Weight Gain After 40: Not Just Calories, It's Stress and Hormones

• Functional Nutritionist Smiita Krishna explains that weight gain after 40 isn't solely due to eating more; women often eat less but still gain weight.
• Hormonal shifts during perimenopause, particularly fluctuating estrogen and progesterone, impact fat storage and insulin response.
• Chronic stress from life responsibilities, poor sleep, and mental pressure elevates cortisol, leading to increased belly fat and cravings.
• Sleep disruption, common in perimenopause, increases hunger hormone ghrelin and decreases fullness hormone leptin.
• Extreme calorie restriction and intense cardio can worsen the problem by elevating stress hormones; focus should shift to strength training, blood sugar balance, protein, sleep, and stress management.