Lifestyle tips for losing weight during menopause – and keeping it off

Gaining weight, and putting on fat around your belly, are common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to help you lose menopause weight, or stop further weight gain, in a sustainable way:

• Eat a wide range of plants
• Get enough protein, from healthy sources
• Reduce sugar, refined carbohydrates and ultra-processed foods
• Avoid restrictive diets
• Try mindful eating
• Do regular exercise, especially resistance training
• Improve your sleep hygiene

In this article, we’ll look in more detail at each of these tips for losing menopause weight, as well as considering whether HRT or supplements might help.

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Why you gain weight during menopause

A number of factors can contribute to weight gain and increased belly fat during perimenopause and after menopause.

Lower levels of oestrogen lead to fat being stored around your belly and torso, rather than your hips and thighs as before.

Your body also produces more of the ‘hunger hormone’ ghrelin, which can increase your appetite and lead to you eating more.

At the same time, you become less efficient at using the protein in your food to build muscle, leading to reduced muscle mass. Even if you don't put on weight during the menopause transition, you may see a change in your body composition in the form of an increased ratio of fat to muscle.

Because healthy muscle uses more energy than fat, losing muscle can also slow your metabolic rate – the amount of calories your body burns to support its day-to-day functions.

Poor sleep – another common menopause symptom – can also lower your metabolic rate, as well as leading to low energy and increased snacking.

All in all, it’s no surprise that so many women see their bodies changing and find themselves putting on weight during menopause.

What is the average weight gain during menopause?

Large-scale health studies suggest that, on average, women put on around 0.7 kilograms (kg), or 1.5 pounds (lb), per year at this time of life.

As we’ve seen, the majority of this extra weight tends to be stored around your belly and upper body. Known as visceral fat, this increases from 5-8% of your overall body weight to 10-15%.

Diet tips for weight loss during menopause

Improving your diet and changing the way you eat are some of the most effective ways to lose menopause weight and – crucially – to keep it off.

These tips can help you to eat more filling, nutrient-dense foods, and avoid those linked to weight gain, without resorting to restrictive, short-term diets.

• Eat more plants: Getting more plant protein can help you lose fat after menopause while maintaining muscle mass. Eating a wide range of fruits and vegetables also fuels the friendly bacteria in your gut, including those that keep oestrogen circulating around your body. Higher levels of oestrogen have been linked to better weight control.
• Include plenty of legumes: Legumes like beans and pulses are rich in fibre and healthy protein. Some legumes, especially soya beans, contain high levels of oestrogen-mimicking phytoestrogens that can help to reduce belly fat and increase muscle. Women who eat more legumes have less body fat and smaller waist measurements.
• Eat more healthy protein: During menopause, you need more protein. Menopausal women who consume higher levels of protein have less body fat, more muscle and smaller waistlines. Try to get 1–1.2 grams (g) of protein per kg of body weight each day from healthy sources such as legumes, tofu, fish, nuts, chicken, eggs and dairy.
• Reduce sugar and refined carbs: Foods and drinks with lots of sugar, and refined carbs like white rice and bread, are high in calories and low in nutrients. They can also cause post-meal blood sugar crashes and cravings, so you eat more. Swap refined carbs for whole grain options, biscuits and cakes for fruit and nuts and sugary drinks for fruit teas.
• Limit ultra-processed foods: Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are products containing artificial additives, or ingredients isolated from whole foods. Eating UPFs is linked to weight gain and obesity. Aim for healthy swaps like those above. And get your nutrients from whole foods rather than UPFs with claims like ‘high in protein’ or ‘a source of fibre’.
• Don’t follow restrictive diets: Eating less can help you to lose weight, but strict calorie-counting or other restrictive diets can be unhealthy, especially during menopause. They can also make it harder to lose weight in the future by slowing your metabolic rate. Instead, try reducing portion sizes and focus on healthy, tasty foods rather than calories.
• Try mindful eating: Mindful eating is simply the practice of focusing your attention on the food you’re eating. Eat your meals without the distractions of TV or your phone and savour the flavour and texture of each bite. This can not only help you to appreciate your food more but may also mean you eat more slowly and get full after eating less.

Menopause diet meal plans

Use these meal plans and snack ideas as inspiration for applying the principles we’ve looked at above.

Try putting your own spin on these meals by swapping ingredients for other healthy options, or boosting their nutritional value by adding a wider variety of vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and healthy proteins to the mix.   

Breakfast

• Bircher muesli: grated apple and steel-cut oats mixed with natural yoghurt or kefir
• Crushed avocado on a slice of sourdough or wholegrain toast
• Natural yoghurt with berries, nuts and seeds

Lunch

• Crushed chickpeas with extra virgin olive oil, cherry tomatoes, avocado and walnuts
• Smoked mackerel or tofu salad with roasted broccoli, peppers and pumpkin seeds
• Omelette with cheese and tomato, onions and peppers or mushrooms and spinach, served with a side salad

Dinner

• Salmon fillet with asparagus and puy lentils
• Butter bean stew with onions, carrots and chicken thighs or veggie sausages
• Split lentil dahl with wilted spinach and poached eggs

Snacks

• A handful of mixed nuts
• A piece of fruit
• A portion of houmous or bean dip with crunchy vegetable sticks
• A few squares of at least 70%-cocoa dark chocolate, with no artificial additives

How exercise can help you lose weight during menopause

Research involving perimenopausal and menopausal women has shown that regular exercise, combined with the right diet, can reduce body fat and waist circumference, and help you to keep weight off in the long term.

If you don’t currently do much exercise, it’s important to start slowly and use the recommendations below as targets to aim for.

Resistance training

The British Menopause Society (BMS) says resistance training is “almost non-negotiable for perimenopausal and menopausal women who want to lose weight and change their body shape”.

Also known as strength training, resistance training is exercise that uses force to build and strengthen your muscles. It can involve lifting weights, using resistance bands or doing bodyweight exercises, like press-ups and squats.

Regular resistance training is the best way to increase your healthy muscle mass and boost your metabolic rate, which means you’ll burn more calories even when you’re resting.

Aerobic exercise

Aerobic or ‘cardio’ exercise is anything that gets your heart pumping and increases your breathing rate. It includes brisk walking, jogging, swimming, cycling, sports and high intensity interval training (HIIT).

Health guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise split across several sessions each week.

Studies involving postmenopausal women have shown that this can lead to modest reductions in weight, waist size and overall body fat.

How to improve your sleep for menopause weight loss

Sleep problems are one of the most common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. And they have knock-on effects that can make it harder to maintain a healthy weight.

Poor sleep reduces your metabolic rate. It also tends to increase the amount you eat, especially when it comes to foods and drinks that are high in sugar and carbs.

Studies also suggest that disturbed sleep leads to your body burning less fat.

Although improving your sleep is easier said than done, there are changes you can make to your daily and nighttime routines – known as ‘sleep hygiene’ – that can help:

• Avoid caffeinated drinks or limit them to the morning
• Don’t drink alcohol close to bedtime
• Get regular exercise, but not immediately before bed
• Don’t eat large meals too close to bedtime
• Try to go to bed and get up at the same time each day
• Don’t use your phone, or watch TV, close to bedtime
• Try meditation or anything else that helps you relax before bed
• Keep your room well-ventilated and at a comfortable temperature
• Have low lighting before bed and use blinds or curtains to keep your room dark
• If night sweats keep you awake, wear light, loose clothing and keep water and a fan by your bed

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Can supplements help with menopause weight loss?

Evidence linking specific food supplements to weight loss during menopause is limited. However, some supplements may show modest improvements, or help with other related symptoms, especially alongside exercise and a healthy diet.

• Maca root: This traditional Peruvian medicine may boost oestrogen levels in menopausal women, which could help with symptoms including weight gain. One small study found that taking maca powder daily for two months was linked to a significant reduction in body mass index (BMI) and improvements in symptoms like hot flushes.
• Ashwagandha root: Ashwagandha is another traditional remedy that may increase oestrogen levels. In one small study, women with chronic stress found that taking ashwagandha for 8 weeks reduced both their body weight and BMI by around 3%. They also reported fewer food cravings and less instances of ‘emotional eating’.
• Magnesium: There’s not much research linking magnesium directly to weight loss, but it might help by tackling other menopause symptoms. Magnesium supplements can improve poor sleep, and sleep problems make it harder to lose weight. Magnesium can also reduce bloating, so your belly feels less swollen.

Hormone replacement therapy

We’ve already seen how reduced levels of oestrogen can lead to increased fat around your belly, as well as other factors that can contribute to weight gain.  

Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) replenishes oestrogen lost due to menopause, and can improve a range of other menopause symptoms, including hot flushes, mood changes and sleep problems. So can it help you maintain a healthy weight? The evidence is mixed.

While a review of multiple studies suggests that oestrogen replacement has little impact on increased body fat or weight gain, an older study found that oestrogen therapy did change the way fat was distributed, away from the belly and torso and back to the hips and thighs.

How long does menopause weight gain last?

Like many menopause symptoms, weight gain is most common during perimenopause and the early years of menopause, and your weight will tend to stabilise after this.

That doesn’t mean the additional weight will go away by itself but, whatever stage of the menopause journey you’re at, eating the right diet, exercising regularly and finding ways to improve your sleep can all help with this.

Summary

Weight gain and changes to your body composition are common symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. Lower levels of oestrogen lead to increased fat storage around your waist, while muscle mass is reduced and your metabolic rate starts to drop, so you burn less fat.

Problems sleeping can also contribute to many of the same issues.

Nevertheless, with the right lifestyle changes, sustainable weight loss is possible.

Eat a diet including a wide variety of plants and plenty of healthy protein sources, with limited sugar, refined carbs and ultra-processed foods. Avoid restrictive diets and focus on changes you can stick to.

Include regular exercise in your routine, including resistance training, which helps to maintain healthy muscle mass and keeps your metabolic rate from decreasing.

To help improve your sleep, follow a regular bedtime routine, limit caffeine, and avoid alcohol, big meals and screen use in the hours before bed. Try relaxation techniques before bed and keep your room well-ventilated, dark and comfortable.

For help with a range of perimenopause and menopause supplements, try Better Gut probiotic supplements. And for support with menopause sleep problems there’s the expert blend of adaptogens, herbs, vitamins and minerals in Better Night. Visit The Better Menopause to find out more.