Real Cause of Excess Belly Fat
A Mayo Clinic study recently published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings looked at the risks and challenges of weight gain for middle-aged women. Endocrinologist Dr. Ekta Kapoor, lead author of the study, discusses the study findings and other problems women face as they reach menopause. This interview originally aired Nov. 25, 2017.

Women in mid-life, or peri-menopausal women, are often told that they need to watch their weight more carefully than ever before. This is because the body changes during this time of life and it becomes harder for the body to keep up with its natural production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone. The result is an increase in appetite, which makes it much easier to gain weight than at any other point in life. There are some steps you can take to try and resist these urges if you want your healthiest self later on down the road.

1. Keep Track of Your Eating Habits

Tracking what you eat may seem like an arduous process, but it is one of the easiest ways to gain control over your body. You can do this by writing down everything that goes into your mouth every day. Take note of portion sizes and be aware of how much sodium is in each meal. People often forget just how much they're consuming when it's made by someone else, so take the time to write down what you expect to eat, then compare that with what you ate at the end of the day. Knowing where you went wrong will help you make changes throughout the rest of your week if needed. If you are eating poorly now, taking food photos can also be helpful because it helps you see the difference between what is considered a normal portion size and how much you are taking in.

2. Reach Out to Others

This can be anything from your family to close friends through social media channels like Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pinterest, etc. There are tons of online resources that can give you recipes or great tips on avoiding weight gain while still enjoying food! Sometimes it's just good to know that others with similar struggles are out there trying to find ways around having their cake and eating it too. Whether it's simply getting up for a walk every day instead of watching TV or making sure you cook most of your meals at home rather than ordering take-out all the time almost everyone has something they could talk about when it comes to the struggle with weight gain.

3. Adjust Your Workout Schedule

Making time for exercise when you're in your 30s, 40s, 50s, and beyond isn't always easy, but there are ways to make it more manageable. If you find yourself skipping workouts because of perfectly fine weather outside try doing a quick cardio session at home instead. You can buy dumbbells or simply use household items like milk jugs filled with water or soup cans for some extra strength training exercises. If time is the issue maybe set aside less time for something else that you enjoy so you can squeeze in a little bit of calorie-burning activity! It may seem selfish, but if you feel good then you will look good and that is the ultimate goal.

4. Consider Forming a Support Group

If you can't seem to shake those extra pounds even after making some changes, enlisting the help of others may be your best bet. This could be as simple as working out with a friend whose body you admire or spending some time at group meetings to discuss eating habits, weight gain struggles, and how everyone has handled it in their own lives. It sounds like something right out of a movie, but there's no reason why real people can't find strength and solidarity through this type of physical and emotional connection with one another.

5. Drink Plenty of Water

Finally, make sure that you are drinking plenty of water every day! Women who go through menopause often feel more tired and short of breath than women who didn't go through this transition, which can make it difficult to get in the proper amount of water you need every day. Water is essential for many bodily functions including digestion and helping your muscles stay flexible and strong. Many people find that if they keep a water bottle nearby during the day it's much easier to remember to drink throughout their day without having to take time out of everything else (like work or school) just to fit it in.

6. Understand That This Is How Women Age

No matter how many television shows tell us otherwise, going through menopause will not change who you are as a person or how beautiful you are in anyone else's eyes. More and more women are learning that they can be healthy and happy at any age and that there is no need to compare themselves to anyone else or what you see on television or movies because those images do not represent the majority of people living in the real world. It may take some time, but try to keep these tips in mind if you find yourself gaining weight as you get older and remember that it's completely normal.

Mid-life weight gain is a problem for many women. The post provides some excellent information on the topic, including how to identify if you are gaining too much weight and what can be done about it. If any of these issues sound like they may apply to you, take the time to read this article now!

Real Cause of Excess Belly Fat
44 Comments
  1. 👍✳️👍✳️👍✳️

  2. Take a look at singer Gloria Estefan between for example 1993 and 2019…

    • She looks good! Is it because of hormone therapy?

  3. who do you go to for Estrogen supplementation ? A gynecologist or endocrinologist? should you use bio Identicals ? do they make a difference vs. a general estrogen therapy ?

    • My gynecologist prescribed estrogen and progesterone.

  4. I’m 57 and finally am able to keep nice weight on I’m petite and my whole life my weight was up and down what a struggle that was today I am happy with the way I look and comfortable in my own skin thanks for the information

  5. waste of time – nothing new here!

    • Rebecca Reck I’m new here. Where you from? I’d like to know you

    • Maybe for you! It’s very new to me.

    • Gosh Rebecca, it must be rough knowing it all. I found this very informative.

  6. I exercise extremely hard every single day. I am doing a keto diet, I am drinking apple cedar vinegar, I am doing intermittent fast. I am still gaining so much weight!! I am so deseperate, I do not know what else to do.

    • @roxxylala26 I decided to get it too.

    • @roxxylala26 what’s helping me is WATER FADTENINF, and the colonoscopy diet. The diet they give you before taking a colonoscopy test. It’s AWESOME.

    • That’s me!

    • It’s easy … Probably you are doing in wrong way may be you need to change your coach or dietician

    • Try to read about the correlation between cortisol, excessive exercise and weight gain

  7. Menopause sucks.

  8. This is so depressing ….2 months after my 45th birthday i had my last period. And boom i have put on 9 pounds and feel like an emotional basket case along with horrid hot flashes…🙄😭

    • The secret is to not weigh and do what you need to manage stay fit and healthy.

    • I have put on 30. I am miserable.

    • @Walk By Faith the same….non stop dieting,walking 5kms every day,busy days at work..stomach bloated I look like pregnant woman (I am 50)😞today I bought for me large clothes,I went from suze8to size16😞I tried everything,I give up

    • @Walk By Faith you are not alone…I am the same…

    • @i istoyanova Re-invent yourself ! Get a new perspective, remember to love yourself enough to be okay with what you have. Concentrate on making the best of your present situation look for do-able little steps, the small tweaks that help you cope, and don’t forget to OPTIMIZE your health, mentally physically and spiritually. Nothing worthwhile is easy especially when you are going through midlife changes.

  9. I wish she was my doctor!

  10. Thank you! It was comforting and what to expect. Dr. Ekta was great!

  11. I was put on Testogel and it changed my life ( post hysterectomy 3 years!)

  12. I am even more amazed by Madonna then. I will be spending the rest of my 30s getting super toned to prepare. So, why do men get saggy and moody around 40s? I guess they also have a “body change” just don’t have the excuse of painful hot flashes, cancer risk, etc

    • Madonna does hormone therapy? She looks young for her age.

  13. I know we’re talkin about weight loss I’ve had hot flashes 9 years will they ever go away weight loss is initiative

  14. i have ten to…?hot flash a day and night. i am so tired after these! it feels like i just ran a race so men, after you ran a race remember how you feel, you want to break, sweat and over heated and too tired! maybe this is why men trade in for younger wives. i’m out to pasture. i get it.

  15. What the name of the book ?

    • 08:25 it’s called the Mayo Clinic menopause book

  16. This video is so good. i have a weight loss journey of my own and i have kept the weight off for 5 years now and i feel better now then i have ever felt. i feel young again. @t

    • How did you do it? Through hormone therapy?

    • Please, could you explain how you did it?

  17. Dr Kapoor, thank you so much for all the knowledge you have shared with us

  18. 🙏💛

  19. Men also gain weight after 40 ….

  20. starts after has begun. Google Dr Gabrielle Lyon…

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