"If your waist is ‘thickening’, your body-shape is changing and you are going into or through menopause, let me explain why!"
[Dr Wendy Sweet, (PhD) Women's Healthy Ageing Researcher]
Understanding the Science of your Belly Fat in Menopause and Post-Menopause
I invite you to watch my Science of Weight Gain in Menopause and Post-Menopause video if you would like a summary.
But if you prefer reading in a little more depth, then please scroll down to read my 5 Reasons for Weight Gain in Menopause and Post-menopause article below and I have some lifestyle suggestions for losing your post-menopause stomach fat too.
Wendy
Why am I gaining weight after menopause?
It can be so confusing can’t it? The weight gain, especially around the stomach area, as you move into post-menopause. Suddenly the exercise and dieting you’ve been doing for years, no longer works. I know that feeling myself.
So, what is going on as we move into our ‘third age’, our post-menopause years, which is determined not so much by age, but by the fact that you haven’t had a period for a year or more.
The first thing you have to realise, is that the transition from menopause, when periods have ended, to post-menopause, (when your periods have ended for a year or more), causes another hormonal ‘shift’. Oestrogen and progesterone levels continue to decline, as do the master reproductive hormones in the brain – Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and Luteinizing Hormone (LH).
This hormonal shift may cause even more disruption to your metabolic profile, increasing the risk of overweight and obesity status.
The more your weight goes up, especially around the stomach region, the greater the risk of changing fat distribution and a condition called metabolic syndrome – this refers to a cocktail of problems, including changing insulin sensitivity, high blood sugar levels (causing hunger changes), high blood pressure and increased inflammation in your fat cells.
This is why, I want you to understand that menopause and post-menopause weight gain, is not ‘just’ about your ovaries and reproductive system. It’s so much more than that, and it starts with understanding that your tissues and organs (including your fat cells) are ageing and the decline in your reproductive hormones affects target tissues and organs all around the body.
Changes occur to different structures around the body, including:
- your heart, which is losing some muscle volume
- the blood vessels, which can become ‘stiffer’ as they lose some elasticity
- your liver, which is starting to shrink and lose some of the role of the enzymes
- your gut, which is starting to slow down peristalsis (movement)
- your muscles, which are starting to lose some of the power fibres as well as increased inflammation in the mitochondria where your energy is made.
- your nerves, which also become inflamed, including in the brain.
- your skin, which is starting to acquire brown spots (due to liver changes).
When I learnt all of this during my doctoral studies, and I discovered that so many women struggle with weight gain (as I did too), in their mid-life years, especially as they move into post-menopause, I knew I had to untangle what was really going on with our post-menopause weight gain.
I hope you enjoy learning about this in my article below.
Factors leading to post-menopause weight gain
Poor sleep, changing liver and gut health, incorrect nutritional choices and exercise advice that isn’t tailored to your changing heart and liver health in post-menopause. Muscle density decline also occurs, and this may affect the way that your body handles glucose uptake and insulin regulation.
Then there is your stress levels leading to higher cortisol levels, which can contribute to where you are gaining fat – primarily your stomach region.
It’s why, our post-menopause transition, which is the biological gateway to our ageing, leaves us vulnerable to other health changes. The good news is that we all have the ability to turn this around, so if you are putting on weight that you are struggling to manage, then please have a read of the 5 main reasons I attribute to post-menopause weight gain.
5 Reasons for your Post-Menopause (and Menopause) Weight Gain
1. NOT SLEEPING
Incredibly, because of the changing hormone levels in the switch from menopause to post-menopause (generally around 52 – 54 yrs old), women can add 1-2 kg a week of central fat gain, when they can’t sleep. Thanks to a Swedish study of 400 middle-aged and older women who recorded shortened sleep duration and weight gain, this is better known. (Theorell-Haglow et al, 2010)
The problem is, that not sleeping is the slippery slope towards weight gain as women age. It’s why in both of my Transform Me (for weight loss) and Beyond Menopause (for healthy ageing) programmes, I focus women on sleeping all night.
If you aren’t sleeping between 2-4am, then what happens, is that your blood pressure, heart rate and respiratory rate remain higher. So, too does insulin, the hormone that regulates your blood sugar levels. As such, your chronic stress hormone, called cortisol also remains higher.
When cortisol is high, then over time, chronic sleep deprivation is associated with higher levels of cortisol throughout the day. This can lead to changed gut hormones and eating behaviours. These changes all connect to cause greater storage and production of fat in your fat cells.
I’ve written about this phenomenon HERE. As I often say to women who are trying to exercise off their weight gain, “If you aren’t sleeping, then you aren’t losing.”
So, when it comes to reversing weight gain in midlife and your post-menopause years, a good night’s sleep is the answer. I know that’s easier said than done when you’re suffering from hot flushes, night sweats, having to get up and pee, or restless legs and joint pain. How to turn this sleep deprivation around is in the MyMT™ 12 week lifestyle change programmes – it’s the most important information for your healthy ageing that you will learn!
But when you’re awake night after night, this means that your glucose-carrying hormone called insulin, remains higher than usual overnight.
So too, does your stress hormone called cortisol.
When this happens, this interferes with both melatonin and another sleep hormone called Adenosine.
As sleep deprivation accumulates, it can increase the risk of heart problems, anxiety and depression; resulting in even more sleepless nights and worsening night sweats – yes, even as you move into post-menopause.
I place a great emphasis on understanding exactly what to do to turn around your circadian rhythm and pituitary production of melatonin, that is specific to menopause and post-menopause.
2. OESTROGEN DOMINANCE
How can you be ‘dominant’ in oestrogen, when your oestrogen levels are declining in post-menopause, I hear you ask?!
Yes, it used to confuse me as well. That is, until I began to understand the secret life of fat cells as women get older.
When hormonal changes as well as organ and tissue changes, arrive in mid-life and beyond, and women don’t adjust their lifestyle to suit these changes, the fat cells can turn towards storing any excess oestrogen that arrives from the diet as well as hormone-agents in the environment.
When this happens, there is more oestrogen stored in our fat cells. The more oestrogen that is stored, the greater the risk of visceral fat developing. This refers to the deeper fat cells that sit around organs and tissues.
This visceral fat is the problem for changing health status as you get older. Because it’s this type of fat, that is also producing it’s own type of oestrogen.
As the fat cells acquire more and more fat from food and excess oestrogen, then they expand and grow larger. As such, oestrogen becomes the dominant hormone in fat storage areas because the liver and gut can’t keep up with clearing it. When oestrogen dominates the internal environment, progesterone levels are lower in comparison to oestrogen.
This is what ‘oestrogen dominance’ means.
This is why liver health is important to weight management as well as glucose (blood sugar) regulation.
Excess oestrogens are cleared from the body via the liver and gut. But after menopause, the liver changes in structure and function as part of our normal biological ageing of our organs. How to cleanse your liver and improve it’s ability to clear excess oestrogen, cholesterol and other toxins can be learnt in the MyMT™ 12 week lifestyle change programmes.
3. MUSCLE LOSS
There is a lot of emphasis on heavy weight training for women in menopause and post-menopause these days, and the reason for this, is because there is some change in the tone and density of muscles and bones, as women move into post-menopause.
However, it isn’t everyone! And as I often say, if women aren’t sleeping, then heavy weight training (which also needs a diet high in protein, which can be inflammatory to the gut), can contribute to worsening inflammation.
It is true however, that when women do lose some size in their muscles, then their metabolism changes and can slow down. Skeletal muscle has the most effect on metabolism and if muscle loss occurs, then there are changes to the mighty mitochondria, which is where energy is made.
Muscle loss is highest for women during the menopause to post-menopause transition. But the rate of this accelerates when women aren’t sleeping or if physical activity has stopped due to sore joints, fatigue or lack of time! Losing muscle means that women don’t ‘burn’ as many calories as they used to either. This muscle loss is normal, but if too much muscle is lost, then a condition called sarcopenia may occur. This can then contribute to changing bone and immune health as women get older, as well as falls and fractures.
Weight management after menopause requires not only a focus on muscle, but more importantly, a focus on restoring the energy production capability of the mitochondria. This can be achieved with aerobic exercise and foods containing folate, and healthy fats, such as in Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
I can’t emphasise enough, that restoring joint health is so important for all women as they age and this is what I help you to focus on as well.
4. LOW VITAMIN D LEVELS
Why aren’t all women in their menopause and post-menopause years given a free Vitamin D test?! I’m always ensuring that I ask Doctors this. But I often get a look of disbelief that Vitamin D has anything to do with worsening symptoms and worsening weight gain!
But as women move into their post-menopause years, the skin is ageing and changing. Those of us already in post-menopause know this already! As the skin changes in tone and texture, Vitamin D production may be inhibited too.
Our skin is our largest organ and is full of oestrogen receptors. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin and is produced in the skin with the help of oestrogen.
Therefore, as women move into post-menopause, many are at greater risk of declining Vitamin D levels. Especially those with darker skin whereby increased melanin levels may inhibit Vitamin D levels.
Vitamin D is now recognised as a hormone, so low levels have an effect on other hormones around the body too. This is due to the feedback system that operates with all of our hormones.
When Vitamin D is low, hot flushes are increased and memory loss/ foggy brain becomes worse, even for those of you in your post-menopause years.
Gut health concerns may also inhibit the absorption of Vitamin D, as it aids calcium absorption in the small intestine.
Vitamin D is such a powerful hormone for women to monitor in their post-menopause years because it is also implicated in melatonin production. This is your sleep hormone. If Vitamin D levels are low, insomnia increases and your mood hormone, serotonin, is reduced.
Serotonin works with dopamine to help your mood and motivation. So, if you are on menopause-related anti-depressants, then ask your Doctor to also check your Vitamin D levels too.
Restoring Vitamin D and sleep is crucial to your ongoing health and weight.
5. HIGH STRESS LEVELS
My number 5 reason, is for you not to forget that even though you still ‘feel young’, your internal cells, tissues and organs are ageing.
This means that your body doesn’t resist stress as well as it used to. Blood pressure, heart rate and temperature may increase more rapidly when you feel stressed and overwhelmed as you continue your busy life.
Some stress is good for us, but the problem in post-menopause, is that too much stress (and this includes from not sleeping and/ or too much exercise), increases cortisol levels, which are already increased due to the ageing of the adrenal glands, where your stress hormones are produced.
This powerful hormone is one of your stress hormones but it works in conjunction with melatonin, your sleep hormone.
Too much stress (emotionally and physically) interferes with your sleep, your liver health and your gut health.
All of these factors combined contribute to your insulin levels staying high and you resist overnight fat-burning. It’s a vicious cycle as so many women find.
- Not sleeping
- Changing liver and gut health
- Loss of elasticity in our blood vessels
- Muscle loss
- Sore joints and
- Stress from our busy lives
All of these factors interact to create the ‘perfect storm’ for weight gain during our menopause transition and of course, our metabolic health and energy levels may then start to decline as well.
Is MyMT™ Beyond Menopause for you? I hope so!
Numerous studies indicate that if women aren’t changing their lifestyle to account for hormonal changes from peri-menopause to post-menopause, symptoms can continue even into the post-menopause years – despite menopause HRT.
That’s why I would love you to join me on the MyMT™ Beyond Menopause programme, or if you are still in menopause, then the MyMT™ Transform Me programme is for you.
There is never a better time to start, but if you are hesitating, then I recommend you complete the MyMT™ Symptoms Quiz, watch the revised and updated MyMT™ Masterclass on Menopause, go to the Testimonials and Success Stories on the MyMT™ website and find someone like you to read their story.
MyMT™ 12 week programs are normally available for NZ$399 each, but by using the promo code STARTMYMT you will secure savings of NZ$75 making this powerful world-class programme, NZ$324*. Part payments are available for you to select from too.
[*approx. AUS$300| €170| £145| CAN$265 | US$193]
I hope you can join me when you are ready.
Dr Wendy Sweet, (PhD), Member: Australasian Society of Lifestyle Medicine/MyMT™ Founder & Coach
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