Weight Gain And Menopause - Menopause

Is It Possible To Gain Weight Because Of The Menopause

Unfortunately the menopause is a fairly nasty thing to go through in terms of the symptoms which come with it. As well as hot flushes, mood swings, fatigue and vaginal dryness, the menopause also brings with it – weight gain.

Weight gain is not as commonly associated with the menopause for some women, but it is in fact a common symptom. Most women find that once they do go through the menopause, their body shape starts to change and they often gain weight. So, if you are finding that this is happening to you, at least now you know that you are not alone!

Why This Weight Gain Occurs

You may be wondering why this weight gain is actually occurring and the answer is because of your hormones. Hormones play a big part in how our bodies act and weight gain is no different. Most women who go through the menopause will find that they put on at least a stone during their menopausal years. So, as depressing as this is, there is some small comfort in the fact that it is not necessarily your fault, it is something which happens to around 90% of menopausal women.

It is your hormones which cause you to eat more and fatigue stops you from being as active as you used to be. So, menopausal symptoms do stop you from helping yourself and that is where weight gain generally does come in. So, whilst it is not your fault, there is actually something that you can do about it and that is to eat healthily and exercise more. By combining a healthy eating pattern with regular exercise, you will also lessen the affects of the menopausal symptoms and you will feel better all around as well as losing weight.

Why Acceptance May be The Best Answer

Sometimes it is just better to accept your new body shape. Whilst obviously you would love to stay thinner for longer, your body does have its reasons sometimes for adding this extra weight. One of those reasons is to prevent you from developing Osteoporosis as well as other illnesses.

So, whilst it is good to keep active and eat healthily, it is not important to try and slim down too much. You just need to keep in shape and keep your new body happy. If you accept this new weight gain you will be less stressed and you will end up being healthier for longer. If you were constantly stressed you would eat more and the problem would only become worse.