How does menopause affect weight gain. Why do women experience increased abdominal fat during menopause. Can lack of sleep contribute to menopausal weight gain. What role does estrogen play in menopausal body composition changes. How can women manage weight gain during menopause.

The Menopause-Weight Gain Conundrum: New Insights from Recent Research

For many women, the transition to menopause brings an unwelcome companion: weight gain, particularly around the midsection. This phenomenon, often dubbed the “menopot,” has long puzzled both patients and doctors alike. A groundbreaking study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting in March 2021 sheds new light on this perplexing issue, offering valuable insights into the complex relationship between menopause, sleep, and weight gain.

Understanding the Menopausal Body Composition Shift

The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) has provided crucial data on the physiological changes women experience during menopause. Researchers analyzing this data found that approximately two years before a woman’s final menstrual period, a significant shift in body composition begins to occur:

• The rate of fat gain doubles
• Lean muscle mass begins to decline
• This trend continues for several years after the final menstrual period

Interestingly, these changes in body composition may not always be reflected on the scale, making it a subtle yet impactful transformation.

Is Estrogen the Sole Culprit?

While the decline in estrogen levels during menopause has long been thought to be the primary driver of weight gain, recent research suggests a more nuanced picture. Dr. Leilah K. Grant, a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital, points out an intriguing observation: all women experience a drop in estrogen during menopause, yet only about half report gaining weight. This discrepancy indicates that other factors must be at play.

The Health Implications of Menopausal Weight Gain

The location of weight gain during menopause is particularly concerning from a health perspective. The tendency for fat to accumulate around the abdomen during this life stage can lead to a host of health risks:

• Increased visceral fat
• Problems with blood glucose regulation
• Abnormal blood lipid profiles
• Higher risk of diabetes
• Elevated risk of heart disease

Given that heart disease is a leading cause of death in postmenopausal women, understanding and addressing menopausal weight gain becomes crucial for overall health and longevity.

The Sleep-Weight Connection: A New Perspective on Menopausal Weight Gain

The recent study presented at the Endocrine Society’s annual meeting offers a fresh perspective on the menopause-weight gain relationship by examining the role of sleep disturbances. Approximately half of women going through menopause report sleep problems, ranging from difficulty falling asleep to frequent nighttime awakenings.

Simulating Menopausal Sleep Patterns in a Controlled Setting

To isolate the effects of sleep disturbances and hormonal changes from the natural aging process, researchers designed an innovative study:

1. 21 premenopausal women were recruited
2. Participants experienced two nights of uninterrupted sleep
3. For the next three nights, their sleep was deliberately interrupted to mimic menopausal sleep patterns
4. In 9 of the women, estrogen levels were temporarily suppressed to simulate menopausal hormonal changes

This experimental design allowed researchers to examine the individual and combined effects of sleep disturbances and estrogen suppression on metabolism and fat utilization.

Unveiling the Metabolic Impact of Disrupted Sleep and Hormonal Changes

The results of the study were illuminating, revealing significant changes in how the body processes fat under conditions of sleep disturbance and estrogen suppression:

• After nights of interrupted sleep, participants’ bodies burned less fat compared to nights of normal sleep
• Similar results were observed when estrogen levels were suppressed
• The combination of sleep interruption and low estrogen led to decreased fat utilization by the body

These findings suggest that both sleep disturbances and hormonal changes during menopause can contribute to alterations in fat metabolism, potentially leading to increased fat storage and weight gain over time.

Implications for Understanding and Managing Menopausal Weight Gain

The study’s conclusions offer valuable insights for both women experiencing menopause and healthcare providers:

• Sleep quality may be as important as hormonal changes in influencing weight gain during menopause
• Addressing sleep issues could be a crucial strategy in managing menopausal weight gain
• The interplay between sleep, hormones, and metabolism is more complex than previously thought

By understanding these connections, women and their healthcare providers can develop more targeted and effective strategies for managing weight during the menopausal transition.

Strategies for Combating Menopausal Weight Gain

In light of these new findings, women approaching or experiencing menopause may want to consider the following strategies to manage weight gain:

1. Prioritize sleep hygiene and address any sleep disturbances
2. Engage in regular physical activity, focusing on both cardiovascular exercise and strength training to maintain muscle mass
3. Adopt a balanced, nutrient-rich diet that supports metabolic health
4. Consider hormone therapy under the guidance of a healthcare provider, if appropriate
5. Manage stress through relaxation techniques, as stress can impact both sleep and weight
6. Regular health check-ups to monitor metabolic health indicators

By taking a holistic approach that addresses both sleep quality and hormonal balance, women may be better equipped to navigate the challenges of menopausal weight gain.

Future Directions in Menopausal Weight Gain Research

While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens up new avenues for further research:

• Long-term studies to examine the cumulative effects of sleep disturbances on weight gain
• Investigations into the effectiveness of sleep interventions in preventing or reversing menopausal weight gain
• Exploration of personalized approaches to managing menopausal symptoms based on individual sleep patterns and hormonal profiles
• Research into the interplay between sleep, hormones, and other lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise

As our understanding of the complex relationship between menopause, sleep, and weight gain continues to evolve, it offers hope for more effective strategies to support women’s health during this significant life transition.

The Role of Healthcare Providers in Addressing Menopausal Weight Gain

Healthcare providers play a crucial role in helping women navigate the challenges of menopausal weight gain. With this new understanding of the sleep-weight connection, providers can:

• Screen for sleep disturbances as part of routine menopausal care
• Educate patients about the importance of sleep quality in managing weight
• Offer evidence-based interventions for improving sleep, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I)
• Provide holistic treatment plans that address both hormonal changes and lifestyle factors
• Monitor patients’ metabolic health more closely during the menopausal transition

By taking a more comprehensive approach to menopausal health, healthcare providers can better support women in maintaining a healthy weight and overall well-being during this life stage.

The Psychological Impact of Menopausal Weight Gain

Beyond the physical health implications, menopausal weight gain can have significant psychological effects on women. Understanding and addressing these emotional aspects is crucial for comprehensive care:

• Body image concerns and self-esteem issues
• Frustration and anxiety about changing body composition
• Potential impact on relationships and social interactions
• Feelings of loss of control over one’s body

Healthcare providers and mental health professionals can offer support and strategies to help women cope with these psychological challenges, promoting overall well-being during the menopausal transition.

Empowering Women Through Education and Support

Arming women with knowledge about the complex factors influencing menopausal weight gain can be empowering. Educational initiatives and support groups can:

• Provide accurate information about the physiological changes during menopause
• Offer a platform for women to share experiences and coping strategies
• Promote a positive attitude towards aging and body changes
• Encourage proactive health management and self-care

By fostering a supportive environment and promoting understanding, women can feel more confident and in control as they navigate the challenges of menopause.

Integrating Traditional Wisdom with Modern Science

While recent scientific discoveries provide new insights into menopausal weight gain, it’s worth considering how this knowledge aligns with traditional approaches to women’s health:

• Many traditional medicine systems have long recognized the importance of sleep in overall health and weight management
• Herbal remedies used in various cultures to address menopausal symptoms often have sleep-promoting properties
• Traditional practices such as yoga and meditation can improve both sleep quality and stress management

Integrating these time-honored approaches with modern scientific understanding may offer a more holistic and effective approach to managing menopausal weight gain.

The Role of Technology in Managing Menopausal Weight Gain

As our understanding of menopausal weight gain evolves, so too does the potential for technology to play a role in its management:

• Sleep tracking devices can provide insights into sleep patterns and quality
• Mobile apps can offer personalized advice on nutrition and exercise tailored to menopausal women
• Telemedicine platforms can improve access to specialized care and support
• Virtual reality applications may offer novel approaches to stress reduction and sleep improvement

While technology should not replace personalized medical care, it can be a valuable tool in empowering women to take control of their health during menopause.

A Paradigm Shift in Approaching Menopausal Health

The findings linking sleep disturbances to menopausal weight gain represent a significant shift in our understanding of women’s health during this life stage. This new perspective calls for:

• A more holistic approach to menopausal care that considers sleep as a crucial factor
• Increased awareness among healthcare providers about the importance of addressing sleep issues
• Development of targeted interventions that address both hormonal changes and sleep disturbances
• Greater emphasis on preventive strategies starting in the perimenopausal period

By embracing this more comprehensive view of menopausal health, we can hope to improve outcomes and quality of life for women navigating this significant life transition.

The Global Perspective on Menopausal Weight Gain

It’s important to consider that experiences of menopause and associated weight gain can vary across cultures and populations:

• Some cultures report fewer menopausal symptoms, including weight gain
• Dietary and lifestyle factors can significantly influence menopausal experiences
• Genetic variations may play a role in individual susceptibility to weight gain
• Socioeconomic factors can impact access to care and resources for managing menopause

Future research should aim to understand these global variations to develop more culturally sensitive and effective approaches to managing menopausal weight gain.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Women’s Health

The discovery of the link between sleep disturbances and menopausal weight gain opens up exciting new possibilities for improving women’s health during this life stage. By addressing both hormonal changes and sleep quality, we may be able to offer more effective strategies for managing weight and promoting overall well-being during menopause.

As research in this area continues to evolve, it promises to reshape our approach to menopausal care, offering hope for improved outcomes and quality of life for women around the world. The journey through menopause, while challenging, can also be an opportunity for women to take charge of their health and embrace this new chapter of life with confidence and vitality.

Menopausal Weight Gain Is Linked to Lack of Sleep

Women are often frustrated by the pounds that seem to pile on when they go through the transition to menopause — and are equally disturbed that doctors can’t really tell them why this occurs.

A new study, presented on March 20, 2021, at the annual meeting of the Endocrine Society may offer clues as to why this battle with the bulge happens around the change of life.

RELATED: 10 Ways to Beat Menopausal Belly Fat

Weight Gain Is a Common Complaint at Menopause

It is common for women to experience weight gain during the menopause transition, especially around the abdomen (common enough to have earned a nickname, “the menopot”). But determining the cause has been a challenge, especially since it’s hard to separate the hormonal transition of menopause from simultaneous aging.

RELATED: Having Multiple Severe Menopause Symptoms Is Linked to Increased Risk for Heart Disease

Researchers examining data from a seminal menopausal study, the Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation, or SWAN, concluded in 2019 that starting some two years before the final menstrual period, the rate of fat gain doubles and lean muscle mass declines, a trend that continues until several years after a woman’s final period. This shift from muscle to fat may or may not influence what’s on the scale, the researchers note.

Questions Abound About What Causes This Shift in Body Composition

Research, such as an October 2017 review in Mayo Clinic Proceedings, typically attributes this effect to the decline in estrogen levels brought on by menopause and to the fact that menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats can interfere with exercise and other healthy lifestyle measures, along with natural changes from aging.

Drops in estrogen alone are unlikely the sole factor in this weight gain, says Leilah K. Grant, PhD, a postdoctoral research fellow in medicine at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and an author of the new study. All women stop producing estrogen in menopause but only about half report gaining weight, she says.

Menopausal Weight Gain Is a Problematic Health Risk

The pounds women put on at this time tend to settle around the abdomen, causing physicians to worry about health risks. This visceral fat can lead to problems with blood glucose and blood fat that can bring on diabetes, heart disease, and other diseases.

Since heart disease is a leading cause of death in post-menopausal women, the issue of menopausal weight gain is an important one for research.

Study Looks at Metabolism Changes With Lack of Sleep

About half of women going through the menopause transition also complain of problems sleeping. The insomnia may involve difficulty falling asleep, or it may mean waking up in the middle of the night and being unable to return to slumber, says Nanette Santoro, MD, the chair of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a longtime menopause researcher who was not involved with this study.

Grant and her colleagues aimed to assess whether the drop in estrogen or the sleep disturbance might change the way the body uses its storage of fat, which can lead to added pounds.

Experimental Model Simulated Menopausal Sleep Issues

To eliminate the variable of natural aging, the researchers studied 21 women who were premenopausal, meaning their hormone levels were not naturally reduced.

They brought the women to the lab and allowed them two nights of blissful sleep. Then, for the next three nights they continually interrupted the women’s sleep, repeatedly waking them with an alarm.

“We chose an experimental model of sleep interruption that is consistent with the type of sleep disruption experienced most commonly in menopause — increased nighttime awakenings caused by hot flashes, but no change in overall sleep time and duration,” Dr. Grant explains.

In addition to this sleep disturbance, in 9 of the women the researchers also temporarily suppressed estrogen levels with a drug called leuprolide, to mimic the effects of menopause.

Results Show Use of Fat Is Affected by Sleep Disruption

Compared with the normal sleep nights, after the disturbed sleep the participants’ bodies burned less fat. Similar results occurred when the woman had her estrogen levels suppressed.

“We found that both low estrogen and sleep interruption — even while getting an adequate amount of sleep overall — decreased the amount of fat used by the body for energy, which over time may lead to greater fat storage and ultimately weight gain,” Grant says.

As the researchers conclude in their study report: “These findings are important for understanding weight gain during menopause, which is characterized by estrogen withdrawal and often accompanied by sleep disturbances.”

Study Is a Good First Step

JoAnn Pinkerton, MD, the director of the midlife health center at the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville and the executive director emeritus of the North American Menopause Society, says research like this is important because it deals with two issues common during the menopause transition: sleep and weight gain.

As a next step, Dr. Pinkerton, who was not involved in the new study, hopes to see a larger, more rigorous trial on the topic, as well as tests in women who are post-menopausal, because “this would allow for the other changes at menopause that may affect resting energy use and fat utilization beyond just lowered estrogen,” she says.

RELATED: Menopause and Sleep News: NAMS 2020 Addresses 5 Key Issues

Improving Midlife Sleep May Be Key to Keeping Weight Off

Menopausal women should try to improve the quality of their sleep, experts say.

One way is to tackle the sleep itself, by keeping to a regular bedtime schedule, avoiding alcohol and tobacco before bed, and ensuring you exercise and practice stress-reduction sufficiently during the day.

Experts also recommend cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), an eight-session program developed specifically for sleep issues. Dr. Santoro likes the free app CBT-i Coach, developed by the Veterans Administration, based on this therapy method.

Hormone Therapy May Also Help Control Weight, Sleep Trouble

Menopausal hormone therapy may also help with sleep, Pinkerton notes. “Current guidelines recommend hormone therapy at menopause as the most effective treatment for menopausal symptoms, which includes sleep disturbances,” she says. And as this study indicates, improving both estrogen levels and sleep “may prevent weight gain often seen during menopause, and thus decrease the risk of heart disease and obesity while improving daytime function,” she says.

Santoro recommends trying hormone therapy for a few months. If your sleep and other symptoms improve, you can assume it is helping. If they don’t, you can stop the hormones without issue.

Menopause weight gain: Stop the middle age spread

Menopause weight gain: Stop the middle age spread

Most women gain weight as they age, but excess pounds aren’t inevitable. To minimize menopause weight gain, step up your activity level and enjoy a healthy diet.

By Mayo Clinic Staff

As you get older, you might notice that maintaining your usual weight becomes more difficult. In fact, many women gain weight around the menopause transition.

Menopause weight gain isn’t inevitable, however. You can reverse course by paying attention to healthy-eating habits and leading an active lifestyle.

What causes menopause weight gain?

The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But, hormonal changes alone don’t necessarily cause menopause weight gain. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.

For example, muscle mass typically diminishes with age, while fat increases. Losing muscle mass slows the rate at which your body uses calories (metabolism). This can make it more challenging to maintain a healthy weight. If you continue to eat as you always have and don’t increase your physical activity, you’re likely to gain weight.

Genetic factors might also play a role in menopause weight gain. If your parents or other close relatives carry extra weight around the abdomen, you’re likely to do the same.

Other factors, such as a lack of exercise, unhealthy eating and not enough sleep, might contribute to menopause weight gain. When people don’t get enough sleep, they tend to snack more and consume more calories.

How risky is weight gain after menopause?

Menopause weight gain can have serious implications for your health. Excess weight, especially around your midsection, increases your risk of many issues, including:

• Breathing problems
• Heart and blood vessel disease
• Type 2 diabetes

Excess weight also increases your risk of various types of cancer, including breast, colon and endometrial cancers.

What’s the best way to prevent weight gain after menopause?

There’s no magic formula for preventing — or reversing — menopause weight gain. Simply stick to weight-control basics:

• Move more. Physical activity, including aerobic exercise and strength training, can help you shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. As you gain muscle, your body burns calories more efficiently — which makes it easier to control your weight.

  For most healthy adults, experts recommend moderate aerobic activity, such as brisk walking, for at least 150 minutes a week or vigorous aerobic activity, such as jogging, for at least 75 minutes a week.

  In addition, strength training exercises are recommended at least twice a week. If you want to lose weight or meet specific fitness goals, you might need to exercise more.

• Eat less. To maintain your current weight — let alone lose excess pounds — you might need about 200 fewer calories a day during your 50s than you did during your 30s and 40s.

  To reduce calories without skimping on nutrition, pay attention to what you’re eating and drinking. Choose more fruits, vegetables and whole grains, particularly those that are less processed and contain more fiber.

  In general, a plant-based diet is healthier than other options. Legumes, nuts, soy, fish and low-fat dairy products are good choices. Meat, such as red meat, or chicken, should be eaten in limited quantities. Replace butter, stick margarine and shortening with oils, such as olive or vegetable oil.

• Check your sweet habit. Added sugars account for nearly 300 calories a day in the average American diet. About half of these calories come from sugar-sweetened beverages, such as soft drinks, juices, energy drinks, flavored waters, and sweetened coffee and tea.

  Other foods that contribute to excess dietary sugar include cookies, pies, cakes, doughnuts, ice cream and candy.

• Limit alcohol. Alcoholic beverages add excess calories to your diet and increase the risk of gaining weight.
• Seek support. Surround yourself with friends and loved ones who support your efforts to eat a healthy diet and increase your physical activity. Better yet, team up and make the lifestyle changes together.

Remember, successful weight loss at any stage of life requires permanent changes in diet and exercise habits. Commit to lifestyle changes and enjoy a healthier you.

March 12, 2021

Show references

1. Hoffman BL, et al. Menopausal transition. In: Williams Gynecology. 3rd ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Education; 2016. https://accessmedicine.mhmedical.com. Accessed May 21, 2019.
2. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://health.gov/paguidelines/second-edition. Accessed May 21, 2019.
3. 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines. Accessed May 21, 2019.
4. Understanding adult overweight and obesity. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/weight-management/adult-overweight-obesity/all-content. Accessed May 10, 2019.

See more In-depth

.

Menopause and Weight Gain: Battling the Menopot

Menopause doesn’t cause you to gain weight. But because extra pounds can creep on as women age, a spare tire around the middle has often been dubbed the “meno-pot” or “meno-pudge. “

Don’t ditch your skinny jeans, though — here’s the truth about this “middle-age spread” and what you can do about it.

Why It Happens

Women tend to have more fat during middle age than men do. Even if you don’t add pounds, you may find that clothes don’t fit because the waist is too tight. What gives?

Doctors think several things can work together to explain why weight gain can strike around this time:

• We burn fat more slowly as we age. All bodies slow down over time.
• Many women exercise less in their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Busy lives and lapsed gym cards mean less muscle and more fat.
• Falling hormone levels, plus your genes, cause your body to store fat in new places after menopause. You may have once had more padding at the hips. Now there’s more at the waist. This can shift your shape from pear-like (wider at hips and thighs) to apple-like (wider at waist and belly).

What doesn’t add pounds? Hormone levels. There’s no proof that menopause hormone therapy can correct the weight gain. But regular exercise — even something as simple as walking — can help many symptoms of menopause.

Why You Want to Avoid ‘Meno-Pot’

Whatever the cause, more menopausal women in the U.S. are overweight than at their normal weight. Those extra pounds come with added health concerns, too.

Belly fat is linked to heart problems, stroke, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, arthritis, and breast and colon cancer.

Even when body mass index (BMI — a measure of body fat based on height and weight) is normal, a large waist (35 inches or more for women) along with other risks is linked to more chances of getting diabetes in women.

How to Keep the ‘Meno-Pot’ at Bay

Excess weight responds well to some effort. Here’s what helps:

Eat a bit less. Pounds gained now may be more likely to go right to your middle. Since your goal should be to lessen weight gain overall, eating just 200 fewer calories a day in your 50s can help.

Eat healthier. Food choices make a big change. In a study, women lost weight at menopause by eating a diet with more nutrients and fewer calories. They ditched sugary drinks, fried foods, meats, cheese, and desserts for fish, fruits, and vegetables.

Maintain muscle. Regular exercise helps boost your metabolism and burns off what you eat, and helps your body shed fat faster overall. Keeping active adds muscle mass, which also helps prevent weight gain. Walking, jogging, and strength training also help you shed pounds.

Manage your menopause symptoms.Hot flashes and poor sleep can raise your stress levels. Stress packs on pounds. Exercise can help. Ask your doctor what else might work for you.

What to Do About Menopause Belly Fat

If you struggled to button your jeans this morning, you are NOT alone. Most women gain about a pound a year on average during the menopause transition.  While that doesn’t sound like a lot, the big issue is where those pounds are suddenly going—right to your belly! Belly fat is such a common occurrence that there’s even a name for it, the menopot. Unfortunately, it isn’t just a problem when you’re trying to zip up your jeans, extra weight in this area can lead to a host of health problems.

Belly Fat & Menopause: What’s happening?

During childbearing years, the hips, thighs, and butt were likely the go-to spots when you gained weight. But once perimenopause arrives, your middle is more likely to be expanding. Estrogen directs fat to the lower body early in life to support childbearing. When estrogen declines, fat instead migrates to the abdominal area, similar to the pattern in which men gain weight.

The location of the fat isn’t the only difference. Weight gained in the hip, thigh, and butt areas is usually subcutaneous, right below the skin. But when you start packing on pounds in your midsection, the fat builds up deeper and around your organs. This fat, called visceral fat, appears to be more active than surface fat, releasing substances, affecting hormones, and increasing your risk of high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. According to a study in the Journal of the American Heart Association, women with more central body fat had a 10 to 20 percent greater risk of having a heart attack during the seven-year study than women with more overall body fat. A widening waistline can even be risky if you’re otherwise a healthy weight.

Vanity aside, it’s smart—possibly even lifesaving—to take steps to manage your midsection.

What to do about belly fat

Don’t worry, you won’t have to do dozens of crunches. It’s impossible to spot reduce. Instead, a comprehensive approach to all-over weight loss is your best strategy for shrinking your belly and protecting yourself against future health problems. Here are some additional steps that may target belly fat.

Eat more fiber, especially the soluble kind. This type dissolves in water to form a gel-like substance that helps to lower cholesterol and glucose levels. It also appears to help keep belly fat at bay. For every 10-gram increase in soluble fiber, there was a four percent decrease in the accumulation of abdominal fat, according to a study in the journal, Obesity. Good sources include oatmeal, oat cereals, barley, beans, nuts, lentils, peas, apples, blueberries, oranges, Brussel sprouts, and sweet potatoes. Fiber also helps by filling you up for fewer calories and improving digestion.

Kick up the intensity. All exercise is good for your health and body weight, but pushing yourself a bit could help slim down your middle. When researchers tracked over 1,000 adults for five years, they discovered that those who did some type of vigorous exercise—think jogging, jumping rope, fast cycling, speedy walking—at least a few times a week accumulated less belly fat than those who rarely or never got their heart rate cranking. An easy way to up your intensity is by adding short intervals to your usual workout.  So, if you normally walk for exercise, speed up or jog for 30 to 60 seconds, then recover for a minute or two, and repeat throughout your workout. Increasing the speed of any activity or adding some impact—if your joints don’t mind—will ratchet up the intensity.

Skip the cocktails, or at least limit them. Drinking alcohol has been linked to a larger waistline, though it’s not exactly clear why those Cosmo calories seem to be drawn to your middle. Most drinks are high in calories, contain a lot of sugar, and often contribute to poor food choice when you’re indulging.

Pick up some dumbbells. If you’re not strength training, you’re losing vital muscle mass that fuels your metabolism. The decline can start in your 30s and means that you’re burning fewer calories. No wonder it’s harder to lose weight and easier to gain it as you get older. But lifting weight, using resistance bands, or doing body weight exercises like pushups can curb the loss and even rebuild some of the lost muscle. And according to research, it can help shrink belly fat. And just two or three workouts a week will do the trick. You can even pump out some reps while your binge watching your favorite show.

Find a way to chill. We know, we sound like a broken record. But, when you’re stressed, your body pumps out higher levels of the stress hormone cortisol. One of the effects—there are many negative ones—of increased cortisol appears to be a bigger belly. The good news is there’s no right way to relax so pick what works for you. Walk. Meditate. Listen to relaxing music. Take some deep breaths. Do yoga. Sit on the couch and stroke your dog or cat.

Most importantly, stick with these healthy habits. Because visceral fat is so deep you may not notice the changes right away, but research has found that even if you don’t drop any pounds, you’re reducing your risk of future health problems.

When to get help for belly fat

A large waistline puts you at risk for metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that can lead to heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and other health problems. If you have any of these related symptoms or are taking medication for any of them, you should see a doctor.

• Abdominal obesity (40+ inch waistline for men; 35+ inches for women)
• High triglyceride level (150 milligrams per deciliter of blood [mg/dL] or greater)
• Low HDL (“good”) cholesterol (less than 40 mg/dL in men or less than 50 mg/dL in women)
• High blood pressure (top number 130 mm Hg or greater, bottom number 85 mm Hg or greater)
• Fasting glucose (100 mg/dL or more)

Increased belly fat is also a primary risk factor for insulin resistance—a precursor to diabetes, and a warning flag for heart disease, stroke, fatty liver, and vascular disease.

Other warning signs that should prompt a call to your doctor:

• A rapidly expanding waistline
• Losing weight, but your midsection keeps growing
• Belly bloat accompanied by severe pain, spotting between periods, postmenopausal bleeding, blood in your stools, or fever.

We can help you manage belly fat

• Meet with a Gennev Doctor -our menopause specialists can help you understand why you are experiencing belly fat and the impact on your overall health and wellness
• Partner with a Health Coach for actionable solutions to manage belly fat, and offer the support you need
• Vitality – the nutrient-packed multi-vitamin supplement that supports mood, energy, stress response, immune health, joint pain, and inflammation
• Magnesium – our super-power supplement relieves joint pain, muscle cramps, Restless Leg Syndrome, headaches, depression, fatigue, anxiety and supports better sleep
• Heart & Brain Premium Omega-3 for Women – care for your heart and brain
• Sleep Premium CBD Tincture + Mint – calms anxiety and helps you fall asleep faster

The information on the Gennev site is never meant to replace the care of a qualified medical professional.  Hormonal shifts throughout menopause can prompt a lot of changes in your body, and simply assuming something is “just menopause” can leave you vulnerable to other possible causes. Always consult with your physician or schedule an appointment with one of Gennev’s telemedicine doctors before beginning any new treatment or therapy.

How to Defeat The Meno-Pot

Research shows us that weight-gain with menopause is common. The average woman will gain around 2 kilograms. While this doesn’t sound like a lot, 2kg of body fat can be very noticeable. If you’re troubled by menopause belly fat, your entire life can be affected. Weight-gain can contribute to a variety of lifestyle changes, from a decline in confidence and self-esteem to aggravation or onset of health problems.

I’m a qualified personal trainer and nutritionist here at The Sport Dietitian. I’ve achieved a master’s in health and nutrition, have worked for the NHS and also have a qualification from the International Olympic Committee. 

Why am I telling you all this?

Because I’m about to lay out some very simple truths:

• You’re not going through this alone
• You don’t have to put up with this weight-gain
• You can beat menopause belly fat
• Anyone can make progress if they follow the right exercise and diet programs
• This is NOT just how your life has to be

If your weight is of concern to you and if you’re struggling with the “meno-pot” and want an answer to your problems, then keep reading this blog. From postmenopausal women with new belly fat to those concerned about their future, anyone and everyone going through menopause can benefit from the advice on this page.

Menopause Belly Fat: Does Menopause Really Cause Weight Gain?

This simple answer is yes. In a study that followed a number of women through all stages of menopause, it was found that almost all women gained fat and lost muscle mass. There are several reasons for this:

• Hormonal changes during menopause drive hunger, resulting in higher caloric intake.
• These hormonal changes also change where fat is stored. More commonly found around the hips in pre-menopausal women, menopause shifts fat storage to the stomach, leading to more noticeable abdominal fat or “meno-pot”.
• Menopause is linked to a slower metabolism, which increases weight gain.
• The menopause can result in higher levels of insulin in your blood, which causes your body to store more energy from your food intake than normal.

Other contributing factors to menopause belly fat include lower levels of physical activity amongst postmenopausal women, factors like retirement that lower the day-to-day need for burning energy or — conversely — high-level career progression that increases stress levels and results in weight-gain associated with said stress.

The long and short of it is that menopause belly fat is real. Whether caused as a direct result of physiological changes or lifestyle factors, it’s a problem many women experience.

Could Menopause Belly Fat Impact Your Health?

Most women will likely be concerned with the physical and noticeable changes in their body composition, and the overall appearance of their menopause belly fat. I’m not here to tell you that you should feel this way. Modern culture puts a big emphasis on body confidence and pride in whatever we look like, and that’s great if it works for you. However, not everyone feels that way, and if abdominal fat makes you feel unattractive or hurts your confidence levels, you’re going to want to do something about it.

But menopausal belly fat goes deeper than this. If you gain weight in menopause, you may find you’re at a higher risk of some serious health conditions. Menopause increases the presence of deep-tissue belly fat, known as visceral fat. Visceral fat is different from subcutaneous fat, which is found elsewhere in the body, just below the skin, such as on your legs and arms. According to Harvard University, studies show us that higher levels of menopause belly fat can lead to increased risks of heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, breathing problems and even breast cancer. Even if your BMI is healthy, because your overall body weight is low, a high occurrence of belly fat will raise the risk of early death.

I don’t want to alarm or scare you. But I feel it’s important that you are aware of the risk factors of menopause belly fat. Unfortunately, this isn’t just a bit of extra “podge” — you’re at an increased risk of ill-health if you find that you’re gaining weight around the middle, as many women do, following or during menopause.

And let’s not forget that the mental impact of weight-gain is also serious. Your drive to lose weight might not just be about feeling trim. Weight-gain has been shown to lead to social isolation in cases where embarrassment and lack of confidence impact mindset. You don’t feel like you, or the person you want to be, so you hide away from the world.

How to Get Rid of Your Menopause Weight Gain

Laying the Groundwork

To fight the meno-pot and get rid of that menopause belly fat, we’re going to need to work out your unique weight-loss strategy. Starving yourself isn’t going to work, because 1) it isn’t sustainable weight loss and 2) when you starve yourself, your body goes into starvation mode and actually stores even more calories. So we can’t starve ourselves to success, but we can’t just eat whatever we want either. That much is obvious. So in response, people often try fad diets, but again these don’t work because you can’t sustain them. Rice and chicken are low-calorie but they’re seriously boring and you’ll never stick to this kind of eating pattern. 

The solution? You need to identify healthy foods that you like and that you can happily eat day after day without sneaking in a pizza because you’re sick of forcing down couscous. Browse recipe books, healthy food websites and try new dishes. To lose weight, you need to be in a caloric deficit, which is when the amount of food you eat provides less energy than your body needs to maintain its current weight. If you find great healthy foods, you can easily do this without having to skip meals or eat lettuce for lunch. 

Finally, you’ll need to work out what kind of exercises you like. Nutrition is important for weight loss, but so is exercise. High-intensity cardio may burn away calories fast but it might not be sustainable for you. You need to find exercises that you can do without injury and those you feel driven to do. If you hate your exercise programme, you’ll find every reason you can to bin it and do something else. There are so many types of exercises and sports out there that there is absolutely going to be something you enjoy doing, even if you’ve never been a fan of workouts or have limited ranges of mobility. Back problems? Try swimming. Strapped for time? Home workouts can fit around your business lifestyle. 

Resistance Training: The Answer to the Menopause Belly Fat Problem?

You can’t change your hormonal structure, so there are some uphill battles of menopause that you’ll just have to face in order to fight off the belly fat. But there are others we can address a bit more easily to maximise results. There are three core factors that we can look at:

1. Menopause results in lower levels of muscle mass, but muscle requires more energy to sustain day-to-day.
2. Menopause results in higher levels of insulin, but muscle mass can help stabilise insulin levels.
3. Menopause slows your metabolism, but more muscle mass speeds it up.

Notice a pattern here? Beating that weight around your belly can benefit from strength training, and many women see great results from lifting weights. Generally speaking, it’s more common for women to favour cardio exercise over muscle-building, but introducing weight training to your routine can increase your body’s requirement for energy, boost overall metabolism and contribute towards the stabilisation of high insulin levels that are creating all that unwanted belly fat.

Make Your Schedule and Commit to It

A schedule for your weight-loss journey is so important. And no, it’s not so you can beat yourself up for not reaching your goals, but so you can track your progress. To lose weight, you have to be committed, and schedules help you work out a strategy that pushes you forward.

Exercise here and there, healthy dinner when you can manage it — that’s not going to cut it.

Build a weekly schedule of when you’re going to train, what you’re going to eat and stick with it. It’s okay if you can’t meet your schedule needs. It’s hard to know from day one how we’ll respond to a new training regime, but the best results are all about sustainability and accountability. So if your schedule isn’t working for you, don’t fight to fit it into your life but change it up. Keep working on it until you find a system that’s getting you to where you want to go.

Key Takeaways for Battling Menopause Belly Fat

The above steps outline exactly what you need to succeed. You’ll notice they aren’t specific rules or instructions — eat this meal, do this exercise — but are instead a set of loose lifestyle guidelines that can help you change the way you think about weight loss. 

Everything we practice at The Sport Dietitian is about sustainability and lifestyle adaptation that revolves around you. Fad diets don’t work. They aren’t going to help you keep off your menopause belly fat because they don’t fit into your unique situation. And you need to be making sure your weight-loss strategies are something you can stick to.

Once you’ve gone through menopause, this is what life will be like from this point onwards. It’s not a case of battling the meno-pot short term — the threat of that belly fat is here to stay. 

Follow my advice and you can form a resistance to this ever-present risk factor.

Having said that, there are some basic things we recommend that you consider incorporating into your weight-loss and exercise programme to battle menopause belly fat. Again, if they don’t work for you, then don’t try to force them. However, if you can get them to work for you, they can be very effective tools.

Extra Tips to Cut Menopause Belly Fat

Lower Carbs — You’ve probably heard the low-carb rule for diets a hundred times. For those fighting menopause belly fat, though, there’s an added depth to this idea. The Mayo Clinic outlines how a low-carb diet reduces insulin levels in your body. As we’re trying to lower insulin to cut down on fat, low carbs support your goals.

Try Interval Training — High-intensity interval training — or HIIT — is a series of fast-paced movements that are designed to activate lots of muscle groups and raise your heart rate to burn calories within a short period of time. HIIT sessions usually range from 15 to 30 minutes. They’re favoured by people because they’re quick and effective; they also result in weight loss for 48 hours after sessions. While HIIT is great, we only recommend you do interval training once or twice a week because of the stress it puts on the body, so it’s good to mix HIIT in with other workout ideas. Another note is that HIIT is good for insulin control.

Eat Fibre and Protein — Fibre and protein are both excellent for controlling hunger. They are complex nutrients that take the stomach a while to digest. Diets that contain lots of fibre and protein will ensure you feel fuller for longer and reduce your urges for snacks and other food cravings. Another benefit of high protein is that protein is required for maximising muscle growth. A healthy supply of protein helps you build that muscle mass you’re trying to achieve to battle menopause belly fat.

Monitor Your Mood — Changes in mood are common during menopause; that’s no secret. How this impacts weight loss is that it can impact motivation and lead to comfort-eating. The best thing to do is not to worry if you notice these signs. Instead, address them head-on and look to ways of helping yourself manage these more challenging menopausal experiences. Right now, motivation and support can be key. We can work together to solve this problem. Book a free call with me today if you need help staying on track with your health and fitness targets during menopause.

Enjoy Treats — A treat every day is a problem, but so is never treating yourself at all. You don’t have to always say no to cakes, or refuse to go out to restaurants because it doesn’t fit with your schedule. Banning yourself from the good things in life puts you on the fast-track to weight-gain rebound. All things are okay in moderation.

Sleep Well — Sleep is a little-known weight-loss weapon, no matter who you are. Bad sleep lowers mood, encourages poor eating habits and slows metabolic rate. Good sleep leads to better choices, higher metabolism and heals your body faster after workouts, so you can work harder to burn calories.

If you want to build a powerful and effective training and diet programme that’s both sustainable and results-driven, then get in touch with The Sport Dietitian. We’ll work closely with you to devise a system that works for you. Beat that menopause belly fat, build your confidence and stave off health risks like heart disease and diabetes. Book your free call with me today and start your journey to a new and healthier you.

Changes in Weight and Fat Distribution, Sexual Side Effects of Menopause

There is no scientific evidence that menopause or hormone therapy is responsible for midlife weight gain.

Many women gain weight during the menopause transition. This weight gain is sometimes blamed on menopause or on treatment for conditions related to menopause, including hormone therapy.  However, there is no scientific evidence that menopause or hormone therapy is responsible for midlife weight gain.

Age and lifestyle are the main culprits. Aging and lifestyle seem to be the primary culprits behind weight gain in women around the time of menopause. Aging is associated with slowing of the metabolism. Lean body mass decreases with age while body fat accumulates throughout adulthood. The bottom line: you have to “run to stay in place.” 

Women generally become less physically active as they pass through their 40s, 50s, and 60s. Let’s face it: at any age, burning fewer calories because we are less active increases weight and fat mass. With decreased activity, muscle mass decreases.

Does menopause affect body shape? Although menopause may not be directly associated with weight gain, it may be related to changes in body composition and fat distribution. Several studies have shown that perimenopause, independent of age, is associated with increased fat in the abdomen as well as decreased lean body mass. This suggests that menopause plays a role in many midlife women’s transition from a pear-shaped body (wide hips and thighs, with more weight below the waist) to an apple-shaped body (wide waist and belly, with more weight above the waist) (see figure).  However, further study is needed on the exact role of menopause in body composition.

Regardless of the different contributions of aging and menopause to weight gain and body composition, the fact is that most women in North America are overweight at midlife. Any excess weight raises the risk of many diseases, including cardiovascular disease (which is particularly linked with excess fat in the abdomen), type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, and some types of cancer (including breast and colon). Beyond their clear effect on a woman’s overall health, these conditions tend to compromise her sexual function through reduced energy, reduced mobility, poor self-image, and other factors.

How to Lose Weight That Comes With Menopause

As you hit your mid-to-late 40s, you may notice that besides battling the occasional hot flash or mood swing, your favorite black go-to pants are starting to feel noticeably more snug. This time it’s not your imagination.

The average woman gains about four-and-a-half pounds as she starts the transition to menopause in her 40s, according to a landmark study. And it’s a trend that doesn’t slow down, either: Women continue to put on about a pound and a half each year in their 50s and 60s, according to a new review published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

“The main reason is the natural loss of muscle mass that occurs with age,” explains Jo Ann Pinkerton, M.D., executive director of the North American Menopause Society and professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Virginia Health System. “Since muscle burns more calories than fat, your metabolism slows down, causing you to put on weight.” Starting at age 30, research shows that you lose on average about a half pound of muscle each year; and that number rises to almost a full pound once you hit 50.

But as you glide through the big M, you may also notice something else: Even if the number on the scale is not rising considerably, any weight you do gain ends up accumulating around your abdomen, leaving you with what sure looks like someone else’s beer belly. “After menopause, your ovaries stop producing estrogen, and the only place where it can be generated is in your abdominal fat cells,” explains Deborah Clegg, M.D., a professor of internal medicine at the Diabetes and Obesity Research Institute at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles. As a result, “your body naturally gravitates towards storing fat in that area, in an effort to get estrogen,” says Clegg, who notes that the stomach’s been called “the third ovary.”

But this type of fat, known as visceral fat, is toxic. “It produces hormones such as the stress hormone cortisol as well as inflammatory proteins known as cytokines,” explains Pamela Peeke, M.D., professor of medicine at the University of Maryland and author of The Hunger Fix: The Three-Stage Detox and Recovery Plan for Overeating and Food Addiction. These chemicals force your body to churn out more insulin, which not only ramps up appetite, but also increases the storage of fat in fat cells. This, in turn, causes you to put on even more belly weight and also sets you up to develop insulin resistance, a key factor in the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

Sounds daunting, but there are expert-approved ways to reverse your scale’s upward spiral. Here’s how: 

Crank it up. If you’re sedentary, starting an exercise program will help you shed pounds as well as relieve menopausal symptoms such as hot flashes, according to a study published last year in the medical journal Menopause. But if you’re already active, you’ll need to crank things up a notch. The best way to do this is through a short duration of high-intensity interval training (HIIT), where you alternate brief periods of intense physical activity with more relaxed recovery periods. Obese postmenopausal women who did 10 minutes of HIIT five times a week lost twice as much weight as those who did more traditional endurance exercises, like brisk walking, according to a University of Scranton study published last October in Menopause. “This doesn’t have to be a lot — it can just be tweaking your morning walk to throw in some hills,” says Peeke.

Add in resistance training. “In order to remove weight as you get older, you have to lift weights,” stresses Peeke, who notes it’s key to reversing that metabolism-wrecking muscle loss that occurs naturally with age. A 2016 study of post-menopausal women in their late 50s and 60s found that those who did an hour of strength training twice a week for eight weeks not only significantly reduced their body fat compared to a control group, they also reported less physical pain and felt better overall. If you’re resistant to pumping iron, consider yoga. It has the same kind of weight-bearing benefits, and a 2016 German review that looked at 13 studies concluded that yoga also helps relieve menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes.

Watch what you eat. In a study of 17,000 postmenopausal women ages 50 to 79, researchers found that those who followed a low-fat diet that included five servings of fruits and veggies and six servings of whole grains were three times more likely to lose weight than those in a control group. “In general, we recommend that women going through menopause try to keep their fat intake under 20 percent, with most of it coming from good-for-you fats such as olive oil, fish or avocados,” says Pinkerton. One suggestion: Start your meal with veggies and protein and eat your starch last. This significantly reduces your body’s blood sugar and insulin levels, which will help keep you feeling fuller longer, according to a 2015 study published in the medical journal Diabetes Care.

Stop eating after 7 p.m. Research shows that intermittent or alternate day fasting, where you eat normally for a day and restrict calories dramatically the next, can work. People who slashed their calories to between 750 and 1,100 for five days a month for three months lost significantly more abdominal fat — and improved blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels — than those who didn’t, according to a University of Southern California study published last year. But since that’s hard to stick to, “I generally recommend that my patients only eat during a 12-hour window each day — for example, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and then put the kitchen on lockdown after that,” says Peeke. “They’ll get some of the health benefits of intermittent fasting without the hassle or excessive hunger.”

Get enough shut-eye. Not catching enough zzz’s doesn’t just feel awful, it leads to weight gain over time. One study showed that women who slept less than five hours a night had a 30 percent higher risk of gaining 30 pounds over a 16-year period, compared to those who got a full seven hours. “Lack of sleep causes your hunger hormones to go haywire: It lowers the levels of leptin, which suppresses appetite, and increases ghrelin, which stimulates your appetite,” says Peeke. If getting the rest you need is made challenging by, say, menopausal hot flashes, one option to consider is a short course of cognitive behavior therapy, a type of counseling where you’re taught new behavioral techniques to help promote sleep. Both menopausal and postmenopausal women who used this technique showed a significant reduction of insomnia two to three months later, according to a study published this past January in the medical journal Sleep. Hormone replacement therapy, certain antidepressants such as low-dose paroxetine (Brisdelle), venlafaxine (Effexor), or escitalopram (Lexapro), or the migraine drug gabapentin (Neurontin) are all also options to discuss with your doctor, says Pinkerton.

90,000 Weight gain and change in figure with menopause: what to do? | MISSFIT.RU

Most women gain weight during menopause. And the figure also changes: the stomach becomes fuller, and the bottom is flatter. What the body experiences during menopause, what are the causes of weight gain and how to counteract this, you will learn further!

Weight gain during menopause

Weight gain during menopause

Over the years, the figure changes, during menopause this is due to hormonal balance.On the one hand, most women gain weight, and those who previously tended to be overweight gain very noticeably. On the other hand, the figure, that is, the distribution of fat, also changes.

CHANGE IN THE CLIMAX

During menopause, usually not only the figure on the scales increases. Most women also notice that their figure changes. Some parts of the body become narrower, others wider. During menopause, the waist tends to expand and gradually disappears. Also, more fat is now deposited in the abdomen than before.

The distribution of fat also changes, so that the figure gradually becomes a little more masculine. The female “pear type” gives way to the “apple type”. This is due to a decrease in estrogen levels and, as a result, the predominance of male sex hormones.

This is how individual body parts change during menopause:

* The hips become fuller and wider.
* Belly: This is where extra pounds are usually stored.Belly fat is especially stubborn and hazardous to your health.
* Bottom: The lower body becomes flatter.
* Breast during menopause the breasts are enlarged. Breast size is getting bigger.

* The waist becomes wider, which is also associated with an increase in fatty tissue in the middle of the body. For some women, the waist disappears completely as a result.

WEIGHT GAIN DURING CLIMAX

The main reason for weight gain during menopause is not due to changes in hormone levels: the basal metabolic rate decreases with age.This means that the body needs less and less energy to maintain its functions. The older a person is, the less food he needs.

Less energy consumption is associated with muscle breakdown, which is part of the natural aging process. Since muscles consume the most calories, the basal metabolic rate decreases. And during menopause, the body burns fewer calories than before. If a woman continues to eat as much as before, her body will receive more energy than it needs.An unpleasant consequence: the excess turns into adipose tissue and excess weight.

On average, this means almost one kilogram more per year – provided that excess energy is not burned off by physical activity. Most women become less active with age. This further stimulates muscle loss and weight gain during climacteric .

The human body is also programmed to retain existing adipose tissue. Therefore, 90,019 it becomes more difficult to lose weight with age 90,020.On the other hand, women who have slightly more fat on their ribs usually have less severe menopause symptoms. This is because adipose tissue produces estrogen, a female hormone that the body lacks during menopause.

KEEP WEIGHT WITHIN THE REGULATIONS

Obesity is a health hazard. Therefore, it is good if women make sure that their weight remains within the normal range during menopause. This can be determined by the body mass index (BMI).To do this, the weight in kilograms is divided by the height in meters, and the result is again divided by the height.

Example : 60 kilograms is divided by 1.68 meters and again by 1.68 meters. It turns out BMI 21.26 – normal weight.

PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT DURING THE MENOPAUSE

Due to a decrease in muscle mass and, as a consequence, a decrease in basal metabolic rate, it is especially important for women to be physically active. Sport during and after menopause accelerates calorie expenditure and maintains fitness.Cardio training develops endurance, strengthens the cardiovascular system, and ensures the burning of a large number of calories. And exercising to strengthen your muscles helps keep your basal metabolic rate at the highest possible level and counteract muscle loss.

Changes in the figure caused by menopause can be counteracted to some extent with targeted exercise. Strengthening certain muscle groups is especially helpful. To achieve the effect, you do not need to make huge efforts.Regularity and regularity are much more important. If you want to build specific muscle groups, you should exercise 2-3 times a week.

For example, since the buttocks tend to lose volume during menopause, many women also find that their buttocks have begun to sag over time. To some extent, this can be counteracted with exercises that specifically strengthen the gluteus muscles.

EATING DURING CLIMAX

To maintain body weight and prevent weight gain or even obesity, it is equally important, in addition to physical activity, to rethink your diet and, if necessary, adjust it.

The main part of a balanced and at the same time supporting diet is based on vegetables. Bread, pasta, and rice should be replaced with whole grain options, because whole grains contain more fiber and fill up for a long time. Legumes are a beneficial source of energy and protein.

If you eat meat, lean varieties should be preferred. This also applies to cheeses and other dairy products. In general, it is better to rely on plant-based foods rather than animal foods, as they are lower in calories, with a few exceptions (such as nuts and seeds).

Avoid too much fat as it contains twice as many calories as carbohydrates and proteins. For comparison, a tablespoon of olive oil (14 grams) contains 121 calories. The same amount of calories is in 700 grams of zucchini.

Sugar should also be consumed in moderation. It is often hidden in finished products: ketchup, salad dressings. And, of course, it is found in especially large quantities in sweets, cakes, chocolate, and so on.

Do not forget to like and share if you liked it, and also subscribe to channel to keep abreast of news from missfit.ru

Follow us on Telegram , Odnoklassniki , VKontakte

We also recommend our channel for adult girls ABOUT IT

How to lose weight with menopause? 5 most effective tips

Unfortunately, a completely natural physiological phenomenon – menopause – is often accompanied by a sharp increase in body weight.This is due to many factors.

The most important of them is natural slowing down of metabolism : the body spends less and less calories, and if we eat more than we spend in a day, the weight will certainly increase. The accumulation of fatty deposits can provoke and the extinction of ovarian function : they stop producing estrogen, and the body tries to compensate for its lack from the growing adipose tissue, mistaking it for a “hormonal depot”.And in middle and older age, our food habits , love for starchy foods and sweets , which is very common both among traditional Ukrainian dishes and among modern fast food, become especially harmful.
Read also: Preserving your figure: how not to gain weight during menopause?

Even women who did not have it at a young age face the problem of being overweight after menopause. Needless to say about the ladies who have been distinguished by their magnificent forms all their lives! However, even if the tendency to be overweight is due to the constitution of your body, overweight can and should be fought.It is not necessary to become a supermodel, but preventing obesity will save you from many health problems in old age and will significantly prolong your life.

1. Calorie Counting

What do you eat and how much? This question can be accurately answered by keeping a food diary. Write down everything you ate, the calories of foods, and the amount of protein, fat and carbohydrates consumed per day. Today it is nowhere easier to do this: there are a lot of mobile applications designed for this.Check your daily calorie intake against the recommended rate for your age and gender, and then you can draw the right conclusions about your diet.

Calorie counting with the help of a mobile application couldn’t be easier!

2. No hunger strikes!

Even if the numbers in the calorie diary upset you, in no case go on rigid diets and do not cut your diet to less than 1200-1400 kcal per day! This, even at a young age, is fraught with vitamin deficiency, a slowdown in metabolism and a violation of the menstrual cycle.With menopause, unpleasant symptoms may worsen, and a deficiency of nutrients also contributes to the development of osteoporosis, makes the vessels fragile and brittle. You need to get rid of extra pounds gradually.
Never completely eliminate fats : the lack of absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, E and D can lead to very unpleasant consequences.
Read also: Pleasant and healthy: goodies without harm to health

3. Be sure to consult a specialist

During the climacteric period, a woman becomes especially fragile and vulnerable: any radical step is a health risk.If you are concerned about weight gain in the past few years, you should definitely see a gynecologist, endocrinologist, and nutritionist. Weight gain, especially in women, is often associated with hormonal fluctuations, so the first step is to find out if your menopause is normal and if hormonal drugs are needed to correct its symptoms. They must be prescribed by a doctor.
A dietitian will help you adjust your diet and develop a gentle weight loss program. Perhaps doctors will prescribe you to take vitamin complexes for women or phytohormonal drugs to mitigate the manifestations of hormonal changes, for example, Layfemin.

Before starting to lose weight, check your health!

4. Life on the move!

After 40-45 years, regular physical activity is especially important. Their intensity depends on the state of health and fitness, as well as on the experience of playing sports at an earlier age.
In menopause, especially when gaining weight, aerobic training is especially important. It is best to perform them in the form of morning exercises – at least 25-30 minutes at least 4-5 times a week.
Hiking, Nordic walking, swimming, dancing, breathing techniques like Bodyflex are very useful. But jogging is better after consulting a cardiologist and orthopedist to make sure that your heart and knee joints can withstand such a load. Running is contraindicated with a body mass index (BMI) above 25.

Strength exercises are needed after menopause: they strengthen the musculoskeletal system, prevent osteoporosis and muscle atrophy

Ana Erobic training is also important: it strengthens the muscles and skeleton, thereby preventing the development of osteoporosis.Developed muscle mass increases calorie expenditure, which helps not only to lose weight, but also to maintain the result. These are push-ups, pull-ups, abdominal exercises, as well as exercises with dumbbells or water bottles. You can work out at home or in the gym on a machine. The training frequency should be at least 2 times a week.
Stretching exercises – callanetics, yoga, pilates – will make your body more flexible and your joints more mobile – and this will help you to lead an active lifestyle for many years to come! But be careful: if you have not stretched for a long time, do the exercises as carefully as possible and do not strive to sit on the splits in the second lesson.Be sure to inform the trainer about any discomfort or pain (especially in the hip joints!) And listen carefully to his recommendations.

5. Take care of vitaminization
   So, have you already developed a comprehensive weight loss program, made a training schedule for yourself, thought out a diet and are focused on results? Perfectly! However, do not forget about another pitfall of any diet: lack of vitamins and minerals. Especially dangerous during menopause:

• lack of vitamin E , which is extremely important for the normal function of the reproductive system – this threatens to worsen the course of menopause.Other unpleasant consequences – deterioration of the skin condition, the appearance of new wrinkles, hair loss, brittle nails, fragility of blood vessels;
• lack of vitamin D and calcium – the risk of developing osteoporosis increases several times;
• lack of vitamin C – fragility of the walls of blood vessels, as a result – the appearance of spider veins and the development of varicose veins;
• lack of B vitamins and magnesium – leg cramps, irritability, a sharp decrease in stress resistance;
• lack of vitamin F and chromium will negate all efforts made to lose weight: these substances are extremely important for normal carbohydrate and fat metabolism.

Thus, the weight correction program must be accompanied by the intake of special vitamins for women.

90,000 Weight gain during menopause 9,0001

22.06.2020 2155

Weight gain is a typical occurrence during menopause. Extra pounds are not so scary, but annoying. Fortunately, it is quite possible to overcome them.

During menopause, women have to get used to many changes, such as larger clothing sizes.Weight gain within certain limits is not terrible. However, you must keep an eye on your weight, even if you fully accept your changed figure.

Weight gain during menopause from one to two kilograms per year in 10 years will turn into 10-20 extra pounds. You mustn’t let it get this far. General rule: well-being and health come first! Each extra kilogram is a load on the body. And obesity causes a number of serious diseases.

Doctors assess health risks using, among other things, BMI (body mass index). A BMI over 25 is considered overweight. BMI is calculated according to the formula “body weight (in kg) divided by height (in m²)”. Or use a BMI calculator.

The belly is bigger than the hips: why is it bad

More serious than overall weight gain is the accumulation of belly fat. Because of which, the middle of the body can become even larger than the hips. And this is a serious health threat.

You can check if everything is in order by calculating the ratio of waist and hips. For women, the waist should be less than 0.85 in relation to the hips. Why is belly fat so bad? It provokes the appearance of cardiovascular diseases and even a heart attack. Therefore, we advise you to measure the volumes at least once a week and write down the values ​​in a diary.

Weight gain – hormones are to blame

The reasons for weight gain are usually not associated with a changed lifestyle, but with the interaction of sex hormones.At the beginning of menopause, estrogen levels rise briefly. This leads to an imbalance of the hormone progesterone. The result is water retention in the tissues. This alone can lead to weight gain.

Gradually, the production of estrogen in the body decreases. And the general aging process disrupts energy metabolism. Extra pounds now appear much faster and easier, even if nothing has changed in the diet. Weight gain can occur during menopause even in spite of a balanced diet and exercise.

Obesity is always a matter of calories

This principle remains unchanged: only those who consume more calories with food than the body consume gain weight. But what determines the consumption of calories, and where are unnecessary calories hidden?

A postmenopausal woman has less muscle mass than a young woman. This reduces overall metabolism, i.e. resting calorie expenditure. From the beginning of menopause, the body needs 200 calories less than before. This is about 2 slices of bread or 2 strips of milk chocolate.200 calories would be very beneficial if they were obtained from a salad: for example, 250 g of raw carrots and apples with lemon and butter dressing.

To avoid tedious calorie counting in your notebook, use smartphone apps. A few clicks – and you will see how many calories you need to consume per day, what is the calorie content of meals, and so on.

Best Weight Loss Tips

Nobody can guarantee you to get a slim figure.However, the following tips will help you feel better and be in better shape. It is important here to be honest with yourself: excuses, laziness, attempts to deceive yourself are more likely to harm than benefit.

* Hearty breakfast helps fight morning hunger.
* Stick to the same meal times. Snacking in between is rarely satiating, but it can be high in calories.
* Try intermittent fasting. In other words, plan long breaks between meals of up to 10-14 hours.These pauses stimulate metabolism and signal that fat will now be burned. This has a positive effect on belly volume.
* Plenty of fresh, colorful, grains: Include plenty of fruits, seasonal vegetables, seeds, nuts, and whole grains in your diet. It is also worth increasing the proportion of protein and reducing the amount of carbohydrates.
* Plant-based products should be chosen instead of meat and sausages. You should also avoid semi-finished products and sweets.
* However, you can also enjoy “calorie bombs”.From time to time (1-2 times a week) you can pamper yourself with your favorite foods – this is good for the psyche.
* Be active in your daily life: if you have not already done so, start moving more today. Walk or use your bike instead of taking the bus. Going down and up the stairs is a great workout for your muscles and cardiovascular system.
* Find the sport you like. Sports not only increase your calorie intake, but in general, it will help you get through your menopause more easily.
* Think positively: with bright thoughts and an optimistic attitude, you will save yourself from being seized by negative emotions and boredom.
* Get enough sleep: The body uses night sleep to produce hormones that regulate food intake.

90,000 weight loss during pregnancy with overweight

weight loss during pregnancy with overweight

It is simply impossible to describe all 300 components of the drug. But you can see this information on the manufacturer’s website. Here you can familiarize yourself not only with the composition, but also with the mechanism of action of each ingredient.

is it really possible to remove fat from the abdomen, fat burning complex we are losing weight
how to remove fat h of the abdomen
is it possible to remove fat from the legs
how to remove fat from the abdomen and waist
remove visceral fat from the abdomen for a man exercises

It is possible to normalize weight during pregnancy without harming the child if you follow simple nutritional rules. What kind of diet for weight loss to adhere to, we deal with experts. Diet for pregnant women for weight loss.It is possible to normalize weight during pregnancy without harming the child if you follow simple nutritional rules. What kind of diet for weight loss to adhere to, we deal with experts. Anna Lukyanova. The danger of being overweight during pregnancy. The main reason is the accumulation of scientific data on the harm that excess weight inflicts on the expectant mother and child. What are the negative consequences of the obesity of the expectant mother have been proven at the moment and make experts tend to the possibility of weight loss during pregnancy? Risks and consequences for the mother: · initial reduction in the chances of pregnancy with obesity; · The risk of gestational (pregnancy-related) diabetes mellitus; · Hypertension with edema as a consequence of the need for the heart to pump blood through an excessive number of blood vessels; Excess weight.Reflections. Play estrogen. Part 3. Coffee for weight loss. The syndrome of excessive hair growth in children. 10 unsportsmanlike ways to lose weight. With the normal course of pregnancy and proper nutrition, weight gain in the second trimester of pregnancy should not exceed 300-350 grams per week. Gaining more than 1 kg per week is a cause for concern and a reason to delve deeper into the study of carbohydrate metabolism, fluid metabolism and revise the diet and composition of the diet. Losing weight during pregnancy should not be a goal, but if this happens by correcting lifestyle, adhering to the principles of proper nutrition, this cannot but rejoice.Of course, excess weight and, moreover, obesity, can affect the course of pregnancy, childbirth, but this is just an excuse to consult with a specialist, to develop a plan for preventing complications. Take the test Your fitness motivation What is fitness motivation and do you have one? Obesity is a serious disease that threatens the development of a large number of complications: from high blood pressure to severe damage to the liver, joints, urinary incontinence and immobility. See also: Proper nutrition during pregnancy.Obstetric obesity problems. Adipose tissue is an active endocrine organ. It is quite obvious that it is necessary to reduce weight before the desired pregnancy, but this goal is not always easy to achieve. However, careful pre-conception can prevent a number of serious adverse events and enable a woman to enjoy the joy of motherhood. Oksana Bogdashevskaya. Photo istockphoto.com. Section: About health. What is the danger of extra pounds in a pregnant woman? It would seem, what could be the danger of being overweight in a future mother? After all, the baby takes so much from her body, can some kilograms really be superfluous? Unfortunately, they can.The harm from being overweight during pregnancy is even greater than for non-pregnant women. Danger to the mother’s body: excess weight creates an extra load on the joints, spine, blood vessels and heart. Even with normal body weight, varicose veins or back pain are not uncommon during pregnancy, and if you are overweight, they almost always bother you and can be significantly complicated. The rate of weight gain during pregnancy. If you entered a pregnancy with a healthy weight, then an increase of 10 to 13.6 kg is considered normal, and this additional weight is distributed in the body as follows: fetus, placenta, amniotic fluid – 5 kg; the circulating blood volume of the mother is 1 – 1.5 kg.overweight – 0.3 kg per week. Weight gain of less than 1 kg or more than 3 kg per month should be the basis for a careful study of the circumstances of the course of pregnancy by an obstetrician. What not to eat and drink when you are pregnant. Unpasteurized milk. How to eat during pregnancy so as not to gain excess weight. The diet of a pregnant woman for the day. What to eat so as not to gain fat. Olga Vladimirovna, tell me, what could cause such a craving of pregnant women for a strange set of products (suddenly you want salty or, for example, smoked)? During pregnancy, more often than in other periods of a woman’s life, certain food preferences arise.The most common opinion is that the body itself signals what it lacks. If you want salty – not enough salt, if you want milk – not enough calcium, seaweed – not enough iodine. So excess fat isn’t good for anyone. – Many women gain weight after childbirth or during menopause. To what extent can weight gain be considered normal, and when should you see a doctor? – Indeed, during these periods, the metabolism slows down, and women begin to gain weight. So, during pregnancy and after childbirth, a change in hormonal levels triggers the so-called economical metabolism.This is especially true for women who have a hereditary predisposition to obesity, for those who have seriously put on weight during pregnancy, as well as for middle-aged women in labor (after 35 years) and mothers of a large baby (weighing more than 4 kg). Overweight during pregnancy is an increase in body weight mainly due to excess fat deposits in the subcutaneous tissue, organs and tissues, which arose before or during gestation and affects its course. It is manifested by obesity, the formation of visible fat folds, low resistance to physical exertion, awkwardness, decreased mobility, the rapid onset of shortness of breath.It is diagnosed on the basis of comparing body weight with the recommended one, data of calculating BMI, control over weight gain. Treatment involves correction of diet, physical activity, therapy of complications of gestation.

how to remove belly fat, weight loss during pregnancy with excess weight

is it realistic to remove belly fat
fat burning complex lose weight
how to remove belly fat
is it possible to remove fat from the legs
how to remove fat from the abdomen and waist
Remove visceral fat from the abdomen for a man exercise
winter cherry slimming drops
the swing of the press removes fat from the abdomen

how to take drops for weight loss
remove belly without fat

weight loss during pregnancy with excess weight is it possible to remove fat from the legs

winter cherry drops for weight loss
swinging the press removes fat from the abdomen
how to take drops for weight loss
remove belly without fat
how to remove fat from the belly to the press
plank removes fat from the abdomen

Sooner or later, any woman is faced with diet pills.The first experience I had was neutral, and the second, I just didn’t even expect it ….. the kilograms began to go away somehow quickly, I was not even ready for that. Now the result is minus 5 kg for two courses. Of the shortcomings, I can only single out the cost. I would like it to be a more democratic price. IdealFit drops are natural, for which I fell in love with them. Thanks to them, I blossomed. And not only because I had already lost 5 kg in 2 weeks, but also because my stomach and intestinal problems disappeared, and my stool returned to normal.With IdealFit, everything was nicely tightened for me: sides, stomach, arms. Like I was wearing myself out in the gym. And everything is much simpler. You only need to drink drops 2 times a day. And the result will be excellent.

90,000 21-24 weeks of gestation

21st week of pregnancy

Child development

At the 21st week, the baby’s height is about 25 cm, and the fetus weighs 300-400 g. The fetus is very similar to a newborn baby, however, due to the lack of subcutaneous fat, the body is still very thin, and the head seems unnaturally large.At this time, eyelashes and eyebrows are formed, the baby learns to blink, and his skin gradually acquires a flesh color, thickens, constrictions appear on it.

At the 21st week, the muscles and skeleton of the fetus are actively developing. The child constantly moves, carefully bends and unbends the limbs, due to its small size, it can do somersaults, turns, change the position of its body several times a day, position itself transversely in the uterus, turn up or downside down.

At this stage, the baby hears well, does not just distinguish harsh sounds, but reacts to music, so the expectant mother can listen to classics or favorite songs, and contribute to the development of the child. The development of the digestive system continues, taste buds are formed. The fetus can taste the amniotic fluid.

Pregnant woman

A 21 week pregnant woman feels well. The expectant mother clearly feels the movements of the fetus; very often the periods of sleep and activity of the child and the woman do not coincide, therefore, pregnant women during this period do not get enough sleep, wake up at night due to the intensive movements of the baby.Painful sensations at this time are quite rare, since the child does not have sufficient physical strength, and his movements do not differ in intensity.

A pregnant woman can gain weight as the baby grows, his muscle and fat mass increases. Expectant mothers eat with pleasure. Their appetite increases significantly, morning sickness and general malaise disappear.

At this time, the baby’s skeleton is formed, for the development of which calcium is needed. Pregnant women should monitor their health, take calcium supplements as prescribed by a doctor, because if there is a lack of it, dental problems are possible.Calcium is washed out of tissues, teeth begin to ache and crumble. It is important not only to consume vitamins, but also to carefully balance the diet, add calcium-rich cottage cheese, sour cream and other dairy products to the daily menu. Consumption of fish, cereals and legumes, vegetables will help to fill the calcium deficiency.

22nd week of pregnancy

Child development

The body length of the fetus reaches 28-30 centimeters, and its weight is approximately 500 g. The baby grows, the proportions of his body, the ratio of the size of the head and body change.The child more and more resembles a newborn, his head no longer looks so big, the length of the limbs increases. The kid no longer keeps the legs constantly bent, he periodically straightens them. The volume and mass of the child’s brain increases intensively.

The kid is in constant motion, he knows how to wiggle his fingers and toes, moves his head to the right and to the left. The child knows how to suck his thumb, he tilts his head forward and accurately falls into his mouth with his finger. Such actions indicate an increase in sensitivity and development of the vestibular apparatus, improved coordination; the child already feels the position of his own body in space.

The baby’s brain at this time contains a full set of neurons, the number of which does not change throughout a person’s life. With age, only the reformation of the connections between cells and the improvement of the work of the human brain occurs.

Pregnant woman

At 22 weeks, the uterus of a pregnant woman is 2 cm above the navel. The abdomen is not yet very large, but the internal organs are already beginning to shrink due to the accelerated growth of the uterus. A woman may experience some discomfort, pain between the lower ribs.In order not to suffer from pain, you must constantly monitor your posture, choose a comfortable chair with a solid back for work. Special exercises, periodic changes in body position, turns and tilts will help to solve the problem. Avoid sedentary work, take short breaks, and get adequate rest.

The fundus of the uterus can press on the stomach, so a frequent problem at this time is a feeling of heaviness after eating and heartburn. The position of the stomach in pregnant women changes to a more horizontal one, the muscle relaxes, which closes the transition from the esophagus to the stomach, as a result of which the contents of the stomach fall back into the esophagus, irritates it, the woman feels a burning sensation and an unpleasant aftertaste.The reason for such changes is not only the pressure of the uterus on the stomach, but also a change in the hormonal background of a woman, an increase in the content of progesterone in the body. To get rid of heartburn, you need to thoroughly chew food, eat often, but in small portions. You should not eat before bed, as the food will not have time to digest. If the symptoms worsen, it is necessary to consult a doctor who will prescribe the necessary medications and help the expectant mother balance the diet.

23rd week of pregnancy

Child development

23rd week is an intensive formation of the respiratory system. The fetus begins to gradually breathe. If in the earlier periods the respiratory movements were periodic, now their duration can be up to 40 minutes. The child makes up to 50-60 breaths per minute. The development of the respiratory system does not stop at this time, a kind of breathing exercises continue until childbirth, the baby improves his skills and prepares to breathe air.

When breathing in the womb, the baby swallows a small amount of amniotic fluid and then pushes it out. In this case, the epithelium is washed. When amniotic fluid is swallowed, part of it is absorbed by the blood vessels, and the original feces, that is, meconium, are formed from the remnants.

If the baby is very active and swallows water very intensively, irritation of the diaphragm and its contractions, which are also called “fetal hiccups”, are possible.These rhythmic movements are not abnormal; such hiccups disappear in a few minutes, does not pose a threat to the expectant mother and child. If the contractions do not stop within a few hours, you need to go to the hospital, as a more serious problem, including hypoxia, can be the cause of the hiccups.

23rd week – an important stage in human intrauterine development. It is during this period that the formation and improvement of the main components of the circulatory and immune systems, including the liver, lymph nodes, spleen and bone marrow, continues.At this time, the thymus gland (or thymus) develops, which plays an important role in the functioning of the human endocrine system. It is in the thymus gland that lymphocytes mature. After a kind of “training” in the thymus, the cells are released into the bloodstream and can resist infection, neutralize foreign cells in the body.

During pregnancy, the fetal immune system goes through several stages of formation and cannot provide adequate protection against disease. The child is protected by maternal antibodies, and his own immune system learns to recognize potential threats, remember bacteria and viruses and defend against their harmful effects.

Pregnant woman

At 23 weeks of gestation, the uterus rises even higher and is located at a height of 4 cm from the woman’s navel. The volume of the uterus increases significantly not only due to the growth of the child, but also due to the increase in the mass and volume of amniotic fluid and placenta. At this time, the optimal weight gain of a pregnant woman is 5-7 kg. The expectant mother should carefully monitor her daily diet, not overeat, since excessive weight gain can pose a threat not only to her health, but also to the baby.

Intensive growth of the uterus causes a shift in the center of gravity. The woman becomes awkward, may feel discomfort in the joints and pain in the spine while walking or sitting for a long time. At this time, the doctor may recommend that a pregnant woman wear special supportive underwear made from natural materials or a bandage.

24th week of pregnancy

Child development

At 24 weeks gestation, the baby continues to grow rapidly, he already weighs 600 g, and his height is approximately 33 cm.The fetus occupies the entire uterine cavity, so its movements are no longer so impulsive, but more distinct; sharp movements are replaced by smaller ones. The kid can still radically change the position of his body, but he prefers to touch the umbilical cord, play with it, bend and unbend the arms and legs. The amount of muscle mass, namely the muscle fibers of the child, increases dramatically. At this time, this indicator reaches its maximum. Later in pregnancy, fetal muscle mass increases by increasing the volume of each muscle fiber.

This week the child’s senses are being improved. He knows how to distinguish between tastes, hears perfectly and navigates in space, the baby’s skin is highly sensitive. The fetal brain continues to develop, connections with the sensory organs are formed, so the child’s behavior is highly complex. Studies have shown that a child reacts to external stimuli: if a bright light hits his mother’s belly, he turns his head away, closes his eyes or covers his face with his hands.A woman should be calm and peaceful, since her fear, excitement is transmitted to the child, he begins to move intensively or abruptly freezes. Your baby may react to harsh sounds, noise, or other stimuli.

Pregnant woman

The weight of a pregnant woman continues to increase, the gain this week is about 500 g. The abdomen is growing, the uterus not only increases in size, but also stretches. A woman may notice painful sensations in the abdomen, but they do not differ in intensity and do not last long.

Rapid weight gain can cause edema. The growing uterus compresses large veins, which, in turn, significantly complicates the outflow of lymph; the woman’s ankles and feet, hands are swollen; by the evening, the problem is aggravated. A pregnant woman should fully rest, lie more, while raising her legs with a roller or placing an additional pillow in order to improve the outflow of venous blood and eliminate the risk of varicose veins. It is important to buy comfortable shoes, to give up “boats” with heels and to provide the feet with the necessary comfort.Wearing compression tights and stockings will help to significantly reduce the risk of developing varicose veins and the appearance of edema. When choosing the degree of compression and models, it is necessary to take into account the opinion of a phlebologist or gynecologist.

Gynecologist on the onset of menopause and the elimination of its symptoms

A significant part of the Transbaikal people are not used to visiting a doctor regularly. Some endure to the last, ignoring the symptoms, until serious health problems arise.Others refuse regular prophylaxis and examinations that help identify risks and diseases at an early stage. Medical center “Medlux” in a series of articles on “Chita.Ru” raises topical health problems. We have already published material on the correct planning of pregnancy. In a new article, gynecologist Oleg Lindeman will talk about the peculiarities of menopause in women, the negative consequences that it can cause and how to deal with them.

Not everyone knows that the approach and onset of menopause is also a reason to see a doctor.At this time, the woman changes physiologically and psychologically. The menstrual cycle is disturbed, constant fatigue, irritability, and a sharp change in mood may appear. Emotional problems often lead to quarrels with loved ones. Changes are also reflected in the appearance – in some women, wrinkles become more noticeable during this period, more gray hair appears.

Menopause is a period in a woman’s life when reproductive capabilities decrease, menstruation becomes less frequent and gradually stops altogether.On average, menopause comes at 45-52 years.

Doctors distinguish three periods of menopause.

– Premenopause begins several years before menopause – a woman begins to experience discomfort and some symptoms of menopause – for example, at this time, menstrual irregularities are possible.

– Menopause itself, the beginning of which is considered the last menstruation of a woman.

– Postmenopause – at this time, the symptoms of menopause gradually disappear, up to their complete disappearance.

Menopause comes to all women, without exception, but at different times and proceeds differently for each. It all depends on the individual characteristics of the organism. By itself, this is a normal physiological process. However, the growing deficiency of female sex hormones during this period usually affects health and well-being. The biggest problem is the long-term consequences – osteoporosis and cardiovascular diseases, which sometimes lead to disability.

Menopause symptoms

Early menopausal symptoms may appear during menstruation and worsen after menopause for several years.They occur with the onset of a delay in menstruation associated with menopause. These include headaches and nausea, muscle pain, low or high blood pressure, fever or chills, increased sweating, tachycardia, weight gain or loss, shortness of breath, feeling short of breath, loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. Also, the signs include – a state of fatigue, drowsiness or insomnia, depressive conditions, depression, problems with memory, attention, decreased sex drive.

3-5 years after the onset of menopause, menopause symptoms appear associated with the organs of the genitourinary system: dryness, discomfort during intercourse, itching and burning, inflammation, urinary incontinence, frequent urination.Changes occur in the skin, hair, nails. The skin becomes dry, wrinkles appear, nails exfoliate and break, hair becomes dry and falls out. At this time, menstruation becomes infrequent or stops completely.

These are common symptoms of menopause, but they manifest themselves differently from woman to woman. Some happily experience menopause without any special symptoms at all, others suffer from their too vivid manifestations. Only in 18% of women these symptoms disappear on their own within a year from the moment of their appearance.In more than half of women, hot flashes last from 2 to 5 years, and in every fourth – for a longer time. Many people feel confusion and fear when they have vivid symptoms.

How to deal with symptoms?

Many of our grandmothers and mothers took menopause as an inevitability that must be resigned to. They abandoned their personal lives, since society instilled in them a sense of inferiority, as if after menopause a woman for some reason became less a woman than before. Modern medicine and cosmetology leaves these prejudices in the past.Today’s opportunities help to preserve the health and beauty of a woman for many years.

The first thing to do is pay attention to your lifestyle.

Give up bad habits – cigarettes and alcohol are not worth your well-being, health and beauty. Eat and rest well. Go in for sports, if your health allows you, at least therapeutic exercises. Don’t go on a weight loss diet! Subcutaneous fat is an additional source of female sex hormones.And most importantly, stay positive.

Menopause symptoms respond to medical treatment. Since all the unpleasant consequences are associated with a deficiency of female sex hormones, the most effective way to cope with them is hormone replacement therapy. Only a gynecologist can correctly prescribe it, since there are contraindications. In this case, the doctor may prescribe an alternative treatment with phytoestrogens. Be that as it may, it is better not to be alone with your problems, but to see a doctor.It will help you stay beautiful and healthy for years to come.

MedLux, st. Krasnaya Zvezda, 58 (TD Tsarsky)

License No.LO-75-01-001076 dated March 2, 2016

Moderation of comments is carried out by the advertiser

Information provided by the advertiser 08:00, 17 August 2016

90,000 10 cases when being overweight may indicate health problems

If you exercise several times a week and eat right, and the weight continues to increase, then this may be a sign that something is wrong in the body.Perhaps not enough certain hormones are produced or the cause is an unknown disease, writes Women’s Health.

Continuation of the article is under advertising

Advertising

What to do in this case? Before you visit your doctor, write down everything you eat and all your physical activity for several days or even a couple of weeks.Many people simply forget that they ate cookies here, they were treated to cakes there, and yesterday was a colleague’s birthday and the whole office was enjoying pizza.

If, after several days of observation, you realize that this is not your case, then contact your doctor to find out why the kilograms are just coming.

If you are too tired, it may be hypothyroidism.

When young women come to the doctor with complaints of excess weight, the first thing they check is the thyroid gland.This gland produces hormones that regulate metabolism, and if the gland works poorly, then the metabolism slows down and begins to gain excess weight.

Foto: Shutterstock

Women with hypothyroidism very often suffer from loss of strength, dry skin, hair loss, hoarse voice, constipation. If you notice some of these symptoms, be sure to see a doctor who, if necessary, will check your thyroid gland through a blood test.

If you have frequent bloating, the cause may be SIBR

There should be a balance of good and bad bacteria in our gut, but when it is disturbed in favor of bad bacteria, then there is a syndrome of bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) in the small intestine.This causes a variety of unpleasant symptoms – bloating, gas, abdominal pain, diarrhea, and excess weight. SIBO is usually treated with antibiotics.

Depression may be the cause if you are under severe stress.

Chronic stress is where your body is constantly in a “fight or flight” mode, in which high doses of adrenaline and cortisol are produced so you can recuperate and store fat. The logic of the body is as follows: “You are experiencing wild stress, because you ran 10 km from the tiger, of course, you are just dying of hunger.”But the problem is, most of us are stressed while sitting in a chair.

Foto: Shutterstock

If you regularly experience anxiety and severe fatigue, you develop insomnia, or you are no longer interested in things that recently caused you delight, then talk to your doctor or see a psychotherapist. It will help you get back to normal, which in turn will help you shed a couple of pounds.

If you are over 40 then premenopause may be the cause

The transition period leading to menopause can begin in women after age 30, but usually begins after age 40.During this time, estrogen levels are very uneven, which can lead to weight gain. Other signs of premenopause include irregular periods, hot flashes, mood swings, and changes in libido.

If you have abnormal periods, it could be polycystic ovary.

Polycystic ovary disease (PCO) is diagnosed in about one in five women. This is an endocrine disorder in which the balance of reproductive hormones – estrogen and testosterone – is disturbed, and can lead to a whole bunch of unpleasant symptoms – irregular periods, facial hair growth and migraines.

PCOS also affects the body’s use of insulin, which breaks down sugars and starch into energy, and this leads to weight gain in the waist area. Therefore, if your menstrual cycle is knocked down, tell your gynecologist about it so that he can check your hormonal background.

If you have trouble sleeping, insomnia may be the cause

If you almost did not sleep, then the next day you will crave sweet or fatty foods incredibly (so that your body can “survive”).Not getting enough sleep increases the production of ghrelin, which is responsible for feeling hungry, and lowers the level of leptin, the hormone of satiety, and as a result, you chew all the next day.

Foto: Shutterstock

If you sacrifice sleep for another episode of the show, remember that it can affect your waistline. Research confirms that those who sleep one hour less per week lose weight faster than those who sleep one hour less, but otherwise the conditions are the same.

If you are taking a new drug, it may be because of it.

There is a huge list of drugs whose side effects include weight gain.Most often, the body retains more water, but, for example, antidepressants can affect the appetite centers in the brain and cause overeating.

Medications can greatly slow down the metabolism, and some anti-inflammatory drugs retain water and increase appetite, which is displayed on the scales. You should not arbitrarily stop or resume taking medications – consult with your doctor, and he will be able to find a more gentle alternative for you.

If there is too much fat on the waist, the cause may be Itsenko-Cushing’s disease

This is a very rare disease in which cortisol production and weight gain increase in the waist (arms and legs usually remain slim) and on the back of the neck.

Foto: Shutterstock

Most often, Itsenko-Cushing’s disease is accompanied by very low energy levels, diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol. But the hallmarks of the disease are wide and bright red striae on the abdomen. If you are familiar with this, see your doctor immediately.

If you experience severe bloating after eating, dehydration may be the cause.

Many of us confuse thirst with hunger and all the accompanying symptoms – confusion, fatigue and dizziness – are signs of dehydration.This is pretty much the same when we feel like grabbing a snack on a Snickers.

Adequate water intake is important for us at the cellular level – without enough water, cells cannot work and convert food into energy.