My Unpopular Opinion on Weight Gain in Perimenopause and Menopause

Two of the most common phrases I hear from women in perimenopause and Menopause are, “I’m suddenly gaining weight even though I’ve changed nothing with my diet and exercise routine” and “I can't seem to lose weight, I’ve tried every diet and I’m doing more cardio and still no weight loss”. 

Not only is this topic near and dear to my heart because for the last 5 years I have been experiencing changes in my body due to perimenopause, but I have seen this over and over with clients coming to me for nutrition and fitness coaching desperate to lose weight. 

What scares me and what makes me so passionate to teach what I teach is that all too often I see women who are damaging their bodies in a desperate attempt to lose weight. Because for most women when they try to lose their perimenopausal and menopausal weight gain they have to follow more extreme diets and fitness programs to see results. 

Let me give you an example. When I was studying my course at the Institute for the Psychology of Eating we were paired up with what we called peer coaches. We would schedule phone or video chat visits with our peer taking the course monthly. The goal was to talk about what we learned and coach each other through our own psychological struggles around eating. 

My peer was a 56 year old woman. Who by her own admission struggled most of her life with an eating disorder, and was at the time still seeing a therapist regarding the matter. In her coaching sessions with me we would often discuss the weight she had gained in perimenopause and that she was unable to lose in menopause despite her most extreme efforts. She shared with me that always being a very small framed woman she struggled with feeling judged for the extra weight around her tummy. 

She had disclosed to me that despite following very disordered eating and fitness practices she still was unable to lose the weight she gained in perimenopause. She told me about running and riding her bike for hours on end everyday, and restricting all carbohydrates. She felt defeated and embarrassed, and that she signed up for the Psychology of Eating course desperate for answers.  

And this is where my unpopular opinion comes in. This is the advice I gave to her and I give to all women going through weight gain in perimenopause and menopause, and it’s not always received well. The fact is the lean muscle tissue that supports our metabolism and our bones is our most valuable resource going into old age. Without it we age faster and succumb to much higher rates of illness and disease. And this is why I advised her and most clients to keep fueling their body with the energy it needs to maintain this muscle and focus on strength training. Which does not result in the weight on the scale going down very fast. 

Here’s the thing. By following low calorie diets and doing long and intense cardio your body breaks down muscle for fuel and fat continues to be stored because this is simply a stress to the body. And in stressed states our bodies hold on to fat. 

So by eating enough calories and protein each day, and following a strength focused exercise program you do not often see fast weight loss or sometimes no weight loss at all. But what does happen is you are protecting your body by holding on to its oh so precious lean muscle. You might not have the flat stomach you had in your 20’s but you have bone health and strength that will give you health and longevity long into old age. 

I am not denying that weight gain, especially around our tummy, is not a health concern. But the extreme diets and long cardio sessions are not what loses that either. Extreme calorie restriction and excessive cardio puts our body in a stressed state. Stress raises cortisol, high cortisol is the number one cause of belly fat. 

Here is what you can do:

1. Reduce stress and focus on relaxation techniques like meditation, walks in nature, breathwork and self care practices. This helps lower cortisol. 

2. Make sleep hygiene your number one priority. Sleep is so dysregulated in perimenopause and menopause and it is a big part of our weight gain. Lack of sleep increases stress, elevating cortisol. It disregulates our leptin and ghrelin which are the two hormones that regulate our appetite. It also elevates our blood sugars causing weight gain and energy crashes.  

3. Eat enough good quality whole foods. With an emphasis on protein and fiber. By feeding your body enough nutrients to help it maintain lean muscle you will not only prevent bone loss and frailty in old age, you will actually be increasing your metabolism. Which in fat loss 101 we learn good metabolism equals fat burning. 

4. Strength train. Muscle is our most precious commodity as we age. It is what keeps us young. When we head into perimenopause and as we age due to lack of hormone production it becomes more and more difficult to build new and maintain the muscle we already have. A regular strength training routine will help you maintain the muscle you have, and as I mentioned above lean muscle increases metabolism which inturn burns fat. 

5. And last but not least give yourself a break. Be kind to yourself and your body for making it this far. As one of my favourite quotes from Louise Hay goes "You've been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn't worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”

These 5 tips are my sole focus right now when it comes to my health, happiness and longevity. My body might not look like it did when I was 20, but it feels strong and my mental health is far better now than it was then. 

Well I guess the one bonus about not sleeping regularly during perimenopause is it gives me more time to think about what to write and how to inspire others. If you don’t already know, I just published my first book called “Body Wisdom - How to stop the cycle of dieting, fall in love with your body and find your healthy set point” If you're interested it’s available on Amazon and indigo online. Or if you're local to Drayton Valley you can pick up a copy at Total works fitness, West Finely clothing store, Eighty Eight clothing boutique, and Sensual Lace and leather. 

If you want to hear me speak in person I will be presenting at the Public Library in Drayton Valley Alberta at 6pm on February 26th 2025. 

Helping others on their nutrition and fitness journey has been my passion and my career for 20 years now. So reach out via email simplythrivedv@gmail.com or call or text me at 1-780-621-7863 for information on how you can hire me to help you. 

You can also check out my website https://www.simplythrivedv.com/ for what I’m offering, recipes and more inspiring blog posts like this. 

And last but not least, follow me on social media @simplythrivewithlisa instagram, TikTok and my personal account Lisa Glazebrook on Facebook for lots of inspirational content regarding health, wellness and self love. 

The biggest heartfelt thank you for reading my work. I appreciate you and hope I can make a difference in the world. 

With much love

Lisa Glazebrook 

Simply Thrive