The key is in knowing that the strategy you will need to follow during and following menopause will be different from the one you’d been using at other points in your life.

Fortunately, this doesn’t mean that you will need to go to any extremes.  It will be a matter of boosting activity levels while enjoying a more healthful diet that includes appropriate portion and/or calorie control.

The reason many women experience menopause weight gain has a great deal to do with the considerable hormonal changes that start to occur and which produce a reaction in the body that increases the chances of fat collection around the hips, thighs and abdomen.  That said, it’s also important to note that hormones alone aren’t necessarily the only thing that contributes to added pounds during these years.

Instead, menopause weight gain has to do with hormones in combination with genetic factors and changes in lifestyle that many people choose as they age.  It is true that some of the natural body changes that occur as a person ages includes the loss of muscle mass and the introduction of new body fat reserves.  This is notable because muscle is a natural calorie burner.  Therefore, with less of it, it means that the body doesn’t burn through as many calories as it previously did, making it harder to maintain a healthy body weight.

Therefore, with the changes in your body, hormones and genetic factors all coming into play, you need to know the right lifestyle efforts to either prevent or reverse the accumulation of added fat during or following menopause.  These include the following:

Activity – get active and stay that way.  If you’re not moving around, you’re giving your muscles an even lower chance to remain.  This also helps you to burn calories and fats at the time.  It’s also good to know that the more active you are, the easier it is to remain active because you build strength, lubricate your joints, better your endurance and improve your balance.  That combination also leads to a lower risk of injury.

Eat right – if you want to be able to maintain or lose weight, you need to make sure you’re burning more calories than you’re consuming.  This might mean that you’ll need to eat about 200 calories fewer, on average, than you could a decade (or two) ago without gaining weight. Try to aim for nutrient-packed foods that are more filling but that pack a lower caloric punch.

Limit alcohol – alcoholic beverages contain a shocking number of calories.  Moreover, alcohol itself has effects that can boost the risk of gaining weight.