Weight Gain and Hormones

Starting as early as 10 years before menopause, hormone levels decline. These hormone changes often result in an increased craving for sugar. During these menopausal years, the woman's body is making less estrogen and her body tries to find  hormones in other places such as fat cells. As fat cells generate estrogen, the body begins storing more fat. At the same time, the woman's body is losing testosterone which leads to declining lean muscle. Since lean muscle is responsible for burning fat, the more muscle lost, the more fat will be stored and the more weight gained. These hormone imbalances make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight and nearly impossible to lose weight even with exercise.

One of the biggest reasons women do not take hormone replacement therapy during menopause is because they perceive they will gain weight. In fact, evidence shows women on bio-identical hormones are less likely to gain weight than women who take nothing during menopause. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy can help women regain their youthfulness of their 30’s.