Women’s Hormones and Weight Loss

We know that our bodies change as we age and one of the main things that changes for women is our hormones. As we reach menopause, our ovaries stop producing eggs and the body produces less of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.

Menopause can come with some unpleasant symptoms, the most common being a racing heart, hot flashes, insomnia, and weight gain. According to the Mayo Clinic, “The hormonal changes of menopause tend to make it more likely that women will gain weight around the abdomen, rather than the hips and thighs.” It is not entirely clear whether the hormonal changes cause this weight gain, or if it is caused by genetic factors and other age-related lifestyle changes.

Regardless of the cause of the weight gain, there are steps you can take to reduce it or potentially prevent it from happening. The most important one is staying active.

One of the best things you can do to age in a vital, healthy way is add strength training to your routine. Strength training strengthens your joints and can help improve mobility and prevent injury. Muscle strength is required for a number of daily activities, from picking up a bag of groceries, holding good posture, running and playing with children, to standing up to get out of your desk chair.

Equally important as physical fitness is your nutrition. Making healthy food choices is crucial to aging vitally, having energy, getting enough sleep, and even keeping your skin looking fresh and wrinkle-free. 

It isn’t always easy to do, either. During our recent Eat Clean program, one of our participants mentioned standing in the grocery store and realizing how much of it she couldn’t eat while on the program (because so much is processed foods). The Standard American Diet (SAD), focused on processed foods that have a long shelf life and are quick and easy to prepare, is not setting you up for a long healthy life. That’s why in order to age vitally, you need support, information and guidance. And we’re here to help you! Head over to our Nutrition page to see all the programs we offer, including our flagship ReVITALize program.