Why am I gaining weight so fast during menopause? And will hormone therapy help? – UChicago Medicine
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April 24, 2023
Written By Jamie Bartosch
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You’re consuming and exercising as you at all times have, but you end up gaining weight, particularly round your midsection.
What’s happening?
For girls of their 40s or 50s, that is seemingly an indication their physique is transitioning to menopause.
It’s widespread for these coming into this pure stage of life to realize weight and stomach fats (typically referred to as “menopause stomach”) and expertise different bothersome signs — sleep-interrupting evening sweats, scorching flashes, vaginal dryness that causes ache throughout intercourse, urinary tract infections, irregular intervals, melancholy, thinning hair, temper swings and extra.
Whereas all of those symptoms can impact quality of life, one of the vital irritating signs is commonly the burden achieve.
“When my sufferers say, ‘I went to sleep and I awoke and I felt like I used to be 20 kilos heavier,’ I consider them. As a result of it may be a reasonably speedy change in the event that they’re not doing one thing about it,” mentioned College of Chicago Drugs gynecologist Monica Christmas, MD, director of the well being system’s menopause program and the Center for Women’s Integrated Health.
The excellent news is that there are methods to assist reduce weight achieve and different signs throughout menopause. Christmas explains beneath what these issues are and solutions generally requested questions on menopause-related stomach fats, hormone remedy and the easiest way to eat and train throughout menopause.
It’s usually the worst in the course of the onset of menopause, referred to as perimenopause. Throughout perimenopause, you’ll nonetheless have a menstrual cycle. Nonetheless, it could be altering and accompanied by signs like scorching flashes, temper swings and weight achieve. These signs can begin as much as seven to 10 years previous to menopause and are because of hormonal fluctuations within the quantity of estrogen and progesterone your physique is producing. These fluctuations in hormones, together with different elements, may end up in speedy weight achieve.
The lower in estrogen and progesterone, together with getting old normally, triggers metabolic adjustments within the physique. One change is a lower in muscle mass, leading to fewer energy being burned. If fewer energy are being burned, fats accumulates. Genetics, lack of sleep and a sedentary life-style play a task as nicely. It may be a vicious cycle. We lose muscle tone and accumulate extra fats as our metabolism is slowing down, contributing to extra weight achieve. And that cycle continues.
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The muscle tone misplaced from decreased hormone manufacturing is commonly changed by fatty tissue deposits. The areas the place muscle is normally misplaced is across the midsection, in order that’s the place the fatty tissue goes. Our genetics are additionally an element. If the individuals in your loved ones additionally carry extra weight within the midsection, particularly after menopause, there’s a increased chance that you’ll, too, if nothing is being accomplished to stop it.
Hormone remedy (HT) is not going to assist you to shed extra pounds, neither is it indicated for weight reduction. It additionally received’t forestall hair loss, cease wrinkles or halt the getting old course of. HT may very well contribute to a little bit bloating within the midsection for some sufferers. Though HT is not going to trigger weight reduction, there’s some proof that it will probably assist redistribute fats from the midsection to the peripheral websites, thighs and gluteal area. Sadly, HT is just not the magic antidote. The perfect recommendation is to stick to wholesome consuming practices and interact in common train.
Weight reduction medicine could also be acceptable if physique mass index (BMI) is bigger than 30kg/m2 or 27KG/m2 with different medical comorbidities like diabetes or hypertension. Furthermore, these medicine may be related to troublesome unintended effects, together with nausea and diarrhea. Plus, for most individuals, they’re not inexpensive. Regardless that chances are you’ll expertise weight reduction whereas taking the medicine, as soon as it’s stopped, it’s seemingly you’ll achieve the burden again. It is necessary to debate this along with your doctor.
The quantity on the size received’t maintain going up and up. It does stabilize. However in perimenopause and people preliminary few years after the ultimate menstrual cycle, we see essentially the most pronounced quantity of weight achieve, which may have severe implications to well being and total wellbeing. The menopause stomach will increase the danger of diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, stroke and respiratory issues. Additionally, the additional weight on the joints results in arthritic points that restrict mobility and make it more durable to train.
The Mediterranean eating regimen has been proven to decrease the danger of heart problems, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, dementia and sure cancers, along with supporting a wholesome stability of intestine flora to assist with digestion. The plant-forward eating regimen, full of anti-inflammatory foods, limits sugar, sodium, processed carbohydrates, trans and saturated fat, and processed meals. It contains complete meals wealthy in vitamins, fiber and antioxidants that work collectively to optimize well being and upkeep of a wholesome weight.
When individuals come to me and say, “I’ve at all times eaten this manner, and I’ve by no means gained weight,” I say to them that it doesn’t matter what you at all times did. That doesn’t fly anymore. You’ve acquired to vary. It’s important to be meticulous about what you set into your physique and be diligent about the best way you progress your physique.
I usually recite a quote from Michael Pollan’s guide, “In Protection of Meals,” wherein he talks about three easy guidelines: “Eat (actual) meals. Not an excessive amount of. Principally vegetation.”
The perfect train is the one you do, however consultants advocate 150 minutes of moderate-intensity bodily exercise and two days of muscle strengthening per week. A mixture of yoga, Pilates and strolling is my private favourite routine. The largest bang to your effort is weight-bearing workouts, like Pilates. It focuses on core energy, which is the place menopausal weight deposits. If Pilates isn’t your factor, weightlifting, tennis and high-intensity interval coaching all work, too. You may’t train your approach out of a foul eating regimen and you’ll’t eat your approach out of no train. It’s acquired to be a mix of each. Particularly in midlife and past.
Sufferers inform me, “I’m so drained, I’m so exhausted, I can’t train.” Nevertheless it’s a vicious cycle: When you don’t train, you’re going to be extra drained. You simply need to do it, simply go for a stroll exterior. I promise you, inside 5 minutes of beginning, you’ll really feel higher as a result of endorphins are naturally launched. It takes an excellent 20 days to set a sample. Do it each single day for 20 days.
Don’t say, “I’m making an attempt to work the train into my schedule,” as a result of it received’t occur. You decide the time for an train and you’re employed your life across the train. The individuals who fare higher in the course of the menopause transition are individuals who have a wholesome life-style. I’m not saying they received’t have a scorching flash or temper swings, however they have a tendency to do higher and have a greater outlook.
Research have proven overweight girls usually tend to report extra frequent extreme scorching flashes than these of a traditional weight. Weight reduction can be related to a lower in scorching flashes and evening sweats.
Menopause is unavoidable, however weight achieve doesn’t need to be.
Monica Christmas, MD, gives complete obstetric and gynecologic care from a affected person’s preliminary examination by her childbearing years and menopause.
Our specialists focus in your hormones and different elements that uniquely affect you to create personalised care plans for advanced well being challenges, together with:
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Menu
We provide on-line appointment scheduling for grownup and pediatric major care and plenty of specialties.
Talk along with your physician, view take a look at outcomes, schedule appointments and extra.
UChicago Drugs and Ingalls Memorial provide a broad vary of difficult scientific and non-clinical profession alternatives doing work that basically issues.
Be taught extra about scientific trials and discover a trial that may be best for you.
