Menopause can lead to many changes in your body. One of the most unpleasant changes for many women is menopause weight gain. Whether you start to gain weight during perimenopause or don’t notice changes until afterward, it’s important to know that help is out there.
How long does menopause weight gain last? Does a menopause specialist know how to prevent weight gain during menopause? Is there considerable weight gain after menopause? Here are the answers you need about the best vitamins and supplements to avoid weight gain during the menopausal process.
How Does Menopause Affect Your Body?
When hormone levels fluctuate, and your body stops menstruating, you will experience mental and physical symptoms as a result. Perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause can all have various symptoms, including menopause weight gain. Some of the ways that menopause can impact your body include:
- Hot flashes
- Mood swings
- Vaginal dryness
- Night sweats
- Insomnia
- Headaches
- Lower libido
- Weight gain
Working with a menopause specialist can connect you with vitamins and supplements that will ease the menopausal process and reduce your symptoms related to low estrogen levels.
Why Do Women Experience Weight Gain After Menopause?
Our bodies are made of intricate systems that all work together. When one system is changing, it can make other things change too. Hormone levels in your body fluctuate throughout menopause, which increases the chance that you will accumulate excess weight around the stomach.
Muscle mass also decreases as we age. When you wonder how to prevent weight gain during menopause, you should focus carefully on retaining and building muscle. Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising can assist in this, but it’s important to know that what you’ve done your entire life might no longer be enough. For many women, if they eat and exercise the same as they did before, it would lead to weight gain after menopause.
Genetics also play a role in menopause weight gain. If your family members gained weight during their menopausal experience, the chances that you will are higher. A menopause specialist can help you pinpoint the best ways to reduce your chance of weight gain and stay fit.
How to Prevent Weight Gain During Menopause
Many of the tactics you’ve used throughout your life to get off excess weight and prevent weight gain can be useful in avoiding menopause weight gain. If you’re wondering how to prevent weight gain during menopause, you can start by increasing your physical activity. A combination of cardio and strength training will keep you fit.
Eating less will allow you to maintain your current weight. Menopause weight gain often occurs when women continue the same pre-menopause lifestyle. Unfortunately, the same lifestyle often isn’t possible without weight gain after menopause due to the hormonal changes in the body. When you can prevent weight gain, you don’t need to start worrying about questions like, “How long does menopause weight gain last?”
Working with your menopause specialist can prevent the negative side effects, like weight gain, from taking a toll on your health. Weight gain after menopause is not associated with hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and some women who use HRT throughout menopause actually experience less weight gain and retain more muscle mass.
How Long Does Menopause Weight Gain Last?
When considering how long does menopause weight gain last, everybody should know that it can vary from woman to woman. If you take time to learn how to prevent weight gain during menopause and don’t gain weight in the first place, you don’t need to worry about getting the pounds off.
Postmenopausal women often decrease their activity level, which leads to muscle loss and burns fewer calories over the course of the day. Insulin resistance can complicate things further and make it challenging to lose weight. How long does menopause weight gain last? The answer will depend on how committed you are to being active and healthy as you age.
What Vitamins and Supplements Can Ease the Symptoms of Menopause?
Vitamins and supplements are one of the best ways to reduce perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause symptoms. You can speak to your doctor about what supplements you are interested in to get their advice. Talking about your vitamins with your healthcare team will also ensure that there are no conflicts between other medications you might be taking.
The best vitamins and supplements to help with the symptoms of menopause include:
- Flaxseed: Flaxseed can be consumed ground in seed form, in baked goods or smoothies, or in the form of flaxseed oil. It can help prevent night sweats and allow you to get a good night’s sleep, which is critical for weight management.
- Vitamin E: This vitamin is filled with antioxidant powers that help lower inflammation levels in the body. Chronic stress and inflammation can lead to weight gain and heart disease, so consuming vitamin E can lower your risk.
- Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12 is essential for maintaining proper bone health and feeling your best. When your body feels good, it’s easy to stay on top of your workout and diet routine to prevent weight gain during perimenopause or postmenopause.
- DHEA: DHEA is a hormone that decreases in your body after you turn 30. While that’s typically long before you start perimenopause, some women find that introducing it into their vitamin and supplement routine can reverse symptoms like low libido, hot flashes, and weight gain.
- Omega-3 Fatty Acid: Omega-3 acids are essential in maintaining a proper balance of hormones. They have also been found to aid in weight loss and weight maintenance, as they help you feel satiated more easily and reduce insulin resistance.
If you are experiencing extreme, rapid weight gain and are concerned about how to reverse it, you should speak with your doctor. In some cases, weight gain can be a sign of other issues that require prescription medication or other interventions to be properly treated. Blood tests and additional tests can determine if your weight gain is related to your menopausal transition or if there could be another culprit.
One of the most common reasons why women struggle to lose weight during perimenopause and postmenopause is insulin resistance. A doctor can make this diagnosis and help you design an effective treatment plan to combat insulin resistance.
Are You Ready to Fight Weight Gain During Perimenopause? Dr. Andrew Krinsky Is Here for You
Every phase of the menopausal process comes with different symptoms and changes to your body. It can be overwhelming and stressful to experience these changes firsthand and undergo hormonal fluctuations as a woman. Working with menopause specialists like Dr. Andrew Krinsky will ensure that you need the support to stay happy and healthy.
Suppose you are interested in finding support for your wellness journey or want help in avoiding the weight gain that can occur during menopause. In that case, we are here to help you. Dr. Krinsky is compassionate and truly listens to every patient who steps into his office. To schedule your appointment or learn more, click the Request an Appointment button above or call us at (954) 280-9788.
