Navigating Weight Gain During Menopause: Training and Nutrition Needs for Women

Weight gain during menopause is a common concern for many women navigating this natural life transition. Hormonal shifts, changes in metabolism, and lifestyle factors all play a role in the body’s evolving needs during this stage of life.

While it can feel frustrating or overwhelming, understanding the root causes of weight gain during menopause can empower you to take control of your health. This article will explore why these changes occur and provide actionable tips to help you maintain a healthy weight and feel your best.

What is Menopause?

Menopause is a natural biological process that marks the end of a woman's menstrual cycle. It is diagnosed after 12 consecutive months without a period and typically occurs between 45 to 55 years, with an average age of 51 in the United States. The stages include perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause.

The Stages of Menopause

Perimenopause is the transitional phase leading up to menopause, during which women experience irregular periods and various symptoms due to fluctuating hormone levels.

Menopause itself is the point in time when a woman has not had a period for 12 consecutive months. It is the actual birthday of her last period.

Postmenopause, aka a woman's new biological state, refers to the years following menopause. There is also a period of about five years post-menopause when females still experience some perimenopausal symptoms, but they will eventually recede, and then that becomes your new biological state.

Just like pregnancy, each woman's experience with menopause is unique, and symptoms can vary widely in terms of type and severity. Genetic predisposition and individual variability play a key role here. As stated above, while the average age of menopause is around 51, genetic factors can influence the timing and progression of this transition. Women with a family history of early or late menopause are more likely to experience it at a similar age. Additionally, individual variability in symptoms such as hot flashes, mood changes, and bone density loss can also be attributed to genetic predisposition.

Hormonal Changes During Menopause

So, what happens with your hormones during this time?

Estrogen levels decrease significantly during menopause, leading to various physical and emotional symptoms. This is also when we see fat redistribution from the hips and thighs to the abdomen.

Progesterone production also decreases, which can impact mood and sleep patterns. Additionally, testosterone levels decline, affecting libido and energy levels. These hormonal fluctuations can result in hot flashes, night sweats, vaginal dryness, depression, anxiety, and mood swings.

Factors Contributing to Weight Gain During Menopause

Weight gain during menopause is one of the most common complaints and struggles we see as nutrition coaches. Many factors contribute to this.

Metabolic and Hormonal Changes

The decrease in estrogen and progesterone levels during menopause can slow metabolism. This and reducing muscle mass (the most metabolically active tissue in your body) can cause increased weight gain.

Lifestyle Factors

Lifestyle factors such as diet, physical activity, and stress management also play a significant role in weight management. Be mindful of these changes and adjust your lifestyle to support overall health and well-being. Here are a few recommended shifts:

Genetic Predisposition

Genetic predisposition affects the timing of menopause more than the symptoms themselves (usually similar from person to person).

Strategies for Managing Weight During Menopause

What helped you lose weight in the past may not work in this new stage of life. You may need to shift exercise styles, food intake, and other daily activities to help you feel your best!

So, how can we help ourselves get through this transition?

Menopause Hormone Therapy (MHT)

Although it is not for everyone, Menopause Hormone Therapy can provide immediate relief for some of the worst symptoms like hot flashes, night sweats, and mood swings.

MHT involves using hormones to alleviate the symptoms of perimenopause and early post-menopause. Similar to any other medications, there are risks involved. However, the most recent guidelines indicate:

MHT is acceptable for healthy but symptomatic women within ten years of transition and should be taken for a short amount of time.
If you are older than 60, you should not start MHT unless you did not hit menopause until you were 55 or 60.

Consult your doctor when deciding if MHT is right for you. It should not be used specifically for weight loss, but it does slow the bone mass loss and fat gain rate, and it can help prevent osteoporosis. It should not replace healthy lifestyle changes like training and a healthy diet.

Additional Strategies for Weight Management

If Menopausal Hormone Therapy isn’t right for you, here are a few strategies to consider.

Ensure your daily calorie intake is appropriate, given the shift in your metabolism. This takes consistent tracking and adjustments until you find what works for you. We recommend working with a coach with specific experience supporting women through this time.
Engage in muscle-building activities like strength training. This can help you maintain as much muscle as possible and support your metabolism.
Experiment with stress-relieving practices until you find something that works for you. Meditation, spending time in the garden, journaling, walking, or reading a book are a few things to try! Grab some of our favorite stress-relieving tips here.
Antidepressants (mood stabilization, reducing vasomotor symptoms), epilepsy drugs (treating hot flashes), and adaptogens (stress management) have also been shown to help manage different menopausal symptoms.

As always, speak with your doctor before taking the next steps.

The Best Diet for Menopause

Nutrients to Focus On During Menopause

A balanced diet full of nutrient-rich foods is crucial for overall health and well-being as your body undergoes these hormonal changes. Focus on…

Lean proteins like poultry, fish, red meat, and these vegan and vegetarian protein sources to help support muscle mass. Need help getting in more protein? Here are our top tips.
Fruits and vegetables provide essential vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants that support overall health and help manage weight during menopause. Think "eat the rainbow."
Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids to help alleviate symptoms. Fatty fish like salmon, chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts are excellent sources of omega-3s.
Phytoestrogen-rich foods include soy products, flaxseeds, sesame seeds, dried fruit, and legumes.
Calcium-rich foods include dairy products, leafy green vegetables, and fortified plant-based milk.
Although it isn’t a “nutrient,” we’d be remiss not to mention water! Staying hydrated helps alleviate symptoms like hot flashes and support overall health.

Now that we’ve nailed down quality, the next question concerns quantity. How many calories do you need during menopause, and what should the macro breakdown be?

Macros for Menopause

Over 55% of peri- and postmenopausal recreational female athletes experience Low Energy Availability (LEA) because they embrace the "eat less and move more" mentality.

As women approach menopause and notice unchanging body composition, increasing physical activity and reducing calorie intake is tempting. This can lead to:

Metabolic disruption; decreased performance
Increased risk of bone stress injuries
Decreased immunity
Gut malfunction – impaired absorption of nutrients
Decreased neuromuscular coordination so increase in injury risk

The idea of calories in/calories out does not always work—especially during menopause. Eating enough to keep your body out of a perceived low-energy state is best.

Starting Macro Guidelines for Menopausal Macros

Calories: 45kcal/kg of Fat-Free Mass
Protein: 1.8 – 2.3g/kg of BW with 30 – 35g per meal; 15g per snack
Carbs: 3.0 – 3.5g/kg of BW for carbs
Fats: 20 – 30% of total daily energy from various healthy sources.

The Best Carbohydrates to Eat During Menopause

High-quality carbohydrate sources are crucial to support gut health and help with insulin sensitivity. Focus on fruits, veggies, and whole grains—mostly plant foods and fewer processed/ultra-processed foods.

Include cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage to reduce the overall effects of estrogen in the body and provide prebiotic fiber for the gut microbiome. Microbiome diversity decreases during menopause due to reduced hormone signaling and an increased gut barrier permeability—so it is common to experience gut issues during this transition.

Training Recommendations for Menopause

Estrogen and progesterone play a crucial role in metabolism, glucose control, and fatty acid utilization, as well as in strength, power, and skeletal muscle growth.

As these hormones decrease, conventional training methods become less effective. You need external stress—exercise—to mimic hormonal signaling mechanisms.

HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training)

HIIT also includes SIT (Sprint Interval Training) and is highly effective for changing body composition, improving blood glucose control, and enhancing cardiovascular function. It also helps reduce hot flashes and night sweats resulting from some of the vascular changes associated with HIIT.

Plyometric Jump Training

This complements high-intensity and sprint interval workouts, improving bone mineral density and enhancing the integrity and functionality of skeletal muscles from a metabolic and functional perspective.

Resistance Training

Here, focus on building strength rather than muscle size. The goal is to develop a solid neuromuscular connection through lifting heavy weights for one to six reps. This type of training is aimed at increasing power, not endurance, as the female body is naturally well-suited for endurance activities. Women experience reduced power, speed, and glucose utilization as estrogen levels decrease.

Endurance Training

The body is naturally inclined to burn more free fatty acids within the mitochondria, thanks to the abundance of proteins that utilize these fatty acids and the endurance of muscle fibers.

Estrogen further enhances this process by boosting power, speed, and glucose utilization. However, managing external stress is essential to maintaining both power and metabolic stability. Most endurance athletes need to reduce training volume while increasing intensity, prioritizing quality over quantity.

The TLDR on Weight Gain During Menopause

The idea that menopause inevitably causes weight gain is a common misconception. Hormonal changes during this stage can impact metabolism and lead to shifts in body composition. However, staying active, making nutritious food choices, and seeking professional support can help you navigate menopause confidently and focus on long-term health.

Navigating weight gain during menopause can feel overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone. With the right support, you can take control of your nutrition, feel confident in your body, and prioritize your health during this transformative stage of life. Take the first step today—join Working Against Gravity Nutrition Coaching and discover how empowering it is to have an experienced coach by your side!

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