Stress and Weight Gain During Perimenopause

As previously discussed in my blogs on Perimenopause: Stress, Anxiety, and Depression and Perimenopause Symptoms, Stress and Cortisol, a woman entering her 40s faces a critical period of physical change or metamorphosis.

These turbulent shifts in a woman’s reproductive cycle often are accompanied by a noticeable amount of weight gain, especially around the belly. This type of weight gain is often the cause of the apple-shaped figure in middle-aged women.

Women are especially susceptible to this seemingly sudden “around-the-middle” type of weight gain in their 40s.

Why are Women Especially Prone to Weight Gain in Their 40s?¹

In the perimenopause phase transitioning to menopause:

• A woman’s fat cells start to store more fat
• These cells can even divide to increase fat storage capacity
• This prepares the body for when estrogen levels decline
• At that point, fat cells become the main estrogen-producing centers

Statistics show:

• Women are more likely than men to experience imbalances in the hypothalamus 
• The hypothalamus is the brain center controlling appetite

This means:

• Even with great willpower, the desire for food often wins
• Cravings usually focus on sugary, fatty foods

These hypothalamus imbalances can be caused by:

1. Chronic stress, which leads to:

• A series of hormonal imbalances
• Prolonged high cortisol levels

2. Metabolic changes during perimenopause results in:

• Stimulated appetite center
• Increased difficulty in managing weight

The Role of Metabolism and Why is it Different in Women²

The ability to burn calories and create energy (known as metabolism) decreases markedly for women entering their forties. The speed at which the body burns up calories is called metabolic rate. 

Calorie Needs: Women vs. Men

An average forty-year-old woman’s resting metabolic rate is lower than a man’s.

Guidelines indicate:

• Women generally need fewer calories than men of comparable age and activity level
• The difference ranges from 550-650 calories

For example:

• An active man (31-50 years) needs about 2,900 calories a day
• A comparably active woman needs about 2,250 calories a day

This means:

• To maintain the same weight
• An active woman should consume about 650 fewer calories than an active man of the same age

Remember: These are general guidelines. Individual needs may vary based on factors like exact age, height, weight, and specific activity levels.

Females Have 8% More Body Fat³

Females’ muscle mass is also smaller than a man’s. Proper hormonal production in a female requires about 16 – 20 percent body fat; this is most likely the reason for the difference in muscle-to-fat ratio. 

Yet, since muscle is the main site of fat burning, this leaves females at a disadvantage when it comes to losing weight.

Muscle Loss and Weight Gain After 40

Starting around age 40 for women (later for men due to higher initial muscle mass):

• Women begin to slowly lose muscle mass
• Possible loss: up to 8% of muscle mass every 10 years

By a woman’s 40th birthday, on average:

• Lost: 2.5 lbs of muscle
• Gained: 7.5 lbs of adipose tissue (fat)
• Daily calorie needs: 100 calories less to maintain weight

After age 40:

• It becomes harder to lose weight
• Maintaining muscle mass becomes more important

Key takeaway:

As you age, your bodies naturally lose muscle and gains fat, which affects your metabolism and makes weight management more challenging, especially for females!

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1. Increased visceral fat and decreased energy expenditure during the menopausal transition – PubMed (nih.gov) ↩︎
2. estimated-calorie-needs.pdf (apa.org) ↩︎
3. Muscle tissue changes with aging – PMC (nih.gov) ↩︎

Vliet E., Women, Weight and Hormones, M.Evans & Co., NY, 2002

Peeke P., Fight Fat After Forty, Penguin Books, NY, 2000

Jenkins D. et al. Metabolic Effects of a Low-Glycemic Index Diet, Am J Clin Nutr 1987; 46:968-975

Council on Scientific Affairs, AMA, Report 4: Women’s Health: sex & gender-based differences in health & disease. www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/article/2036-4946.html