Argh! Why is it so easy to gain weight in menopause?
A while back, I had a hysterectomy, which thrust me into menopause. Within a month, the hot flashes, night sweat, and fatigue were in full throttle. I felt uncomfortable. Then the weight gain came and I felt miserable and irritable. I knew I needed to change my diet and increase my exercise to feel like my old self again. At the time, I was about 90 percent plant-based and only ate fish on occasion. I decided to go vegan to clean-up my system, increase my energy and lose a little weight. The transition to vegan/plant-based was easy since I was partially a vegan. Within a few weeks, my energy increased, but the weight loss was not as drastic as I had anticipated, so I asked myself, “Why? Why is it so difficult to lose weight in menopause?” It all boils down to age and hormones.
First, let’s define menopause. Perimenopause is the time when the ovaries start making less estrogen. Perimenopause can last anywhere from a few months to up to 10 years; the average is 4 years. Perimenopause ends when a woman (normally at age 40 or older) has not had her menstrual cycle for 12 consecutive months, i.e. 12 consecutive months without a period. During perimenopause a woman may experience hot flashes, night sweats, insomnia, anxiety, irritability, weight gain, vaginal dryness and low libido. That’s quite a cocktail of happiness and yet we’re happy, most of the time. Once a woman has not had her period for 12 consecutive months, she is then said to be post-menopausal.
Getting back to weight gain. There are several factors that may contribute to weight gain during menopause and even after menopause, the period that is called post-menopausal. They include:
Lower estrogen levels - During menopause, a woman's estrogen (ovarian hormones) levels decrease; lower estrogen may reduce metabolic rate (your metabolism) and lead to increased fat storage.
Insomnia - Because of the hot flashes and night sweats, some women have trouble sleeping during menopause. When you are sleep deprived, your metabolism gets compromised. Here’s how. When you are sleep deprived your body produces more ghrelin, known as your hunger hormone. Ghrelin stimulates appetite. In addition, when you are sleep deprived, your body produces less leptin. Leptin is the hormone that tells your brain that you are full. When you’re sleep deprived your body produces more hunger hormones and less appetite suppression hormones. As a result, you eat more. Think about not getting a good night sleep and needing more caffeine and sweets to get you through the day. You add to that a slower metabolism and the end result is weight gain. Moreover, if the body is chronically sleep deprived, it produces cortisol. Cortisol, known as the stress hormone, has been found to increase fat storage, particularly in the belly.
Less muscle mass - muscles burn more calories than fat. As women age, they naturally lose muscle mass. To offset this, women should do strengthening exercises to build muscle mass.
Insulin resistance - women often become insulin resistant as they age, which can make losing weight more difficult. Insulin allows your body to absorb glucose, blood sugar. If the cells in your body do not respond well to insulin, your blood sugar level will increase. Excess glucose is transformed into fat and stored in fat cells, particularly belly fat.
Fat storage moves from the hips and thighs to the abdomen during menopause. This increases the risk of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Therefore, women should try to lose belly fat as much as possible in this stage of their life.
During and after menopause the number the woman’s basal metabolic rate (BMR) decreases. BMR is your resting energy, that is the amount of energy you expend while at rest, such as sitting, lying down or sleeping. It’s the minimum energy or calories your organs need to function while your body is being still. In essence, women burn fewer calories during menopause. To increase calorie burn, women should increase their muscle mass, as muscles burn more calories than fat.
Phew! That’s a lot. But according to Robert H. Lustig, M.D., M.S.L., author of the book, “Fat Chance, Beating the odds against sugar, processed food, obesity and disease” biochemistry and hormones affect our behavior. The reduction in estrogen, a hormone of the ovaries, triggers the onset of menopause and all its side effects, including interrupted sleep (insomnia) which triggers the release of cortisol (stress hormone), ghrelin and leptin. All three are hormones that regulate the body’s appetite, satiety levels. Additionally, Cortisol tells the body to store fat, particularly belly fat. There you have it. Blame menopause weight gain on your age and your hormones. Now it’s up to you to finish strong. Our body is ever changing and our diet and exercise programs need to change along with it.