Conquering Peri Menopause Belly Fat

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With the onset of peri menopause, which on average begins in the early 40s, women may have a difficult time maintaining their weight and may start noticing a shift in their body composition with more fat being deposited in the abdominal area.

This weight gain is due to a combination of hormonal changes and lifestyle factors. Additionally, peri menopause often coincides with other life changes, such as decreased physical activity and changes in metabolism. Reduced muscle mass, a common occurrence with aging, further slows the metabolism, making it easier to gain weight.

On top of that, stress and sleep disturbances, which are prevalent during peri menopause, can contribute to weight gain by affecting appetite and metabolism.

This post will explain some of the reasons why a woman gains weight during this stage of life and strategies in Conquering Peri Menopause Belly Fat.

Reason 1 for Peri Menopause Belly Fat – Shift in Hormones

Image taken from Journal on Body Composition and Cardiometabolic Health During the Menopause Transition

During peri menopause, the ovarian egg reserves decrease, and consequently, the brain starts sending a stronger signal to the ovaries for ovulation in the way of the Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).

The overies respond to this stronger FSH signal by producing higher levels of estrogen. If ovulation doesn’t occur, or if it occurs but the follicle is smaller, a lower amount of progesterone will be produced. This imbalance between the two main female sex hormones, estrogen and progesterone, leads to what as known as estrogen dominance.

Among many other impacts to the body, too much estrogen and too little progesterone in the body can impact thyroid function by blocking the cell’s uptake of thyroid hormones, contributing to a slower metabolic rate. This slower metabolism contributes to weight gain overall.

Hormones don’t work in isolation, and the imbalance of one hormone will impact another. The thyroid hormones impacted by the changing levels of sex hormones, will also impact the hormones insulin and cortisol, which can further add to weight gain.

Cortisol is one of our stress hormones and puts the body into fight or flight mode, elevating our nervous system and raising our blood sugar levels so that we have the energy to ‘fight or flight’. This heightened blood sugar level causes insulin to be released. Abdominal cells have specialized receptors for cortisol and will shift their response to insulin when cortisol is elevated, causing more visceral fat to be stored in the abdominal area.

Strategies

Gently Cleanse the Liver
The liver plays a role in processing out estrogen in the body so excess estrogen can leave in the stool. The liver also helps regulate the metabolism, so. a gentle detox to support the liver is a great idea to ensure it operates optimally. Some ways to gently cleanse the liver include:

1. Add a squeeze of lemon to your water to alkalize your body and aid in digestion.
2. Reduce alcohol consumption.
3. Add a few drops of chlorophyll to your drinking water.
4. Eat organic fruits and vegetables (Or stick to the Dirty Dozen and Clean 15.)
5. Use natural face and body products (without parabens, phthalates, and other chemicals).
6. Drink dandelion tea.

Digestion
Increase fibre in your diet so your bowel movements are regular. This will help eliminate excess estrogen. Digestion begins in the mouth, so ensure you chew your foods to a liquid before swallowing. This will help the enzymes in your saliva begin the digestion process and your body will be better able to absorb nutrients.

Drink plenty of water. Think of water as washing your insides clean and helping you with the elimination process.

Add probiotics to your diet. Probiotics help make your gut healthy, which keeps your digestion healthy on top of keeping your immune system strong. You can purchase a probiotic supplement, but also ensure you include pre-and-probiotics foods in your diet. Examples are yogurt, kombucha, kefir, and sauerkraut.

Reason 2 for Peri Menopause Belly Fat – High Stress

Stress is often very high during this time in a women’s life. She may be dealing with difficult teenagers, aging parents, relationship issues, and career changes. Stress can have a significant impact on the body, both in the short term and over time.

Stress activates the body’s ‘fight or flight’ response, which involves the release of hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This can lead to increased heart rate, heightened alertness, faster breathing, and higher blood sugar levels so that we have the energy to ‘fight or flight’.

When our blood sugar levels are elevated, the pancreas secretes insulin. Insulin is a storage hormone, storing the sugar in our cells and liver for later use as energy. This storage can lead to increased fat accumulation, particularly if there’s an excess of calories in the diet.

Insulin also inhibits the breakdown of fat (lipolysis). When insulin levels are elevated, the body is less likely to burn stored fat for energy, leading to a tendency to store more fat instead.

Insulin can influence appetite and hunger signals. High levels of insulin may increase hunger and lead to overeating. Some people may experience cravings for high-carb foods when their insulin levels are unstable.

Higher blood sugar levels stimulate one’s appetite and cravings, causing overeating and binging. Emotional eating may also occur as a woman turns to food as a way to cope with stress, resulting in a high calorie intake and weight gain.

Stress can lead to fatigue, reduced motivation, and overall lethargy, which might decrease physical activity levels and less exercise can contribute to weight gain.

Strategies

Balance Blood Sugar Levels
It is important to focus on balancing blood sugar levels through regular healthy meals that we call Complete in Three, containing protein, fibre, and high quality fat. Protein is always important in a diet, but it plays a large anti-aging role in menopausal women and is even more important to consume high amounts during this phase of life.

Read this post on why protein is important for all body systems, the amount of protein to get in the daily diet, and how to boost protein intake. Because higher blood sugar levels cause cravings, eating protein is also key for satiation.

Ensure you get plenty of foods with B vitamins. .Vitamin B5 helps regulate the body’s adrenal glands. You can get B5 in foods such as poultry, avocados, broccoli, and whole grains. Vitamin B6 helps regulate the body’s serotonin and norepinephrine levels. You can find B6 in dark leafy greens and fish. Both directly affect mental stability, mood, and the ability to cope with stress.

Regular Exercise
Physical activity can help manage stress and support a healthy weight. Keep in mind, that exercise is a form of stress on the body. Research is finding that long bouts of cardio raises cortisol for extended periods, which raises blood sugar levels. Weight training and shorter bouts of cardio may be more impactful.

Stress-Reduction Techniques
Practices like mindfulness, meditation, yoga, journaling, and deep breathing can help manage stress levels.

Professional Support
Consulting a healthcare provider or a mental health professional can provide guidance on managing stress and its effects on weight.

Reason 3 for Peri Menopause Belly Fat – Sleep Disturbances

During peri menopause, our sleep quality can be reduced. This may be due to the increased stress in a woman’s life or hot flashes that may start occuring.

When we don’t sleep well, the hormones ghrelin and leptin are impacted. Ghrelin is our hunger hormone and it tells the brain to increase food intake. Leptin is our satiation hormone and it helps regulate energy balance by signalling the brain to reduce appetite and increase energy expenditure. When these hormones aren’t operating efficiently, we may be hungrier and not have the mechanisms to be satiated. Ever notice how you eat more when you are tired?

Lack of sleep also disrupts our fat burning ability. We burn the most fat between 2:00 to 4:00 am, and if we aren’t sleeping during this time frame, our weight loss is impacted significantly.

Strategies

1. Maintain a Consistent Schedule: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, even on weekends. This helps regulate your internal body clock.
2. Create a Relaxing Bedtime Routine: Engage in calming activities before bed, such as reading, taking a warm bath, or practicing gentle yoga.
3. Optimize Your Sleep Environment: Ensure your bedroom is cool, dark, and quiet. Invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows. Consider using blackout curtains or white noise machines if needed. Use eye masks if necessary.
4. Limit Exposure to Screens: Reduce screen time from phones, tablets, and computers at least an hour before bedtime. The blue light emitted by screens can interfere with the production of melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep. If this isn’t possible, consider buying blue light glasses to block the blue light.
5. Be Mindful of Food and Drink: Avoid heavy meals, caffeine, and alcohol close to bedtime. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants that can interfere with sleep, while alcohol can disrupt the sleep cycle. Heavy meals will cause your body to digest during the night and this will disrupt sleep quality. Consider not eating past 7 pm, and this will help with sleep and weight loss.
6. Exercise Regularly: Engage in physical activity during the day, but try to avoid vigorous exercise close to bedtime. Exercise close to bedtime may elevate cortisol levels, making it harder to sleep. Implement a walk in your schedule every day for weight management and mental health, which will improve the sleep cycle.

Reason 4 for Peri Menopause Belly Fat – Changes in Energy and Mood

Due to the hormonal changes in the body, lack of sleep, and increased stress, women may have less motivation to exercise and follow a nutrition plan. This causes a vicious cycle as lack of exercise and unhealthy food contribute to weight gain, which further impacts mood and mental health.

Strategies

First, it is important to improve the sleep cycle and stress management by ways mentioned above. Once those are improved, one will have more motivation and stamina to implement the weight loss and exercise routine.

Also, consider ways to increase serotonin, the ‘happy’ hormone. Tryptophan is an amino acid that builds serotonin and can be found in foods such as turkey, chicken, beans, and nuts. You need the B6 to convert tryptophan to seratonin, and B6 can be found in tuna, salmon, dark leafy greens, and chick peas.

Save this pin, so you have the strategies for conquering peri menopausal belly fat readily available.

Reason 5 for Peri Menopause Belly Fat – Lack of Movement & Exercise

The changes in a women’s body during peri menopause may cause her to cease exercising and moving less. This could be due to lower motivation, fatigue, or sore joints. It can also be due to being such a busy time in a women’s life that she doesn’t prioritize fitness for herself.

Strategies

1. Begin slowly. Add a daily walk. It is okay to start out short and increase the length as time goes on. Walking is beneficial to mental and physical health.
2. Consider hiring a fitness coach for education and motivation. Ensure you hire a coach that understands a woman’s needs and obstacles during this stage of life.
3. Prioritize yourself and carve out time in your busy schedule.
4. Any movement is better than nothing. It doesn’t have to be a full-on HIIT class, there are many gentler classes to start with like beginner yoga, stretch, intro to fitness, aquasize, walking groups, etc.

Join Women’s Weight Loss and Hormone Health Transformation Program

The Women’s Weight Loss and Hormone Health Transformation Program is a 3-month One-on-One coaching program with a Certified Nutritional Consultant and Women’s Hormone Health Coach.

Your coach will educate, motivate, and encourage you to see weight loss and improve other negative impacts brought on by peri menopause, such as hot flashes, poor sleep, brain fog, and mood alterations.

Read what a Hormone Health Coach can do for you and why you should consider hiring one.

Conclusion

Peri Menopause can be a time in a woman’s life when she starts gaining weight and feels she has little control over it. Things she used to do with diet and exercise no longer works and frustration and depression can set it.

This weight gain is often accumulated around the abdominal region called ‘belly fat’. This gain can be contributed to hormone fluctuations as well as changing lifestyle factors that affect motivation, appetite, sleep, and stress.

While this weight gain and change in body composition is frustrating, there are strategies that can help prevent this shift and help with weight management. Implementing these strategies while in peri menopause will help a woman to thrive as she moves forward through the menopause transition.