Perimenopause and weight gain

[sunshine244]

I've always been on the skinny end of the scale. 8-8.5 stone for many years as a young adult, and 5ft 3ish. I've been lucky enough to never had to try to keep weight down, in fact at points as a teen I was eating lots of cake etc because people kept saying I was too thin.

After having children in my early 30s I put on a little weight and stayed at the upper end of 8 stone. This last year age 43 perimenopause seems to have totally changed my metabolism. I've put on a stone in the last year and weighed at 9st 11 today. My BMI is now technically overweight which was a surprise.

I have dogs and walk daily, and am generally pretty active. I've not changed my diet significantly although if anything am probably eating less snacks and a bit more healthily this last year.

Is this normal peri weight gain?

It might be normal for you! My experience was the opposite and I now weigh less post-menopause than before. Weight gain is generally caused by eating more than your body burns - you can adjust either element (or both) but eating less is possibly more successful.

I went from 8st 3lb to 8st 10lb during perimenopause although I was also diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

It took a bit of tweaking my diet to lose a few pounds but I've pretty much been 8st 6lbs for the last two years which I'm happy with.

I think I just needed to learn I could no longer eat the way I used to.

You only need to eat an additional 100 calories a day to put on a stone per year.

Unfortunately, due to the slowing down of metabolism/peri hormones , you may need 200 calories less than you ate in your 30’s.

Its worth tracking your calories in food and any alcohol/other drinks to see how much you are actually consuming. I had managed to put on almost 2 stone before working out my TDEE and getting a grip on my calorie control. I’m thinner now at early 50’s than I was in my slim 20’s/30’s.

I’m 5’5”, 51, and have gained about 10 pounds over the past decade. Like you I was always at the lower end of my BMI but now I’m about 9 1/2 stone.

I’m pretty fit, but I just don’t burn calories as quickly as I used to! In order to lose even a pound now, I need to be pretty strict with myself.

Perhaps it would be worth trying to
lose 3-5 pounds if you’re technically overweight now? Personally, I don’t mind being a little curvier in middle age as long as I’m not overweight. My friends who are really trying to stay skinny are more lined and I prefer a bigger backside to lines. 😂

Edit to say that I also have an under-active thyroid so that doesn’t help (although I’m medicated for it).

Belly fat contains an inferior form of oestrogen, and once that hormone starts to fluctuate, the body will prioritise holding its stores.

That can mean that you start losing muscle, in order to hold the fat in peri menopause. The current thinking is that we should be increasing protein consumption and weight training (rather than just general fitness).

@Eclipser That makes sense. I’m keen on protein but yes, the belly fat is a battle on a way that it never used to be!