Most women think they know what menopause is and how they’ll handle it. They’ve seen friends or relatives struggle with the effects of shifting hormones and may have even made a plan for themselves. They tell themselves they won’t go through it the same way.

Until one night, without warning, they wake up drenched in sweat, feeling like their body is on fire. They might turn to their partner and demand to know who turned off the AC. But it’s not off. Nothing around them has changed—except them.
Welcome to menopause.

To clarify, menopause, according to Dr. Mary Claire Haver, a board-certified expert in obstetrics and gynecology and a menopause specialist, is officially defined as one full year without a menstrual period. Everything before that point is considered perimenopause: the phase when estrogen and progesterone levels begin to decline, but periods still occur, though often irregularly. Before that is pre-menopause. After that year? Post-menopause.

Dr. Haver emphasizes that menopause isn’t just the end of menstruation, it also marks the beginning of increased health risks for women.

Let’s do the math. An estimated 64 million U.S. women are aged 50 or older. According to 2021 U.S. Census Bureau data, half of all women are over 40. Every person on the planet either is a woman or is connected to one. This hormonal transition affects all of us—regardless of age, race, socioeconomic status, or sex.

And while menopause has been part of the female experience since the beginning, there’s still a lingering belief that its symptoms are exaggerated—or worse, all in a woman’s head. Nothing could be further from the truth. Menopausal symptoms have a clear, science-backed explanation: they result from the loss of estrogen, a vital sex hormone.

We could talk all day about the symptoms of menopause, but at Iowa IV, we’re not here to replace a woman’s relationship with her healthcare provider. What we can do is help address one of the biggest challenges during this transition: weight gain.

Menopausal weight gain is incredibly common, often ranging from 25 to 50 pounds. Without estrogen, fat tends to accumulate around the abdomen. Suddenly, clothes feel too tight. Sweat builds up under your bra. Back fat appears out of nowhere. And yet, your eating habits haven’t changed. Muscle mass starts to decline, and with it come the dreaded underarm "wings." According to the Mayo Clinic, the loss of muscle slows down metabolism. Add in hormone-driven insomnia and frequent hot flashes, and sleep becomes a struggle.

To make things worse, the hormonal shift can lead to increased insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas in response to food intake. It allows glucose to enter cells for energy. Without it, blood sugar levels rise, but cells are still starved for fuel. This cellular “hunger” signals the body that it’s in starvation mode, triggering even more fat storage. It’s a vicious cycle that leaves many women feeling like strangers in their own bodies.

That’s where weight loss peptides offered by Iowa IV can help you start reclaiming control.

GLP-1 agonists like Semaglutide and Tirzepatide work by suppressing hunger, slowing the movement of food through the digestive system, and aiding fat metabolism—particularly around the abdomen. These medications also target the endocrine system to reduce insulin resistance, lower fasting glucose levels, and signal that the body is no longer in crisis mode.

Beyond weight loss, GLP-1 agonists are thought to reduce inflammation, improve heart function, and even help with brain fog, offering a clearer path forward during a time that can feel uncertain and overwhelming.  

If this sounds like you, or someone you love, why not schedule a free weight loss peptide consultation?  Don’t sit back and think that your life is over, let us help you take control!

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