18/06/2019
Just in case you didn't know WHY your dedication to all that exercise and dieting was resulting in little to no results...the hormone struggle is REAL, but understanding how to battle it is a GAME CHANGER!
One of the hallmarks of menopause is weight gain with a change in fat distribution from the hourglass shape (hips, butt, thigh & breasts) to an apple shape (fat storage around the belly).
#
Perimenopause is a very volatile period. When ovulation stops progesterone levels fall since the corpus luteum, which is formed only if ovulation occurs, is the source of progesterone. Progesterone also primes the estrogen receptors & provides feedback to the brain. This causes estrogen levels to spike at times and fall at other times.� #
It is important to remember there are receptors for the s*x steroids all over the body, and that these hormones impact brain chemistry as well. With these volatile changes in hormones comes changes in hunger, energy, cravings, mood and sleep. This is also when stereotypical symptoms of menopause are at their worst. Another important insight is that estrogen helps sensitize the body to insulin and, along with progesterone, provides a buffer against cortisol.
#
At menopause both estrogen and progesterone fall. You can think of estrogen like a suit of armor against calories and stress and progesterone like a shield. When they both fall the female metabolism is more “exposed.” This makes the menopausal metabolism more prone to gain fat and store that fat around the belly.
#
Postmenopause is the same situation as menopause with one major difference; testosterone. The ovaries may have shut down their production of estrogen and progesterone, but they can keep producing testosterone at the same level. Even if testosterone levels fall, they are often relatively higher compared to estrogen and progesterone than they were previously. This is why I usually do NOT consider giving Testosterone to menopausal women even if it is low
#
The fix for this hormonal state is to begin paying much more attention to stress management (cortisol), carbs along with calories (insulin control) and moving more towards weight training and walking rather than aerobic exercise and intense metabolic conditioning (using testosterone & generating HGH while balancing insulin & cortisol)