Peri-Post Menopausal Weight Gain - What's Happening and What to Do About It

Learning about the hormonal changes that happen during per-imenopause and menopause is super helpful in navigating this time of life well ! 🙂

Between the ages of 40 and 55 women’s hormonal and metabolic physiology starts shifting - peri-menopause and once you’ve had no period for a year - menopause. Many women experience symptoms during this time such as low energy, hot flashes, night sweats, brain fog, mood swings.

Then there can also be that weight gain abdominally that feels thick and strange and won’t budge even though you’ve followed a pretty strict exercise and eating plan. This is what caught me off guard the most when my body started to go through this change - the texture of my abdomen felt thick and not like anything I had felt before. I didn’t know what to make of it!

WHAT WAS ACTUALLY HAPPENING?

• Through the peri-menopausal years, the ovaries are moving towards retirement and reducing the work they do - producing estrogen being the main one - this can be an up and down process symptom wise as the rest of the body, mind and spirit adjusts to this change.

• The glands in the body that take over for the ovaries in the estrogen producing department are the adrenal glands. Using herbs and other naturopathic strategies to nourish these glands can make all the difference in the amount of menopausal symptoms experienced at this time. The adrenal glands make a form of estrogen called estrone that helps the transition into menopause.

• Estrogen and Progesterone have an impact on fat storage - especially around the middle. The two together are what responsible for the smaller waists women can have when hormones are balanced - the hourglass shape of women (vs men lol).

• During the menopause change progesterone is the first to decrease. At peri-menopause ovulation isn’t always happening so you are not getting the progesterone from the corpus luteum and you can be in a relative estrogen dominance state.

• Estrogen and progesterone both make our bodies less responsive to cortisol which moves the weight gain to the abdomen.

• Less estrogen makes our bodies less insulin sensitive (more insulin resistant) and therefore less able to metabolize carbs —- carbs are stored as fat.

• Progesterone helps estrogen do its best work by supporting receptor sensitivity so the decrease in progesterone that starts off peri-menopause can start impacting the estrogen effects in the body .

• One of the KEY pieces to know in all this is that with estrogen and progesterone falling cortisol and insulin become the bigger players in women’s metabolism.

  Brain Chemistry changes occur due to the hormonal changes because estrogen and progesterone receptors are all over the body including the brain.

  The following three neurotransmitters decrease at menopause (and if you are cycling are also at lower levels when you have your period which is kind of a mini-menopause with the estrogen and progesterone at lowest then)

• Serotonin - self-esteem neurotransmitter

• Dopamine - focusing brain chemical

• GABA - major relaxing neurotransmitter

  This impact on mood and concentration can impact our food cravings and food choices and other lifestyle factors.

  Body Shape and Composition Changes … the Insulin and Cortisol Piece

• Yup - the changes that are happening internally with the hormones are responsible for weight gain being so much easier at this stage and weight loss harder. The “calories in” and “calories out” model is only a very small part of this. A decrease in lean mass and an increase in body fat is common as we age but there are things we can do lifestyle wise to work with our changing bodies to stay healthy and vital within the shifting.

• Keeping active including keeping the muscles strong is key. Excess cardio is not generally going to positively impact metabolism as it can be a stress and have the opposite affect but the amount of muscle you have does. Weightlifting/activities that build muscle are in!

• Processed sugars and carbs are harder to process as we age as as our estrogen goes down our insulin becomes more resistant (less sensitive) which basically means that the carbs are burned as fuel less and stored as fat more. Lowered estrogen can increase our appetite for these as well.

  Higher Cortisol Levels and Weight Gain

• Cortisol is an adrenal hormone that helps us adapt to stress. Back in the day of saber tooth tigers cortisol was very helpful as part of a very short-lived temporary strategy to help us get extra energy to fight or flee. Cortisol makes the body break down muscle tissue to bring that extra energy to the scene. In the past that energy would be used up by our fighting and fleeing and things would reset naturally post stressful encounter. But now? The difference now is that our busy lifestyles can have us in chronic stress/high cortisol in situations where no fighting or fleeing is happening. We’re stressed over a deadline or over a relationship or finances and the extra fuel isn’t used … so it is stored as fat .

• Keeping cortisol levels lower is the holy grail here not just for the weight gain aspect but for all the other hormonal pieces such as mood, energy, sleep. The aspects of health and well-being that affect the things that matter most - our relationships, pursuing our passions physically as well as mentally … feeling good!

  Leptin Levels and Menopause

• Leptin is created by our fat cells and is known as the satiety hormone. Levels are dependent on the amount of body fat a person has and its job is to protect us from starvation. When leptin is low, it signals hunger and we eat more and burn less energy. In menopause, leptin levels really decrease and can trigger a ravenous hunger for many women at this time.

• Once you understand you can make positive changes on your body composition and hormonal balance. No need to re-invent the wheel of your healthy habits completely. In general changes are a move out of the hustle into more flow, joy and presence.

  There are herbal formulas and nutritional adjustments that support the changes that

  LIFESTYLE MEASURES MATTER …

  • Regular, physical activity

  • Eating well

  • Using those muscles

  • Prioritizing doing the things that light you up and feed your soul (saying no to the rest!)

  • Relaxing more

  • Getting good sleep

  MOVE THAT BODY!

• Physical activity has a very strong impact on the weight gain that can occur with menopause. Include strength training! More muscle mass means more metabolism - aim for strength training routine two - three times per week. Keeping your muscles strong is super important at this time.

• Be mindful with your food intake and only eat when you feel hungry. Choose nutrient-rich foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, clean proteins and healthy fats.

• Practice good sleep habits. Sleep affects hormones that impact body composition. Shoot for 7-9 hours of uninterrupted sleep each night.

• RELAX AND DESTRESS Cortisol! Keeping that hormone in check can help you maintain a healthier body composition. You can’t avoid it completely but you can handle it better. Meditation, a nice walk in nature, a gentle bike ride, a relaxing massage, quiet time reading a book. Find activities that nourish your soul and