Other Factors Causing Weight Gain During The Perimenopause

Excess Estrogen

Another cause of weight gain during this time is the release of excess estrogen. The reason excess estrogen can cause weight gain is because when estrogen is released in excess, it puts the body out of balance and this makes the body store more fat. During the perimenopause the body releases excess estrogen because the ovaries stop producing the hormone after the menopause,fat cells can produce it — so it prepares the body for the ovaries to stop function.

Combating this it is not as easy as lowering stress and eating, but trying to limit stress at this time will help to avoid the hormone levels becoming heavily unbalanced and further increasing fat storage. Progesterone creams can be used at this time to help combat the excess release of estrogen and exercising can help to control hormone levels.

Emotional Eating

This period in your life an extremely emotional one and with the added release of hormones it can be a time when emotions run wild and certain habits such as emotional eating can occur. Many people turn to food as a source of comfort but this is extremely dangerous because you want to avoid it becoming a life long habit.

Eating certain foods has been shown to help women promote a sense of calm at a time where you may feel particularly alone. It is a good idea to join forums or seek advice from people who have already been through the menopause to try and release the stress in ways that don't avoid emotional eating. Another tip is try and recognize the signs of unusual food cravings such as suddenly eating late at night when you didn't before. If you have partners or family members ask them to help you monitor if you are eating out of character, you need to talk to people or simply get a hug from someone to make you feel better.

Trouble Sleeping

With the added stress that this time provides it can often be difficult to sleep which further causes hormone imbalances. Again these hormonal imbalances can block weight loss and actually promote fat storage. Try to make sure you get a good amount of sleep and relax before you actually go to bed to avoid the chance of insomnia. Get yourself into a routine prior to going to bed of drinking a hot drink or reading to calm the body and get rid of the toxic hormones that keep you awake.

READ Menopause - Symptoms, Treatment and Prevention

It is clear that most of the weight gain caused at this time in a woman's life is due to hormone imbalances which can be hard to control, but with simple changes to your daily routine they can be avoided. Keep an eye out for irregular eating patterns or eating foods you wouldn't normally. Try to lower the amount of stress in your life and get plenty of sleep. It is a good time to keep a good social network so that you can talk about any problems you have and share experiences you are going through with others in a similar situation.