Going through perimenopause can mean going through different changes we’ve never even had to deal with before. There’s the regular dropping and spiking of hormone levels, joint problems, emotional problems, and so much more. Among these, problems with our physique or physical appearance is probably the most pressing for us ladies midlife body changes!

Losing weight is one of the most common concerns my clients have when they ask for help. So, if you want to understand what exactly is happening in your body and what you can do to help it, then this article is for you!

The first thing you will have to do is change your mindset. As we approach midlife, dieting and exercise sometimes may not be enough. Obsessing over the weighing scale and diet will do you no no better than it did when you were younger. All it will do at this point is cause you more stress and weight gain.

Now, why are diets less effective when we age? There are several factors, but the most important things that you have to remember are that losing weight does not equate to being healthy, weight loss by dieting can be easily regained once discipline is lost, and most importantly, yo-yo dieting or losing and gaining weight in a cycle can put you at risk for hormonal, mental. and physical problems.

“Simple dieting and exercise used to work so well for me, what’s so different now?” The only way to understand is to examine the two major factors that happen with the majority of women’s bodies when they go through their midlife phase. Which are the following:

● Estrogen level fluctuates – this causes changes to the way fat is stored in your body. This is why some women gain what they call, “Perimenopause belly”. So you may find some of your favorite pieces in your wardrobe to change the way they fit you during this period.

● Slower metabolism – metabolism can determine how fast we use up energy from our food and burn up stored fats. As we age, especially during the perimenopause stage the rate at which our metabolism slows down goes faster.

“What can I do to feel better about my body then?” We all want to do something to solve our problems, but lucky for you, there are some things you can do to help yourself feel better during this period. Follow these tips to feel better about your body even during the midlife phase:

1. Get moving – moving around getting our daily steps in and focusing on building muscle can also help as having more muscle mass can increase your body’s need for energy enabling you to lose fat more easily.
2. Use affirming statements – saying positive things about yourself even when you don’t feel like it can instantly make you feel better about yourself. Having a positive mindset can help lift up your mood and make you more optimistic about your physique.
3. Don’t stare at the scale – obsessing over the number on your weighing scale will do more harm than good for you in the long run. Just let things be and do whatever you can and the results will come on their own.
4. Make midlife management a priority. Lack of sleep, stress and hot flashes make it difficult to respond to your body’s hunger and fullness cues.- pursue to have a healthy lifestyle as much as possible!
5. Stress management – with a change in hormone levels our tolerance to stress unfortunately decreases. This is why stress management is so important. Your emotional state really comes to play. Your approach to stress is how you think, and how you manage your mentality around stress. Now whilst yoga, journaling or meditation may help you, managing your ‘emotional state’ is key here. ( work with me is the obvious solution) 🙂

Stress can take a toll not only on your physical appearance but on your overall well-being too!

These are the things that you need to know as you enter the midlife phase of your life. From what you need to know about your body to know what you can do to make yourself feel better.

I hope that this can be useful to you and to all the other women out there experiencing distress due to the effects of perimenopause.

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?

Love Louise ❤️