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Menopause causes weight gain around your middle and weight loss to plateau. This is because of the fluctuations in hormones such as estrogen, testosterone and androgens. However there are natural solutions available online.Your hormones during menopause have a direct impact on your metabolism, cravings, appetite, and fat storage, which is why it’s so difficult to reach your weight loss goals.
During menopause, hormones will fight you all the way, so awareness is the key to weight loss success! Read Val’s inspiring journey by clicking here.
The hormonal shifts of menopause predispose you to weight gain around your abdomen instead of around your hips, thighs and bottom. Weight gain around your middle has health risks such as metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes.
Weight gain during menopause can be a symptom of an underlying hormonal imbalance such as Thyroid, Oestrogen, Progesterone and Cortisol imbalance, but the great news is natural treatment options are available to support healthy hormonal balance, stop weight gain in its tracks and improve weight loss.
Salivary Hormone Testing for Menopause
By completing my full online naturopathic health and hormone test, I will invest no less than 45 minutes piecing together your symptoms and really pinpoint what hormones are causing your weight gain and other health complaints. If I feel that further salivary or blood testing via you GP is required, I will make those recommendations.
For example, as part of the process of compiling a natural weight loss program for you, I may suggest measuring hormone levels by using salivary hormone test kits, available from my clinic. Salivary hormone test kits can assist in the proper diagnoses of hormonal imbalances contributing to weight gain and conditions such as Fatigue, PCOS, Fibroids, Endometriosis, Cyst, Menopause and Thyroid imbalance. To find out more about salivary hormone testing please click here.
Not sure if your hormones are making you fat? Take my FREE Hormonal Check To Find Out
5 causes of weight gain during menopause
- Hormones
- Lack of exercise
- Decrease in metabolic rate of 10-15%
- Medications
- Over eating
Why is weight gain a problem during menopause and do I have a hormone imbalance making weight loss slow?
Thyroid imbalance and weight gain during menopause
During menopause the production of estrogen and progesterone slows and given that progesterone is often the first hormone to decline, this leaves estrogen as the dominant hormone temporarily.
This according to researchers is a key factor in decreased thyroid function during menopause due to its impact on lowering levels of T3 (a thyroid hormone) in the blood.
Thyroid replacement medications such as Thyroxine or Oroxine may not be effective because, if overstressed adrenals ( I will chat about this later on) are at the root of your thyroid trouble, feeding the body more T4 is little more than a ‘Band-Aid’ solution.
But the adrenal glands are one piece to the thyroid equation. For other patients, autoimmune concerns, low iodine, food sensitivities or something entirely different can be the cause of a sluggish thyroid during menopause.
Stress and weight gain during menopause
By the time a woman hits menopause, she has more than likely endured her fair share of stressful life challenges.
There is a connection between stress and thyroid function. This is due to the affect of the hormone cortisol.
Stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), causing elevated cortisol levels. This stimulation has huge implications throughout the body, especially in the gut (causing bloating), brain, adrenals and thyroid.
We know high cortisol (hypercortisolism) in the bloodstream can affect thyroid function by directly inhibiting the production of TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone) and also inhibiting the conversion of T4 to T3.
In addition, women can suffer from insomnia during menopause and when you are deprived of sleep, cortisol (a hormone commonly released in response to physical or emotional stress) is released at an increased level and stimulates your appetite and cravings causing weight gain. This increases your chances of metabolic syndrome.
Growth Hormone levels decline during menopause
Growth hormone levels decline: Losing deep sleep due to insomnia during menopause decreases growth hormone levels. Growth hormone is a protein that helps regulate your body’s proportions of fat and muscle. With less growth hormone, you reduce your ability to lose fat and grow muscle, slowing your metabolism and making weight loss difficult.
Oestrogen imbalance and weight gain during menopause
Oestrogen casues weight gain during menopause firstly by increasing your appetite and secondly as oestrogen levels decrease your body looks for other places to get needed estrogen. Fat cells in your body can produce estrogen, so your body works harder to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels which causes weight gain and makes weight loss impossible.
Progesterone deficiency and weight gain during menopause
During menopause, progesterone levels decrease causing water retention and bloating. Though this doesn’t actually result in weight gain, your clothes will probably feel a bit tighter and you may feel a bit heavier.
Testosterone levels decline during menopause causing weight gain
Testosterone helps your body to create lean muscle mass and muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells do. This increases your metabolism making weight loss easier. In menopause, levels of testosterone drop resulting in the loss of this muscle slowing down your metabolism causing weight gain.
Leptin and weight gain during menopause
Leptin, affects body weight and is secreted primarily by fat cells. Sleep loss and insomnia during menopause decreases leptin and tells the body there is a calorie shortage and promotes hunger. Low leptin levels will make weight loss difficult and can lead to consistent weight gain.
Gherlin and weight gain during menopause
Secreted by the stomach Ghrelin stimulates cravings and appetite and a lack of sleep or insomnia during menopause stimulates its release in higher amounts triggering weight gain.
Androgens and weight gain during menopause
Androgens cause weight gain around your mid section this is why it’s called the “middle age spread”.
Insulin Imbalance and weight gain during menopause
During menopause, your body may not be able to metabolise carbohydrates as well, which can lead to an increased storage of fats and higher levels of blood sugar. Excess blood sugar can cause insulin resistance and is directly linked to weight gain.
Naturopathic treatment of weight gain caused by hormonal imbalance during menopause is successful and has helped many women heal their symptoms and achieve weight loss naturally. The best part is, it’s available online!
Are you menopausal – these symptoms are common with menopause:
- hot flashes
- night sweats
- depression
- mood swings
- dry skin and hair
- anxiety
- insomnia
- weight gain
- low libido
Top 5 Tips On How to Beat Menopausal Weight Gain Naturally
Step 1. Identify what’s causing your weight gain – including hormones.
Step 2. Learn what foods are triggering hormonal imbalances causing you to gain weight.
Step 3. Implement a natural and targeted nutritional treatment plan designed to balance hormones and help you to lose weight and keep it off.
Step 4. Introduce targeted natural remedies to restart your metabolism.
Step 5. Provide access to a professional support network that, will guide and help you to change unhealthy lifestyle choices and implement a long term treatment to combat your weight gain.
The best approach for you:
- Book in your FREE Naturopathic Review.
- Commit yourself to a comprehensive program with me that will include vitamins, herbs and minerals specifically chosen for you to balance your hormones.
- Make use of our support network made up of fully registered and accredited health professionals.
So many women have joined MassAttack and been successful. The key is to learn the truth about hormones and the truth about the foods that can work against your weight loss efforts.