Wednesday, May 8, 2013

How Menopause Changes Your Hormones


Menopause weight gain is something many women experience so don't be depressed thinking you're alone and what's more, there are several ideas to help you cope and feel better about yourself, even when you stop producing egg cells. Weight gain is naturally observed in women who are undergoing peri-menopause and on the average, a pound is added to the scales every year as soon as the symptoms show, even when you eat the same amount of food and exercise for the same amount of time.

The weight is commonly distributed along the lower torso so most women who gain weight during peri-menopause tend to have an apple-shaped body. It is indispensable that you keep your regular healthy lifestyle, but without the obvious results, things might become frustrating. You should realize that unlike in your younger years, you exercise to keep fat away; in menopause years, fat is not the only enemy since your hormones become imbalanced as you age.

Changes in the hormonal levels may play a crucial part in menopause weight gain. Estrogen is one of the primary culprits. Estrogen production slows down during the start of menopause, and since the body was made to cope (survival mechanism), it will look for other sources to provide the necessary amount of hormone. Unfortunately estrogen is produced from fat cells and the body begins to increase body fat. So during low levels of estrogen, fat cell formation is more favored than the burning of unwanted calories. Excess fat cells mean weight gain. That's just one way your body puts on weight. Over eating to cope with the added weight is why some women gain an extreme amount of menopause weight entering and during Peri-menopause.

Progesterone is another female hormone that may contribute to your feeling of heaviness. If your progesterone levels are comparably lower than your estrogen levels, you might be experiencing a medical case called estrogen dominance and this actually causes water retention and in some, hypothyroidism, which negatively affects your metabolism. Testosterone is commonly known as a male hormone although women produce it also. This hormone is responsible for muscle formation and as menopause begins, its level decreases leading to lower muscle mass. Lower muscle mass, in turn, leads to a decrease in metabolism.

Hormone therapy is a very attractive solution since you discovered that the weight gain might be caused by the fluctuation of body substances but there are side effects that you should consider. Before you undergo HRT or hormone replacement therapy, you should consult a doctor first. Supplements can be custom-combined by pharmacists, although most are commercially produced. The method may seem logical, however, there are studies relating the use of supplemental estrogen and breast cancer that is why you need to consult first.

While it seems that the only hope for menopause weight gain is to rehabilitate your hormone levels, you can also try more natural methods like keeping an active lifestyle. Instead of providing your body with synthetic hormones, you can try natural food products that contain the same chemicals. Increase your intake of fruits and vegetables and avoid refined products like sugar and rice. Starving yourself is a big no-no (even for those who are not in their menopause period yet) because it only leads to slower metabolism.

Exercise has been shown to help many woman combat the menopause weight gain challenge. exercise has many benefits physiologically and physically. In addition when a woman exercises at the proper intensity and frequency she will be able to manage her hormone level naturally without HRT or any other over the counter drugs. I'm not against HRT's, but I have that exercise and a proper menopause diet can be a positive alternative to gain menopause weight and not fully loving the body you have to live in.

In the guide the 7 Day Menopause Diet Guide there is step by step plan for losing menopause weight, and keeping it off forever. After coaching hundreds of menopausal I discovered the patterns and trends and how to lessen the severity of most menopause symptoms. The results are not immediate, but rehabilitating your body to its normal state really takes time. Continue living a healthy active lifestyle and you will see that your body will cooperate and it will heal itself. I advise all women over 42 to begin eating whole foods and becoming physically active for 30 minutes per day 4-5 times per week. Within a short few week most women begin to experience far less menopause symptoms and start to lose body weight.

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