Menopause weight gain, what is happening and a calmer way through it
Putting on weight around the menopause is common, and it tends to settle around the middle rather than the hips. Lower oestrogen, a slow loss of muscle with age, poorer sleep and busy lives all play a part. Small, steady changes work better than a strict diet at this stage of life.
A club coach goes through your situation with you and gives you practical advice.
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Perimenopause comes first
The menopause usually happens between 45 and 55, but the years before it, the perimenopause, are often when the changes start. Hot flushes, night sweats, low mood and broken sleep can begin while periods are still coming. The NHS page on menopause and perimenopause symptoms lists them in full.
4 everyday levers
- Protein spread through the day. Eggs at breakfast, fish or chicken at lunch, beans or lentils at tea. Protein contributes to the maintenance of muscle mass.
- Calcium and vitamin D for bones. Dairy or fortified plant drinks, oily fish, and the NHS advice on vitamin D in winter. Calcium is needed for the maintenance of normal bones.
- Strength work 2 times a week. Squats, step ups or resistance bands at home all count. The NHS page on strength exercises shows simple moves.
- Less alcohol. It adds calories, can trigger flushes and spoils sleep.
Night sweats and the biscuit tin
A night broken by sweats makes the next day long, and tiredness pushes most people towards sweet snacks. A cooler bedroom, light layers and a regular bedtime help. Our article on sleep and appetite explains the link in more detail.
Watch the waist, not just the scales
As muscle drops and fat moves inward, the scales can stay still while your waist grows, or the other way round. Measure your waist every month, at the midpoint between your lowest rib and the top of your hip bone. Our article on belly fat over 40 covers this in more depth.
Treatment is a medical choice
Hormone replacement therapy and other treatments can ease symptoms, and the right choice depends on your health and history. NICE sets out how doctors should assess and treat women in its guideline on menopause diagnosis and management. This article does not replace advice from your GP or another health professional, so talk to them about your options.
Walking with friends
Food choices also shift with age. Your body needs a little less energy than at 30, but the same amount of vitamins, minerals and protein, so each plate has to work harder. Fewer pastries and biscuits, more vegetables, beans, fish and dairy is the simple version. Our guide to weight loss in your 50s goes further.
A weekly walk with friends, maybe along the Ribble from Walton-le-Dale, does a lot for mood, sleep and joints. Being part of a group also makes new habits easier to keep. At our club, members have breakfast together each weekday morning before work, and the coaches trained in nutrition follow them every day. A free assessment is a relaxed way to start.
Your weight loss curve
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Going at the median rate, losing 8 kg would need roughly 11 weeks. Going at the slowest rate, roughly 4 months.
For weight that stays off, the figure usually quoted is 500 g to 1 kg each week. On the chart, this is the ideal band. Losing more than 1 kg a week, week after week, means the body burns muscle as well as fat. On the chart, this is the shaded band.
This projection is only a guide. Everyone’s path is different and outcomes differ between people. Everything is worked out on your own device, and nothing gets stored or transmitted. If you are over 65, check with your GP before anything else.
How this curve is calculated
The upper line of the band stands for 500 g each week, the slowest rate. The lower line stands for 1 kg each week, where risk begins.
Early weeks move quicker, largely through water loss, and then things settle down. From 40 onwards the median curve eases off bit by bit as metabolism winds down. Putting in equal effort, men tend to lose a touch faster than women.
As in real life, the curve includes short stalls lasting a few days and the odd small gain. It cannot forecast how your own path will go.
These tips are general guidance. A doctor’s opinion still comes first.
Further reading
Day-to-day support is explained in our programme for eating more healthily.