Lifestyle Changes To Prevent & Reverse Menopausal Weight Gain
Improve Quality of Sleep: Night sweats can create an endless cycle of fatigue, and without enough sleep, people snack more and consume more calories. 3When the body is sleep-deprived, it produces higher levels of hormones that increase your appetite . 7If sleep is regularly disrupted, cortisol increases and weight gain is inevitable. Using a fan, a cooling pillow, and even a white noise machine are all great options for improved sleep.
Address Mental Health: Women in menopause have an increased rate of anxiety and depression, and suicide rates are at their highest for women in their menopause years. 10Research shows that those who suffer from depression and anxiety are more likely to gain weight over time and become obese than those who don’t. Sadly, societal stigmas still shame people out of seeking treatment for mental health, but it is of paramount importance.
Switch Workouts: If formal exercise is your thing, vigorous physical activity for 4 hours a week can mitigate the health risks of a sedentary lifestyle. Not only does exercise burn calories, but it also increases muscle. However, the body burns calories less efficiently with age. For example, you wont burn as many calories from walking on the treadmill for 30 minutes at age 55 as you did at say 35. The same effort just doesnt reap the same rewards. Changing up the kind of physical exertion you ask of your body may help overcome a workout lull and boost your metabolism and muscle mass.
Find A Friend Or A Group To Exercise With
To attack belly fat and any other menopausal weight gain, youll need to burn between 400 and 500 calories most days of the week from cardiovascular exercise, such as walking briskly, jogging, bicycling, dancing, or swimming, Peeke says. Need motivation? Find a friend who needs to exercise as much as you do, and set a date to work out together. Research in the British Journal of Health Psychology found that actively looking for a new workout partner and exercising together is beneficial for both exercise and emotional support.
If you dont have a buddy to join you on your weight loss mission, it may be time to try a group fitness class at your local gym or community center. Data published in the Journal of Osteopathic Medicine found that participating in regular group fitness classes resulted in a significant decrease in stress and a rise in physical, mental, and emotional quality of life compared with exercising regularly on your own or not engaging in regular exercise at all.
Clary Sage Essential Oil
This essential oil is derived from the flowering tops of the clary sage herb. It contains many components known for their soothing and calming benefits. It is thought to help balance out oestogen levels, and may be helpful during peri-menopause.
During your menstrual cycle, clary sage may bring relief to your abdomen when massaged into the area. It can also be applied to the back of the neck or the bottom of your feet.
The method of extraction may affect the components found in the essential oil, so always be aware of your source.
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Other Exercise Tips To Help Ensure Success
Before you begin exercising:
- Talk to your doctor about a new exercise program. Choose activities you enjoy so you’ll stick with your workouts.
- Find an exercise partner to help you stay motivated.
- Buy supportive shoes — the right ones for your activity.
- Pick a start date and start.
After you begin exercising:
- Allow at least 10 minutes to warm up before starting to exercise rigorously. To do this, choose an activity that gently works major muscles.
- Before you work out, stretch the muscles that will absorb most of the shock of your exercise routine.
- If you have any new pain while exercising, stop and let your doctor know.
- Gradually boost the distance, length, or intensity of your workout.
- Mix it up. Do different exercises to keep from getting bored and to keep your body challenged.
For the best fitness results, combine your exercise efforts with good nutrition. Here are just a few tips:
- Choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
- Stay away from processed foods.
- Keep a food diary, or explore programs for your computer or apps for your cell phone, to help you watch how many calories you eat.
- Don’t eat too late in the evening.
- When you eat out, take half the serving home.
- Eat smaller amounts but more often.
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Can Dim Help You Lose Weight Fast
Can one little supplement, DIM, help you lose weight fast? Because of the way DIM works and the imbalances it helps to correct, dont expect overnight results, but if the weight youre wanting to lose is related to estrogen dominance, this little supplement might be just the ticket to boosting your metabolism and by extension, weight loss.
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What Is Hormonal Belly
In a condition in which the ovaries or adrenal glands produce too much of the male hormones, common symptoms are irregular periods, acne and unwanted weight gain, belly fat included. To avoid this, studies have been conducted to confirm the link between hormone replacement therapy and weight loss.
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Putting The Pieces Together
The obvious answer to weight loss is reducing calorie intake and exercising more. But if you have maxed out your capacity to diet and exercise without seeing the desired results or have hormone-related symptoms that interfere with your ability to make healthy lifestyle changes, its time to do more. For many, the answer could be hormone replacement therapy .
For women experiencing menopause or perimenopause, HRT under the guidance of a hormone health specialist can be life-changing. Researchers have found strong evidence that estrogen or combined estrogen-progesterone replacement therapy may help to prevent menopause-related changes in body composition and the associated metabolic consequences. Additionally, many women find that HRT alleviates symptoms that interfere with weight loss such as fatigue, sleep disturbances and mood symptoms and allows them to make the choices necessary to shed unwanted pounds.
If a thyroid condition is thwarting your efforts for weight loss over 40, getting a specific and accurate diagnosis is critical. If your lab results and symptoms point to hypothyroidism, hormone therapy is the gold standard in treatment and can help you restore balance and take control of your health.
Ready to make an appointment with a bioidentical hormone therapy specialist? Find a qualified hormone therapy practitioner in your state now.
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Why Weight Gain Often Happens After Menopause
What is it about menopause that makes it so hard to keep off the weight? It’s likely a mix of factors related to menopause and aging.
The impact of estrogen. In animal studies, estrogen appears to help control body weight. With lower estrogen levels, lab animals tend to eat more and be less physically active. Reduced estrogen may also lower metabolic rate, the rate at which the body converts stored energy into working energy. It’s possible the same thing happens with women when estrogen levels drop after menopause. Some evidence suggests that estrogen hormone therapy increases a woman’s resting metabolic rate. This might help slow weight gain. Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight.
Other age-related factors. As women age, many other changes happen that contribute to weight gain. For example:
- You’re less likely to exercise. Sixty percent of adults aren’t active enough, and this increases with age.
- You lose muscle mass, which lowers your resting metabolism, making it easier to gain weight.
- The rate at which you can use up energy during exercise declines. To use the same energy as in the past and achieve weight loss, you may need to increase the amount of time and intensity you’re exercising, no matter what your past activity levels were.
What Are The Stages Of Hormonal Change For Men
For men, andropause is a slow decline of normal testosterone levels, which begin to lower by about 1% every year around the age of 40. Because the decrease in testosterone production is slow slow, many men do not exhibit any obvious symptoms of andropause for nearly a decade after onset. Andropause is traditionally marked by low T, which features symptoms such as low libido, sexual dysfunction, weight gain, loss of muscle mass, mood swings, and more.
How Common Is It for Men to Gain Weight During Andropause?
On average, middle-aged men gain about 19 pounds during the onset of andropause, which can be a significant cause of concern for overall health. Weight gain is one of the more common symptoms of andropause and most men will experience some about of weight gain during late adulthood.
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Understanding The Challenges Of Weight Loss Over 40
The causes of weight gain are varied and complex. They can occur at any time during a persons life cycle, but women face an uphill battle as they age. More specifically, changing hormone levels make weight loss over 40 a significant challenge. Research has demonstrated that aging and the menopause transition each contribute substantially to altered metabolism that increases the accumulation of body fat and the risk of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance.
This may not only deeply affect your confidence and comfort in your own skin, but also make you more vulnerable to a cluster of dangerous and potentially deadly conditions, including:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease and stroke
Excess weight is also associated with an increased incidence of depression, loss of self-esteem and social functioning and a decrease in health-related quality of life. In other words, weight loss over 40 is no trivial matter its a significant concern with very real implications for your physical and emotional well-being.
In the simplest terms, weight gain occurs when the energy consumed from food exceeds energy expended through physical activity and the maintenance of basal metabolism and body heat. Many factors affect energy balance in the body, including a variety of hormones that play key roles in balancing metabolism and energy homeostasis. In fact, hormonal imbalances and fluctuations lie at the heart of many womens struggles with weight, particularly as they age:
Should You Speak With A Doctor Before Using These Supplements
Yes. You should absolutely speak with your primary care physician before starting any dietary supplement, particularly if you are undergoing BHRT or you are trying to lose weight for the sake of your health. Depending on your biology, your gender, and medications you may be taking, the efficacy of supplements to aid weight loss are all different. Balancing your hormones to lose weight means being cautious about the supplements you are using.
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Adrenal Health Daily From Gaia
If youre not one for mixing powders, then these liquid capsules are just what you need.
Made with holy basil, schisandra, ashwagandha and rhodiola, this formula has some of the best herbs supporting adrenal function.
In addition, it contains oats, which is a nervine . The nervous system and the HPA axis both play a role in our stress response.
Menopause Supplements For Weight Loss
Below are some menopause supplements that may help with weight loss.
Please note that the writer of this article has not tried these products. All information presented is purely research-based and correct at the time of publication.
Medical News Today follows a strict product selection and vetting process. Learn more here.
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Can Dim Help You Lose Weight
So, is DIM good for weight loss? If youve experienced any hormonal changes, you know how they can drastically impact weight. Estrogen is particularly good at helping us pack on a few extra pounds, especially around the hips and rear. In fact, having too much or too little estrogen can cause our body to store more fat. Estrogen can sometimes be to blame when it comes to struggling to lose weight, as well.
DIM helps to even out our estrogen levels, which helps our metabolism to function better. When our estrogen levels are appropriate, our metabolism leans more towards fat-burning. Studies have found that DIM increases lipolysis . This means it may be associated with weight loss and healthy weight management. So, DIM could help when it comes to shedding a few pounds!
Natural Estrogen For Weight Loss
Reviewed By:Dr. Douglas Lord
Menopause is the phase of life a woman enters when she has not had a period for one year. Perimenopause is the time of life that comes just before menopause, when the time between periods is growing longer and less predictable. Both phases involve hormonal shifts, which can affect the body in various ways. Weight gain is common during perimenopause and menopause alike.
Weight gain can increase the bodys risk of diabetes and heart disease, so controlling weight gain is very important. Understanding how menopause and perimenopause affect weight gain, and knowing what you can do to avoid such weight gain, can help you take care of yourself while these hormonal changes are taking place. Heres what you need to know. The good news is that balancing the hormones with atural estrogen replacement weight loss treatments can help control your weight. With that, lets look at some different Natural Estrogen for Weight Loss.
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How To Keep Estrogen At Optimal Levels
To balance estrogen levels naturally and prevent the weight gain that happens with an estrogen imbalance, youll want to do the following:
- Commit to a regular exercise routine. Many studies, including this 2012 one, published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, explain how exercise lowers estrogen levels in obese women.
- Eat your fiber. Fibrous foods help decrease elevated estrogen levels.
- Eat veggies in the cruciferous family. These include broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, kale, and bok choy. Anything green and leafy is always a good idea, too!
- Reduce your exposure to endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors are chemicals that interfere with our natural hormones. Avoid plastic containers, cans, or water bottles made with BPA. Never microwave plastic.
- Choose organic foods when possible, and choose phthalate-free cosmetics and personal care products.
- Consider bioidentical hormone replacement therapy, which uses plant-based hormones identical to those produced naturally by the human body to keep hormones balanced.
When To Contact A Doctor
Unintentional weight gain is a common symptom of menopause. A person can manage this with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
If a person has not exercised for some time or has a preexisting medical condition, they may wish to consider consulting a healthcare professional to work out an exercise regime suitable for their circumstances.
Here we answer common questions about supplements for weight gain associated with menopause.
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Look For Rapid Changes In Weight
Since multiple hormones work together to control metabolism, rapid weight gain or weight loss is a typical symptom of hormonal imbalance. Those with hormone imbalances have difficulties losing weight even with diet and exercise. Women often experience unexplained weight gain due to changes in estrogen and progesterone during menopause, or conditions such as PCOS. Spikes in cortisol can also create weight gain.
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What To Look For When Buying Online
The internet has made shopping easier than ever before. You can find anything you need with just a few clicks of the mouse. However, there are a few things you should keep in mind when shopping online. Here are a few tips to help you make the most of your online shopping experience.
1. Customer Reviews
As we mentioned before, online sites have a review section. This section is filled with customer feedbacks and even pictures of the product. Browsing through these reviews is the smartest thing to do. These reviews allow you to comprehend how the product will work for you. You can even determine the pros and cons of these reviews.
Check the rating on the website to learn if the seller is delivering the product as expected by the other buyers.
The item youre buying. Make sure youre getting what you want and that its the correct size, color, etc.
2. Quality
Product quality is the most important aspect to take into account when choosing a product. The quality of a product can vary greatly depending on the brands vision and objectives. Some brands emphasize long-term robustness, while others emphasize the products service. Carefully examine each brands promises before selecting the one whose quality best fits your needs.
3. Features
What are The Benefits of Buying Best Estrogen For Weight Loss Online?
You can also take your time when you shop online. You can read reviews, compare prices, and find the perfect product for you. Theres no pressure to buy something on the spot.
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Hormonal Imbalances You Cant Control
Again, even if youre doing everything right and utilizing these tips to try to keep your hormones in balance, you may still require some help from your doctor.
Checking your hormone levels in order to find out which of these are higher or lower and which may require more balance can help. This way, you will know what is creating your weight gain or loss and how you can better manage the issue at home and with your doctors help.