Menopause And Weight Gain

Many women complain about having difficult sleeping. One of the most dreaded problems associated with menopause, though, is weight gain. In recent years, many scientific studies have been done to examine the links between menopause and weight gain to understand how woman can prevent this problem.

One interesting study suggested that as a woman loses estrogen and progesterone, two of the most important hormones in her body, she will be predisposed to gain more weight because the production of these hormones means that she is no longer burning the calories that she once was. Moreover, because most women feel fatigued and generally unwell during this time of change, she does not tend to be as motivated to stick with her normal exercise program. Add to this the fact that her condition brings on a sudden want of her standard comfort foods which usually includes calorically heavy meals and desserts that are rich in calories, and you have certain weight gain on your hands. Additionally, most women who have already experienced menopause have also experienced a decrease in their metabolism, which means even more retained calories.

All of these factors can also make it very hard for a woman who is experiencing menopause to lose the weight she has gained. Losing weight during menopause is certainly possible, but it has to be undertaken as a serious challenge. The most important change a woman can make in her life is to work with her resting energy expenditure, which is scientifically called her resting metabolic rate. To keep your healthy weight, the resting metabolic rate must account for more than seventy percent of the energy you use on a day-to-day basis. Because this rate depends on an individual's muscle mass, the resting metabolic rate will decrease as a woman gets older and loses her muscle mass.  

If you want to lose weight during menopause, you should make some dietary changes first. Don't turn to your normal high calorie foods to comfort you during this rough time. Your diet should primarily consist of fruits and vegetables, lean means, brown rice, bread, and flour. You should also change the way you eat. Consider four to five small meals each day. Each of your meals should be balanced and healthy. This will help your weight to disappear and stay gone. Proper exercise can also help you fight the weight gain.