The problem of gaining weight during menopause affects most women - both slim and fuller shapes. We usually blame the hormones for the extra pounds. However, much in the period of menopause depends on ourselves. Just change your diet and lifestyle to keep your weight in check.

What ismenopause ? Around the age of 45, the ovaries gradually reduce the production of the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone.The last period , occurring in Poland around the age of 50, meansmenopause . The function of estrogens that regulate cellular metabolism, including the enzymatic and hormonal adipose tissue, is extinguished. That is why metabolism is disturbed. There is no scientific evidence of what is happening in adipose tissue at this time. Hence, some scientists argue that menopause does not predispose you to weight gain, others that hormonal adjustment has a large influence on it. Reality shows that, however, most women at a certain age gain weight.

Awareness of the hormone game will help you survive the menopause

When estrogen is depleted, less active metabolites are produced in their place, mainly estrone, which acts in such a way that the hunger center takes precedence over the satiety center. Due to estrone, less serotonin is produced. Women are more prone to mood changes, stress and sadness very often eat up with sweets. The craving for sweets comes from the fact that they trigger the release of gastrointestinal hormones, which raise the level of serotonin produced in the gut, improving your mood. When serotonin is lacking, the brain produces the hormone NPY, which is responsible for hunger, which is triggered even with little effort. As a result, we feel hungry, and because we need energy, we eagerly reach for caloric dishes: fatty, sweet and alcohol. The hormone NPY together with cortisol, the stress hormone, promote abdominal obesity, and not only because of increased appetite. The adipose tissue around the abdomen has the most cortisol-sensitive receptors, which "opens" fat cells, allowing them to accumulate fuel. When the mood drops, adipose tissue reduces the secretion of appetite-suppressing leptin, so we feel hungry and eat. The low level of estrogen promotes the accumulation of metabolic products and water in the body, and disturbs metabolismsugars that build up as fat.

A sedentary lifestyle promotes obesity

Extra kilos are always the result of a positive energy balance. Remember that with age the metabolism becomes slower and slower. Therefore, in order for the energy balance to reach "zero" with the current lifestyle, you need to eat less. Research shows that from the age of 35, the daily caloric ration should be reduced by 5% every 5 years. This means that during the menopause, a woman should provide the body with 20 percent. fewer calories than 20 years ago. Unfortunately, this is not the case, and any excess energy is stored in the form of fat. By consuming only 100 kcal during the day (a tablespoon of oil or a slice of bread with butter) than the body can burn, you can gain weight as much as 5 kg in a year. Movement plays an important role in maintaining weight. Sedentary women are seven times more likely to be obese than those who live actively (men only four).

When going through the menopause, eat less and move more

Not all women get fat. Genes are also important, but their role in the body must not be overestimated. If the "dormant" gene is not triggered by eating more than we can burn, we will not get fat. To maintain weight, you need to eat less and move more. It is not about murdering workouts in the gym, but for example about regular, longer and longer walks. Many women think: I eat chocolate because my body demands it. This is a mistake! We also have to intervene in physiology, otherwise we will quickly fall into the "estrogen trap". It is worth considering replacement therapy with your doctor, remembering that taking hormones alone will not solve the problem. Only a well-chosen therapy in combination with exercise and a proper diet will help you keep a slim figure.

Lose weight slowly and consciously

In the period of menopause, getting rid of excess weight by diet alone is very difficult, sometimes impossible, because we gain in the abdominal area, and adipose tissue accumulates not only under the skin, but also between organs. If we stay still, no diets will help. You need support, motivation and control. That is why it is worth going to a dietitian who will choose an individual diet. You also need to learn to eat according to the body's needs. Also, too restrictive menus usually fail and ruin the psyche. They cause constant thinking about eating, nervousness, guilt and … fuel the appetite.

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Category:

Female diseases