The hormonal changes of menopause can cause an increased tendency towards weight gain for many women, especially around the abdomen. This is often related to sluggish metabolism and a variety of lifestyle and genetic factors, not necessarily hormonal changes alone. It’s important to remember that muscle mass diminishes with age. If you don’t do anything to replace the lean muscle you lose, your metabolism will slow down as your body composition shifts to more fat, less muscle. This, of course, slows down the rate at which you burn calories. Also, we also need fewer calories as we age, so if you continue to eat as you always have, you’re likely to gain weight.
