Menopause and Gaining Weight: 3 Strategies to Manage Weight Gain During Menopause
Did you know 60-70% of women experience menopause and gaining weight?
Weight gain is just one among many of the unwanted symptoms that come along with menopause. Know that if you’re struggling right now, you’re not alone, and there are people here to support you.
In today’s blog, we’ll be talking about menopause and common symptoms, menopause and weight gain, and strategies to manage weight throughout menopause – including nutrition, physical activity, and stress management.
If you haven’t read our recent blog on nutrition for prediabetes, be sure to check it out here: How Should I Eat If I Am Prediabetic?
Understanding Menopause
Menopause begins with the onset of irregular menstrual symptoms, which is usually accompanied by common menopause symptoms.
Once you have 12 consecutive months of missed periods, it marks official menopause and the end of reproductive life. However, the menopausal transition begins 5-10 years before the final menstrual period.
The average age of menopause is around 50 years old, but can occur as early as 40s or as late as 60s. The age that it occurs is influenced by different factors including exercise, diet, weight, socio-economic background, cultural beliefs, and more.
Menopause & Unwanted Symptoms
Menopause is unique for each and every individual who experiences it, and therefore, it requires unique and individualized care. There are unwanted symptoms associated with menopause, and up to 85% of women experience physical and emotional symptoms.
For a significant amount of these women, the symptoms can be severe and long lasting. Here’s a list of symptoms you may experience during menopause:
- Hot flashes
- Night sweats
- Mood swings
- Sleep disturbances
- Decreased libido
- Memory problems
- Fatigue
- Thinning hair
- Weight gain
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Headaches
- Join and muscle pain
- Brain food
- Dryness of skin/eyes
… the list really goes on and on, and every woman experiences menopause differently. Menopause and gaining weight is one particular side effect that many women struggle with.
So you, like many others, might be wondering how you can manage weight gain during menopause.
The Link Between Menopause & Gaining Weight
Before we dive into strategies for weight management during menopause, we want to talk about the link between menopause and gaining weight. There are 3 different factors that contribute to weight gain during menopause:
- Age: Weight increases with age, regardless of current weight status. This can occur regardless of gender and race/ethnicity.
- Hormones: During the beginning of the menopausal transition, estrogen begins to drop. This reduction can increase fat mass and decrease lean mass.
- Behavior: Behavioral factors such as sleep patterns and physical activity levels can contribute to an increase in weight throughout menopause.
As you can see, there are multiple factors that can contribute to weight gain and menopause, making it complex and individualized – but that doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies to help manage it.
What is the Average Weight Gain During Menopause?
Weight gain during menopause is experienced by up to 60-70% of women.
The average weight gain during menopause is about 1.5 pounds per year between the ages of 50 and 60 years old. This weight gain is independent of initial body size or race/ethnicity.
During the menopausal transition, there’s an increase in fat mass and a decrease in lean mass (weight of your body minus the fat – muscles, bones, organs, etc.).
Visceral fat particularly increases during menopause. Visceral fat is the type of fat that surrounds your internal organs. It can increase from about 5-8% of total body fat to abuot 15-20% of total body fat after menopause.
Visceral fat increase is particularly important to manage because it can increase the risk of heart disease and other health complications.
Nutrition Strategies for Managing Weight During Menopause
Now that you understand menopause, its side effects, and its impacts on weight gain, let’s talk about how we can manage that weight gain if it’s something you’re experiencing.
We’ll cover 3 different areas: nutrition, physical activity, and stress management.
The first is nutrition.
Despite extensive research on different diets, there’s little evidence recommending any singular diet over another for the intention of losing weight.
This means that your nutritional approach to managing weight gain throughout menopause is going to require an individualized approach taking into account your specific needs. Some things that should be incorporated into your eating patterns include:
- Affordable
- Nutritionally adequate
- Culturally acceptable
- Sustainable long-term
General recommendations include following a balanced diet rich in nutrients.
- Aim for Balance: Focus on incorporating complex carbs, healthy fats, and protein into each meal.
- Increase Fiber: Fiber rich foods help with digestion, keeping you fuller longer, and aid in weight management.
- Increase Protein: Protein helps maintain muscle mass, which can decrease during menopause.
Dietary patterns can assist with weight regulation during menopause, but it’s important you work on an individualized plan with a dietitian who can take into account your unique needs and preferences.
Physical Activity Strategies for Menopause & Weight Gain
In addition to focusing on dietary changes, you can work on increasing your physical activity levels. Just a little bit can make a big difference!
Both aerobic and resistance training are important for weight maintenance.
- Aerobic Training: Includes walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, dancing, hiking, and more.
- Resistance Training: Includes weight bearing exercises, squats, lunges, push ups, bench press, bicep curls, and more.
The recommendation is to do around 150-300 minutes per week of moderate intensity exercise, or 75-150 minutes of high intensity aerobic activity. It’s also suggested to partake in strength exercises two or more days per week. 150 minutes per week is about 30 minutes per day.
While those are the recommendations, it doesn’t mean if you’re doing 30 minutes 3 days a week you’re not going to see benefits for weight management. A little bit can make a difference, and it’s important to start small and find an approach that’s sustainable for you.
We also want to note that there are medications and surgery options available if that’s something you’re interested in. It’s important to work with your healthcare team to find the right approach for you.
Stress Management Strategies for Weight Loss
In this blog, we want to address stress with menopause and gaining weight. Stress can impact weight through various factors:
- Increased cortisol levels
- Emotional eating
- Sleep disruption
- Reduced physical activity
In addition to the nutrition and physical activity recommendations, you may want to consider managing your stress levels as part of your plan to manage weight gain during menopause.
Some strategies for stress management include:
- Adequate sleep
- Mindfulness and meditation
- Relaxation techniques
- Social support
- Moving your body
- Journaling
We know you’ve probably heard a million times that it’s important to manage your stress levels, but it really is. Managing your stress can free up your mental space and energy and help you make those other dietary and lifestyle changes that you’re ready to make.
Menopause and Gaining Weight: The Takeaway
Menopause is a life transition that affects everybody differently, but one common challenge is weight gain. 60-70% of women can experience weight gain during this phase, often feeling frustrated and unsure of how to handle it.
Understanding the complexities of menopause is important for understanding that you’re not necessarily doing anything wrong. Weight gain is something that so many women like you experience during this time of life.
This transition often occurs around age 50, and it can contribute to an average of 1.5 pounds per year, with a noticeable increase in visceral fat.
The three main factors contributing the the weight gain are age, hormonal changes, and behavioral shifts.
As you know, menopause and gaining weight is complex, which can make it challenging to manage. A comprehensive approach that includes nutrition, physical activity, and stress management can make a difference in your weight management and help you feel your best.
Amy Plano, Registered Dietitian has a group practice specializing in weight management and menopause. We believe your diet should be defined by all the wonderful things you CAN EAT – not by what you can’t.
Visit our services page to learn how we can work together to reach your goals and transform your life!