In general, menopausal women aren’t having the time of their lives. However, menopause symptoms aren’t limited to night sweats and mood swings. Whether you’re in perimenopause or full menopause, you can expect to gain some weight. Studies indicate that many women will put on an extra pound each year throughout menopause. Are the two situations really interrelated? Let’s take a look.
Most experts believe that the hormone levels that are brought about by a woman’s change in life are one cause of weight gain. Nevertheless, there are other things that lead to weight gain in women. Your lifestyle and age also contribute to the changes that your body undergoes over the course of time. The causes of weight gain are largely because of a less active lifestyle and eating too much. Because of this, your body burns fewer calories because of its reduced physical activity. Your body composition alters as the ratio shifts to less muscle and more fat because of metabolic slowdown. Genetics is also a factor for weight gain. If your parents are naturally stocky, there is a good chance that you will inherit the same body type.
Since extreme increases in weight can cause health complications, it could compound the symptoms associated with this condition. It’s been demonstrated that women who put on 20 pounds or more following menopause have a 20 percent greater chance of developing breast cancer. But women who lose weight have a better chance of avoiding breast cancer. Those who lose about 20 pounds reduce their risk for breast cancer by 23 percent.
In order to keep from gaining weight and to maintain optimal health during menopause, a nutritious diet and regular exercise are highly recommended. Daily exercise can increase your metabolism, thus enabling you to burn more fat. Moreover, muscle mass can be increased through strength training, which further increases your metabolism and builds up your bones as well.
The benefits of a proper diet are well documented. However, it has been noted that in order to maintain your weight as you age, your body will need 200 fewer calories a day. This fact applies to women who are in their 40′s. Once you enter perimenopause, adopting a nutritious eating plan will help you to avoid weight gain later during full menopause.
We need to make peace with the changes that are bound to take place with our bodies. If you think that your body will stay like it is right now, think again. We might despise the thought that our bodies won’t be taut forever, regardless of our efforts. However, the most effective approach is to concentrate on improving whatever aspects of your health that you are able to.