Menopause and weight gain: Do they always go hand in hand? It may seem so, especially because gaining weight is common after menopause. About 30% of women aged 50-59 are not just overweight — they have obesity.
“Most women experience weight gain during the menopause transition, and it’s more than just a shift on the scale — it’s a shift in where the body stores fat,” says OB/GYN LaReesa Ferdinand, MD, FACOG, a member of the advisory committee of the National Menopause Foundation.
In particular, this weight gain most often happens around the belly. And other menopause-related issues can have an effect. Poor sleep and stress can contribute to weight gain and hunger cravings, Ferdinand says. “These behavior shifts impact full scale when it comes to energy levels and activity that invite fatigue from life’s steady demands,” she says.
Here’s what you need to know about the risks of weight gain and how exercise can help you lose weight and keep it off after menopause.
Does Menopause Cause Weight Gain?
What is it about menopause that makes it so hard to keep off the weight? It’s likely a mix of things related to menopause and aging.
The impact of estrogen. Estrogen levels can go up and down during your life, but they typically decline during menopause. Your ovaries are responsible for making estrogen until menopause. After menopause, your fat cells take over estrogen production. It’s natural for estrogen levels to fall as you get older.
In animal studies, estrogen appears to help control body weight. With lower estrogen levels, lab animals tend to eat more and be less physically active. A drop in estrogen may also lower metabolic rate, the rate at which your body converts stored energy into working energy. The same thing may happen with women when estrogen levels drop after menopause. Some evidence suggests that estrogen hormone therapy increases a woman’s resting metabolic rate. This might help slow weight gain. Lack of estrogen may also cause the body to use starches and blood sugar less effectively, which would increase fat storage and make it harder to lose weight.
Changes in fat storage. When estrogen levels drop during menopause, this affects how your body stores fat. Before menopause, fat in women and people assigned female at birth is usually found around the pelvis, buttocks, thighs, and breasts. This helps provide energy during pregnancy and breastfeeding. But this changes when ovulation and menstruation stop. Instead, you're more likely to store fat around your belly.
Other age-related factors. As women age, many other changes happen that play a role in weight gain. For example:
- You’re less likely to exercise. About 60% of adults aren’t active enough, and this increases with age.
- You lose muscle mass, which lowers your resting metabolism and makes it easier to gain weight.
- The rate at which you can use up energy during exercise declines. To use the same energy as in the past and achieve weight loss, you may need to increase the amount of time and intensity you’re exercising, no matter what your past activity levels were.
- Sleep and stress also have an impact. “Menopause often brings poor sleep and higher cortisol levels, which both contribute to weight retention and cravings,” says Ferdinand. Energy and activity levels also often drop during this life stage due to fatigue, family demands, or joint pain, she says.
How Long Does Menopause Weight Gain Last?
“Menopausal weight gain doesn’t happen overnight—but it also doesn’t last forever,” Ferdinand says.
The most notable changes happen during perimenopause, the period about three to five years before menopause. “However, weight gain may continue gradually into post-menopause if not addressed, and creep up gradually with aging,” says Ferdinand.
But weight gain eventually stops for most women. It typically levels off about two years after your last period.
Exercise and Menopause Weight Gain
The more active you are, the less weight you’re likely to gain. A National Institutes of Health review showed that people who did aerobic activities every day for 10 or more minutes had 6 fewer inches around the waistline than people who didn’t exercise. And exercising while you’re in the process of losing weight — as well as after you’ve lost it — may be critical to maintaining weight loss.
Improve metabolism. When you lose muscle mass with menopause, that can slow down how fast your body burns calories. If you eat and move the same way as before, you’ll gain weight. But exercise can help you build muscle, which can help speed up your metabolism.
Help reduce fat accumulation. Your body changes the way it stores fat as you age. In women, fat is typically stored around the pelvis, buttocks, thighs, and breasts during the earlier stages of life. But with aging and lower estrogen, it settles around the belly area. Exercise that centers around your core, like Pilates, can help target the area where fat builds up.
Build muscle mass. People start to lose muscle mass naturally with aging. You can lose up to 8% each decade after age 40. Women especially tend to add fat and lose muscle after menopause. The only way to keep and build muscle mass is to exercise. Strength training — whether lifting weights or using resistance bands — can help.
Improve insulin sensitivity. Gaining weight after menopause can make your body less sensitive to insulin, which works to balance your blood glucose levels. This insulin resistance can make you tired after meals and lead to a greater risk of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, as well as an increase in blood pressure and weight gain. Regular exercise helps your body respond to insulin and keeps your weight down.
Other benefits of exercise after menopause
Exercise has many other perks aside from weight loss, including:
- Lower risk of osteoporosis
- Lower risks of metabolic syndrome, heart attack, and other cardiovascular diseases
- Keeps joints and muscles strong
- Helps your bowels work well
- Can help ease depression and anxiety
- Improves overall health
Best Exercises for Menopausal Weight Gain
Any kind of movement helps with health, but some exercise choices can be especially helpful with menopause weight gain.
Strength training, or a weight-resistance exercise program, helps build muscle mass and improve metabolism. Strength training also helps you maintain bone mass. Because you lose muscle mass as you age, add it to your workouts if you haven’t before. Aim for two or three times a week. Examples include weight machines, dumbbells, exercise bands, yoga, and gardening.
Low-impact aerobics are good for your heart and lungs. Walking, for example, is one of the best choices, as you can do it anywhere, anytime. Other examples of aerobic exercises include cycling, aerobics, tennis, and dance. Exercise moderately for at least 30 minutes most, if not all, days of the week.
Swimming is a non-weight bearing exercise that can give you a good cardio workout without taking a toll on your joints. Research has found that swimming also helps combat menopause-related symptoms like anxiety, mood swings, and irritability.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) features short bursts of intense activity followed by periods of rest and recovery. You can do a complete workout this way in just 30 minutes. This can help with your cardiovascular health while boosting your metabolism and reducing belly fat.
Mind-body exercises such as Pilates, yoga, and tai chi combine movement with breathing and mindfulness. These exercises have been found to help increase bone health and quality of sleep while also decreasing anxiety and fatigue in women before, during, and after menopause.
Whenever you can, add activity to your day. Wash the car, play hide and seek with your kids or grandchildren, get in a game of ping pong, etc.
Other Tips for Menopause Weight Gain
Before you begin exercising:
- Talk to your doctor about a new exercise program. Choose activities you enjoy so you’ll stick with your workouts.
- Find an exercise partner to help you stay motivated.
- Buy supportive shoes — the right ones for your activity.
- Pick a start date and start.
After you begin exercising:
- Allow at least 10 minutes to warm up before starting to exercise rigorously. To do this, choose an activity that gently works major muscles.
- Before you work out, put your muscles through full but gentle range of motion, without stretching them to the max.
- If you have any new pain while exercising, stop and let your doctor know.
- Gradually increase the distance, length, or intensity of your workout.
- Mix it up. Do different exercises to keep from getting bored and to keep your body challenged.
For the best fitness results, combine your exercise efforts with good nutrition. Here are just a few tips:
- Choose whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and lean protein.
- Stay away from processed foods.
- Keep a food diary, or explore programs for your computer or apps for your cell phone, to help you track how many calories you eat.
- Don’t eat too late in the evening.
- When you eat out, take half the serving home.
- Eat smaller amounts but more often.
When to Talk to Your Doctor
It’s always a good idea to inform your doctor about any health changes, including menopause-related weight gain. Be sure to talk to your doctor if weight loss is sudden or seems to be unexplained. Reach out if weight gain goes hand in hand with fatigue, mood swings, poor sleep, or has an impact on other health conditions.
Takeaways
- Gaining weight is common after menopause, particularly around the belly. It’s triggered because of a drop in estrogen, which changes how the body stores fat. You also lose muscle mass, which slows your metabolism.
- Weight gain usually starts a few years before menopause and levels off about two years after your last period.
- The more active you are, the less weight you should gain. Exercise improves metabolism, reduces fat buildup, builds muscle mass, and improves insulin sensitivity.
- Some of the best exercises for menopausal weight gain are strength training, low-impact aerobics, mind-body exercises, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
FAQs About Menopause and Weight Gain
How long does menopause weight gain last?
Menopause weight gain usually starts a few years before menopause, in a period known as perimenopause. It can go on for several years, even into post-menopause. For most women, it stabilizes about two years after their last period.
What vitamins are good for menopause weight gain?
“There’s no magic vitamin that melts fat, but there are key nutrients that support hormone balance, metabolic efficiency, and body composition regulation — all critical to addressing midlife weight gain,” says Ferdinand. Make sure to eat a balanced diet so you get critical nutrients that can help get the best results with exercise, sleep, and healthy eating.
Talk to your doctor before adding any vitamins or supplements. Ferdinand suggests considering vitamin D3 combined with K2, which helps with bone health; magnesium that affects insulin sensitivity; and B-complex vitamins for energy and neuro health. Omega-3 fatty acids can help brain and heart health, while probiotics and prebiotics work toward estrogen metabolism.
Why am I gaining weight so fast during menopause?
In menopause, hormone levels change and metabolism slows down, causing fat to be redistributed and the loss of muscle mass. That can seem to happen quickly because it usually starts a few years before menopause. Women can gain an average of 1.5 pounds a year during this time, and that weight gain can continue until a few years after menopause.
How can I lose menopause belly?
“There's no magic move or wand, supplement, or cream that will spot-reduce belly fat,” says Ferdinand. “If you’re only counting calories or doing crunches to lose menopause belly, you’re fighting a battle with the wrong tools.”
Instead, she suggests a combination of strategies, including core-focused strength training, lowering cortisol with sleep and mindfulness, and balancing insulin levels with exercise and regular meals.
How can you lose weight during menopause?
The best way to lose weight during menopause is to follow a balanced diet and exercise regularly. Be sure to include both strength training and aerobic activity to help combat the loss of muscle mass and the extra belly weight.
