{"id":72642,"date":"2025-05-04T01:48:16","date_gmt":"2025-05-04T01:48:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/72642\/"},"modified":"2025-05-04T01:48:16","modified_gmt":"2025-05-04T01:48:16","slug":"im-perimenopausal-and-losing-weight-felt-impossible-heres-what-i-changed-to-shed-40-pounds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/72642\/","title":{"rendered":"I’m perimenopausal and losing weight felt impossible… here’s what I changed to shed 40 pounds"},"content":{"rendered":"

As you get older, your life changes – and, for better or worse, so does your body.\u00a0<\/p>\n

For many, this means that whatever weight-loss or weight-management methods you’ve relied on in the past are likely no longer doing the same things for you that they used to.<\/p>\n

According to experts, this is especially true if you’re a woman experiencing perimenopause.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘During perimenopause, hormone fluctuations – particularly a drop in estrogen – can impact how your body stores fat, often leading to more weight gain around the abdomen,’ Dr. Navya Mysore, medical director at online women’s health hub Nurx, told the Daily Mail.<\/p>\n

‘Metabolism may also slow down, and changes in sleep and mood can make it harder to maintain healthy habits, all of which can affect\u00a0weight loss<\/a>\u00a0efforts.’\u00a0<\/p>\n

Lilian Raji, 47, knows this well.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Raji estimates that she’s been perimenopausal since she was about 42, when she started experiencing hot flashes.<\/p>\n

But it wasn’t until about six months ago\u00a0that she even knew what perimenopause was.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Lilian <\/p>\n

Lilian Raji lost 40 pounds after incorporating intermittent fasting into her perimenopause lifestyle changes\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘I didn’t know it was a thing until I began having certain symptoms and Googled to try to understand them,’ Raji said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘My research sent me to a Reddit perimenopause group, which is how I’ve started learning about it.’<\/p>\n

It was through Reddit that Raji first learned that her symptoms – hot flashes, cold flashes, dry skin, thin nails and even memory loss – were all part of perimenopause.\u00a0<\/p>\n

One of her most frustrating symptoms, though, was how hard it had become for her to lose weight.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘In my 20s, all I had to do to lose weight was exercise, and because of it, I ate anything I wanted,’ Raji said.<\/p>\n

‘In my 30s, exercise stopped working for me, which is how I ended up gaining 60 lbs.’<\/p>\n

Dr. Mysore explained that during perimenopause, which typically begins in a woman’s 40s but can start as early as her late 30s, estrogen and progesterone levels begin to shift.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This can cause physical changes like weight gain (especially around the midsection), decreased muscle mass and increased insulin resistance.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Perimenopausal <\/p>\n

Perimenopausal symptoms include hot flashes, weight gain, brain fog and vaginal dryness (stock image)<\/p>\n

‘These changes can make it feel like your body is working against your usual routines,’ Dr. Mysore said.<\/p>\n

However, the doctor shared that all hope is not lost for those going through this change and wanting to keep their weight static.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She explained that small, sustainable adjustments to your lifestyle can make a huge difference.<\/p>\n

For Raji, intermittent fasting has been her savior.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Trina Read, 56, who is just now finishing up with perimenopause, told the Daily Mail that intermittent fasting has worked for her, too.<\/p>\n

‘When I turned 52, even though I was doing everything I had always done to maintain my weight, I started spontaneously gaining weight – 15 pounds over two months,’ Read said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Losing those 15 pounds proved to be incredibly difficult.’<\/p>\n

But once she started experimenting with intermittent fasting, she stopped snacking at night and eating junk food throughout the day.<\/p>\n

She also explained that the new regimen has her body craving consistency, so she eats mostly the same thing everyday.<\/p>\n

\"Trina <\/p>\n

Trina Read credits her 15 lb weight loss to a combination of intermittent fasting, eating the same thing daily and strength training<\/p>\n

Along with her diet, Read has also adjusted her fitness routine – she does more\u00a0strength training and HIIT workouts and incorporates weights whenever she can.<\/p>\n

This means she sometimes goes outside for walks with a weighted vest on.\u00a0<\/p>\n

‘Strength training helps preserve muscle, which supports metabolism,’\u00a0Dr. Mysore said.\u00a0<\/p>\n

She also said that focusing on whole foods – including lean protein, healthy fats and complex carbohydrates –\u00a0and balanced meals can help manage blood sugar and cravings.<\/p>\n

To ensure you’re eating a well-rounded meal every time, the doctor suggests making sure all of your meals incorporate fresh foods, high-fiber options and quality protein.<\/p>\n

‘Women may benefit from revisiting their lifestyle routines,’ she said.<\/p>\n

‘This could mean prioritizing resistance training, increasing calcium and vitamin D intake and working with their primary care provider to discuss a plan that supports their long-term health.’<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As you get older, your life changes – and, for better or worse, so does your body.\u00a0 For…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":72643,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4322],"tags":[92,368,1630,105,2511,16,15],"class_list":{"0":"post-72642","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-fitness","8":"tag-dailymail","9":"tag-femail","10":"tag-fitness","11":"tag-health","12":"tag-reddit","13":"tag-uk","14":"tag-united-kingdom"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/114447050711779895","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72642","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=72642"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/72642\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/72643"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=72642"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=72642"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=72642"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}