Want to Lose Weight During Menopause? Learn the Life Cycle of Your Metabolism

Men and women’s bodies generally consist of the same hormones, but the way women’s bodies process, distribute, and utilize hormones is completely different (9).

As women, we experience several major changes in our hormonal and metabolic make-up during a lifetime. Our bodies are always evolving.

And because metabolism is connected to hormones, it’s a major part of the fabric of your life. To understand why weight fluctuates over the decades, we need to understand the full life cycle of a woman’s metabolism and hormones.

Here’s what happens…

Early Years

In a girl’s first ten years of her life, her levels of estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone are somewhat low. Her metabolism is strikingly high until age 5, and then it starts to decline until age 20 (9).

Adolescence

“In adolescence, our hormones are at peak performance,” says Dr. Seitz. As anyone who experienced it remembers, the teen years are a time of extremes. Teenage girls’ hormone levels are high, and that translates to mood swings and growth spurts (10).

The metabolism is slower than it was in childhood, which can make an already confusing phase of life more stressful (11).

Your 20s

Your metabolism soars high in your late teens and early 20s. Your hormones are also high, and so are your libido and mental sharpness. The mood swings of adolescence usually even out. Your menstrual cycle becomes more predictable, and your fertility is at its highest (12).

Many women have their first children during their twenties, which sets off another series of hormonal shifts. After each pregnancy, it takes about six months before hormones return to their normal state (13).

Your 30s

In your mid-30s, you may start to notice your metabolism declining (14).

At the same time, hormones start to decline too. So does the strength of your bones. This is when we set in motion the path toward potential osteoporosis down the line—women in their 30s might want to start focusing on weight-bearing exercises and collagen supplementation to strengthen their bones.

“From puberty until the mid-30s, hormones tend to be more regular and consistent,” says Dr. Arianna Sholes-Douglas, MD, menopause expert and author of The Menopause Myth. “By mid-30s and definitely by mid-40s, hormonal patterns tend to look more similar to puberty years when the hormonal patterns are more erratic.”

For some women, their mid-to-late thirties mark the beginning of signs of menopause—something few expect.

“The menopause transition can last up to 10 years for some women,” explains Dr. Sholes-Douglas. “This is a very common misunderstanding about women around their hormones. Most women assume that menopause is a period that will affect them in their mid to late 50s, however a woman can be menopausal, or complete her menopause transition by age 45. This means that there are significant hormonal fluctuations potentially as early as age 35. A woman in her mid-30s should be aware that this could mark the beginning of her menopause transition.”

This can mean the 30s include the first appearance of the changes that many of us associate with menopause. “These can manifest as simple changes in menstrual cycle length or frequency, but they can also include insomnia, worsening PMS, irritability, and an increase in anxiety and depression.”

Your 40s

This decade is when most women’s bodies begin their lead-up to menopause. “As we get to perimenopause, we will see progesterone lower followed by estrogen, [and then] testosterone falls as well,” explains Dr. Setiz.

This can equate to irregular periods, weaker bones, hot flashes, and depression. (If you feel emotionally erratic this time, you’re not going crazy!) Women often experience weight gain during this time as their metabolic slowdown continues.

Your 50s

“As we get into menopause, where you don’t have a cycle for 12 months, a woman’s hormones will drop due to the lack of cycle,” says Dr. Seitz.

During this time, your estrogen and progesterone continue to dip, which causes menopause symptoms for about 85% of women (15).

That can include hot flashes, trouble sleeping, mood swings, headaches, an increased risk of osteoporosis, and a slowed metabolism.

This plunge in estrogen may also impact your skin. “In general, estrogen is a hormone of well-being and affects the plumpness and elasticity of the skin,” says Dr. Sholes-Douglas. “As we age and estrogen levels decline, we will notice thinner skin and unfortunately more wrinkles and sag. Skin changes tend to be somewhat frustrating for women as their estrogen levels decline.”

This is a time when more women may want to take a collagen supplement for menopause symptoms and to boost the skin elasticity and bone strength that they’re losing.