Why Do You Gain Weight During Menopause?

You might have felt the same way Connie did as you start noticing a shift of fat to the abdomen - a slowly growing MenoPot or Menobelly.

You are not alone.

Why Do You Gain Weight During Menopause?

There are a lot of factors that can contribute to a woman experiencing increases in body fat as she goes through this transitionary phase.

Alterations in hormone levels play a major role, as do changes in physical activity and other behaviors.

Hormonal Changes

Hormones, of course, are significant contributors to menopause weight fluctuations. We need to discuss the hormone estrogen, in particular, when talking about why it’s common for the number on the scale to increase for women in this stage of life.

As women get older, their ovaries slowly begin to produce less estrogen. This decrease in estrogen production begins well before menstruation ceases. Symptoms often become noticeable in a woman’s early 40s, but they may start to occur even earlier in some cases.

Estrogen plays an important role in maintaining a healthy metabolism. When estrogen levels decrease, this can lead to a slower metabolic rate. This means you burn fewer calories both when exercising and at rest. If a woman’s metabolic rate decreases but her calorie intake does not, she will start to gain weight and may find that it’s harder to shed extra pounds.

Low estrogen can also lead to a slower metabolic rate because it can contribute to a loss of muscle mass. Research suggests that estrogen supports muscle stem cell activity. When estrogen is low, stem cell function diminishes, and faster rates of muscle loss may occur. 

The body burns a lot of calories just to maintain muscle mass. When mass decreases, calorie burn decreases and the metabolism slows down. As a result, it can be harder to burn calories and lose body fat.

Hormones and Fat Storage

When a woman’s estrogen levels decrease, they also tend to store fat differently. This is why it’s common for older women to experience increases in abdominal fat (or belly fat). By contrast, younger women who aren’t going through these hormonal changes tend to store more fat in their hips and thighs. 

The fat stored in the hips and thighs is also stored as subcutaneous fat, whereas belly fat associated with menopause is more likely to be stored as visceral fat. This is a type of fat that wraps around the organs. 

Visceral fat is more harmful to one’s health than subcutaneous fat. It can contribute to an increased risk of certain health problems, including heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Activity Changes

We can’t talk about increases in body fat without also addressing behavior changes that tend to take place during this transition phase of life. When many women use search terms like “why gain weight menopause”, they often come across information about hormonal changes. What they don’t always realize, though, is that their behaviors play a role in their body size and composition.

As women age, it’s common for their physical activity to decrease. This might be due to increased discomfort that they feel due to symptoms like hot flashes or lower energy levels that result from poor sleep. Regardless of the reason, lower levels of physical activity will often lead to a higher number on the scale. This is especially true if the changes in activity aren’t accompanied by adjustments to one’s diet.

Dietary Changes

Speaking of diet, differences in eating habits can contribute to increased body fat as well. Women who are feeling stressed, anxious, or depressed about their menopause symptoms might find themselves indulging more often in foods that are high in calories and that may worsen their symptoms (processed food, baked goods, alcohol, etc.). 

Overconsuming these foods and beverages can make weight loss harder to achieve. They won’t help in the long run with other symptoms (hot flushes/flashes, mood swings, etc.), either. In fact, they might even make symptoms worse.

Are you looking for a solution to menopause weight gain and meno-belly?

 Nancy M., a wellness coach from California 

 Caryn P. 

“I got to tell you since I began using these products, I have energy levels like you can't imagine. The weight gain seems to be getting better, but the bloat is what I really noticed a significant difference in. I feel like I don't look pregnant anymore. I highly recommend giving it a shot.”

 Nita R. 

This is the best product on the market as far as I'm concerned. It is awesome. My first week was crazy good. My stomach had never felt as good in YEARS! And the weight… went from 193 to 187. I have to stay on this stuff, NO MORE BLOAT!! Thank you

 Claudine U. 

I saw the ad for Provitalize and the many good reviews so I decided to give it a try. I'm happy to say that it works! I've definitely seen a reduction in my bloating. I'm a lot more regular digestively and my weight even went down. I would definitely recommend Provitalize!”

 Golden Turmeric Root Extract (95% Curcuminoids)

 Moringa Leaf Extract

 Fat Neutralizing Probiotics

Which means there’s less risk of long term health complications 

-> https://betterbody.co/pages/pp-provitalize-m