Perimenopause, Menopause & Weight Loss: What No One Tells Women (But Should)
I hear this line from women in their 40s and 50s ALL the time: “I used to lose weight so easily… what happened?”
And honestly? There are real biological shifts at play — but most women are never taught what’s actually going on inside their bodies.
Let’s break this down simply, WITHOUT fear, shame, or hopelessness.
Hormones really do shift — and they change how your body stores fat.
As estrogen drops during perimenopause and menopause, your body becomes more prone to storing fat around the midsection — especially visceral fat, the deeper, more metabolic fat around organs.
Before menopause, visceral fat might be around 5% of your total body fat.
After? It can jump to 15–20%.
This doesn’t mean you’re “doing anything wrong.”
It means your biology is shifting — and your strategy needs to shift with it.
2. Estrogen, sleep, cravings, and appetite all change too.
Lower estrogen affects:
• Sleep quality
• Hunger regulation
• Cravings
• Energy levels
• Stress tolerance
• Recovery
Ever wonder why cravings spike, sleep gets choppy, or fat feels “stickier” than it did at 30?
This is why.
3. Aging also reduces muscle mass — which lowers metabolism.
This part is CRUCIAL and honestly empowering:
Around our 40s, we naturally lose muscle more quickly if we’re not strength training.
Less muscle = fewer calories burned = easier weight gain.
But this is also the #1 area we have the MOST control over. And why my entire coaching program is focused on helping women build and maintain muscle mass!
When women train properly during perimenopause/menopause, muscle becomes your metabolic superpower.
4. Yes — calories still matter (and always will).
Even with hormonal changes, one truth stays the same: Burning more calories than you take in is still needed for fat loss.
BUT…
The way you create that deficit is what changes. You can’t starve your way to fat loss during perimenopause. That backfires FAST.
You need:
• More protein
• More muscle
• Better sleep
• Smarter training
• A sustainable calorie deficit — not a miserable one
This is why drastically cutting calories works worse now than ever.
5. “It feels like my body is happy at this weight…”
SO many women say this after years of dieting.
But it’s not your body “fighting you.”
It’s your body adapting to:
• Low muscle mass
• Poor sleep
• Long-term stress
• Years of restrictive dieting
• Inconsistent nutrition
• Lack of progressive strength training
Your body isn’t stuck — it’s responding to the signals it’s being given.
Change the signals → the body follows.
6. The GOOD NEWS: You can still lose fat in perimenopause & menopause.
In fact?
With the RIGHT approach, many women see better, more consistent results in their 40s+ than they ever did in their 20s — because they finally stop chasing extreme diets and start working with their physiology.
What works:
• Lifting heavy and building lean muscle
• Protein at every meal
• Walking + daily movement
• Managing stress & improving sleep hygiene
• Smart, sustainable calorie deficit
• Consistency over perfection
Women in midlife are not broken.
You’re not “too old.”
Your metabolism isn’t dead.
You just need the right strategy for THIS season of life.
And when you get that right?
Your body responds — beautifully.
Reach out to me if you are ready to get started on a plan for success.