Registered Nutritionist Deborah explains why weight gain can be common during the
menopause/perimenopause, and gives some tips on the most effective ways to achieve and
maintain a healthy weight during this time.


Why is weight loss so difficult in middle age?


● As we age, our basal metabolic rate or BMR (the energy we need just to keep our organs
functioning) slows down, so we need fewer calories than we did in our 20’s.


● Lean body mass consists of your bones, ligaments, tendons, internal organs, muscles and
water…basically everything in your body that’s not fat, which is associated with your BMR,
or the amount of calories you burn at rest. Muscles, even at rest, require energy in the form
of calories while fat cells do not. So the greater amount of lean muscle tissue you have, the
more calories you burn throughout the day, so building a higher proportion of lean tissue
will make it easier to maintain a healthy weight as you get older.


● One of the reasons for this slower metabolism and an increase in central body fat is the
change in hormones. As our ovaries produce less oestrogen, progesterone and testosterone
our body makes adjustments. Our fat cells produce small amounts of oestrogen, which our
body wants to keep hold of.


● Stress on the body – from working long hours, over-exercising, not enough sleep or
inflammation will raise cortisol – this puts our body into ‘fight or flight’ mode which
increases carb cravings, lowers metabolism and encourages our body to hold onto fat
ready for dealing with the stressful situation. This can be why working out too much can
make the problem worse.


● It is also common to lose sensitivity to insulin during perimenopause, which means your
body finds it harder to regulate blood sugar levels. When our blood sugar levels are
unstable, as well as feeling tired, irritable and brain foggy, it can also lead to weight gain and
carb cravings. If blood-glucose is out of range, the body is focussing on rebalancing these
levels rather than concentrating on regulating hormones, which can then lead to other
perimenopause symptoms. Long term high levels of cortisol (stress) can make us more
likely to be insulin resistant. So you can see how everything has a knock-on effect.


So what can we do about it?


So as you can see, it’s not just about eating less calories and moving more, which often doesn’t
work for many women. Other factors also play a part such as genetics, gut microbiome and your
environment but there are some helpful tips you can follow that don’t involve calorie counting.


Balance Blood Sugar


To avoid blood sugar spikes or lows, we should –
● include protein in all meals or snacks (e.g. eggs, nuts, seeds, meat, fish, lentils, tofu,
chickpeas)


● avoid sugary cereals – go for protein based brekkie like eggs, yoghurt, oats/nuts/seeds
(home-made granola)


● go for whole grain versions of bread, pasta, rice – these are complex carbs which release
energy slowly and avoid simple carbs like cakes, white bread, and processed foods.


● tag sweet foods on the end of a meal rather than eating them alone will lower the spike


● consuming foods in a certain order at mealtimes – research has shown that eating the
veggies first, then the protein (i.e. chicken), then the carbs last (rice, pasta) will mean a
lower spike in glucose and therefore a smaller drop in energy levels afterwards.

Support Hormones

Increasing phytoestrogen-rich foods (plant compounds with oestrogen-like properties) in the diet can help to balance hormones – they can adapt if oestrogen levels are high or low and are found in chickpeas, flaxseeds, miso, tempeh & tofu as well as alfalfa, red clover, mung beans, nuts, sunflower seeds, rye and buckwheat.

De-stress
Prioritise Self care – Mindfulness, meditation, yoga, tai chi, pilates, walks in nature, reading a book, a cuppa with friends, watching a film, doing something creative, a nourishing meal, massage – whatever makes you feel calm and relaxed!

Do the right exercise
Regular exercise – especially lifting weights, strength training and weight bearing exercise which will increase your metabolic rate is crucial for protecting against the age-related loss of lean tissue.  Overdoing cardio can put extra stress on the body and encourage our bodies to hold on to fat as a ‘protector’.

Get plenty of sleep
Poor sleep is common during perimenopause/menopause and can unfortunately contribute to weight gain, altered body composition and make it more difficult to lose weight – we may find we have an increase in appetite when we are tired too! Research has found that even if we are healthy, when we have poor sleep quality we are more likely to be insulin resistant. 

It is best to make sure we get some down-time before bed with no gadgets/tv, making sure we have a dark room, not eating late, cutting alcohol/caffeine in the afternoon, trying epsom salts baths or calming herbal teas like chamomile. 

Low levels of progesterone can also contribute to insomnia in some.

Check thyroid/adrenal health – it’s worth checking hormone levels with tests as these endocrine glands and their hormones can play a big part in our ability to lose weight.

Whilst weight gain may be a common symptom experienced by many women during the menopausal transition, there are many proactive steps you can take to help. The first and most important step is understanding what’s going on.

If you’d like to take a closer look into your own health issues & would like nutrition and lifestyle advice to help then Deborah is available for consultations, or why not join her on the evening of 23rd September for advice on how to feel your best in perimenopause & menopause – contact us to book your place.

References:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10936902/

Davis SR, Castelo-Branco C, et al. Understanding weight gain at menopause. Climacteric. 2012 Oct; 15(5): 419-29

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3476879/

https://www.newsonhealth.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/Sleep-and-hormones-v21-02.pdf

https://www.jessieinchauspe.com/

https://www.instagram.com/glucosegoddess/

https://www.healthline.com/health/stress/stress-and-weight-gain#risks

https://www.healthline.com/health/menopause/weight-gain

https://www.thyroid.org/wp-content/uploads/patients/brochures/Thyroid_and_Weight.pdf