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Understanding Menopause and Weight Gain

By: James Liow Menopause and weight gain seem to go hand in hand. This is the usual grievance of many women from ages 40 to 50. These women complain they are having a hard time maintaining their present body weight. What's worse is that the weight accumulates more on the abdomen and not on the hips and thighs thus creating more problems for women.

Most women become frustrated as well as shocked to see the drastic changes in their body after menopause. They feel that although they are eating and exercising in the same way as earlier they cannot control the extra pounds that are getting added to their body everyday.

Here women must realize that this is a natural phenomenon and the extra weight is due to change in the hormonal levels of the body. Hormones that are most affected during this process are- estrogen, progesterone, androgen and testosterone.

The change in lifestyle can also be the culprit. Women in their menopausal stage gain weight because they exercise less unlike when they were younger. This would lead to accumulated fats.

Women also tend to eat more in this age but the calorie requirements of the body gets decreased as a person gets older. The result thus is weight gain. Further, it is also believed that genetic factors also play a huge role in increasing weight in women after menopause.

Now the more important question is what should a woman do after menopause so that she does not gain much weight? The answer to this is very simple and indeed a regular weight loss methodology. However the only difference is that now you need to be more disciplined as well as careful about your health. Following are some of the age old but sure solutions to lose weight both after and during menopause.

Firstly, a balanced diet can always help you. Try to avoid sugar and junk goods and at best stick to fruits and vegetables. Also take lots of water.

Say no to crash diets. It is a lie when people say crash diets will help in losing weight. It will not help you lose weight; instead it will just cause more harm.

Medical experts say losing weight in a short amount of time can lead to osteoporosis. Weight loss does not happen overnight. It is a gradual process.

You should also avoid food and drinks containing alcohol, nicotine, and caffeine. These foods are going to exacerbate water retention, which means they are not good for the body. Make sure you drink lots of water everyday.

Exercise regularly. Regular exercise will help combat your weight problem. Aerobic exercises will be good for you because it helps burn excessive fats and also speeds up your metabolism. Weight bearing activities and simple exercises like walking, running, swimming or riding a bicycle can help you lose weight.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

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