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[W296]Weight Gain And Menopause

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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.

You're mature. You're confident. You're fat. Okay, maybe you're not fat, but weight is starting to accumulate around your mid-section and no matter what you do, it's not going away. You've cut your caloric intake, you've started doing stomach crunches, you're parking further away from the entrance at work and you've even started taking walks through your neighborhood to burn some calories and lose this additional weight. Still, the pile of mush that overlaps your waistband remains. It's ugly and it jiggles, but it loves you and it's going nowhere. Why? These remedies worked just fine when you were younger, but they're not quite as effective now that you're approaching menopause.

There's a very good reason for the stubborn weight surrounding your abdomen. As a matter of fact, this explanation is quite simple - it's your hormones. I know they've caused numerous problems for you from the day you started menstruating, but your hormones are not quite finished wreaking havoc just yet. You see, as you approach menopause your hormone levels have begun to decline drastically, thus causing the weight gain you're now experiencing. Many women become complacent and accept this gain in weight as just a normal part of the aging process. While this is certainly an option, it's not the only avenue that can - or should - be taken.

It's inevitable - every woman approaching menopause is going to experience symptoms associated with declining hormone levels. As a matter of fact, the decrease in your estrogen level plays a significant role in the weight gain you're now noticing. You see, estrogen is the hormone which is responsible for causing monthly ovulation. Obviously, as you enter the menopausal years your estrogen level decreases, thus causing your body to eventually cease ovulating. Since your body is producing less estrogen it's only natural that it will look for other places from where to get needed estrogen. It just so happens that fat cells in your body are capable of producing estrogen, therefore, your body works harder to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels.

Unfortunately, you'll also experience a decrease in your level of testosterone. Why is this unfortunate? Well, testosterone is the hormone that helps your body to create lean muscle mass out of the calories you consume. As you may know, muscle burns more calories than fat cells do, which will contribute to increased metabolism. Obviously, your body burns more calories with a higher metabolic rate.

With the combination of a decrease in estrogen and testosterone levels working against you, you're now faced with a body determined to be a walking pile of fat. Is it the end of the world? Must you accept this terrible fate bestowed upon you? Absolutely not. Now that you know what's taking place inside your body, you're armed and ready with the tools you need to combat these changes, right? You're well aware of the significant role muscle plays to burn calories, so if you want to be lean and toned you'll need to build muscle to help your body burn calories.

You'll benefit tremendously by committing to a regular exercise regimen, which includes weight training to lose the extra weight you've gained. It's not rocket science; it's simple common sense - build muscle, burn calories and keep the weight off. By making a few simple lifestyle changes you will reduce many of the menopausal symptoms you're experiencing and you'll begin to feel beautiful, youthful and energized once again.

Article Source : Woman Menopause

Susan Megge has sinced written about articles on various topics from Lose Weight, Woman Menopause and Debt Reductions. Susan Megge is the founder of , a website designed to assist mature women as they approach and experience menopause. She is a. Susan Megge's top article generates over 40500 views. to your Favourites.