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3 Common Myths About Menopause & Weight Gain

Author:

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

January 29, 2024

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

By Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN

Registered Dietitian Nutritionist

Molly Knudsen, M.S., RDN is a Registered Dietician Nutritionist with a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Texas Christian University and a master’s in nutrition interventions, communication, and behavior change from Tufts University. She lives in Newport Beach, California, and enjoys connecting people to the food they eat and how it influences health and wellbeing.

Image by Lucas Ottone / Stocksy

January 29, 2024

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Menopause is honestly not talked about enough. So of course, heaps of misinformation have circulated over the years (decades really) about some of the changes that occur during this hormonal transition—specifically around weight.

So we tapped into the experts to help debunk some of the biggest myths they've heard about menopause and weight gain throughout their years of practice.

Myth 1: Weight gain doesn't happen

"We absolutely see 5-10 pounds of weight gain on average during the menopausal transition," says Suzanne Gilberg-Lens, M.D., FACOG—an advocate for integrative women's health and the brains behind Menopause Bootcamp.

While you likely know some women who have seen noticeable weight changes, the data show time and time again that the majority gain an average of 1.5 pounds a year 1 between the ages of 50 and 60.

During perimenopause (the years leading up to menopause) sex hormones can fluctuate greatly. "During perimenopause, progesterone levels typically decline, which can lead to estrogen dominance. This imbalance is thought to have an impact on weight gain," says Bojana Jankovic Weatherly, M.D.

She then notes that estrogen levels significantly decline after menopause—making women more prone to gaining weight in their abdomen rather than hips and thighs.

Gilberg-Lens emphasizes some weight change (or shift in where you carry it) isn't always bad; it's just different. "I'd love to see a shift in mindset around this. If your pants don't fit but your health is good, you can learn to accept that your body is making this fat to try to protect you."

Yes, really. "It's possible that midsection weight gain may serve an evolutionary purpose by supporting a small amount of conversion of adrenal hormones to estrogens 2. It's not enough to replace [the estrogen] you're losing, but it may be helpful," Gilberg-Lens says.

The main problem with this weight change is that it's typically more resistant to previous weight loss (or maintenance) techniques, and that leads to gaining dangerous, inflammatory visceral fat.

Myth 2: Eating less & exercising more can help you avoid this weight gain

So, with this weight gain, many women may turn back to the traditional diet and exercise (especially cardio) more.

This can leave you feeling weak, fatigued, and hungry while diminishing your lean muscle mass. As muscle mass is more metabolically active 3 than fat, declines in muscle mass also decrease how much energy you burn at rest. So having more muscle mass helps make creating that calorie deficit for fat loss easier while protecting you from falls 4, heart concerns 5, or cognitive decline down the road.

Evidence-based strategies Gilberg-Lens recommends to actually promote healthy fat loss during this time include reducing stress, restoring sleep, eating enough protein and fiber, lifting heavy weights, and some zone 2 training.

Myth 3: It is only the hormonal shift of menopause that impacts weight gain

As we just mentioned, lifestyle can help combat some of the weight gain concerns that come with menopause. And lifestyle—not just hormones—also influences that weight gain in the first place.

Jankovic Weatherly points to data showing weight and waist circumference 6 (a measure of fat around your middle) start trending upward for both men and women starting in our 30s and peaks between 40 and 60.

But a 2021 study published in Science found that this change in weight isn't due to a slowing metabolism 7 like we once thought—and that something else is contributing to weight gain. "It suggests that the impact of environmental factors (e.g., calorically dense diet, less exercise, heightened stress response, and poor sleep quality) may be a greater contributing factor to weight gain in middle age than we thought," says Jankovic Weatherly.

The takeaway

Weight gain around menopause is common. While changes in hormones can certainly favor muscle loss and fat gain, lifestyle habits also play a significant role in weight and your overall metabolic health.

Prioritize managing stress, sleeping well, trying a targeted supplement, and staying physically active to help prevent excess weight gain and promote healthy fat loss during this time.