Why Do Women Gain Weight in Perimenopause and Menopause?

There’s a lot of changes that happen in perimenopause, not the least of which is dealing with midlife body changes. Can you relate to this?

"I'm SO frustrated by this body. I'm not doing anything differently and yet I keep gaining weight. Ugh, I just don't know what to do anymore, but I have to do something"

Ok, here we go. I'm diving into the topic that comes up almost every day in the conversations I have with women in midlife.

Why is your body changing and what can you do about it?

First, let's get something out of the way. You probably already know that I advocate for intuitive eating and a weight-neutral approach to health, which means that I'm not going to be laying out any weight loss plans for you in this email. ;) But that doesn't mean you won't come away with helpful and useful information - so stick with me!

The most important first step you can take is to step out of the diet mentality. Simply put, try to move away from the idea that you need to control food and exercise in order to be healthy and happy. As I often say, health and body confidence are inside jobs so let's take the focus off the number on the scale.

Secondly, let's try to understand why 80% of women in midlife experience weight gain and body changes.

Metabolism slows by 3-5% per decade, partly due to getting older and being less active, and partly due to the loss of lean muscle that starts to happen in our 30's and 40's.
Estrogen fluctuations change how and where your body stores fat. So, even if the scale hasn't changed much your clothes may be fitting differently because the distribution on your body has changed. This is why you shouldn't be holding onto your favourite jeans from your college days. ;)
It's normal for bodies to change! The expectation that they don't (or shouldn't) is driven by diet culture's narrative, not science. Body confidence comes when we shift our primary focus from how our bodies look to what they can do, and how we feel. In other words, let's focus on real health outcomes in midlife instead of making weight a proxy for health.

But here's why you shouldn't start yet another diet...

I know it's SO tempting to "try one more time" hoping this time will be different, but the reality is that...

diets don't work more than 90% of the time - meaning any weight that's lost is regained within 1-2 years.
There's evidence to suggest that weight cycling (aka yo-yo dieting) carries more risk than maintaining a stable weight, and that women who weight-cycle are at greater risk for depression.
Losing weight does not guarantee health, nor does it protect you from a negative self-image.

5 things you can start doing NOW that will help you feel better about your body in midlife.

Move your body in any way you enjoy! Not only will it help to build and maintain some of the lean muscle that's involved in metabolism, but it will help you feel good about the skin you're in.
Put away your scale, even if just for a week. Don't start every day in fear of what the scale will say. No one needs that kind of negativity in their life. ;)
Make managing attunement disruptors in midlife a priority. Lack of sleep, stress, and hot flashes make it difficult to respond to your body's hunger and fullness cues.
Use "AND" statements to manage bad body thoughts. For example - "I don't like how I look today AND that's ok because everyone feels that way sometimes".
Try "playing it forward" if you still feel drawn to return to dieting. Try to remind yourself of how you felt when you had to count points or calories, why you ultimately stopped following the plan, and explore what life would be like if you were able to make peace with food and feel amazing in the body you have!

Think of how enjoyable and fun life would be if you could trust your body instead of always feeling betrayed by it?

Need help finding your way in midlife?