Weight Gain and Menopause - How Are They Connected?

A woman is considered as going through "menopause" once her monthly cycle has stopped permanently. The typical age range for the onset of menopause can occur between the ages of 43 and 55. A females geographic location can affect the onset of menopause and it's stages. In some other countries, such as India and the Philippines, menopause can occur at a younger age typically around 45 years old.

Menopause does eventually occur in every woman. Premature menopause and its various symptoms may include irregular or spotty periods, hot flashes, night sweats, overall sleep difficulties, and irritability or moodiness. The various treatments for menopause treatments may include hormone replacement therapy or HRT. A woman can also choose to go the natural route and try herbal remedies which might include natural foods like soy.

One of the side effects of menopause is a direct change in body shape or symmetry. Many women will possibly gain between 10 to 15 pounds during their menopausal years. Women that have experienced early menopause or surgical menopause stages may experience a more rapid and extreme weight gain cycle.

Many women can get the shock of their life once they begin to notice those extra pounds graciously added by menopause. You may be maintaining the same lifestyle in terms of diet and exercise but still can't seem to maintain your weight. Especially in the earlier stages, weight maintenance can be difficult.

Your body and it's hormone levels also fluctuate which in turn have a direct impact on your metabolism and appetite. The hormones directly involved with menopause include estrogen and progesterone.

Estrogen: This hormone is considered the female sex hormone that is responsible for producing monthly ovulation. During stages of female menopause, estrogen levels decrease rapidly, causing your body to stop the ovulation process. Fat cells in your body can produce estrogen, so your body works double time to convert extra calories into fat to increase declining estrogen levels.

Progesterone: During menopause, progesterone levels will also experience a big decrease. Like estrogen, lower levels of this particular hormone is directly responsible for most of the symptoms of menopause that include weight gain.

Unfortunately for you, fat cells don't burn many calories the way muscle cells do, which causes you to pack on those unwanted pounds. In addition to increase in exercise and light weight-training, changes in diet and food combining can encourage healthy and permanent weight loss. Menopause is not a death sentence. Making the proper choices can make a woman's stage of life very comfortable and manageable.