Menopause Belly Fat Weight Gain

Changes to the body’s chemistry are directly linked to menopause belly fat weight gain.  With the onset of menopause and the incumbent hormonal changes comes a variety of recognized symptoms.  Among the 34 most common is menopause belly fat weight gain.

In addition to hormonal changes, there a several additional causes for menopause belly fat weight gain which are also pertinent.

Cravings

Cravings are a huge part of menopause belly fat weight gain.  If certain types of food tasted ‘good’ prior to menopause (women reaching 51 is the American national average), then these foods are likely to taste ‘exceptionally good’ during perimenopause and menopause.  Additionally, foods that might not have been as appealing prior to perimenopause and menopause may now be more to one’s liking.

The decrease in estrogen levels can be directly attributable to the increase in cravings for certain foods.  Among the primary culprits are any foods high in fat or rich in calories and carbohydrates.  Among these are (anything) chocolate, ice cream, brownies, pizza, wine, beer, donuts, cakes, pies, milk shakes, potato chips, pasta, etc.

The reason that the body may feel ‘out of control’ due to the cravings for certain foods is that the body is trying to compensate for the hormonal imbalance.  For some (as yet unknown) reason, weight gained during menopause seems to result in additional pounds around the middle, even though the woman (experiencing this symptom) may have had no previous history related weight gain around the waist.

Some women have noted actual changes in body shape due to this phenomenon.  Over the years, many women customarily experience weight gains in the hip and thigh areas.  This is especially true following pregnancy.  However, following perimenopause and menopause many women experience a shift from hip and thigh weight gain in deference to weight gained around the middle.

Binge Eating

Unfortunately, binge eating goes hand in hand with food cravings.  If previously, small portions of a person’s favorite food were adequate, a perimenopausal or menopausal woman may suddenly find that even two or three helpings (of these foods) are insufficient to satiate the craving.  Previously, a woman may have intuitively sensed which foods (or food types) were ‘danger’ foods and instinctively attempted to limit the over consumption of these ‘decadent pleasures’.

Following perimenopause and/or menopause these ‘make sense’ precautions could utterly be thrown out the window.  It is not unusual to find someone suffering from this condition to eat a whole bag of potato chips, or an entire half gallon of their favorite ice cream at a single setting.  Not surprisingly, binge eating coupled with specific food cravings can lead to menopause belly fat weight gain.

Comfort foods

In much the same way, a craving for or the over-consumption of comfort foods can lead to menopause belly fat weight gain.  Comfort foods are traditionally linked to high fat, excessive calories and carbohydrates.  Most people can relate to ‘Thanksgiving Dinner’ as the ultimate comfort food experience.  However, nearly the same can be said for roast beef, pizza, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, meat loaf, followed by deep dish peach pie or triple layer cake with double fudge frosting.

These types of foods are typically thought of as ‘comfort’ foods which most American traditionally enjoy.  However, the regular over-indulgence in these foods, especially in later life, can lead to menopause belly fat weight gain.

To further acerbate this condition, there is also clinical evidence that ‘stress’ is linked to comfort foods.

Lack of Exercise

It should be of no surprise that Americans exercise less as they age.  This fact is also true of perimenopausal and menopausal women.  Load bearing exercises like walking and modified weight training can help to balance weight gain.  Unfortunately, perimenopausal and menopausal women traditionally are less active and exercise less than in their 30’s and 40’s.  The consistent lack of regular exercise, especially load bearing exercise, can cause menopause belly fat weight gain.

Load bearing exercise can also be a deterrent to osteoporosis and joint related issues.

Metabolism

Metabolism is intrinsically linked to menopause belly fat weight gain.  As we age, our metabolic rate decreases, which means that less food is required to maintain consistent weight levels. If food consumption goes up without a corresponding raise in metabolism, women of advanced age run a serious risk of incurring menopause belly fat weight gain.

When We Eat

When we eat also has a bearing on menopause belly fat weight gain. Metabolic rates slow significantly later in the day, and especially after 6:00PM.  Heavy meals eaten late in the day followed by late-night binge/craving snacks can really add on the pounds and are a leading cause of menopause belly fat weight gain.

Other Catalysts and Eating Concerns

As previously mentioned, stress can be a precursor to binge eating and over eating.  Menopausal women also need to be aware that certain foods and beverages can also ‘trigger’ other common perimenopause or menopause symptoms like hot flashes and night sweats.

For this reason, smoking and the use of all alcoholic beverages (including beer and wine) are expressly discouraged.  Chocolate and other foods have also been known to trigger hot flashes and night sweats.

Dangers

There are multiple dangers associated with menopause belly fat weight gain. Weight gain in this area is associated with a greater risk of heart disease.  As a result of this fact, women are at equal risk of developing heart disease (at this age) as their male counterparts.

As we age, we are less able to digest food, especially large meals.  As a result, many health professionals and nutritionists are now recommending as many as 4 or 5 very small meals per day as compared to 3 regular large meals for persons of advanced age.

In addition to potential heart and arterial disease, heavy food consumption can put much additional stress on the digestive tract, liver and kidneys.  Diseases of the digestive tract (including colon cancer), as well as liver and kidney disease, can directly lead to increased menopause belly fat weight gain. 

Altering the Symptom at the Source

FemFlax® is an all-natural menopause support supplement and can help to eliminate menopause belly fat in 3 ways.

1.      Concentrated Fem-Flax™ has been especially formulated for women of menopausal age in an effort to combat “hot flashes” and “night sweats”, as well as “food cravings” which can lead to increased menopause belly fat weight gain.  The active ingredients in Fem-Flax are commonly referred to as “flax hull lignans”.  The highly concentrated (and encapsulated) full-spectrum of 27 flax hull lignans found in FemFlax act as weak oestrogen replacements, and in this way, help to alleviate hot flashes, night sweats, accelerated food cravings, as well as other symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause. FemFlax acts to naturally balance hormones and can help to eliminate the cravings and natural urges that can lead to menopause belly fat weight gain.

2.      FemFlax is naturally high in fiber and can swell to ten-times its encapsulated size in the stomach and digestive tract.  If taken prior to a meal, FemFlax can provide a “full feeling” which discourages over eating.

3.      The high-fiber nature of FemFlax also leads to big improvements in the elimination process.  High-fiber FemFlax (taken prior to or immediately following a meal) not only helps in the elimination process but also means that fewer calories and carbohydrates may be absorbed, which may also help to eliminate an elevated risk of menopause belly fat weight gain.