Most women experience menopause around age 50, though it can occur before that age. The usual age range is 45 to 55. With menopause: The ovaries stop making the hormones estrogen and progesterone.
Menopause is divided into three basic stages: perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause. During this time, the ovaries begin to atrophy which causes a decline in the production of the hormones that stimulate the menstrual cycle; estrogen and progesterone.
Perimenopause can begin in some women in their 30s, but most often it starts in women ages 40 to 44.
On average, women gain 5-8% of their baseline body weight during this time,” she says. For the sake of simple math, this means if you weigh 100 pounds, on average you will gain five pounds in the two years after your final period. If you weigh 200 pounds, you are expected to gain at least 10 pounds.
In postmenopause, symptoms of menopause may have eased or stopped entirely, but some women continue to have symptoms for longer. The change in your body's hormones however is a sign to keep looking after your health and wellbeing, and be mindful to listen to your body.
Perimenopause is a process — a gradual transition. No one test or sign is enough to determine if you've entered perimenopause. Your doctor takes many things into consideration, including your age, menstrual history, and what symptoms or body changes you're experiencing.
B vitamins are essential for energy and mood—“two things a lot of menopausal women struggle with,” says Dr. Petrucci. She suggests a B complex supplement, which often includes vitamin B12, methylcobalamin, folic acid and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate.
Postmenopause is a term to describe the time after someone has gone through menopause. When you're in postmenopause, your menstrual period has been gone for longer than 12 consecutive months. At this stage in life, your reproductive years are behind you and you're no longer ovulating (releasing eggs).
You may notice weight gain during menopause changes your body in different ways—for example, your face looks fuller or your belly is softer than it used to be. The weight you've gained in your abdomen during menopause will usually feel fleshy and thick, and you might notice some "rolls" of fat.
Epidemiologists have observed that the average person typically puts on 1 to 2 pounds a year from early adulthood through middle age. The CDC's numbers show that much of the increase is concentrated in the 20s, for men and women.
Move more. Physical activity, including aerobic exercise and strength training, can help you shed excess pounds and maintain a healthy weight. As you gain muscle, your body burns calories more efficiently — which makes it easier to control your weight.
At menopause, many women experience weight gain, particularly around the abdomen. Contributors to weight gain at menopause include declining oestrogen levels, age-related loss of muscle tissue and lifestyle factors such as diet and lack of exercise.
How Estrogen Replacement Therapy Can Help with Belly Fat During Menopause. Recent studies show that menopausal women on hormone therapy tend to have less body fat, especially visceral belly fat. Because estrogen affects how your body distributes fat, low estrogen levels can contribute to gaining fat in your belly area.
On average, they last three to five years and are usually worse during the year following the last menstrual period. For some women they go on indefinitely.
It's a feeling of constantly feeling drained, zapping your energy and motivation, and causing issues with concentration and your overall quality of life. Fatigue at this level impacts your emotional and psychological well-being, too. Many women experience symptoms like these while they're going through menopause.
Early menopause occurs between the ages of 40 and 45 years. Up to 12% of women have their final period before they are 45 years of age. This percentage is likely to be higher if we include menopause caused by surgery and cancer treatment.