Menopause

Wait, don’t give me that look! Yeah, your monthly periods may still be coming regularly like clockwork, you may not have those dreaded hot flashes and you may simply be too young to be experiencing menopause, but you are very well in the right age to enter the transition period to menopause.

You heard me right – you might already be entering what is now known as the “perimenopause” period! Perimenopause can start as early as you reach your mid to late 30s and ends right before you have your last menstrual period. Well, that roughly accounts for at least 20 years of your life - so you better give your body the attention and proper care it needs during this transitory phase.

What could you expect as you enter perimenopause? During this period, you may notice the first signs that you are about to enter menopause. Some of these warning signs may include the following:

• You experience hellish PMS and grave mood swings. Hey, your partner may even start to tell you that you are having PMS even before you notice it! Come to think of it, you may even be waking up feeling cranky most of the time.

• You experience more food cravings. Wondering why your cravings for chocolates seem a little bit more uncontrollable lately? I bet you are finding it hard to resist sweet and fatty foods, too!

• You start putting on those extra pounds. You may notice that you are starting to gain an additional inch or two around your waist and that your time-tested diet that used to guarantee you a five-pound weight loss in a month has suddenly lost its magic!

Although you may not know it, your fat cells (especially those in your abdominal area) are getting bigger than ever in preparation for that big event - menopause.

What triggers this significant change in your fat cells? The decreasing estrogen level in your body does! As your ovaries produce less and less estrogen, your fat cells start to activate more fat storage enzymes and grow in size to be able to produce estrogen. You might not believe it but your fat cells may expand up to 20% of their original size as you start to enter perimenopause! This explains why you may be getting bigger, no matter how much you stick to your diet and exercise routine.

Menopausal weight gain is very much real and it can be the most stubborn weight gain you will ever experience. Why? Simply put, your fat cells may foil your every attempt at dieting in an effort to keep producing the estrogen that your body needs.

So, how could you maintain a healthy weight if your fat cells just keep on getting bigger?

The answer - make some healthy adjustments in your eating and exercise habits. Your metabolism starts to decline during the perimenopause and menopause periods so it will be wiser to choose to eat less of just about any food. It may also be advisable to add some strength training exercises to your routine to prevent muscle loss. However, the best thing that you can do is to maintain a positive attitude in dealing with the problem. It will give you the motivation to start and stick with the changes you need to go through!

Perimenopause and menopause are not the end of a woman’s sexuality. They are just phases that occur naturally in her life. There are ways to get through them and continue on with a healthy and sexually active life. Follow as much of the above as you can, and you will be able to better ensure a longer and healthier life through these phases and beyond.