Understanding Menopause and Weight Gain
James Liow
A common complaint of women in the age group of 40 to 50 after their menopause is weight gain. Menopuase and weight gain seem to go hand in hand in many women. During this time maintaining present body weight becomes very tough for the woman. Interestingly most of the weight is accumulated in the abdomen and not in the thighs and hips. This creates even more problems for the woman.
Many women get shocked and frustrated with the drastic changes brought about by menopause. Weight gain is one of them. Even if they exercise and eat a balanced diet, they still fail in controlling those extra pounds that are added everyday.
Women must realize that it is a natural phenomenon. The extra weight gained comes from the change of hormonal levels of their body. These hormones that are likely to be affected are progesterone, estrogen, androgen, and testosterone.
Women in their menopausal stage gain weight also because of changes in their lifestyle. Often, they reduce the amount of exercise now compared to exercise routines when they were younger. Lack of exercise leads to accumulated fats.
Women also tend to eat more in this age but the calorie requirements of the body gets decreased as a person gets older. The result thus is weight gain. Further, it is also believed that genetic factors also play a huge role in increasing weight in women after menopause.
Women should fully understand the relation between menopause and weight gain. They should also be more disciplined and careful with their health. If you are one of these women having the same problem then these guidelines are for you.
Firstly, a balanced diet can always help you. Try to avoid sugar and junk goods and at best stick to fruits and vegetables. Also take lots of water.
Secondly, do not use a crash diet for weight loss. This is a misconception that a crash diet can help lose weight. In fact a crash diet deteriorates your health even more.
You must also remember that losing a drastic amount of weight in a very short period of time can be dangerous. It can in fact lead to osteoporosis. So your weight loss should be a gradual and balanced one.
Avoid food and drinks that are not good for your body like sugar, junk foods, and those containing alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.
Regular exercise is also a better solution to your weight problem. You should try aerobics because it will burn excessive fats and will also increase your metabolism. You can also do weight bearing activities to successfully manage your weight. You can walk, run or swim or ride the bicycle but you should do it on a regular basis.
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