Perimenopause and menopause weight gain
Weight gain and difficulty loosing weight, can be really distressing and many women experience this during the peri menopause and menopause years. It might be that you are doing the same, exercise and diet wise, as you have been for years and yet now it’s not working as well as it did before to keep you feeling trim, or you feel that you are putting weight on incrementally and worried about how this will effect your physical and mental health in the future.
Weight gain is one of the most common symptoms experienced by women during these periods of life, so lets explore 6 factors which can contribute to weight gain or stalling weight loss
Hormonal imbalance- Changes in levels of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone during the perimenopause and menopause affect many physiological processes in our body most importantly reducing our resting metabolic rate as we struggle to hang onto muscle as well as shifting our body to one of insulin resistance, where we have chronically elevated levels of insulin which controls how our body handles sugar.
Slow liver function - which can be affected by the extra demands of fluctuating high estrogen levels. This can also be compromised by digestive issues like constipation, food intolerances and medications such as antihistamines, antidepressants and blood pressure
Gut dysbiosis – Diet choices, antibiotics can cause an imbalance of the bacteria in our gut which can have a knock on effect to reducing our ability to manage stress but also reduce the amount of our satiety hormones Grehlin and Leptin which can cause us to overeat. There is a two way feedback between our hormones and gut, with some bacteria helping to metabolise or clear estrogen so as these hormones fluctuate so can our levels of healthy gut bacteria
Stress - Both internal stress on the body from infections and illness, as well as external stresses from work, relationships, environmental toxins and life events can prevent weight loss as constant high levels of adrenalin and cortisol can cause cravings for sweet, fatty or salty foods. During the peri menopause and menopause periods, this can leave us trapped in a vicious cycle as the loss of progesterone reduces our ability to manage stress
Imbalanced neurotransmitters - When serotonin is out of balance, this can lead to cravings for carbohydrate-rich foods to fill the gap or boost our mood. Or low dopamine can lead to relying on foods that trigger this, leading to developing habits around alcohol or sugar.
Thyroid dysfunction – This set of glands controls our energy levels and metabolism and 1 in 10 women over 40 may have thyroid dysfunction. Hypothyroidism is most common and one of the major symptoms is weight gain as well as insulin resistance. A drop in progesterone can reduce free or available thyroid hormone and even trigger autoimmunity thyroid disease
So where do you start to unravel the mystery of your weight gain or difficulty losing weight? The conventional method for weight loss is reducing calorie intake (calorie in vs calorie out), the problem with this method, is that different calories have different effects on metabolism and weight and it may lead us to cut out healthy, high calorie fats and protein, which our body needs to support our hormones. Examples of these foods may be dark chocolate, avocado and salmon which are high in calories, but also rich in polyphenols, needed to protect our body and metabolism. It may also lead us to be very hungry and if your exercising this will compound the hunger, so its not a good long term solution to weight loss. Having said that, considering your portion sizes and building a healthy plate for each meal, can be very helpful when it comes to weight loss
Instead, the below 5 methods of investigation and action may help you unlock the key to maintaining a healthy weight during the perimenopause and menopause years.
Identify and reverse insulin resistance. You can get a simple fasting insulin or oral glucose test carried out through your GP ,which will help identify this. You can then take the following strategies to improve your insulin sensitivity:
- Engage in strength training exercise, whether that’s in the gym, at a Pilates class or at home using your own body weight. Remember if this is new to you, its always best to take advice from a qualified fitness instructor first.
- Try a form of intermittent fasting. There are lots of different versions of this, but my favourite is fasting overnight for at least 12 hours, which may mean finishing your last meal by 7pm and not eating again until 7am, evening snacking post dinner, can contribute in a big way to weight gain. You can extend this further when you feel ready, but start out slowly with just 2-3 days per week
- Eat enough protein which builds muscle and is highly satiating. This will help you eat less as well as help stabilise blood sugar levels by blunting the absorption of carbohydrates and sugars. Great sources are eggs, lean, organic meats, full fat natural or Greek yoghurt, vegetable protein such as beans, legumes, nuts and seeds
5) Identify and correct thyroid disease. Testing your thyroid can be completed easily through your GP, although they will need to include a test for free T4, TSH, as well as test for the presence of thyroid antibodies
3) Build stress management techniques into your daily life, whether that’s deep breathing, meditation, yoga, stretching or just going for a gentle, long walk with a loved one. You can also look to give yourself periods of screen free time every day, particularly an hour prior to going to sleep
4) Build a healthy, balanced microbiome by increasing your fibre intake to include lots of vegetables and fruit as well as whole grains and legumes. Not only are these high fibre foods but many vegetables help provide our liver with the right nutrients to function effectively. If you struggle with digestive symptoms try keeping a gut diary to see if any particular foods increase your symptoms, it may be that further investigation/testing is required.
5) Take steps to improve your sleep, which can involve, making sure that the last hour before bed is screen free, ensuring your room is dark to allow our natural melatonin production, taking a bath with epsom salt/magnesium salts or lavender oil before bed and ensuring you keep caffeine consumption to no later than 1pm.
If you are struggling with any of the peri menopause or menopause symptoms that are mentioned above, I can help make sense of it all through dietary, lifestyle and supplementation recommendations, as well as help you find the right words to discuss hormone replacement therapy or testing with your GP.
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