Signs that weight gain may be related to hormonal changes

In a gathering of friends who are around 40 years of age or older, it is common to hear comments such as: "I am gaining weight and I don't know why, does it happen to you too?"

With such a question, a fuss may arise from some complaining because they are also gaining weight and others who miss their bodies from before.

Everything they feel, and maybe you too, is normal. Over the years you tend to gain fat in places that used to not be a problem.

Is it your habits or are you doing something wrong? Better read until the end to detect if your weight gain is related to hormonal changes.

At the end of the post we leave you a gift.

• prominent belly

One of the most characteristic features of hormonal weight gain are the love handles that surround the middle area.

The usual cause is falling estrogen levels. It turns out that when this female hormone goes downhill, body fat is distributed differently.

Before perimenopause, estrogen deposits fat in the thighs, hips, and buttocks, while in the climacteric it is stored around the waist.

Additionally, visceral fat in women (within the abdomen and organs) increases as you enter menopause, a dangerous condition because it increases the risk of type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and metabolic syndrome.

• nothing satisfies you

Leptin is like that friend that everyone wants to have because it tells you when it's time to set limits.

It is a hormone that acts on specific centers in your brain to reduce your need to eat. It is also believed that it can control the way the body handles its body fat reserves.

It happens that estrogens intervene in the regulation of leptin because it stimulates its secretion. But as estrogen decreases, leptin is not secreted normally, so you tend not to feel full during and after a meal.

• Cravings and extreme hunger

As menopause approaches, the body becomes less sensitive to insulin, which can make you hungry like hell.

And yes, again estrogens have a responsibility, since in the fertile years it helps to optimize the activity of insulin.

But when estrogens aren't enough, you get higher blood sugar which leads to a bigger belly and more cravings.

Keep in mind that this can get worse if you eat a diet high in refined carbohydrates, sugars, processed foods, and/or alcohol.

Eating food with nutrients will make you less sensitive to insulin and you will be able to avoid weight gain.

• bad sleep

The body of women in perimenopause or menopause secretes less melatonin (sleep hormone) especially at night.

If you are going through this natural stage of life, it is possible that you begin to suffer from insomnia, sleep interrupted or for a few hours. It doesn't happen to everyone, but stay tuned.

One of the consequences of this mess in your sleep patterns is that your hunger and satiety hormones are thrown off, making you want to eat more the next day.

• more stress than usual

Menopause usually brings additional stress to what you normally have, because the challenges of daily life are added to symptoms that you never imagined having.

When you get stressed you generate cortisol, the stress hormone, which regulates many bodily processes, including metabolism.

And it has a lot to do with one of the main concerns of women with perimenopause and menopause: weight gain.

On the WebMed portal it was published that cortisol manages the way the body uses (metabolizes) carbohydrates, fats and proteins, and controls the sleep and wake cycle.

And you already know that not getting enough sleep increases your risk of weight gain, high blood sugar, and a craving for sweets and processed foods.

• slower metabolism

Growth hormone, HGH, is responsible for regulating the body's metabolism and growth.

The more estrogen a woman has, the more HGH she produces. But with menopause and perimenopause the effect is the opposite.

All this causes a loss of muscle mass with which the metabolism slows down and there is a greater chance of increasing body fat.

Remember that menopause is just one facet of life, you are not doomed to spend the rest of your life with weight gain and other ailments.

Just remember that transforming your habits can help you a lot, so that you go through this stage as a winner.