Let’s talk about the hot topic of weight gain. During midlife our bodies’ response to exercise changes. Maintaining a healthy weight, which once may have been so easy to do, may not work anymore, even though you’re doing exactly what you used to do.
Around 70% of women will gain weight during menopause. I have experienced this myself. I instil the message to ‘exercise for sanity, not vanity’ but I know how it feels when your clothes don’t fit properly anymore, and how frustrating it feels when the weight suddenly appears, even though you haven’t really changed that much with your nutrition or exercise routine. My belly is now soft and squidgy most days, and the bloating during my perimenopause has hit me hard. As a personal trainer I’ve learnt to respect how we view our own bodies – to others I may look exactly the same, but I feel the changes.
Why the gain in weight?
During menopause your oestrogen levels decrease. When that happens, you gain a tendency to accumulate fat, especially around the abdomen, and also to lose muscle mass. This happens because when your ovaries stop producing oestrogen, your body searches for it elsewhere, and the only other place it is generated is in the abdominal fat cells. Your body stores fat there in an effort to increase oestrogen levels.
The fat cells – also called adipose tissue – are actually serving a helpful role as they’re preserving and producing some oestrogen, which is essential in our bodies and good for our hormonal health. The gut is also affected by the hormonal changes in perimenopause, and bloating is a common symptom; you may have more gas, changes in your bowel movements, or slower digestion.
It is worth pointing out that low oestrogen can affect your ability to handle stress. If you’re constantly in high stress mode, you will produce more cortisol and, most likely, become less sensitive to insulin, which means you’re less able to lower your blood sugar levels after a meal. This can also lead to weight gain, especially in the belly area.
Menopot
The seemingly inevitable weight gain associated with peri/menopause, especially in the belly area, is often named the ‘menopot’. Unfortunately, this new or expanded pot-belly can develop even if you’re on track with your nutrition and maintain a regular workout schedule, thanks to a number of factors unique to the menopause.
The Feel Good Fix: Boost Energy, Improve Sleep and Move More Through Menopause and Beyond
Weight around your middle is not only upsetting but can also increase health risks, including a greater chance of cardiovascular problems and metabolic disease. That’s why women are at higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes after midlife. Women tend to put on about 1‒5 lbs each year in their fifties and sixties because of hormones plus muscle loss.
Since muscle burns more calories than fat, this causes the metabolism to slow down. So, even if you’re eating the same amount you always have, you’re likely not burning the calories at the same rate as you once did. As you continue to lose muscle mass (unless you work on building it up) the problem can get worse, leading to faster weight gain.
What we can do about it
It is quite common for women not to be exercising consistently, to be more sedentary, to be eating too much and too many processed foods, and not sleeping well. If you’re in a heightened, stressed state, it’s not ideal for your general well-being. Hence it’s very important to start gaining control of your health. I hope the easy suggestions in my book help you to do this and to take some positive steps.
I want us to reframe the way we think about exercise, with a focus on long-term physical health, mental health and how we feel. We may have to start to come to terms with some weight gain, accept the changes that happen to our bodies as we age gracefully, and take some of the pressure off by not pursuing an overly lean body or unattainable six-pack (which would actually be detrimental to our physical and mental health).
Exercise for health and longevity. Use strength training to shift your focus from the weight on the scales to a more empowering measurement: the weight you can lift!
Unfortunately, menopause does mean that we store fat more easily and it’s harder to lose it. But we also lose muscle, which is more metabolically active than fat, so we need to focus on building lean muscle mass. Improving our nutrition, plus self-care stress management techniques, alongside strength training, can all help. These are covered in my book, with plenty of choices and tips to help you feel good.
Women are massively underrepresented in all areas of research, especially studies of weight loss, and the research and subsequent advice are heavily biased towards men, though I’m sure more information on this will become available over time. I definitely don’t recommend eating less and working out more in menopause. This will actually make the problem worse by overloading an already highly stressed body, with no time to apply any much- needed self-care, rest or recovery, which can lead to inflammation and further weight gain.
It’s all about balance, nourishing yourself with my Feel Good methods; embracing, accepting and looking after yourself.
The Feel Good Fix: Boost Energy, Improve Sleep and Move More Through Menopause and Beyond by Lavina Mehta MBE is out now on Penguin Life, RRP £18.99
Meet the expert: Lavina Mehta is founder of Feel Good with Lavina. She is committed to making movement accessible, and reduce risks of common chronic diseases through her concept of ‘Exercise Snacking’. She uses her platform to influence and inspire others experiencing the same concerns and worries about their bodies and minds. Lavina is a Patron of Menopause Mandate, an ambassador for Wellbeing of Women, Diabetes UK and The Alzheimer's Society, and helps many other charities.
More resources for navigating menopause...
- This is how I manage my menopause with mindfulness exercises
- How good gut health can support you through menopause
- Can you buy your way to a better menopause?
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