Menopause And Weight Gain - Two Things You Wish Were Not Related

Menopause and weight gain are unfortunately related. There are many reasons a woman may have weight gain even when they are not experiencing menopause. First of all the leading cause for weight gain is stress for most women. Yes, some women tend to lose weight when they are stressed because they do not eat, but a majority of women find that they gain weight when stressed even if they do not eat. Your body reacts to these other symptoms by adding weight because it believes you need the fat stores. Other reasons for weight gain during menopause are depression, cravings, and being tired.

Let us look at depression during menopause and weight gain. Depression affects people in many different ways one of those ways is eating. Some women tend to eat more when they are depressed because they are substituting foods for other emotions, such as happiness. You may have experienced this during a menstrual cycle if you had a tendency to be depressive during that time. You may have found comfort in food where you could not find it elsewhere. You can seek natural methods for alleviating your depression or speak with your doctor about certain medications if your depression is severe enough. This can help you battle menopause and weight gain.

We also mentioned cravings. Cravings are certainly one way to increase your weight during menopause. Like other times your body went through a change you felt a need for certain foods. You may over eat during these cravings or substitute chocolate for something healthier. The cure for this is to eat healthier. Most women find that when they eat a balanced diet with fruit, vegetables, and the proper amount of protein they do not crave other "bad foods" such as ice cream or chocolate. It is important to have "diet" you will follow and if you are eating healthy chances are your body will stop having these cravings.

When you are tired or fatigued, you do not want to eat properly. You feel it is easier to eat out rather than to cook a proper meal so you begin to experience the effect of salt and unhealthy foods, which are a direct link to weight gain especially during menopause. Remember you will feel less tired if you treat your menopause symptoms and eat correctly.

Menopause and weight gain are two things that are related, but you can fight the causes of weight gain during menopause by treating the symptoms you are affected with. Speak with a doctor to help you find a proper diet.