fat reserves. Even with basically healthy foods.

Another possible reason for the figure changes during menopause could be your thyroid gland.

Danger Hashimoto: Keep an eye on the thyroid gland

The hormone changes in alternation also affect your thyroid gland. Since the organ is significantly involved in the rules of metabolism, you often notice problems with the thyroid gland from weight gain.

This is caused by a subfunction of the organ and this is by no means uncommon: almost 10 of the women in Germany suffer from a mild thyroid underfunction. Due to the rigours of the menopause, this is particularly intense during this time.

Hashimoto’s disease may also be at the bottom of this. This is a chronic disease that leads to inflammation of the thyroid gland.

So if you have symptoms such as hair loss, fatigue, unexplained weight gain or frequent roughing, you should definitely consult your doctor.

How to best prevent weight gain during menopause

One thing in advance: The hormone change of the menopause plays a role in the figure changes, but the main culprit of the weight gain is the age-related muscle loss.

On the one hand, this means that you have to change your way of life to maintain your weight. On the other hand, however, this also means that not everything is in the hands of hormones. By changing your habits, weight gain during menopause can be effectively prevented.

As a rule, you have three options here:

• A change of diet
  It is a relatively simple calculation example. You get 10 apples every day and sell 10 apples. Suddenly you have fewer customers and can only sell 8 apples a day. So what do you do with the other 2? Sure: You just tell your apple supplier that you need 2 apples less per day.
  Converted to diet, this means you’re eating fewer calories. Here, however, it is extremely important to still provide your body with the right nutrients. Long-term low-calorie diets promote muscle loss and further lower your basic turnover. Attempts are therefore best to avoid excess carbohydrates.
• Building muscles
  You can also build muscle specifically to boost your base turnover. More muscles burn more fat. However, the effect on weight could remain marginal: the body’s muscle mass is, after all, heavier than fat. You are most likely to notice the strength training of positive figure changes.
• Increase calorie requirements
  The third option is that you can boost your daily base turnover properly. The daily movement is important for this. By the way, you don’t have to mutate into a marathon runner. The daily walk or regular aerobics already ensure an increased consumption.

As always, the trick is the balance. If you find the golden middle between calorie-reduced diet, muscle building and exercise, you’re best at gaining weight.

Is it still possible to lose weight during the menopause?

The good news: Yes, even in the menopause you can still get rid of your belly fat.

The bad news: The circumstances in which your body finds itself don’t make it easy.

The most effective means is a holistic approach. While the most important factors are still sports and nutrition, there are other methods that you can use to reduce abdominal fat alternately. We have researched the best tips and tricks.

Reduce abdominal fat during menopause – that’s how it works

1. Regular exercise
   This increases your calorie requirements and reduces belly fat. The athletic balance also has a positive effect on your sleep and the psyche.
2. Training to maintain muscles
   Targeted strength training burns calories sustainably. Basic sales are increasing. The muscles help you to stay mobile and mobile even in old age.
3. Healthy, low-carb diet
   The right nutrients help your body get on the jumps and give you energy. Proteins in particular can help you to slow down muscle loss during menopause. A positive attitude to food also permanently lowers your stress level.
4. Healthy, extensive sleep
   Even if hot flashes and other change problems make it difficult: healthy sleep is the be-all and end-all for a healthy body. Studies show that people who get too little sleep are also more likely to suffer from cravings.
5. Stress
   Stress not only increases the risk of heart disease, it also leads to increased cortisol levels. The hormone promotes the accumulation of abdominal fat. In addition to sports and conscious eating, relaxation exercises or yoga are also effective ways to combat the stress.
6. Consumption of tea
   When losing weight, green tea is literally a hot tip. Scientific studies have shown that caffeine in green tea can support fat burning.

Figure changes in alternation are quite normal

Don’t let the extra pounds in menopause get you down. To a certain extent, the figure changes are completely normal. If you still get problems with what your scale swords, tell the kilos to fight!

Even if maintaining or reducing weight during menopause is more difficult than usual, everything is still in your hands. After all, hormonal changeism is only partly responsible for weight gain during menopause.

The most important thing is and remains a holistically healthy lifestyle.