The Menopause Weight Gain is Real!

Many women are afraid of the menopause weight gain and for good reason. It is normal for a woman to put on a few pounds or more through the years of menopause. This is something most women don't want to deal with, but it seems inevitable when the big change begins.

If you have a fear of the menopause weight gain and you are looking for a way to avoid it, then you need to have a plan. Menopause can be very scary and you have to make sure you are prepared for every part of it. Below you are going to find out why you may gain weight during menopause and you are going to have a few tips to help you avoid the menopause weight gain.

Why The Menopause Weight Gain Happens

The major reason women gain weight during menopause is due to their diet. Many women stick to the same diet they have been on for the past ten or twenty years. This, alone, can cause you to gain weight throughout menopause.

You don't need as many calories since your body no longer needs to support the reproductive system. Your body was using about 10% to 15% of the calories you took in every day to help support this system. However, now that you are going through menopause you don't need to support this system anymore.

Another reason women gain weight during menopause is the stress they go through. Stress can cause anybody to gain weight, but it can especially cause a woman to gain weight through menopause. If you can control your stress level and stay relaxed you will be able to avoid part of the menopause weight gain.

A Few Tips for Handling the Menopause Weight Gain

1. Diet

Your diet through menopause is vitally important for more than just avoiding the menopause weight gain. You need this diet to help support your body and help lessen the other symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, mood swings, and even the stress associated with the change. This means you need to look into the different things you can add into your diet or subtract to help with these symptoms.

The first thing you need to do is cut out 10% to 15% of the calories you take in every day. This is usually between 200 and 300 calories you will cut out. These are the calories your body would have used to support the reproductive system. You no longer need these calories and they will just turn into fat if you don't find another way to use them.

2. Exercise

Daily exercise is very important during menopause. It will not only help you burn calories, but it will also keep your stress level down. This will help fight many other symptoms, but with daily exercise, you can certainly keep the menopause weight gain at bay.

You don't have to become a gym rat, but you should take the time every single day to exercise. This can be as simple as a brisk walk or a swim in your local pool. Find a half hour to exercise four or five times a week and the other days go for a 15-minute walk. This will help you to keep the weight off.

3. Relaxation

The final thing you need to do when you want to keep the weight off is to relax every single day. You can start a daily routine of finding a place where it is quiet just to let your mind wander for 15 minutes or so. Another good way to go is to get a self-hypnosis CD for relaxation and use it every single day.

If you want to keep your weight gain to a minimum or if you actually want to lose weight during menopause, then you need to follow these tips. Don't rely on any type of drug or crazy diet to help you keep the weight off. If you follow the three tips above and you set yourself up with a good and natural plan to deal with menopause, then you can avoid the menopause weight gain.