Perimenopausal Women’s Biggest Struggle: Weight Gain
Why it Happens and How to Reduce
One of the biggest frustrations of many Perimenopausal women is the weight gain and the struggle to lose it. No matter how much you exercise or eat healthy, it just doesn’t seem to want to come off your body. Why does this happen?
During perimenopause and menopause, our hormones are fluctuating and out of balance. Women have 3 main hormones: Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that seem to decrease as we age for most or you could have high estrogen causing lower progesterone. But we tend to forget two other body hormones that are key players during perimenopause: Cortisol and Melatonin.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. It regulates and plays a key role in the body’s response to stress. Too much cortisol is bad. When your cortisol levels remain high for an extended period (during a stressful time in your life), you will gain weight through the middle of your body “spare tire”. Elevated cortisol can cause other health issues as well.
Melatonin regulates our sleep and is produced in the pineal gland. This hormone declines with age but it is important as it allows your body to properly respond to the circadian rhythms of day and night cycles. If you are sleeping well, this allows the cortisol hormone to dip lower and not remain elevated while you sleep.
How to reduce this weight gain during perimenopause:
1) Reduce your stress so you can reduce cortisol levels
2) Have your hormone levels checked by a doctor to see what is off-balance
3) Move your body-gently. No high intensity exercise or beating your body up because you are frustrated
4) Don’t obsess about your weight- this causes mental stress
5) Be kind to your body. Do some self-care
Instagram: @thrivinginmidlife
www.cherylbeckesch.com
Perimenopausal Women’s Biggest Struggle: Weight Gain
Why it Happens and How to Reduce
One of the biggest frustrations of many Perimenopausal women is the weight gain and the struggle to lose it. No matter how much you exercise or eat healthy, it just doesn’t seem to want to come off your body. Why does this happen?
During perimenopause and menopause, our hormones are fluctuating and out of balance. Women have 3 main hormones: Estrogen, progesterone and testosterone that seem to decrease as we age for most or you could have high estrogen causing lower progesterone. But we tend to forget two other body hormones that are key players during perimenopause: Cortisol and Melatonin.
Cortisol is known as the stress hormone. It regulates and plays a key role in the body’s response to stress. Too much cortisol is bad. When your cortisol levels remain high for an extended period (during a stressful time in your life), you will gain weight through the middle of your body “spare tire”. Elevated cortisol can cause other health issues as well.
Melatonin regulates our sleep and is produced in the pineal gland. This hormone declines with age but it is important as it allows your body to properly respond to the circadian rhythms of day and night cycles. If you are sleeping well, this allows the cortisol hormone to dip lower and not remain elevated while you sleep.
How to reduce this weight gain during perimenopause:
1) Reduce your stress so you can reduce cortisol levels
2) Have your hormone levels checked by a doctor to see what is off-balance
3) Move your body-gently. No high intensity exercise or beating your body up because you are frustrated
4) Don’t obsess about your weight- this causes mental stress
5) Be kind to your body. Do some self-care
Instagram: @thrivinginmidlife
www.cherylbeckesch.com