Lower levels of estradiol may lead to weight gain. Throughout their life, women may notice weight gain around their hips and thighs. However, after menopause, women tend to gain weight around their mid-section and abdomen.
Estrogen levels can significantly impact how body fat is distributed, which often changes as we age. As we discussed above, menopause will cause estrogen levels to decrease, resulting in weight gain around the abdominal area.
Additionally, improving dietary choices, increasing physical activity, getting more sleep, managing stress levels effectively, quitting smoking, and limiting alcohol are all ways to decrease and avoid hormonal weight gain.
A combination of diet and exercise may help symptoms. A person can perform exercises that burn fat, such as running, walking, and other aerobic activity. Reducing the calories a person consumes can also help. A person can learn more about how to reduce belly fat here.
Melt away hormonal belly fat caused by low estrogen and insulin resistance by adopting a low carbohydrate eating plan, recommends Johnston. “Between protein, fat and carbohydrates, carbs have the biggest impact on raising blood sugar and insulin levels,” she says.
D2 and K2 are a powerful duo when taken as a supplement. Each of these vitamins is involved with balancing hormones, particularly those associated with weight management, and are viewed as safe vitamin supplements for people to take to support metabolic processes.
Some causes may be related to stress, alcohol consumption, or medications. Other causes can be a result of health conditions like hypothyroidism or PCOS. Many causes of stomach swelling and weight gain can be treated with lifestyle changes and medications. However, others, such as ascites, can be serious.
Many women also notice an increase in belly fat as they get older — even if they aren't gaining weight. This is likely due to a decreasing level of estrogen, which appears to influence where fat is distributed in the body.
Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim. You may gain some weight during the menopause, but this often happens regardless of whether you take HRT. Exercising regularly and eating a healthy diet should help you to lose any unwanted weight.
Causes include poor diet, lack of exercise, and short or low-quality sleep. A healthy diet and active lifestyle can help people lose excess belly fat and lower the risk of problems associated with it.
This is because estrogen plays a role in cholesterol metabolism, glucose metabolism, and insulin sensitivity. All of these factors can influence things like appetite, hunger, satiety, and energy levels, which in turn can have an impact on body weight.
Summary. High estrogen levels can cause symptoms such as irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, fatigue, and fibroids in females.
One reason why people might gain weight around menopause is changing hormone levels. One form of estrogen called estradiol decreases at menopause. This hormone helps to regulate metabolism and body weight. Lower levels of estradiol may lead to weight gain.
The most common side effects of estradiol hormone replacement therapy are bloating, nausea, indigestion, headaches, vaginal bleeding, breast tenderness/swelling, leg cramps, and fluid retention. These side effects are usually temporary and normally resolve in a few weeks once your body adjusts to estradiol.
Estradiol is a female sex hormone and a form of estrogen that is often prescribed to treat the symptoms of menopause and to prevent osteoporosis.
Estrogen causes a typical female fat distribution pattern in breasts, buttocks, and thighs, as well as its more feminizing effects. During the reproductive years, women get additional fat deposition in the pelvis, buttocks, thighs, and breasts to provide an energy source for eventual pregnancy and lactation.
HRT does not cause weight gain. Side effects of HRT may feel like it but the reality is that bodies change in midlife. In fact, many women lose weight and feel considerably fitter on HRT. Dr Liz Andrew has worked as a GP for over 12 years and developed a passion for offering women menopause care.
There is no easy answer, but rebalancing the hormones, exercise routine and diet can help to increase your metabolic rate, which will ensure fat is burned more efficiently. Reducing overall stress in your life can help too, because stress can cause increased amounts of cortisol to be released.
Some types of progestogens can lead to some bloating and lower abdominal discomfort. This usually settles within a few months. If you have symptoms that worsen or any symptoms you are concerned about then you should either contact us or your GP.
Start with a mix of moderate and vigorous exercise to burn off menopausal weight gain. Your routine should include aerobic exercises like swimming, walking, bicycling, and running, as well as resistance or strength training. “What you want to employ now is high-intensity interval training (HIIT),” Dr. Peeke says.
Cholecystokinin is a hormone produced in your small intestine. It plays a fundamental role in the digestive process. When fats and proteins enter your small intestine, cholecystokinin triggers your gallbladder and pancreas to contract.
This may occur because of hormonal imbalances, obesity, kidney problems, lack of physical activity, etc. (10) When you lose weight but look fatter, there is a possibility that it is the result of swelling caused by water retention.
The hormonal changes of menopause might make you more likely to gain weight around your abdomen than around your hips and thighs. But, hormonal changes alone don't necessarily cause menopause weight gain. Instead, the weight gain is usually related to aging, as well as lifestyle and genetic factors.
Common reasons for someone to have belly fat even when they're skinny is: Being too sedentary (inactive), which builds visceral fat around the organs and abdominal fat. Eating too many processed foods, which stores at the belly.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.