Most women who have gone through menopause can testify that it’s not a pleasant time of life. However, menopause symptoms aren’t limited to night sweats and mood swings. Whether you’re in perimenopause or full menopause, you can expect to gain some weight. It’s estimated that most women will gain a pound a year during this time. Do these issues have anything in common? Let’s take a look.

Most experts believe that the hormone levels that are brought about by a woman’s change in life are one cause of weight gain. Nevertheless, there are other things that lead to weight gain in women. Your lifestyle and age also contribute to the changes that your body undergoes over the course of time. Some of the reasons for weight gain are exercising less and eating more. Because of this, your body burns fewer calories because of its reduced physical activity. The composition of your body changes as it builds up more fat and less muscle, a result of a slower metabolism. Weight gain also depends a lot on your genes. If you come from a long line of stocky people, chances are good that you’ll be the same.

Since extreme increases in weight can cause health complications, it could compound the symptoms associated with this condition. Experts have proven that women who gain more than 20 pounds after menopause are more prone to breast cancer by approximately 20 percent. But women who lose weight have a better chance of avoiding breast cancer. You can lower your chances of breast cancer by 23 percent by losing 20 pounds.

In order to keep from gaining weight and to maintain optimal health during menopause, a nutritious diet and regular exercise are highly recommended. When you exercise regularly, your metabolism remains higher and you burn off more fat on a regular basis. Moreover, muscle mass can be increased through strength training, which further increases your metabolism and builds up your bones as well.

The benefits of a proper diet are well documented. But it’s common knowledge that you need to consume 200 less calories each day just to keep your weight where it is. This fact applies to women who are in their 40’s. If you are eating a healthy diet at the start of perimenopause, you will not gain as much weight as you would normally do once you have fully entered the phase.

We need to make peace with the changes that are bound to take place with our bodies. If you’re hoping to maintain the body you have now for the rest of your life, don’t hold your breath. We may hate the fact that our bodies will lose the firmness of youth, no matter what we do. But the best approach is to work at controlling the aspects of your health that can be improved.