As women, we all want and deserve to age gracefully, remain active, and continue doing the things we love—filled with vitality, confidence, and ease— now and for decades to come.
But so many of us have struggled to maintain a healthy weight and stick to consistent, nourishing habits for much of our lives.
The frustrating cycle of losing and gaining, and feeling like we’re never quite in control of our bodies, takes a toll, not just on our physical health, but on our mental health and confidence as well.
And as we move through the peri- and post-menopausal years, things can feel even trickier, with shifting hormones, changing metabolism, and life demands that leave little time for self-care.
Here are some of the key factors that can make this time of life more challenging, and how we can make small but powerful changes to feel like ourselves again—strong, energized, and glowing from the inside out.
Hormonal Changes
As we enter menopause, our estrogen levels naturally decline. Estrogen plays a crucial role in regulating body weight and maintaining lean muscle mass, which helps us burn calories more efficiently. When estrogen drops, our metabolism tends to slow down, and many of us notice an increase in abdominal fat, aka the “midlife middle.”
This is totally normal, but understanding what’s happening in our bodies is the first step in taking back control.
Decreased Physical Activity
Many women in midlife are juggling work, family, caregiving, and countless other responsibilities, which leaves little time or energy for body movement. Add to that, working long hours at sedentary jobs and our tendency to prioritize the needs of others over our own, it’s no wonder we struggle to stay consistent.
Loss of Muscle Mass
Our strength and muscle mass peaks around our mid-30s, and after that, we lose about 5% to 8% of our muscle mass every decade. And since muscle burns calories, the less muscle we have, the fewer calories we burn.
Nutritional Imbalances
Many of us have tried all the fads, thinking the “next best thing” will finally be the one that works long term. But many of these plans involve severe restrictions or eliminating entire food groups (like carbs or fat), which can disrupt the body’s metabolism and do more harm than good in the long run.
In addition, our busy lifestyles don’t afford a lot of time to prepare food at home. We end up hitting the drive-thru or grabbing whatever is convenient more often than we should, making it even harder to maintain a balanced, nourishing diet.
The Stress Factor
Midlife often brings a whirlwind of major life shifts: children leaving the nest, career changes, retirement, divorce, relationship changes, caring for aging parents—sometimes, all at once.
Living in a chronic state of fight-or-flight, leads to elevated cortisol, which can cause hormone imbalances, a slower metabolism, and stored body fat. Stress also tends to trigger cravings for comforting, sugary, or fatty foods, creating a vicious cycle of relying on food to feel better.
So, How Can We Navigate This Together?
By adopting a holistic approach that nurtures the physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual aspects of your life, you can get your metabolism back up and running, release excess fat, and feel like yourself again.
Here are four key strategies to help you along the way:
- Incorporate Strength Training into Your Routine
Strength training is an empowering way to feel stronger, more confident, and more in control of your body as you age. Building muscle is one of the most effective ways to boost your metabolism. But don’t worry…it doesn’t have to mean spending hours lifting heavy weights at the gym (unless you want to!). Gently body-weight exercises, resistance bands, or light dumbbells can do wonders for preserving muscle and strength as we age.
- Focus on a Balanced Diet with Plenty of Protein
Eating in a balanced way is your best ally in making sure your body has the nourishment it needs to thrive.
Protein is essential for building and maintaining muscle mass and helps keep you fuller longer so you’ll have fewer cravings. Aim for lean proteins like chicken, fish, beans, and eggs.
Don’t fear carbs! Contrary to popular diet culture, carbohydrates are important too. They’re a primary source of energy for the brain, heart, muscles and central nervous system. Carbs from whole foods—like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains—are packed with vitamins, minerals, and fiber.
Healthy fats, such as olive oil, fish, and nuts, can improve cholesterol levels, support heart health, and help stabilize blood sugar.
- Make Stress Management a Priority
Your body needs moments of calm to reset, recharge, and recalibrate. Reducing stress can lower blood sugar, regulate hormones, and improve digestive metabolism. Plus, you’ll notice fewer cravings and a greater sense of peace and well-being.
Breathe. Listen to your body. Practice self-care. Get plenty of rest and rejuvenation.
You have the power to manage your stress in ways that will benefit both your body and mind and help you feel more grounded, calm, and in control.
- Change Your Inner Dialogue
How you speak to yourself matters! So often, we focus on what we don’t like about our bodies or ourselves, instead of appreciating our strengths, accomplishments, divine gifts and all the incredible things our bodies do for us every single day.
Your body hears everything you say to it, and negative self-talk can manifest physically as stress, inflammation, weight gain, or even illness.
The first step to breaking unhealthy patterns is to become aware of your inner dialogue—what you say to yourself over and over day after day. If it’s something you wouldn’t say to a beloved friend or family member, don’t say it to yourself.
Recognize yourself as the resilient, creative, smart, nurturing, beautiful soul you are.
You are worthy of the same love, care, and respect you give everyone else.
Menopause Isn’t the End—It’s a New Beginning.
Menopause is a natural part of life, but it doesn’t have to define your health and well-being. With the right tools and a little self-compassion, you can be radiant, energetic, and confident—at any age.
You deserve to feel fabulous. So, take a deep breath, give yourself permission to put your needs first, and know that you are capable of embracing this next chapter with grace and strength.