Menopause & Midlife Weight Gain
Why It’s Not About Eating Less (But Eating Smarter)
If you’re in your 40s or 50s and struggling with midlife weight gain — especially during perimenopause or menopause — please know that you are not failing. Your body is simply shifting gears. Hormones, metabolism, muscle mass, stress, and sleep all start to play a new tune in midlife.
And NO, the answer is not to eat less and less until you feel deprived. That strategy almost always backfires.
Instead, think of it as an upgrade. Your body now needs a different balance of nutrients to stay
energised, strong, lean, and vibrant. It’s not about restriction — it’s about eating smarter.
Why does weight gain happen in midlife?
During perimenopause and menopause, oestrogen levels decline, muscle mass gradually decreases, and insulin sensitivity shifts. Together, this can make your body more likely to store fat especially around the waist. Add stress, sleep disruption, and busy schedules, and weight gain can feel almost inevitable. But it is not!
Here’s the empowering truth: nutrition choices can make a real difference. Not through restriction, but through smarter, more supportive foodsthat stabilise energy, balance hormones, and protect muscle.
6 Smarter Eating Strategies for Midlife Weight Loss
1. Use vegetables as the base of your meals
Start filling your plate with vegetables. Half of it should be covered with colourful options; fresh, roasted, stir-fried, or blended into a soup. They bring fibre (for fullness, heart and gut health), antioxidants (for immunity), and essential vitamins and minerals.
Vegetables also help balance blood sugar and calm inflammation — two key players in midlife weight gain.
2. Add legumes for fullness and steady energy
Beans, lentils, and chickpeas deserve a starring role in midlife eating. Packed with plant-based protein, fibre, and slow-digesting carbohydrates, they help you stay full for hours. A lentil soup for lunch or chickpeas tossed into a salad can transform your energy and keep cravings away.
Like vegetables, legumes balance blood sugar levels and reduce inflammation — and they also add important protein to support your muscles. What is not to like?
3. Choose carbohydrates wisely
Carbs are not the enemy — quite the opposite, as they provide essential B vitamins, magnesium, iron, and other micronutrients. But quality matters. Choose quinoa, oats, wholegrain rice or pasta, barley, or sourdough bread over pastries, white bread, or croissants to benefit from fibre and slow, steady energy release.
You may need smaller quantities than earlier in life, but keep them on your menu.
4. Include nuts, seeds, berries, and fruits every day
Think of these as small daily add-ons with big benefits: a handful of almonds, some walnuts in a salad, a sprinkle of chia or flax, a bowl of berries, or a crisp apple.
They provide healthy fats, fibre, and antioxidants that support your heart, brain, and hormone health. Bringing them along throughout the day also helps keep cravings at bay.
5. Prioritise enough protein
Protein supports the body’s strength, repair, and resilience. It preserves muscle and keeps you satisfied. Aim to include protein in every meal.
Prioritise your intake of plant-based protein sources (like legumes) and add fish, kefir, yogurt, fresh cheese, or chicken as needed. During perimenopause and menopause, protein is essential to slow the natural decline in lean body mass.
6. Enjoy most of your food during the day
Here’s a small but mighty shift: eat the bulk of your meals during daylight hours, when your body is more insulin-sensitive. A hearty breakfast and a nourishing lunch — with a lighter evening meal — support fat burning, weight management, energy, and better sleep.
Gentle Reminder: Small Steps Matter
This isn’t about perfection, rules, or guilt. It’s about upgrading your nutrition to match your body’s changing needs. Small, consistent choices — like swapping beans for some of your rice or adding an extra cup of veggies — are more powerful than you may think. Eat smarter, feel good in your body, confident in your choices, and excited about your future. For more support, guidance and tools, you can also explore our services, including our Feasting while Fasting Program and Nourish to Flourish Course.
With health and happiness,
Dr. Malin Garemo
Registered Dietitian (MSc), PhD (Nutrition)
