Have you been struggling to gain weight all your life and you are now in your 40s and 50s?

Most women gain weight during menopause so if you are looking to gain weight, menopause is the right period to do that.

What happens is that women tend to begin piling on the weight during the perimenopause period.

Why women gain weight during menopause?

Research shows that women gain weight during menopause due to hormonal changes in the body. These changes cause weight gain through

Increased appetite

Slowed down metabolism

Storage of more fat

Research shows that the hormones which are responsible for weight gain are:

Estrogen

Estrogen levels in the body decrease during menopause. Estrogen is the hormone that causes ovulation. When estrogen levels decline, the body looks for other areas to get estrogen from, this happens to be from fat cells in the body. This means that your body will produce more fat leading to weight gain.

Again, as one gets old, muscle tends to be turned to fat in the body. This means that the bodies of women will burn fewer calories. This leads toweight gain.

Testosterone

Testosterone levels in women decreases during menopause. Testosterone is usually turns calories into muscle. Muscle usually burns fat in the body. Because testosterone levels decrease, it means that muscle will decrease in the body. This results in a slow metabolism and weight gain is experienced.

Other hormones that cause increase in weight in women include progesterone and androgen.

Gaining weight

During menopause, women gain weight around the abdominal area rather. Fat accumulates around the midsection rather than around the hips and thighs as normally happens at a younger age. Hence, it is important that you exercise regularly since physical fitness is important.

Tips on how to gain weight gain during menopause

Gaining weight during menopause may increase your self esteem. Women sexual health especially suffers if they have a negative body image. There are some measures you can take to ensure that you gain weight at menopause.

1. Eat healthy-include fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet. Don’t take too much fats and sugars though. This should not be difficult to do since women tend to experience increased appetite during menopause. Avoid going on fancy diets and just focus on eating healthy.

2. Exercise-include some level of physical activity in your daily lifestyle for fitness reasons. Avoid the temptation of being sluggish and lying around in front of the TV day in day out

3. Seek professional help- not gaining weight especially during menopause can be a symptom of a deeper problem. Be careful not to gain too much weight too fast though. Gaining too much fat could lead to diseases like cancer, for example breast cancer and high blood pressure. Abdominal fat could also lead to diseases such as heart problems. Therefore it is important to visit a clinic and see a professional dietician if you want to gain weight during menopause.

Weight gain after menopause reduces the chances of women experiencing other acute symptoms of menopause such as hot flashes, irritability and fever. So, there is every reason for you to put on those elusive extra pounds during menopause.