5 Ways to Lose Fat During Perimenopause: Overcome the Challenges of a Changing Body

5 WAYS TO GET RID OF FAT DURING PEERIMENOPAUSE

As a perimenopausal coach who specializes in helping women navigate this transition with ease, one of the top three complaints I hear from women is the unwanted fat around their midsection; it’s as if it pops out of nowhere and no matter what they’re doing the weight seems to increase instead of decrease.

I completely understand their concerns and frustration because this does affect their confidence and studies also show that having a waist 35 inches or more increase a woman’s risk for illnesses like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart disease among others.

The average age for women to become menopausal is fifty-one, the stage prior to this is perimenopause, which may begin for a woman in her late thirties.

Prior to this stage, many women may find it was easier to rid their bodies of the excess fat, they could skip a few meals, increase the intensity or length of their cardio sessions and voila, the fat magically disappears.

During perimenopause, they may try these tested and true methods but have found that the results aren’t the same. In fact, they may find out they’re gaining fat, as opposed to losing it. This is primarily due to the fluctuation in hormones, primarily estrogen. This is where frustration builds and desperation sinks in and they feel all hope is lost. Hope isn’t lost, but an understanding why this happens is crucial to overcoming the obstacles.

In this blog, we’ll dive into why fat loss becomes more difficult during perimenopause and explore five effective strategies to not only lose but to keep fat off.

These strategies include managing stress, getting enough sleep, drinking adequate water, ensuring proper protein intake, and lifting weights.

Why Losing Fat is More Challenging During Perimenopause

Perimenopause triggers several physiological changes in a woman’s body, primarily related to hormones, muscle mass, and metabolism. These changes make it more difficult to lose fat and maintain muscle. Let’s break down the primary reasons behind this challenge:

• Hormonal Fluctuations: During perimenopause your hormones, estrogen and progesterone are fluctuating which contribute to how fat is stored and distributed within your body. This usually leads to an increase in the amount of fat being stored in your midsection.
• Metabolic Slowdown: As you age, your metabolism naturally slows down and perimenopause accelerates this process, making it easier to gain fat even if you maintain the same eating and exercise habits.
• Decreased Muscle Mass: After 30, women begin losing muscle mass at a fast rate. Since muscle burns more calories at rest than fat, losing muscle makes it harder to burn calories efficiently.
• Insulin Resistance: During perimenopause, your body may become sensitive to insulin which may result in you becoming insulin resistance. If you become insulin resistance, it becomes easier for your body to store fat , especially around your midsection. As estrogen declines, the body’s sensitivity to insulin may also decrease, leading to insulin resistance. This condition makes it easier for the body to store fat, particularly around the midsection, even if your diet and activity levels stay the same.
• Increased Stress Levels: As you enter perimenopause, your body’s ability to manage stress decreases due to the shift in hormones. Stress increases cortisol levels, which can encourage fat storage, especially in the abdominal area.

Now that we understand why losing fat becomes more challenging during perimenopause, let’s dive into five key strategies that can help you overcome these hurdles.

1. Managing Stress

Stress is something you can’t get rid of, it’s part of your life, whether it’s personal, professional, financial, environmental or mental it’s there. Your body should experience some level of stress, as this is normal. The issue is when your body remains in a constant state of stress. When your body experiences chronic stress, cortisol, your stress hormones remain high. Elevated stress levels lead to higher cortisol production, a hormone associated with fat storage, particularly in the belly area.

Cortisol, your “stress hormone,” is produced by your adrenal glands in response to stress. In short-term situations, it’s helpful because it activates your fight-or-flight response. However, chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated, which can cause fat to accumulate, particularly around the midsection as there are more cortisol receptors there during perimenopause. When your cortisol levels remain high, you may experience difficulties sleeping throughout the nights; these issues may be falling and/or staying asleep throughout the nights. For example, if you have been waking up early mornings between 1:00am-5:00am it could be the result of an elevated your cortisol level. If your cortisol level remains high due to stress, your body then starts to break down muscles instead of building them, with your muscles being broken down, this leads to an increase in body fat.

To help minimize your stress levels spend sometime daily participating in activities you enjoy, activities that bring you joy. Some of those activities may include reading, gardening or spending time with loved ones.

2. Getting Enough Sleep

Sleep is often underestimated in fat loss, but during perimenopause, it becomes a critical factor for fat loss. Unfortunately, many women experience sleep disturbances due to hormonal fluctuations, making it even harder to maintain a healthy weight. You know you need sleep, and you want it, but you just don’t know how to. Before I share a strategy to you can implement that’ll help you, let me first explain the impact of sleep on your fat loss goals. Your body repairs, recover and replenishes while you’re sleeping.

This is also when two important hormones, ghrelin, the one that tells your body when you’re hungry and leptin, the one that tells your body when it’s full becomes balanced. This imbalance leads to increased hunger and cravings, especially for high-calorie, sugary foods. Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol levels, leading to more fat storage, particularly around the belly since there is more cortisol receptors there during perimenopause.

One thing you can do to help you get a better night’s sleep is to have a nighttime routine that includes you winding down and relaxing. Something like taking a warm shower before bedtime will help along with maintaining a consistent bedtime.

3. Drinking Adequate Water

I’m sure when you’re thinking of losing fat during perimenopause, you didn’t think drinking enough water was something to do, but drinking adequate amount of water is crucial for fat loss, during perimenopause.

Water helps regulate metabolism and plays a key role in breaking down fat. When you’re dehydrated, your metabolism slows down, making it harder to burn calories effectively. Proper hydration helps important organs like your liver and kidneys function optimally. Your liver plays a vital role in metabolizing fat, and when the body is dehydrated, it has to work harder, potentially slowing fat metabolism. By staying hydrated, the liver can focus more on fat breakdown and energy production.

Aim to drink half your body weight in ounce of water per day as the minimum amount. If you find plain water boring, add natural flavors with lemon, oranges cucumber, or fresh mint to make it more enjoyable.

4. Prioritize Protein Intake

Protein is a macronutrient that is essential for fat loss, especially during perimenopause when muscle loss and slowed metabolism become more pronounced. Protein helps to preserve lean muscle mass, which is important for a healthy metabolism that’ll have you burn fat.

During fat loss, your body may break down muscles along with fat. Protein helps to preserve lean muscle mass, which is crucial because muscle burns more calories at rest than fat. Maintaining muscle boosts metabolism and ensures that most of the weight loss comes from fat, not muscle. Muscle burns more calories than fat, even at rest, so preserving or building muscle through protein consumption can help counteract the metabolic slowdown that comes with age.

Protein has a thermic effect on food (TEF) which refers to the energy your body uses to digest, absorb and process nutrients. This TEF of protein is higher when compared to foods like fats and carbohydrates, which means your body burns more calories to break it down. This increase in calorie expenditure helps with fat loss.

Aim to have 30g of protein at each meal. Protein source could be eggs, tofu, or even protein supplements.

5. Strength Training

Lifting weights is one of the most effective ways to combat the fat gain and muscle loss that often accompanies perimenopause. Many women shy away from weight training, fearing it will make them bulky, but it’s the key to not only a lean physique, but also one that’ll turn you in to fat burning machine.

Strength training helps preserve and build muscle, which in turn increases your resting metabolic rate. This means you’ll burn more calories throughout the day, even when you’re not working out. Weight training plays a significant role in fat loss for several reasons:

Building muscle through weight training increases your lean body mass, which is crucial because muscle tissue burns more calories than fat, even at rest. This means that the more muscle you have, the higher your resting metabolic rate (RMR), which helps you burn more calories throughout the day.

Weight training has a lasting effect on metabolism. After a strength training session, your body continues to burn calories due to excess post-exercise oxygen consumption (EPOC), also known as the “afterburn effect.” This can keep your metabolism elevated for hours after your workout, helping you burn fat even while at rest.

Weight training helps preserve lean muscle mass during this process, ensuring that most of the weight you lose comes from fat rather than muscle.

Weight training also helps in the regulation of blood sugar levels by improving your muscles’ ability to use glucose for energy. This can reduce fat storage and make it easier to lose fat, especially around your midsection.

Aim to weight train 2-4 times a week and complete exercises that work multiple muscle groups at once, such as deadlifts, bench presses, and rows, are highly effective for building muscle and burning fat.

Losing fat during perimenopause can feel like an uphill battle, but understanding the changes happening in your body is the first step toward overcoming these challenges. Hormonal fluctuations, a slowing metabolism, and loss of muscle mass all contribute to why fat loss becomes more difficult during this stage of life. The methods that used to work—like cutting calories or focusing solely on cardio—may no longer deliver the same results, requiring a more tailored approach to weight management.

To successfully lose fat during perimenopause, it’s essential to focus on strategies that align with your body’s changing needs. Managing stress is crucial, as elevated cortisol levels can lead to fat storage, particularly around the abdomen. Prioritizing quality sleep helps regulate hunger hormones and supports overall well-being, making it easier to stick to healthy habits. Drinking adequate water not only boosts metabolism but also reduces bloating and helps control appetite. Including enough protein in your diet preserves muscle mass, which is essential for maintaining a healthy metabolism as you age. Finally, lifting weights is key to building muscle, increasing your metabolic rate, and improving body composition.

While fat loss during perimenopause is more challenging, incorporating these five strategies—managing stress, getting enough sleep, staying hydrated, prioritizing protein intake, and lifting weights—can help you not only lose fat but also improve your overall health and vitality during this transition. By focusing on a holistic approach that addresses your unique hormonal and metabolic needs, you can achieve lasting results and feel empowered throughout this stage of life.