Menopause: Easy to Gain Weight, Hard to Lose It

By Jody Smith HERWriter

Rate This

Menopause is traditionally called the Change of Life and many women experience some bewildering and sometimes discouraging changes. Unwanted weight gain is a case in point.

Unwanted weight gain can overtake those who've always struggled, and also can sneak up on women who never gained a pound in their lives.

Female hormone blood levels decrease. Metabolic rate slows. A few pounds commence to stick around the middle, which surprisingly enough can encourage male hormone blood levels to rise. This makes it even harder to lose weight.

Muscle mass declines and fat increases. Metabolic rate slows down some more.

"Insulin is the hormone made by the pancreas that enables sugar in our bloodstream to get inside our cells and be used for energy. As we get older, if we don’t exercise much and if we’re overweight, insulin becomes less and less effective at this task. This means that glucose (carbohydrate) is not used for energy as efficiently, but rather it is converted into body fat."

Sounds grim, doesn't it? But take heart. Preventing unwanted weight gain may take some conscious effort now but it can be done. Read on ....

http://e2ma.net/go/100034821412/2550490/91193732/11406/goto:http://www.liverdoctor.com/index.php?page=newsletter&id=28&article=129

Add a CommentComments

There are no comments yet. Be the first one and get the conversation started!

Champion

Jody Smith HERWriter View Profile Send Message

We value and respect our HERWriters' experiences, but everyone is different. Many of our writers are speaking from personal experience, and what's worked for them may not work for you. Their articles are not a substitute for medical advice, although we hope you can gain knowledge from their insight.