Women can begin experiencing the effects of menopause as early as forty. It happens to all of us as we pass the point of being able to have children and the wild hormones of our teenage years come back with a vengeance.

The question is will you get fatter because of it? Unfortunately most women do. During menopause your body undergoes some pretty significant changes, as your hormones rage you gain weight, even if you’re not overeating. Now, as an older women it becomes twice as difficult to keep the weight off.

Your body will reshape itself during these years and the distribution of weight around it will change. Suddenly you will gain weight around your stomach area, even if in the past you were more prone to a big bum or thighs.

The levels of estrogen, testosterone, androgen and progesterone in your body control your weight now. But this, like all things in life, happens for a reason. This is natures way of preparing us for old age. A little fat around your middle helps prevent more serious diseases like osteoporosis and can ease the stress from varying hormone levels. What about the fat? How do I keep it off?

Old advice comes into play here ladies. Eat right. Don’t eat junk food, have too much sugar in your diet and its time to let go of that Friday chocolate Sunday you’ve been giving yourself for being good the entire week.

Increase your exercise regime, more cardiovascular workouts will help increase your hormone ravaged metabolism. If you don’t exercise at all, now is the time to start! Cut back dramatically on smoking and drinking as they cause water retention. Start eating more often in smaller amounts and only until you are full. Don’t eat the whole plate of food out of habit.

I know what you’re thinking – this sounds like a nightmare! But truth be told, it isn’t. We are all supposed to lead a healthy life like that anyway. Food is not the beginning and end of our existence. You will need to adjust your life to make way for your foray into your twilight years, just like you did when you were a tubby kid and became weight conscious on hitting puberty.

Routine is key. Eventually being healthy will become part of your life, like wearing makeup or washing dishes. Find the balance that suits you best, and stay positive so that your years as a fabulous fifty will be some of the best of your life.

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