Embraceable you
This goes out to all my Voxland perimenopausal girlfriends out there. Read this and then give yourself a snack and or a nap in honor of Who You Are Right Now!
helping the world one rant at a time
Weight management is a little different during perimenopause. Why is that? When the ovaries start reducing the amount of estrogen that they produce, the fat cells have a growing role in the production of estrogen. They respond and increase their size and ability to store fat. This happens more in the waist and abdominal area. The adrenals produce a form of testoserone which the liver transforms to estrogen with the fat cells around these organs providing the environment for this to happen.
The hormone shifts tend to add the weight to the abdomen; however, this is also related to insulin resistance. This is being linked to health risks of diabetes, cardiac problems, and hypertension.
This process of fat gain may start as early as 35 and continue until postmenopause. Then weight stabilizes and many women lose weight at this point. Until then, fighting against the fat gain and changing body shape is more difficult. Some weight gain is viewed as normal and beneficial. Those with more fat have been found to have fewer perimenopausal symptoms, sleep better, and have stronger bones. Some consider a gain of up to 10 pounds from the ages of 35 to 55 as healthy due to the estrogen factor. More than that increases the risk of cardiovascular and other diseases.
Also don't confuse adding some fat during these years as not being fit. Exercise and fitness goals are most appropriate and you don't have to be skinny to be fit. Dieting will be less effective the more your estrogen levels are reducing. The fat cells will just work harder at storing fat. And of top of this, dieting lowers the estrogen levels faster in your body with subsequently more perimenopausal symptoms.
So what can you do until you hit the postmenopausal weight loss? Appreciate the wisdom of your body. It is working hard to balance your hormones. Work with it and not against. Keep a balanced, nutritional diet along with a good exercise regime. Don't try to starve the fat away. This won't work. Appreciate your wonderful female body and shape.
Comments
thank you so much for sharing this.
hey... went to lunch w/ a bunch of friends last week. turns out they've all been nappin' for years. who knew?! I was shocked. "Napping?! Who said that was allowed?!" They have convinced me that it is the best kept secret and an absolute MUST.
I started giving into the 3:00 pm wall I hit and decided to lay myself down for few z's. It's a luxury to be taken advantage of when you work at home.
It helps.