The Science Behind Why Your Body Changes During Perimenopause — And What Actually Works to Address It

Lydia Cotter
Oct 7
4 min read

Feeling stuck with weight gain? Start here 👇

You’re Not Broken — Your Body Is Changing Predictably

If you’ve looked down lately and thought, “Where did this belly come from?” you’re not alone.

Every week in my clinic I hear:

“I’m eating well, exercising, doing everything the same — but my weight keeps creeping up around my middle. What’s wrong with me?”

Here’s the truth: nothing is wrong with you.

Your body is responding exactly as biology designed it to. The “menopause belly” isn’t a willpower issue — it’s biochemistry.

During perimenopause and menopause, your hormones shift in ways that change how your body stores fat, uses energy, and maintains muscle. Understanding this science helps you work with your body — not against it.

⚖️ What’s Really Happening:

As oestrogen declines, your body redistributes fat — moving it from your hips and thighs to your abdomen. This is not just about how you look — it’s about how your metabolism and inflammation change.

There are two types of belly fat to understand:

Subcutaneous fat: the soft fat under the skin (the “muffin top”).
Visceral fat: the deeper fat surrounding your organs. This type is more inflammatory and increases risk for insulin resistance, heart disease, and fatigue.

Research shows that visceral fat doubles after menopause — even if the number on the scale doesn’t change. This is why women say, “My weight is the same, but my shape feels completely different.”

🔬 The Hormonal Chain Reaction

Three main factors drive these changes:

Falling oestrogen → shifts fat storage to the abdomen and slows metabolism.
Loss of muscle → reduces your resting energy burn, so you gain fat more easily.
Stress and poor sleep → elevate cortisol, the hormone that stores more fat around the belly.

These changes can feel frustrating — but once you understand what’s happening, you can take steps to rebalance your body and feel more like yourself again.

💪 What Actually Works — Backed by Science and Clinical Results

1️⃣ Resistance Training (2–3x per week)

Strength training is non-negotiable once you hit over 35 years old and throug the transition of perimenopause and post menopause. Research shows that consistent resistance training:

Reduces visceral fat and improves body composition.
Boosts energy and mood.
Helps maintain muscle, bone density, and metabolism.

This doesn’t mean heavy lifting in a gym (unless you want to!) — resistance bands, Pilates, or bodyweight exercises can all help rebuild lean muscle.

Resistance training with weights, body weight or bands

2️⃣ Protein with Every Meal

Protein becomes more important than ever.

Aim for ~30g per meal and 15g per snack to stabilise blood sugar, reduce cravings, and protect your muscle mass. Protein is also so important to build muscle mass that rapidly is lost during perimenopause and menopause.

Great sources: eggs, Greek yoghurt, fish, legumes, chicken, nuts, seeds, or a quality protein smoothie.Studies show women who increase protein intake have better energy, improved weight stability, and stronger bones.

3️⃣ Plant-Forward, High-Fibre Nutrition

Whole, colourful plant foods reduce inflammation and balance hormones naturally.

Aim for 35–40g of fibre per day from vegetables, fruits, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Fibre helps detoxify excess oestrogen, supports healthy gut bacteria, and keeps digestion and bowels regular.

4️⃣ Sleep, Stress & Hormone Support

Cortisol (your stress hormone) and poor sleep make fat loss nearly impossible.Try:

Setting a 10pm bedtime (sleep not laying in bed on your phone).
A nightly wind-down (magnesium, L-theanine, calming herbal tea (lemon balm or chamomile are my faves), journaling, or meditation).
Sunlight exposure (vitamin D and melatonin from the sun are powerhouses to help our hormones and mood.

🚫 What Doesn’t Work — and Why It Fights Your Body’s Natural Changes

In my clinic, I see so many women frustrated because the old methods that used to work in their 30s no longer deliver results. Here’s why:

1️⃣ Starving Yourself or Extreme Calorie Restriction

When you under-eat, your body shifts into metabolic conservation mode. This means:

Your thyroid slows down
You lose more muscle (which burns calories at rest)
Your body stores more fat as a survival mechanism

Women who chronically restrict calories often feel colder, more fatigued, and gain belly fat more easily once they start eating normally again.

→ Solution: nourish, don’t deprive. Eat enough protein, fibre, and good fats to fuel your metabolism and stabilise hormones. Plus addressing the nervous system so it feels safe not in fight, flight, freeze mode. AND minimising any inflammation.

2️⃣ Ignoring Stress and Sleep

No nutrition plan can outwork chronic stress or sleep deprivation. High cortisol disrupts oestrogen, progesterone, and insulin balance — three key hormones for metabolism and skin health.

→ Solution: prioritise recovery, rest, and nervous system balance as much as nutrition.

3️⃣ Quick-Fix Diets and Detoxes

Juice cleanses, fasting extremes, and “detox teas” create blood sugar instability and nutrient depletion, which raise stress hormones and worsen hormonal symptoms.

→ Solution: focus on long-term nourishment through whole foods, fibre, protein, antioxidants and hydration to naturally support detox pathways.

4️⃣ Overdoing Cardio

Endless high-intensity cardio can increase cortisol and worsen muscle loss. This combination tells your body to store more abdominal fat and hold onto energy.

→ Solution: balance your training — combine resistance workouts with gentle, restorative movement (walking, yoga, swimming, bike riding, dancing, stretching). 🌿 The Mindset Shift That Changes Everything

Your body isn’t failing you — it’s evolving. Once you stop blaming yourself and start supporting your biology, the changes become manageable — and even empowering.

I see it every week: when women understand that their menopause symptoms are predictable and fixable, everything shifts. They stop punishing their bodies and start rebuilding strength, calm, and energy.

✨ Want to Work With Your Body, Not Against It?

At Your Health Revolution, I help women navigate perimenopause and menopause using evidence-based nutrition, functional testing, and lifestyle strategies that restore balance from the inside out.

📅 Join the Hormone Harmony Program — a step-by-step approach to:

✅ Balance hormones naturally

✅ Reduce bloating and belly fat

✅ Rebuild energy and calm mood

✅ Restore confidence in your body

Join the next program here or book in to see me for a 60 minute initial naturopathy appointment today