As women grow older, their bodies change, sometimes more than they can anticipate. As women approach their 40s, they gain weight that is difficult to lose. And since women are taught that their value lies in their looks, they go to great lengths to lose that weight. Let me tell you, your weight gain is not because you are eating too much or not exercising enough. The reason is purely biological, and it’s called perimenopause. Because your hormones change around the time you get your menopause, it affects your weight. What you need to remember, though, is that it is perfectly okay to gain weight during perimenopause. It’s nothing to be ashamed or worried about.

Related: Are You Mistaking Perimenopause For A Painful Period?

Why do women gain weight during perimenopause?

1. Hormonal fluctuations

As you age, there is a decrease in oestrogen and progesterone in your body, and that triggers metabolic changes. One of the changes is the decrease in muscle mass, leading to fewer calories burned, resulting in fat accumulation. Since the metabolism slows down, you tend to lose muscle and accumulate more fat, causing weight gain.

2. Genetics

Not everything is your fault, ladies. Sometimes, it’s just about a bad draw of genetics. If the women in your family tend to put on weight during menopause and perimenopause, chances are high that so will you. Your genetics also play a part in where you put on weight. If your parents or relatives carry more weight around the abdomen, you will also likely carry weight in the abdomen as you reach menopause.

3. Unhealthy sleep habits

One of the symptoms of perimenopause is insomnia. Unfortunately, though, the lack of sleep also contributes to weight gain, especially when you are in perimenopause. It is because the longer you are awake late into the night, the higher the chance of you snacking late and consuming high calories in food and drinks.

4. Lack of physical activity

As you grow older, your physical activity reduces, inadvertently affecting your weight. So, doing some form of physical activity like walking or even yoga can help you keep your weight in check.

5. Lack of an appropriate diet

Even if you had a healthy diet before you hit perimenopause, it doesn’t matter. As you grow older, your body needs different things, including diet. The diet that kept you fit and healthy in your 20s and 30s won’t work in your 40s and 50s. So, modify your diet to meet your current age and changes in the body. Add more greens, cut out the sugar and eat clean.

Weight gain often starts about seven to ten years before you reach menopause. So, there is a long period of perimenopause where you feel like your body isn’t yours and nothing that worked all these years is working anymore. That’s perfectly normal. As you grow older, your body will change, and there’s nothing shameful about that. So, if you are seeing an increase in your weight, especially after you cross your 40s, it’s not because of anything you did. It’s only because your body is changing. Don’t let that cause you undue stress.