Menopausal weight gain seems to be a great concern for women as they age. It seems that gaining some weight during this period in life seems inevitable. Some women may even be puzzled as to why they seem to pile up weight even though they eat the same amount of food. There are many reasons for this.
Women go through menopausal weight gain because their body is going through changes during menopause. The reason for the weight gain may stem fro the hormones themselves. During menopause, normal estrogen levels in the body seem to go down. Estrogen is the female sex hormone that is responsible for a woman's monthly ovulation.
Low estrogen levels during menopause causes the female body to stop ovulating. As the ovaries of the woman produce less estrogen, her body tries to look for other means to get its estrogen supply. One of the means that the body can be supplied with the estrogen hormone is through the fat cells. So the body tries to convert as much of the calories it is supplied with into fat to be able to produce the much needed estrogen. Unfortunately, the fat cells are not as effective in burning calories as much as muscles do. This causes women to pack up additional pounds.
Progesterone is another hormone that may be the cause of weight gain during menopause. Just like estrogen, women undergoing menopause also experience their body's progesterone levels go down. This causes weight gain on women on a different way. Low levels of progesterone in the body are associated with water retention and bloating, giving one the appearance of getting bigger and heavier. But this effect usually only happens for a short time and will disappear in just a few months.
Another hormone that may be responsible for weight gain during menopause is the male sex hormone androgen. Menopause brings about an increase of androgen levels in women. This hormone becomes responsible for sending the gained weight into the abdominal area or the middle section of the body. This is the reason why weight gain during menopause is also referred to as the "middle age spread".
Another hormone that may be responsible for weight gain during menopause is testosterone. This hormone helps the body to create lean muscle mass out of the calories that the body takes in. Muscle cells are better at burning calories than fat cells and helps in increasing the body's metabolism. During menopause, the level of this hormone drops which then results in a gradual loss of muscle. This also means that metabolism in the body slows down, causing the body to burn calories slower.
Women become frustrated and concerned when they suddenly find themselves gaining weight during menopause. No matter how careful they are on maintaining their eating habits and even adding up a dose of exercise into their daily habit, they still can't seem to maintain their weight. Women must understand that it is because of the changes in the body during menopause that makes maintaining their weight even more difficult. Losing weight even becomes a more challenging undertaking than ever before.
Women must remember that it is not entirely their fault that they are gaining weight during this stage in their life. Menopausal weight gain is a normal occurrence due to the fluctuations in the hormone levels in the body. These hormones will also have a big impact on one's appetite and the body's ability to metabolize calories and store fats.
The better that women understand what goes on with their bodies during menopause, the less frustrated they can become when faced with weight gain.
Being overweight is not only an adult issue but many children and teens are troubled with this frustration. With children the matter is better handled by their parents but teenagers are likely to attempt weight loss without the advice of an adult. This can result in eating disorders and or other health problems. It is best if loving adults help their teens lose weight.
Losing weight as a teen is far different from losing weight as an adult. Weight loss in a teen depends on their age, the metabolic rate, their eating habits, as well as the type of lifestyle they lead. Losing weight is often easier for teens than for adults. This can be attributed to the fact that a younger body typically burns calories more efficiently and faster. Additionally, many teens are more active than the typical adult; they enjoy doing exercise, walking, jogging or participating in some form of sport.
These types of exercises will only help to boost the metabolism of a teenager, and also increase the amount of calories that they burn. If a teen is not interested in sports he/she may find that spending time walking or gardening is more to the liking. Other options are finding chores that require a little physical activity or spending playful time with the family dog.
Because teens, perhaps even more than adults, want to see immediate results when they begin a diet plan, using a fad diet for a very short period of time may be a good start. If this is done the teen should not use the diet for more than a week. It is widely accepted that fad diets can be detrimental to the health of the user so it is never advisable to use such a diet for long periods of time.
After about a week of using a fad diet, they should then continue on a much more healthy diet regime, and one which allows them to lose weight more slowly (which is the best way to lose weight healthily).
A holistic approach to the weight issue is always encouraged because this sort of weight management plan will be comprehensive. It will take into consideration the 'whole' person and not just the weight issue.
When on a diet, a teen should also lead a more active kind of life; they can do this by exercising whenever possible, or participate in some sporting activity. This is especially important for teenagers, as they are still growing, and therefore their body requires additional food just as it requires extra rest. Exercise helps to remove some of the extra calories they are gaining from the extra food they are eating.
Teens that are involved in sports often report that they have an increased social circle, which results in more variety to their life, and that equals more fun and more activities. It's a win-win situation. The pleasure these teens enjoy means that there is a reduction in their fatigue and frustration. All the while they are getting more and more fit and building more stamina.
As you begin doing more your stamina increases; the increased stamina results in even more energy. This can become a cycle that works out positively for you. Learning about your metabolic rate will help you to understand how your body uses calories. The more you learn about this process the easier it will be for you to work with your metabolism to burn calories more efficiently.
Both Jason Richards & Debbie Allen are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Jason Richards has sinced written about articles on various topics from Basketball, Health Insurance and Whey Protein. Visit the website to learn about. Jason Richards's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Debbie Allen has sinced written about articles on various topics from Get Ex Back, Lose Weight and Cure Anxiety. For information about a holistic approach to weight loss for ONLY $11 - visit: Visit:. Debbie Allen's top article generates over 135000 views. to your Favourites.