Jofit

Weight Gain in Perimenopause…what the actual s**t.

After receiving a message this morning from a virtual client stating; ‘The belly I got. Like I always assumed it was bloat but I’m sure it’s not. The amount of fluff from my bra line down is just crazy. A flat belly was the one thing I was always confident about. I’ve always had cellulite and carried extra weight in the rear end, but now in the abdomen, it’s really been f* with me.’
Can anyone else relate?

Weight gain is probably THE MOST concerning symptom for women in perimenopause. The scale is gradually moving up and old strategies are not working. Declining estrogen levels, particularly in the two years before your last menstrual cycle, and the two years after, cause a dramatic shift in bone (talked about that one yesterday) and muscle mass, which in short, reduces muscle and increases fat. FUN!!

This can mean we are burning calories at a lower rate. So, if we are eating the same diet, it suddenly is contributing to weight gain, instead of maintenance. The lowering estrogen levels also cause weight to be stored around the middle (said belly fluff), which does not feel cute (said f* with me), and we don’t feel at home in our body which can be disheartening. It is important to acknowledge this is happening, but the take-away is that we can get ahead of these changes by pivoting in perimenopause.

We can increase our protein (I will always stand by this), which helps maintain muscle, we can strength train (HEAVY; your heavy) which can build muscle and set us on a positive trajectory as we age and continue to age, and we can take our power back (YES please) and work towards the result we want. It just may require a bit of a mindset shift and a new perspective with respect to diet and exercise.

Calorie balancing is also to take into consideration, as our hormones change. Speaking with your trusted support is essential to ensure your caloric intake is up to par for your individual health needs. We do not need to be nor should we be eating less to ‘great rid of the fluff’.

Lastly, HRT is weight neutral, so it won’t directly cause us to gain or lose, it may help us feel better, so we can do better, but ultimately the work is still the same. Make sense? There is little that can beat a good diet and exercise when it comes to all aspects of health, and this is the one thing we have control over.

I’m excited to share we have a couple spots available in the 6am & 9am classes!

Each class is customized to where you are at! Whether you are just beginning this journey, coming back from some time off or if you are a seasoned grinder, we got you!

✌🏻class sizes are small
🫵🏻 welcoming
✌🏻 positive
🫵🏻 encouraging

Shoot me a message if you would like some more information on joining!!