Weight gain and menopause: why is my body suddenly storing everything?

For decades, your oestrogens act as conductors of your metabolism. One of their roles is to help your cells respond well to insulin, the hormone that allows glucose to enter cells as a source of energy. Oestrogens also support the way your body uses fat as fuel rather than storing it[1].

When oestrogen levels fall during perimenopause and then menopause, this balance is disrupted. Cells gradually become less sensitive to insulin[2]. This is known as insulin resistance. In practical terms, the body needs to secrete more insulin to do the same job, and this excess insulin encourages fat storage rather than fat use[3]. The liver also becomes less efficient at oxidising fat, which encourages storage.

Another notable change is that fat is no longer distributed in the same way. Before menopause, it tends to be stored around the hips and thighs. As oestrogen levels fall, it shifts towards the abdomen as so-called ‘visceral’ fat, which surrounds the organs. This explains the appearance of that familiar little tummy, which can develop even without any significant overall weight gain.

There is also a gradual decline in resting energy expenditure, meaning the calories your body burns naturally even when you are not exerting yourself. This decline is partly linked to the loss of the effects of oestrogens and progesterone on metabolism.

There is another important point worth highlighting: weight gain in women does not begin with the first hot flushes or when periods stop. Long-term studies show that changes in body composition, namely an increase in body fat and a decrease in muscle mass, accelerate from two years before the final period, during perimenopause[4]. This is why so many women feel they are gaining weight for no apparent reason, even while they are still having periods, albeit somewhat irregularly.

This acceleration generally stabilises after a few years of menopause, and the new balance remains in place if nothing is done to address it.

The decline in oestrogen does not happen in isolation. Several other processes associated with this stage of life can add to it, making weight management even more difficult for women during menopause.

These factors include:

• Sleep quality declining: sleep disturbances affect 40 to 60% of women during the menopausal transition, particularly because of nighttime hot flushes. Poor-quality sleep can disrupt the regulation of hunger and satiety hormones, which may encourage snacking and higher calorie intake[5].
• Cortisol, which tends to increase with age: when levels of this stress hormone remain high over time, it worsens the insulin resistance already associated with declining oestrogen levels.
• Muscle mass decreasing: known as sarcopenia, this process accelerates around menopause because of hormonal changes. Muscles use a lot of energy, even at rest. Less muscle mass therefore means a slower basal metabolic rate[6].
• Physical activity decreasing : this is fairly common during menopause, when fatigue and other symptoms can have a greater impact on daily life.
• Thyroid function becoming disrupted: thyroid disorders, particularly hypothyroidism, become more common with age and can also slow metabolism and contribute to weight gain. If you have concerns, especially if weight gain is accompanied by severe fatigue, feeling unusually cold or hair loss, tests arranged by your doctor can help rule this out or confirm it.

The good news is that this new metabolic balance, which helps explain the weight gain, is by no means inevitable. Several approaches have shown promise during this period:

• The strength training is probably the most effective approach. By limiting the loss of lean mass, it helps maintain basal energy expenditure. Combined with higher-intensity interval sessions such as HIIT, when well tolerated, strength training may also target abdominal fat more specifically. Regular physical activity, including gentler approaches such as yoga, also helps improve sleep and various symptoms. Taking creatine as a supplement may help support muscle mass. 
• When it comes todiet, the aim is to get enough protein to support muscle mass and enough fibre for satiety and the gut microbiome, while limiting ultra-processed foods, which encourage blood sugar spikes and inflammation.
• Finally, sleep and stress management are not optional. They directly affect the hormones that regulate appetite and fat storage.

Alongside these adjustments, targeted nutritional support may also have a role to play.

To address this multifactorial metabolic slowdown, Jolly Mama offers Metabolism Support, the food supplement to boost your metabolism designed to help women in perimenopause and menopause maintain an active metabolism.

Its formula combines three complementary active ingredients:

• Metabolaid®, an extract of lemon verbena and hibiscus whose effects on body composition and markers of satiety such as GLP-1 have been explored in several clinical studies. These findings point to a potential approach consistent with the processes involved during menopause[7].
• Cinnamon, whose effect on blood sugar regulation and lipid profiles is among the most extensively documented of botanical ingredients, with numerous studies[8].
• Zinc, in bisglycinate form for better absorption[9], which contributes to the normal metabolism of carbohydrates and fatty acids, as well as to the protection of cells from oxidative stress, two recognised and documented functions[10].

Together, these three active ingredients may help support insulin sensitivity and normal lipid metabolism at a time when declining oestrogen levels put natural regulatory processes under strain.

Please note: Metabolism Support is not intended to replace a suitable lifestyle, good sleep, a balanced diet and physical activity. It complements these foundations to help support your metabolism through this transition.