Have you wondered why you are gaining weight and haven’t changed anything?

Why suddenly are you gaining weight around your belly?

Today, I wanted to share all the answers with you along with some solutions for you.

First up, let’s talk about oestrogen. It’s a hormone that plays a really important role in our bodies, especially for women. Oestrogen helps regulate and develop our sexual characteristics and reproductive functions. It’s kind of like a messenger that tells our body what to do in terms of growth and reproduction. While it is primary associated with females, oestrogen is present in males as well, just in smaller amounts.

How does oestrogen impact body fat?

Oestrogen does have an influence on how our body stores fat. It has this special power to promote fat storage in certain areas. For the ladies, it often means around our hips, thighs, and breasts, giving us a pear-shaped figure.

The interesting part is oestrogen is a bit selective on where it likes to store fat. It stimulates the growth and development of fat cells, which can increase our overall capacity for storing fat. Sounds awesome, doesn’t it! The fat cells tend to accumulate in more specific areas where we have more oestrogen receptors.

Oestrogen also influences the regulation of metabolism, including the rate at which our body burns calories. Generally, higher oestrogen levels are associated with a more efficient metabolism, which can help regulate body weight and prevent excessive fat gain.

So, guess what. During perimenopause and menopause our hormones are fluctuating, and oestrogen is decreasing.

Declining oestrogen levels lead to a redistribution of fat with more fat getting stored on the belly.

This is why so many women notice that they’re gaining weight and their belly is growing and they haven’t even changed anything in their diet!

The good news is that regular exercise, a balanced diet (The Menopause Diet), stress management, sleep, self-care (all parts of the Midlife Makeover and 8 Week Challenge) can help support hormonal balance and fat regulation (regardless of oestrogen levels).

It may also mean you have to adjust the TYPES of foods you are eating…..

Oestrogen and Insulin Sensitivity

This is the part that throws a lot of women. They might be used to eating a higher carbohydrate diet and suddenly, it’s not working for them.

Another big role of oestrogen is maintaining insulin sensitivity which impacts your body’s ability to process sugar (carbohydrates).

Insulin is the hormone that plays a crucial role in regulating our blood sugar levels and overall metabolism. Its primary function is to facilitate the uptake of storage and glucose (sugar) from the bloodstream into our cells.

How does insulin help with blood sugar control?

Insulin is the superhero when it comes to controlling blood sugar. It’s job is simple, to keep our sugar levels in check.

When we eat, especially foods containing carbohydrates, our body breaks then down into glucose, which enters our bloodstream. High levels of blood glucose can be harmful, so this is where insulin comes in.

Insulin is the key that unlocks the doors to our cells. When our blood sugar levels rise after a meal, the pancreas releases insulin into the bloodstream. Insulin acts as a messenger, telling our cells to open up and allow glucose to enter. It’s like a doorman that invites glucose into the cells.

Once, glucose enters the cells, it can either be used for energy right away OR stored for later use.

Read that last sentence again…..

Glucose (from sugar/carbohydrates) is used for energy RIGHT AWAY OR STORED for later use.

If you are having a diet high in sugar and carbohydrates and you’re not that active. The reality is your body is going to store this for later use.

Guess where it gets stored……
Firstly, excess glucose will be stored in the form of glycogen through a process called glycogenesis, this is primary stored in the liver and muscles. Once glycogen stores in the liver and muscles are filled any excess glycogen is converted into fat.

Basically, when we consume carbohydrates, it is converted to glucose (ENERGY).

First up, this energy is used for immediate use (exercise etc.)

When you don’t need INSTANT energy it is converted to glycogen and stored in the liver and muscles.

When your liver and muscles are full the rest is stored as FAT!

 So let’s get back to our friend Oestrogen…

How does Oestrogen impact Insulin?

Oestrogen plays a role in maintaining insulin sensitivity, which is the cells ability to effectively regulate blood sugar levels. When we have reduced oestrogen which happens during menopause it can contribute to insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance is when the cells become less responsive to insulin which can result in increased fat storage, especially in the abdominal area.

What else does Oestrogen do?

It assists with Cortisol production and regulates cortisol levels. Cortisol, also knows as the ‘stress hormone”, is a steroid hormone and it plays a crucial role in your body’s ability to respond to stress. Cortisol helps your body prepare for stress by increasing blood sugar levels and suppressing your immune system giving you an immediate energy boost.

Cortisol also assists with regulating your metabolism, particularly in terms of how your body uses and stores carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. It helps increase blood sugar and inhibits insulin secretion.

Other roles of cortisol include circadian rhythm and blood pressure regulation.

Do you know what?

When oestrogen levels decline, like what happens during perimenopause and menopause, cortisol production may increase. These increased cortisol levels are associated with fat accumulation in the abdominal area and chronically elevated cortisol levels can have negative health effects.

One last thing about Oestogen….

It helps promote muscle growth and protein synthesis. It stimulates the production of growth factors and insulin sensitivity in the muscle which can contribute to the development of muscle mass. Oestrogen helps to prevent muscle breakdown.

What does this mean when our oestrogen levels are declining?

You guessed it, a reduction in muscle mass which results in a reduced metabolism. Meaning you can’t eat as much as you used to!

So, I know this is all sounding a bit doom and gloom. Who knew that oestrogen did so many things in the body.

Recently, I was at a conference and the host said we all LOVE oestrogen…. There I was sitting quietly thinking, not me. You see I had a hormone-based breast cancer that grew because of oestrogen. So, I don’t love oestrogen…. But what I do love is that it has led me to investigate what is happening to women’s bodies as we go through perimenopause and menopause.

Why are we gaining weight?

Why all of a sudden am I storing fat on my body?

Why does everything feel harder?

And now, it all makes sense.

The reality is perimenopause and menopause are just a normal phase of a women’s life and understanding what is happening and what we can do about it is the key.

This is what has what made me develop this whole website and my program because THERE ARE OPTIONS.

What you can do is:

• Be aware of what is happening to your body
• Accept that your body functions DIFFERENTLY to what it did in your 20’s and 30’s.
• Realise the diet you used to eat, might not work for you now
• Implement lifestyle changes:
• Resistance Train for increased muscle and metabolism
• Eat a nutrient dense diet low in processed carbohydrates
• Factor in regular self-care and stress management strategies to help
• Focus on getting 7+ hours of sleep per night 

You will honestly be amazed at the difference it all makes. The key is letting go of what used to be and accepting your hormones and body are different now.

Enjoy the journey as this next phase of your life can be AMAZING.

If you need a hand jump on board my Midlife Makeover or 8 Week Challenge.

❤️ Hilds