5 Reasons For Your Muffin Top

Did you know it’s considered “normal” to gain about 1 to 2 pounds per year, according to a 2013 study?

At the same time, it is possible to maintain your weight and overall health with the right strategies.

While I don’t often talk about weight directly—mostly because I don't love focusing on it—this is a topic that keeps coming up. People are always asking me about it!

As someone who grew up in a family with a few food and body image issues, I’ve always tried to approach health from a broader, more compassionate lens. Because let’s be honest—it's never just about the weight.

Weight is complex. It’s influenced by emotions, habits, family history, genetics, belief systems, our environment, and so much more. That’s why I rarely talk about weight loss from a food-only perspective.

But let’s get into it—here are 5 surprising reasons you might be gaining weight (and what to do instead).

1. You’re Experiencing Age-Related Muscle Loss

The amount of lean muscle we have naturally begins to decline by 3 to 8 percent per decade after age 30, which is a process called sarcopenia.

Why does that loss of muscle matter?

It matters because lean muscle burns more calories than fat—even at rest. So unless you’re regularly strength training to maintain or build muscle, your body will naturally require fewer calories over time.

The problem? Most people continue eating the same way they always have, without adjusting for this gradual muscle loss. That’s a big reason why slow, steady weight gain (often around the tummy—see reason #2!) tends to creep in with each passing decade.

2. You’re Undergoing Normal Hormonal Changes

Both men and women experience hormonal shifts as part of the natural aging process. Let’s talk about four key hormones that play a major role in weight changes as we get older:

1. Estrogen

There’s a significant drop in estrogen as women move into perimenopause and menopause—and that shift encourages fat to settle around the belly. This change in fat distribution not only makes weight gain more noticeable but also increases the risk of high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, and type 2 diabetes.

Fluctuating estrogen levels during **perimenopause—the 10+ years leading up to menopause—**can also cause mood swings. And let’s face it: when we’re feeling crunchy, we tend to reach for food for comfort, skip workouts, or sometimes overdo exercise (which can be just as counterproductive!). On average, women gain about five pounds during the transition to menopause—but many gain more, especially around the waist.

2. Progesterone

Progesterone naturally declines with age. This calming hormone helps counterbalance the effects of estrogen and supports deep, restful sleep. When progesterone drops, sleep can suffer—and poor sleep leads to increased cravings for quick-energy foods like sugar and refined carbs. It’s the perfect storm for weight gain.

3. Growth Hormone (GH)

The pituitary gland’s production of growth hormone also declines as we age. GH plays a key role in building and maintaining lean muscle mass. As it drops, it becomes harder to preserve muscle—which means your metabolism slows and you burn fewer calories at rest. Less muscle = fewer calories burned = more fat storage.

4. Insulin

After 40, we naturally become more insulin resistant. Just like your vision might fade with age, this is a biological fact. Insulin is your fat storage hormone, and when your cells stop responding to it properly, your body hangs onto fat—especially around the belly.

High insulin levels drive weight gain (especially in the midsection), inflammation, and oxidative stress. You might also notice symptoms like fatigue after meals, sugar cravings, blood sugar crashes, high triglycerides, low HDL cholesterol, decreased sex drive, and even blood clotting issues.

Weight gain around your middle is one of the clearest signs of insulin imbalance.

3. Your Metabolism Is Slower Than Before

That decrease in muscle mass? It slows your metabolism—a complex process that converts calories into energy. As you lose muscle and gain fat, your body naturally burns fewer calories, even at rest.

On top of that, many people become less active with age, which compounds the slowdown. And to make matters worse, it’s common to start eating less—especially less protein.

I had a client who was nervous about gaining weight, so she’d only add half a scoop of protein powder to her smoothie. But that was actually working against her! Her body needed more protein to help preserve muscle and support metabolism—not less.

4. You’re More Sedentary + More Stressed

By the time you’re in your forties or fifties, your career is often in full swing—which can pose a few weight loss challenges.

For one, you’re probably moving less. We’re just not getting the NEAT we need.

NEAT stands for Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis—the energy your body uses for everything that isn’t sleeping, eating, or intentional exercise. Think: walking to your car, heading up the stairs, doing laundry, gardening, fidgeting, or standing at your desk. It all adds up—and when it drops, so does your daily calorie burn.

You might also find yourself so busy that you skip proper meal breaks and eat while working—something that doesn’t support digestion (or satisfaction!).

Plus, more job-related stress can boost levels of ghrelin, our hunger hormone, leading to increased cravings and overeating.

And we haven’t even touched on cortisol yet…another major player in stress-related weight gain. (We’ll save that for another post!)

5. You’re Experiencing Major Lifestyle Changes

Some of the reasons for weight gain in middle age have nothing to do with what’s happening inside your body and everything to do with the way life changes as people enter their thirties and forties.  Some women are having babies later and also dealing with aging parents, a busy family life and full on careers all at the same time! Others are finally at a place where they are content in their marriage or life but their children are leaving home and the emotions surrounding that are too much to handle.

Running from activity to activity means meal times become rushed and quick solutions like fast food become the norm. We all know that eating processed foods and fast food is a sure fire way to gain weight fast, leaving you malnourished and hungry!

All of this end up leaving your body in a state of stress…which means your muffin top is getting fuelled even further. (Cortisol dis-regulation is your life)

Add up all of these facts and you will be gaining weight around your middle without realizing that there are things you can do to stop the spread! It just takes some strategy.

Want to talk? I can help you with all of the above…see if I can help here.

Here is this blog in video format and I highly recommend you watch it at 1.25 speed…and it includes a q&a at the end that includes more answers. :)