Menopausal Weight Gain

Menopausal weight gain

Somewhere around age 40, you look in the mirror and ? yikes! When did you grow that paunchy middle? Maybe your weight is up a little, maybe it's up a lot. But usually extra pounds attach themselves to your hips and thighs, not your waist. What's going on?

Welcome to midlife expansion. Experts disagree on how much blame to place on aging and how much on approaching menopause, but one thing's clear: Between ages 35 and 55, your body changes. Either you gain weight or maintaining your weight becomes more difficult. And, yes, sadly, your middle expands.

How much this upsets you probably depends on how much you prize fitting into the jeans you wore in college. For peace of mind, it's time for a shift. (That's a mental shift, not a muumuu.) Forget the jeans, and learn to be the best and healthiest middle-age woman you can be.

Like a natural woman

For most women, the dreaded increases and shifts in weight begin during perimenopause, the years leading up to menopause. That's when you begin to produce less estrogen, which seems to trigger the changes in your weight and shape.

Try not to curse your fat cells, however. They produce some estrogen, which may help you get through menopause by reducing the incidence and severity of hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances and other signs that the end of your reproductive years is approaching. Think back to puberty and childbirth, the two other major hormonal shifts in your life. They both involved changes in body composition and weight. Why should menopause be different?

Unfortunately, expansion of your fat cells isn't the only change you're facing. Chances are, your metabolism is slowing down, and your lean mass is decreasing. Because muscle burns more calories than fat, the less muscle you have, the fewer calories you burn.

No one's immune. A study published in 1991 in the Archives of Internal Medicine determined that women who were thin before menopause were likely to gain as many pounds as those who were heavier. The 541 women, ages 42 to 50, were premenopausal when the study began. Three years later, they'd all gained the same amount of weight, whether or not they'd gone through menopause.

What's a woman to do?

Besides making you feel old and unattractive, the extra pounds around your middle are associated with cardiovascular disease, hypertension and breast cancer. So as soon as you see a few pounds creep up, you should drastically cut back on calories, right? Wrong.

First of all, gaining a few pounds doesn't automatically endanger your health. Are you really overweight or just not as thin as you used to be?

Second, if you thought you had a hard time dieting when you were younger, just try it now. As you know, fat cells are stubborn. Deprive yourself of too many calories, and you'll go into starvation mode. This lowers your metabolism even more and jump-starts your desire for fat and sugar. A sure prescription for weight gain.

What can you do? You guessed it: exercise. Aerobic exercise boosts your metabolism and helps you burn fat. If it's weight-bearing exercise, such as walking, jogging and dancing, it will also strengthen your bones and counteract bone loss, which helps prevent osteoporosis.

You may also want to try strength training exercises to increase muscle mass, raise metabolism and strengthen bones. For additional instruction on strength training, see Strong Women Stay Young by Miriam E. Nelson, Ph.D., with Sarah Wernick, Ph.D. Exercise is the answer.

To add to the evidence for an active lifestyle, a study conducted by the Washington University School of Medicine followed women throughout their midlife transition. The study found that the sedentary menopausal women carried 38 percent body fat, as opposed to 25 percent for fit menopausal women.

Eating for you

Although cutting way back on calories isn't a good idea, you do have to watch what you eat. Remember that strenuous dieting only serves to deplete bone and muscle and lower metabolism.

So forget dieting and eat sensibly. Eat a variety of foods in smaller portions. Because your metabolism slows as you age, you need about 200 to 400 fewer calories a day. This shouldn't be a problem if you eat only when hungry and only enough to satisfy your hunger.

As you age, your body becomes less able to handle the load when you stuff yourself and it's more likely to store the excess as fat. So eat small meals. Eat whenever you're hungry. Skipping meals may cause you to overeat at the next one. Consume most of your calories during the day, when your metabolism is higher. And try to keep fat intake in check to reduce your risk for heart disease and cancer. Pay attention to calories too. Some lower-fat foods are higher in calories.

If there was ever a time to accept yourself, menopause is it. Concentrate on being fit and healthy rather than squeezing into your old jeans. Exercise, eat right and go out and buy yourself a new pair of jeans. You deserve it.

HRT = Weight Gain?

Will hormone replacement therapy (HRT) help you control your weight during menopause? Maybe yes, maybe no. Studies are inconclusive. One study found that women on HRT gained more weight than those not on HRT, although the difference was not statistically significant. Another study found that HRT did appear to prevent the increase in abdominal fat. Yet another study showed that women on HRT gained less weight than other women. This was interpreted to mean that HRT doesn't cause weight gain, but also doesn't prevent it. There are many good reasons to consider HRT during menopause, such as protection against osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease. If preventing pounds is your goal, the sure bet is healthy eating and adequate exercise.