Is this you?
“When I step out of the shower in the morning, I’m grateful the mirror is fogged up. Or maybe it’s just built-in protection so I don’t have to face my reflection!”
“Pants with elastic waistbands or jersey pants are a total fashion disaster – I never thought I’d see them as part of my wardrobe!”
If you’ve ever looked in the mirror, tugged at a waistband that used to fit, and muttered something unprintable—welcome to the club. You’re not alone. Beneath the humour (and occasional eye-roll-worthy comments from me) lies a mix of frustration and bewilderment many women feel about their changing bodies. Let’s face it, menopause is no picnic. Hormones, weight gain and more fun.
Most of my clients are women between their mid-40s and mid-60s. The 50s crowd usually knows they’re in menopause, but the 40-something girls? Not so much. “Me? Menopause? No way, I’m too young!” Sound familiar? It starts subtly—mood swings, mysterious weight gain, or that extra glass of wine feeling more like sabotage than a treat.
And then there’s weight. Oh, weight. What starts as a couple of holiday pounds gradually morphs into stubborn, immovable kilos. The old tricks—detoxes, crash diets, or simply “cutting back”—don’t seem to work. Even women who meticulously watch their diets are horrified to see the scale creeping up. What gives?
It’s hormones, my dear. While menopause officially marks the reproductive organs hitting snooze, the changes ripple out, impacting everything from your mood to metabolism. Our trusty BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) slows as we age, so even without eating more, we might gain weight.
But let’s get one thing clear: it’s not your fault. No guilt. No shame. If you’re serious about tackling this weighty issue, it starts with understanding what’s happening under the hood. Menopause knowledge is power.
In this series, I’ll break down the hormonal mischief causing weight gain and explore smarter ways to manage it. Forget yo-yo diets—they’ll just make matters worse. For now, take a breath, and let’s blame the hormones. Ready to dive in? Let’s go.
Estrogen – The Mother of All Hormones
Meet estrogen. Technically not the “mother” of hormones but the hormone that makes us nurture and have maternal feelings, when we see the hot young delivery guy. In this context, I simplify; estrogen actually refers to a group of hormones). Together with progesterone, it regulates the female cycle and pregnancies.
By our mid-40s, estrogen production starts to slow down gradually. Our fertile years are nearing their end – not overnight but over a longer period – like watching paint dry in slow motion.
Our bodies dislike change and react very sensitively to even slight fluctuations. Now those little love handles come into play: female fat cells can produce tiny amounts of estrogen, especially those stubborn belly fat cells that act more like glands. When estrogen levels start to drop, fat cells kick into action, stepping in to support the now-lazy ovaries1. So, it’s no surprise that fuller-figured women with more fat cells experience fewer menopausal symptoms (hot flashes, sleep disturbances, depression).
To help fat cells do their job and help out with some estrogen, enzymes that store fat are activated while those that promote fat burning get switched off. Not exactly what figure-conscious women desire.
But look on the bright side: estrogen keeps our skin youthful and smooth.
Starvation diets and crash diets make the situation worse and the body clings tight to every fat cell. Therefore, patience is key here – slow and steady wins the race!
Here is my tip: NEVER STARVE YOURSELF.
To be precise: don’t drop your daily calorie intake below your basal metabolic rate. If it is just for one day, you might get away with it. But after 48 hours of starvation, your body senses a famine. All hormones collaborate swiftly when starvation occurs. This isn’t just menopause knowledge; it’s common sense: starving makes your body adjust and learn to function on less energy. Highly efficient – but not, what we want for our bodies.
Progesterone – The Better Half of Estrogen
Progesterone belongs to a group of steroid hormones called the progestogens. Its importance for conception is well-known, and during menopause, it comes back into focus when considering hormone replacement therapy (HRT).
Many menopausal symptoms stem from declining progesterone levels. Progesterone is known to increase the production of GABA, a neurotransmitter that promotes sleep and also enhances mood by inducing feelings of relaxation and well-being. A decrease in progesterone levels results in lower GABA levels, which can contribute to symptoms of anxiety, sadness, or depression2.
However, it’s not just progesterone itself; it’s the balance between progesterone and estrogen that gets out of whack. Estrogen can even become temporarily dominant – a temporary dominance that can cause significant fluctuations which the body does not really like.
Insulin – When the Pancreas Gets Lazy
What springs to mind when you hear “insulin”? For most people, diabetes comes to mind – when the pancreas produces insufficient insulin. Insulin is crucial for moving sugar from the blood into cells.
But when estrogen levels drop, insulin resistance can occur: the pancreas must work harder, and insulin doesn’t function properly. You might have eaten something, but your brain still signals HUNGER.
When blood sugar is too low, cravings hit hard. The brain raises alarms because it needs glucose. You might experience extreme cravings in this situation. But when you indulge in simple carbohydrates (rolls, pasta, rice, chocolate, and sweets) it gets tricky. These foods break down quickly into sugar molecules and enter the bloodstream swiftly.
To transport sugar into cells, a large amount of insulin gets released -often with a little delay, because the pancreas has become sluggish.
After that chocolate high – the pleasant relaxation we feel while eating chocolate – comes crashing down: high insulin levels drop blood sugar below normal levels. We feel tired, irritable, unfocused – and only another sugar rush will help.
This means: a rollercoaster ride of blood sugar levels due to poor nutrition or eating the wrong foods at the wrong times – especially during a time when we’re emotionally already on edge.
We don’t need to add severe blood sugar swings into this mix.
Tip 1: Eat fewer simple carbohydrates and more complex ones (whole grains, vegetables, legumes) to keep blood sugar stable longer, ease the load on the pancreas, and enhance performance. 3
Tip 2: Avoid going too long without eating and getting overly hungry. Americans have coined a new term for this state: Hangry (hungry + angry).
And then menopause gets blamed again…
When the Thyroid Slows Down
We’ve all heard that a lazy or underactive thyroid could lead to weight gain. In hypothyroidism (when insufficient thyroid hormones are produced), metabolism slows down significantly; you feel cold, tired, and lack energy.
On the flip side, with hyperthyroidism, metabolism runs wild. You become hyperactive; you can eat more but still lose weight.
Here too, waning estrogen triggers some actions: often the thyroid becomes sluggish and produces fewer hormones, when estrogen levels decline4.
This doesn’t inevitably lead to hypothyroidism, that has to be treated. However, the body registers even slight fluctuations and you might feel cold, tired, and lack energy.
Tip 1: Get your thyroid checked. If levels are low, discuss with your doctor whether supplementing with thyroid hormones makes sense. Be aware, sometimes we also contribute to a sluggish thyroid function: if we maintain a strict diet for an extended period and drop calorie intake below about 1200 calories per day (the limit varies individually), the body raises alarms: it senses famine and drastically slows metabolism by producing fewer thyroid hormones. Unfortunately, we can’t explain to our body what’s happening and kindly ask our thyroid to work on normal levels.
Tip 2: This has been mentioned before but fits perfectly here: No starving or extreme diets! Even if you lose weight in the short-term – it comes back quickly!
Tip 3: Be cautious with too few (complex) carbohydrates – they can slow down thyroid function5!
It’s True: Chocolate Makes You Happy
Okay, that’s a bit exaggerated, but every woman knows this situation: “I need chocolate now!!!” It’s serotonin – the neurotransmitter responsible for this feeling – a happiness hormone produced by the body.
A deficiency can indeed lead to depression. And you probably won’t be surprised that serotonin production decreases during menopause. It’s almost unbelievable that these hormones all act in concert simply because estrogen has shown them how… but they do!
How do we know serotonin is lacking? Right: cravings for chocolate or starchy foods like pasta!
Chocolate has been shown to increase serotonin levels6 – so it’s true: “chocolate makes you happy,” if only for a short time – and only dark chocolate! But even dark chocolate has calories; plus, serotonin levels don’t stay elevated forever.
However, there are more dietary options available: bananas, pineapples, kiwis, cocoa – these foods also raise serotonin levels.
My tip: Exercise also helps increase serotonin levels! And if chocolate must be included: chocolate with 85% cocoa positively influences serotonin levels without easily leading to overeating.
Stress Makes You Gain Weight
You’ve probably heard the phrase: “Stress makes you gain weight.” It’s true; stress leads to weight gain. Even worse: chronic stress stores reserves aka fat tissue, where we definitely don’t want them – in our belly area. I’ve written quite a bit about this topic already – so you will understand, why stress management is part of every course I offer. I believe, no, I am convinced, there are very few women who remain deeply relaxed during menopause.
In stressful situations, the body releases more stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol. This is great for quickly providing energy (sugar/glucose) so we can run from tigers – or defend ourselves against them!
Things change when we’re stressed but not running or fighting. This is probably more common today, even though we might wish to kick our boss or run away from an important, but extremely unpleasant client. Most the time, we are stuck, have to sit it out, while our heartbeat goes through the roof and cortisol levels are elevated for a long time. No energy gets burned despite it is available – and yet we find ourselves feeling hungry for chocolate, once the stressful situation is over.
In other words: while energy reserves have been released – they weren’t needed! Yet now there’s still an urge for more food.
If this happens frequently and cortisol levels remain elevated, which is the case for most women, not only do we gain weight because we’re eating more than we’re burning; we also store “stress fat” right in our bellies – the dangerous abdominal fat.
Our bodies have learned that stress happens all the time; thus “fuel” gets stored away close to our liver, where it is available for the next stress episode. It’s no wonder our waistbands feel tight, and our figures seem to vanish! I admit, I started to appreciate clothes with elastic waistbands, an absolute fashion sin a decade earlier.
My tip: You probably guessed it: MOVE! If possible, during or right after stressful situations – it immediately reduces stress hormones and reduces cortisol levels! Or as an immediate measure: consciously breathe in and out – it helps you to calm down.
Leptin and Ghrelin – Little Mythical Creatures?
There are many hormones that are not well known to the average person. Ghrelin is one such hormone and it is produced in the stomach. Its major task is to signal hunger to the brain. Here’s where it gets tricky: during diets, ghrelin production increases! It’s suspected that ghrelin can also be stimulated by external factors7.
Its counterpart is leptin – a hormone produced by fat tissue that signals satiety to the brain: “That’s enough; you have enough energy, stop eating.” Herein lies the dilemma: when losing weight and fat cells shrink less leptin gets produced! Hunger remains or even increases compared to before dieting!
Both, leptin and ghrelin react strongly to many influences: sleep deprivation (often due to hot flashes!) and stress disrupt their balance – leptin stops functioning properly while ghrelin works overtime. The worst combination is sugar, fat, and stress – a recipe for constant hunger8! These facts enhance your menopause knowledge – but they also apply across nearly all age groups – and for the men in our lives too!
By the way: my autocorrect program doesn’t recognize “ghrelin” and always suggests “gremlins.” So, I call it my “little monster”! Leptin could be seen as the good fairy – or another mythical creature!
HGH (Human Growth Hormone)
I would have liked to leave this hormone out…but it keeps popping up in media being touted as the ultimate anti-aging and weight loss remedy; part of menopause knowledge is recognizing what works, what doesn’t work and what is dangerous. Yes, and here we go:
Human Growth Hormone, short: HGH (also known as somatotropin) is produced by the pituitary gland; its production declines with age for both men and women.
The role of this hormone in women becomes clear during menopause when production begins to taper off slowly. A falling HGH level leads to muscle loss (which naturally starts declining by age 28), increased belly fat, sleep disturbances, loss of interest in sex, thin sagging skin, and decreased energy levels. Low HGH values are also linked to reduced bone mass and high osteoporosis incidence rates.
Doesn’t it sound simple and tempting: take missing HGH and everything will be fine! Absolutely NOT! Remember: HGH stimulates cell growth – unfortunately it can also encourage cancer cell growth alongside other severe side effects.
In many countries, HGH can only be prescribed by doctors for specific medical conditions or when growth hormone production is abnormally low. Let us be honest: normal aging is not a disease, even though it feels so!
Please inform the man (or men) in your life: they could develop breasts from improper HGH use – not exactly my idea of sexy!
My tip: Yes – it’s about physical exercise again! Especially starting around menopause when natural muscle loss becomes noticeable – a strength training program to counteract muscle loss should be on our to-do list. Don’t worry, it would take superhuman effort (and steroids) to bulk up. At the same time, we have to make sure that the protein intake in our diet is sufficient, a topic I address in my courses as well.
Conclusion:
Menopause wisdom means understanding hormonal complexity! I’m always amazed by the female hormonal system and want to share my insights with all you ladies out there
Understanding how hormones work and how they impact our weight also leads to one important conclusion: every woman can lose weight and maintain this weight loss, without starving for the rest of her live! But this requires patience, persistence, (a little) discipline, and lots of self-compassion.
Don’t try following any fad diets! Once you understand what hormones do – you will easily recognize what’s good for you and what is not!
Today, I discussed how hormonal changes impact our bodies in general and weight in particular. I have shared some tips, how to offset or counterbalance these changes. But there is far more to discuss, when we want to keep our weight under control. Hint: change of body composition. Yes, we have to take metabolism changes into consideration, when trying to lose weight. Therefore, watch out for my second article about this topic.
If you want to take first step toward optimal nutrition have a look at my completely reworked online course ” Eat smart at 50plus: Crack the Code to Lasting Health, Weight Mastery, and Mental Edge”
This course has been specifically created for women in menopause covering nutrition in detail; it also includes exercise, strength training and relaxation (fewer stress hormones). It’s a self-paced course – but I encourage you to share your experience and ask questions. So this course can grow over time, to cover everything, what is important to you.
- Kirsty M. Mair, Rosemary Gaw, and Margaret R. MacLean. 2020. Obesity, estrogens and adipose tissue dysfunction – implications for pulmonary arterial hypertension. Pulmonary Circulation 10, 3, 2045894020952019. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2045894020952023. ↩︎
- Małgorzata Stefaniak, Ewa Dmoch-Gajzlerska, Katarzyna Jankowska, Artur Rogowski, Anna Kajdy, and Radosław B. Maksym. 2023. Progesterone and Its Metabolites Play a Beneficial Role in Affect Regulation in the Female Brain. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) 16, 4, 520. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ph16040520. ↩︎
- Ivonne Sluijs, Yvonne T. van der Schouw, Daphne L. van der A, Annemieke M. Spijkerman, Frank B. Hu, Diederick E. Grobbee, and Joline W. Beulens. 2010. Carbohydrate quantity and quality and risk of type 2 diabetes in the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition-Netherlands (EPIC-NL) study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 92, 4, 905–911. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2010.29620. ↩︎
- Ana P. Santin and Tania W. Furlanetto. 2011. Role of estrogen in thyroid function and growth regulation. Journal of Thyroid Research 2011, 875125. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4061/2011/875125. ↩︎
- Stella Iacovides, Shane K. Maloney, Sindeep Bhana, Zareena Angamia, and Rebecca M. Meiring. 2022. Could the ketogenic diet induce a shift in thyroid function and support a metabolic advantage in healthy participants? A pilot randomized-controlled-crossover trial. PLoS ONE 17, 6, e0269440. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269440. ↩︎
- Astrid Nehlig. 2013. The neuroprotective effects of cocoa flavanol and its influence on cognitive performance. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology 75, 3, 716–727. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2125.2012.04378.x. ↩︎
- David S. Weigle, David E. Cummings, Patricia D. Newby, Patricia A. Breen, R. S. Frayo, Colleen C. Matthys, Holly S. Callahan, and Jonathan Q. Purnell. 2003. Roles of leptin and ghrelin in the loss of body weight caused by a low fat, high carbohydrate diet. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 88, 4, 1577–1586. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1210/jc.2002-021262. ↩︎
- Lydia E. Kuo, Magdalena Czarnecka, Joanna B. Kitlinska, Jason U. Tilan, Richard Kvetnanský, and Zofia Zukowska. 2008. Chronic stress, combined with a high-fat/high-sugar diet, shifts sympathetic signaling toward neuropeptide Y and leads to obesity and the metabolic syndrome. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1148, 232–237. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1196/annals.1410.035. ↩︎
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