Weight gain and menopause: what you need to know

The female body goes through major changes as it transitions to menopause and beyond. The ovaries gradually start producing less of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. However, in the years leading up to the menopause, progesterone levels drop faster than oestrogen levels, causing an oestrogen dominance effect. The higher your oestrogen levels, the more fat is stored in your body.  

Reduced levels of oestrogen can cause fat to be stored around your waist rather than on your hips and thighs. As a result, you may notice that your belly is getting bigger. This serves a purpose: belly fat plays an important role in reducing menopausal symptoms. This is because belly fat cells generate their own local production of oestrogen. So, your growing tummy is actually a sign that your body is taking care of you.  

As oestrogen levels drop further in subsequent years, you lose muscle mass. This slows down your metabolism because your muscles don’t use as much energy as before. This means that if you don’t change your eating habits, you are likely to gain weight. 

Hormonal changes can also trigger a variety of menopausal symptoms, such as hot flashes, sleep problems and mood swings. 

In many women, weight gain is not only related to menopausal hormone fluctuations. Often there are several imbalances at play, which may or may not be caused by the same hormones. For instance, hormonal fluctuations can cause the body to respond less well to insulin, the hormone that absorbs sugar from food and converts it into energy. This can cause you to gain weight suddenly or keep you from losing weight successfully. 

Reduced oestrogen levels can also affect how leptin works in the body. Leptin is a hormone that sends a signal to your brain when you are satiated or hungry. It’s a natural appetite suppressant. So, less oestrogen means less leptin, which means you feel hungry more often. If you feel hungry more often, you’re more likely to eat bigger servings or reach for snacks (which can develop into a habit of late-night snacking or binging). 

Reduced levels of progesterone can also cause the thyroid to become underactive. One of the most important functions of the thyroid is regulating metabolism, the body’s internal combustion engine. If you already have an underactive thyroid, your symptoms can become more severe.  

Fluctuating hormone levels have also been linked to mood and happiness. If you don’t feel good about yourself, you’re more likely to reach for snacks that give you a serotonin boost. Serotonin is the happiness hormone and improves mood. The same applies to poor sleep: if you wake up feeling exhausted, you’re much more likely to reach for carbs for a quick energy fix.  

Last but not least, hormonal fluctuations can also make you more sensitive to stress. When you are under a lot of stress, your body enters fight-or-flight mode (causing it to produce more of the stress hormone cortisol which breaks down tissue), rather than resting and digesting (which promotes tissue buildup and the production of sex hormones). This can affect blood glucose levels, which in turn can lead to sugar cravings. 

It’s clear that there are many factors that affect weight. At perimenopause, which is marked by low progesterone and an oestrogen dominance, many women notice a slight increase in weight. The further along in the menopausal transition, the more your body changes. Research has shown that approximately 60 to 70 percent of women gain weight during their menopausal years, on average one to two pounds per year between the ages of 50 and 60.

Even if your eating habits remain the same, you can gain weight at midlife. Understanding what is happening in your body, taking care of yourself and making some minor adjustments will put you in control of your weight (and alleviate discomfort and menopausal symptoms). 

• Accept that ageing is a part of life. Your body and energy levels change. This is all part of ageing. Don't be too critical of yourself. Your body is working hard for you every day, so treat it with compassion.  
• Stabilise your blood sugar. Eat less (fast) carbohydrates and sugars, and more protein, slow carbohydrates and healthy fats. Full-fat yogurt is an excellent choice!  
• Limit the number of meals per day to three or four. This will lower blood sugar and prevent blood sugar spikes.   
• Stop eating two to three hours before bedtime. This will give your body enough time to digest your food.  
• Do strength training twice a week. Strength training increases muscle mass. This improves, among other things, metabolism, making it easier to lose weight and keep it off.   
• Incorporate moments for rest and relaxation into your daily routine. Take a walk, read a book, or do something else that helps you unwind. This will make you less stressed and tired, and help with sugar cravings.