Navigating Menopausal Weight Gain
Menopausal Weight Gain
Menopause: hot flashes, low mood, depression, low libido, chills, night sweats, trouble sleeping, mood changes.. the list can go on. And if this doesn’t sound hard enough, add weight gain and a changing body to mix. It’s fair to say transitioning into menopause can cause a rollercoaster of symptoms, feelings and emotions.
It can be helpful to understand what is physiologically going on in your body to explain why you are experiencing these changes. As women age your ovaries stop releasing eggs, and make less and less of the female hormones oestrogen and progestogen, and eventually, your periods stop. Menopause is defined as 12 months since the last period.
What your body does to try counteract this plummet in female sex hormones is it gains body fat, especially around the abdomen and thighs. I explain this experience to women as a women’s second puberty- your body is changing shape and size due to the reduction in your female sex hormones.
Women often assume menopausal weight gain is a result of something they are doing wrong (or not doing). For example, women will often say the are eating really well, and exercising so much, but they just can’t shift their weight, and may even continue to gain weight. But in majority of cases the women is not to blame. It’s the hormonal fluctuations and other shifts that come with menopause that are the true culprit to weight gain. Did you know it’s actually normal for females to experience an average 5kg of body weight during menopause?
It’s really important to remind yourself that weight gain before, during, and after menopause is to be EXPECTED and is completely NORMAL. This is a biological response your body is taking in order to try and protect itself from the plummeting levels of sex hormones.
When your body’s sex hormones plummet this can also cause low mood and depression. Our female sex hormones make us feel good, so losing them can feel like you have gone from a massive high to a massive low. Appreciate that you may be feeling more vulnerable than you ever have before, so worrying about weight gain can become the last straw on the camel’s back.
Although its not nice to feel uncomfortable in your body, learning to accept your body is changing due to a normal response to you moving into a different stage of your life is really important to work through. The following statements can be helpful self affirmations to make sure you are giving yourself some self-compassion as you move into a different stage of your life:
It’s ok and normal if I gain weight during menopause. This is a normal biological response to my hormonal changes.
Most other females experience weight gain throughout menopause too. I am not alone in my struggles.
My weight does not define me. Losing weight will not make me a better person or more liked by others. I will be mindful that society may not always reinforce this message.
I will focus on looking after my body, eating well, doing things that bring me joy, moving my body, and getting good quality sleep.
I will focus on how I feel and my energy levels as indicators of success, rather than the number on the scale.
Menopause is a beautiful time for change. I am moving into a different lifecycle and life may look different for me right now.
It’s ok to feel uncomfortable in my body as it changes shape and size. I am going through a women’s second puberty. This is a normal response that others struggle with too.
I will practice being kind to myself and my body. I may not love my body but I will respect and accept all the amazing things it can do for me.
If I tell myself I won’t be happy until I lose weight, I am delaying my happiness. I will practice being happy in the here and now.
At this stage, women need other women, I will reach out if I’m feeling low.