24/03/2022
During Peri Menopause and Menopause many Women complain about weight gain, particularly around the mid-section, this abdominal weight gain is commonly known as belly fat.
You will see all kinds of miracle diets, pills and supplements advertised to target ‘belly fat’, however unfortunately you cannot spot reduce fat in any area of your body.
This may seem very disappointing, but all is not lost. Understanding why we gain fat in this area may help to combat it.
Leading up to and after Menopause we see a great reduction in oestrogen. Oestrogen has many functions in the body (see earlier posts) but one important function is where we deposit fat stores. In reproductive years oestrogen will direct fat storage towards our hips, thighs, bottom and tops of arms.
This is called a gynoid fat pattern and is perfectly normal for females.
When oestrogen starts to decrease, we see a change in the pattern of fat storage to the male (android) pattern of deposition. This changes the storage from the hips, thighs, bottom and arms to the abdomen and hence the dreaded ‘belly fat’. There is also a certain amount to redistribution of fat to this area even if you haven’t gained any weight.
The easiest way to combat this is to replace the depleted hormones, ie. Oestrogen. I strongly suggest you speak to your health care professional about HRT.
In addition to this redistribution of fat there are other factors that can lead to gaining weight as follows:
A reduction in overall activity leading to burning fewer calories
Stress and high cortisol leading to increased hunger
Anxiety leading to comfort eating
Lack of sleep leading to higher cortisol and increased hunger
A reduction in muscle mass due to ageing and decreased oestrogen
A reduction in Bone mass
A decreased metabolism due to the reduced muscle and bone
And many more.
If we can anticipate these factors and combine lifestyle changes with replacement hormones, then the ’belly fat’ and general weight gain can be mitigated.
A non-restrictive balanced diet high in protein, resistance training or EMS, Stress reduction, meditation, relaxation techniques and sleep training will all impact this