Menopausal weight loss. Complicated issue here. Enough to make any menopausal woman even more crazy than all those other menopausal symptoms can make her. (Need we mention cranky mood, tanking sex drive, the drive-you-nuts hot flashes).  That’s why we’ll break menopausal weight loss down for you here before you want to tear your hair out. (Thinning hair is yet another sad post-menopausal symptom to deal with).

Menopausal weight loss: well, let’s start here:

Every story about menopausal weight loss could also be referred to as the story of reverse menopausal weight gain. Because regrettably, weight gain happens. Maybe in your 20s, you could have lived on pizza and donuts and still buttoned your jeans without a second thought. But these days, it can seem like you put on 5 pounds just by looking at a box of Oreos. And it’s a trend that doesn’t slow down, either. In perimenopause and those initial few years after the final menstrual cycle, you’ll see the most pronounced amount of weight gain. The average weight gain in perimenopause is about 5 pounds. Weight gain continues at about the rate of 1.5 pounds each year. However, 20 percent of menopausal women gain 10 pounds or more. That number can increase for many reasons; genetics, eating a diet that isn’t healthy, and not getting enough sleep, might contribute to even greater menopause weight gain.

Up next: aging and hormones

When perimenopause or menopause begins, the production of hormones like estrogen and progesterone starts to vary significantly—this decrease, along with aging in general, triggers metabolic changes in the body. One change is a decrease in lean muscle mass while gaining fat mass. And because fat is less metabolically active than muscle, it makes it harder to burn calories and maintain menopausal weight loss. Even if you’re still exercising and eating healthy, these hormonal changes happen. Contrary to popular belief, weight loss is not simply a matter of willpower. Menopausal weight gain is the result of a complex orchestra of hormones that tell the body when you’re hungry or when you’re full.

Ready? On to hormonal or menopause belly

You might have heard of it by a name that would cause any menopausal woman dread—”middle-age spread.” 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. After menopause, and your ovaries stop producing estrogen, the only place where it can be generated is in your abdominal fat cells. As a result, your body naturally gravitates towards storing fat in that area in an effort to get estrogen. For this reason,  the stomach has been called “the third ovary.”  This excess abdominal fat that is deposited in your midsection is known as visceral fat and is quite toxic. It produces hormones such as the stress hormone cortisol as well as inflammatory proteins known as cytokines. These chemicals force your body to churn out more insulin, which not only ramps up appetite but also increases the storage of fat in fat cells. This, in turn, causes you to put on even more belly weight and also sets you up to develop insulin resistance, a key factor in the development of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It certainly doesn’t make menopausal weight loss easy.

The 24-million-dollar question: can anything be done to reverse menopausal weight gain?

In most Google deep dives, you’ll get the same advice; “maximize movement”—maybe you could a little, but probably not enough. Crush your sugar cravings—with designer donuts and “super-sizing” food around every corner? Easier said than done. Avoid alcohol—hello, it’s holiday time, and what’s eggnog without the rum? Make sleep a priority—your sheep count sheep because of the endless “to-do” lists you live with. And here’s a good one; avoid stress—are they kidding? In other words, the prevailing answer to menopausal weight loss appears to be to turn your life completely around. Not the answer ladies. You need a different kind of help to reverse menopausal weight gain, and its name is Semaglutide.

Semaglutide injections and menopausal weight loss; your gain

Semaglutide uses your natural hormone responses to promote healthy weight loss. One of the hormones that affects hunger and satiety from meal to meal is glucagon-like-peptide-1, or GLP-1. GLP-1 is produced in your gut when nutrients enter your system. It targets the brain centers that regulate appetite, especially after eating, which may help you eat less. It also slows down how quickly the stomach empties, which makes you feel fuller for longer. You may have heard of FDA-approved semaglutide as Ozempic or Wegovy. But those are just expensive brand names of the active ingredient semaglutide. With continued use, menopausal weight loss can be from 15% to 20% of your starting weight. But wait, it gets better. (How can it get better than losing from 15% to 20% of your starting weight?) Women attempting to reverse menopausal weight gain can keep the loss off for over one year. (Oh, and by the way, guys, in case you’re reading, semaglutide can help you lose that much weight, too. True.)

Think that’s it?  Not by a long shot

Another way to regain hormonal balance and achieve menopausal weight loss is with BHRT pellet therapy. No, not the HRT you may have heard of that is (are you ready?) derived from the urine of pregnant mares and can come with a boatload of unpleasant side effects. BHRT stands for bioidentical hormone replacement therapy. BHRT is a form of hormone restoration that uses hormones that are identical in structure to those found in your body, such as estrogen, progesterone, and even testosterone. Because they’re natural, your body doesn’t want to reject them. So their side effects are all positive, including helping you achieve that menopausal weight loss you’ve been longing for (for too long if you haven’t reached out for help yet).

Bye-bye exasperation; hello gratification

So, the final point in our guide to menopausal weight loss is the simplest of all: Thrive Health Solutions. With their extensive knowledge and experience, Thrive can be a powerful ally in your attempt to reverse menopausal weight gain. While losing weight after menopause can be more difficult, it is still possible with a little strategic planning. If you start with Thrive Health Solutions as your menopausal weight loss strategy, your entire weight loss journey will be a lot smoother and infinitely easier. With the latest advancements and a healthy dose of caring and understanding, the experts at Thrive can help you achieve menopausal weight loss and, more importantly, keep it off. When combined with a healthy diet (no lettuce leaves or starvation), regular exercise (not sweating yourself to death), and certain lifestyle modifications (Thrive will help you with all of it), you can get the support you need to achieve your menopausal weight loss goals. And there is just one final easy guide to follow: call or text Thrive Health Solutions for an appointment. Now.