Weight gain and menopause: It’s not in your head (but it might not be caused by what you think)
Reviewed by Helen Kollias, PhD and Brian St. Pierre, MS, RD
At some point in my mid-40s, the scale started climbing.
A pound or two turned into five, then 10, then 20.
It seemed as if I was doing all the right things: Eating less, moving more, rinse, repeat. Yet, the harder I worked, the less the scale seemed to respond.
Had perimenopause destroyed my metabolism?
It sure felt like it.
However, after asking my doctor to run a series of tests, I learned that my metabolism was, in fact, fine. Instead, like the vast majority of midlife women, the true causes of my weight gain stemmed from several subtle issues that I would have sworn, at the time, didn’t apply to me.
If, like me, you or your client are currently stuck in what feels like an eat less, gain more cycle, this article is here to help.
In this story, you’ll discover:
- Several reasons women gain weight at midlife that have nothing to do with a “slower metabolism”
- Why intense exercise and strict diets can backfire after menopause
- 11 crafty ways to get a handle on midlife weight gain
First, what is menopause?
Many women refer to midlife hot flashes and inconsistent menstruation as “being in menopause” or “menopausal.”
However, menopause isn’t a phase as much as a transitional moment that separates menstruation from non-menstruation.
Once you’ve gone 12 consecutive months without a period, you’ve reached menopause. For most people, that moment arrives somewhere between ages 46 and 56.
The hot-and-dewy months and years leading up to that 12th missed period are technically known as “perimenopause.”
