Do You Carry More Belly Fat Than When You Were Younger?

I hear clients bemoaning the additional belly fat they have accumulated as they go through menopause.

They stand in my salon and gather the excess from their waists, hips - and yes, tummy as well as under their chins - while I explain what happens to us from the moment we're perimenopausal.

Before menopause we can maintain our weight more easily. Our lifestyle alters and we're not as busy as when the kids were around. Add to that our hormones change and menopause catches up with us. It comes on quietly and slowly until one day you're standing in front of the mirror wondering where the 'muffin top' came from.

Women usually gain between 6 - 7 Kgs (12 and 15 pounds) between their mid forties and fifties. Surprised that these are the menopause years? This extra fat accumulates around the abdomen instead of around the body evenly. It is difficult to shift and many women find it really upsetting.

Research tells us that menopausal weight gain is different to that of our younger years because:

• It creeps on slowly with a kilo or more sneaking on to our abdomen each year! It's a dramatic awakening after five or even ten years through!

• It gathers right on our tummy and over the abdomen making a health hazard in terms of heart disease and diabetes as we grow older.

• Many women feel their breasts get bigger. They also realise their back is fatter and with dwindling muscle tone, loser skin!

• Menopause fat is really hard to lose. This is because this weight gain is part of the changes in your body like the way your body processes your energy as you age.

• Your body shape changes. It becomes rounder and we're called 'apple' shaped.

What Is Making This Happen?

You know your muscle mass and strength decreases as we age and we just are not as active as we'd like to think. We eat less as when we were younger and we don't move as much. How long ago did you go out and dance all night? We also lose estrogen in bucket loads and this affects our appetite making us eat more and makes us more sedentary! Bingo, fat tummy!

How Can You Correct Or Help This?

1. Check your menopause stage

2. Increase your metabolism

3. Take menopause symptoms relief like red clover, CoEnzymeQ10, Ashwagandha and Evening Primrose Oil (can be found in menopause supplements).

4. Be more active

5. Change your eating patterns and content

Things You Need To Know

Your ovaries inevitably stop making estrogen and our fat cells produce 'estrone', a weak and ineffective version of estrogen. Our fat cells take over where our ovaries stop and our body can no longer deposit fat efficiently so it's dumped on the tummy.

Add to that the ghrelin or 'hunger hormone' rises causing the leptin - (hormone that helps you feel full) - to drop. And you eat more and it goes on our tummy! Sound familiar?

Why Fat Freezing Could Help You During Menopause

• Fat freezing kills off fat cells and they leave your body in your waste.

• If you have less fat cells during menopausal years we will have less to produce estrone.

• You feel better about your weight gain giving you more confidence.

• More confidence adds to your well being.

• You're more likely to feel 'lighter' and slimmer.

• Most of our clients start exercising more.

• A good % of clients explore how to manage their menopause.

• Some clients have been able to have surgeries denied to them previously due to weight issues.

What Else You Can Do

You can consult a health professional to help you through your menopause years.

You can go on to HRT to ensure you are topping up with estrogen,

You can research and buy a high quality menopause supplement which taken on a regular basis may help.

Hope this helps!