Menopause Diet Pills, Supplements and Exercises

Quick Fact:
Many women are quite shocked and frustrated when they begin to notice the extra weight provided by menopause. Despite eating and exercising exactly the same as always - you may not be able to maintain your weight! This is because as you enter the early stages of menopause, maintaining weight becomes more and more difficult because of the fluctuation in your hormones.

Menopause, defined accurately, is the final menstrual period in a woman´s life. It signals the end of the reproductive years in a similar way that the first menstrual period, beginning at puberty, signals the start. As a woman approaches menopause, the production of hormones such as estrogen by the ovaries starts to slow, eventually to a point where menstruation will cease altogether.

As a result of the change in hormonal levels women can suffer a variety of symptoms associated with menopause. One of the most disturbing symptoms is often weight gain and change in body shape! Keep in mind that weight gain as a result of getting older is normal and should be expected.

What is causing the need for diet pills, supplements and exercises during menopause?

Estrogen: As the ovaries produce less estrogen during menopause, your body naturally looks for other places to get estrogen from. Fat cells in your body can produce estrogen, so your body works harder to convert calories into fat to increase estrogen levels. Unfortunately, fat cells don't burn calories the way muscle cells do, which causes you to gain extra pounds.

Progesterone: During menopause, progesterone levels will also decrease. Like estrogen, lower levels of this hormone can be responsible for many of the symptoms of menopause including weight gain (or at least the appearance of it). Water retention and menopause often go hand in hand since water weight and bloating are caused by decreased progesterone levels. While this doesn't actually mean weight gain, your clothes will probably feel tighter and you may feel a bit heavier. Water retention and bloating usually disappear within a few months.

Androgen: This hormone is responsible for sending your new weight directly to your middle section. Weight gain during menopausal years is can be known as "middle age spread" because of the rapid growth of the mid-section. One of the early signs of menopause is an increase of androgen in your body, which causes you to gain weight around your abdominals instead of around your lower half.

Testosterone: Testosterone helps your body to create lean muscle mass out of the calories that you take in. Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells do, which speeds up your metabolism. In natural menopause, levels of testosterone drop resulting in the loss of this muscle. Unfortunately, this means a lower metabolism. The lower your metabolism is, the slower your body burns calories.

Approaches for dealing with weight gain during menopause without the need for diet pills, supplements and exercises

Fluctuating weight problems during menopause are linked with decreased levels of hormones in a woman´s body. It is therefore critical that the body is supported with everything it needs to maintain stable hormonal levels. The most basic step that women can take in combating weight gain is therefore ensuring a fit and healthy body, achieved through a good diet and regular exercise. Furthermore, the issue of hormonal imbalance can addressed through the use of some alternative medicines. In fact the most effect methods are a combination of the healthy lifestyle approach, hormone balancing programs and alternative medicine supplements. Click the following link in order to find the best treatments currently available.