44. Barriers to Weight Loss in Perimenopause
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In this episode, Claudia digs into weight loss, a common struggle women in perimenopause experience, and some specific barriers to weight loss you likely haven’t considered or fully addressed.
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Why Weight Loss Feels Impossible in Perimenopause
Oh weight loss – something that so many women struggle with, especially in these perimenopausal years. And if you’re like most women, you’ve probably tried it all – fasting, macro counting, working out differently, counting calories, going gluten-free, doing 6-week programs, and then some.
So if you’ve been trying all the things, but weight isn’t budging, this episode should be helpful to you. I want to talk about some barriers that may be preventing weight loss.
The Challenges of Weight Loss During the Holidays
This will be especially helpful with the holidays around the corner, which is a very easy time to go off the rails due to the additional stress that holidays often bring, get-togethers where there’s a lot of alcohol and delicious treats – all of which makes it even harder to lose the stubborn weight.
If you’re here, you are likely health conscious, you’ve done your own research, you’ve been implementing food & lifestyle changes – and probably doing it really well, but you’re frustrated because the scale is not budging. And it feels like your clothes are getting tighter and tighter – and if you’re being honest with yourself, this weight gain has completely consumed you.
Give Yourself Grace
Before I dive into the barriers, take a minute and give yourself some grace. You’ve likely been beating your body up, looking in the mirror with disgust, and saying some really mean things to yourself.
I know giving ourselves grace is very difficult because not only do we put a lot of pressure on ourselves, society puts pressure on us. But if you’re like me, you take pride in how we look.
And you probably compare yourself to others. You see women on social media who have seemingly perfect lives, perfect bodies, perfect abs, perfect skin — and so much of it is not based in reality. Many of them use filters, many get botox, plastic surgery – and there’s no judgment. But I want to remind you that no one has a perfect life, perfect health, and we don’t see all the behind-the-scenes.
So please stop comparing yourself to others because comparison is absolutely the thief of joy. And in this stage of life, you need more JOY. Myself included.
My Mission as a Functional Health Coach
My job as a functional health coach is to help women get answers and address the root causes of symptoms or health challenges. So let’s dive into some barriers to weight loss.
Common Barriers to Weight Loss
1. You’re Under-Eating
We see this all the time with clients. Most women have no idea how little they’re consuming daily and how imbalanced their macronutrients are (protein, fat, carbs). Under-eating is a stress on the body and slows down metabolism. When your macros are imbalanced, like you’re not getting enough protein, for example, this creates blood sugar imbalance, which is a stress on the body.
2. You’re Over-Eating Fat
Too many women rely on plant proteins like nuts and seeds, which are delicious but also high in calories. For example, if you’re relying on peanut butter as protein, 2 tbsp (the serving size) is close to 200 calories. And most of us can’t stop at 2 tbsp. Healthy fats are incredibly beneficial for your hormones and overall health, but the amount matters.
3. You’re Way Too Sedentary
If you’re not walking at a minimum of 5,000 steps per day, you’re going to have a hard time losing weight. You’re also not supporting your bones, your heart, and metabolism. Movement is vital. If you’re not tracking, there’s no way to know how many steps you take. You don’t have to buy an expensive Apple Watch; you can get a cheap pedometer. But if it’s in your budget, I personally like an Oura Ring. I’ve had this for a few years, and it tracks my steps, sleep, stress, and more. I’ll link to it in the show notes.
4. Chronic Stress Elevates Cortisol
When your body is stressed, its #1 job is to keep you alive. It will not prioritize sex hormone production (which we’re already losing in peri), it won’t prioritize a healthy metabolism, or healthy thyroid function – which all contribute to excess weight.
We are all under stress nowadays, and as we lose estrogen, our body becomes more stress reactive. Our ovaries are slowing down production, so our brain is shouting at them to make more. So you get these surges of estrogen, then these lows. That’s a stress on the body. It’s imperative to implement stress-relieving activities in this phase of life.
5. Suboptimal Thyroid Function
If you haven’t tested TSH, FT4, FT3, RT3, TPO + TGAB, then no, you do not have a full overview of your thyroid function. Nearly every doctor gets this wrong. It is one of my biggest frustrations as a functional health coach.
Nearly every woman tells me, “my doctor checked my thyroid, and he said it’s fine,” and nearly every time I look at their labs, the proper markers were not even ordered!
6. Chronic Inflammation Stemming from the Gut
This means you likely have food sensitivities, an imbalance of gut bacteria, or an infection like H. pylori, a very common overgrowth that should be addressed. But inflammation also stems from your lifestyle, stress, negative mindset, toxins, and other factors.
7. Poor Sleep Quality
Whether it’s 6 or 8 hours, it’s the quality that matters. This is when your body experiences cell renewal and detoxification. If you’re not sleeping well, this also creates cortisol dysregulation and an imbalance in leptin and ghrelin hormones, which are your hunger and satiety hormones. When these are out of whack, you will binge junk food.
8. Excess Alcohol Consumption
The calories add up quickly, and your liver will metabolize alcohol over anything else. It’s a toxin and exacerbates perimenopausal symptoms. That’s the reality.
I highly recommend you examine your relationship with alcohol. And if you are reliant on it, please get support. It is an addictive substance, and just because you are functioning does not mean that you do not have a problem with it. If you cannot go without alcohol, it’s a problem that needs to be addressed.
9. Unresolved Trauma
Unaddressed trauma can lead to coping mechanisms like alcohol or subconsciously holding onto extra weight as a form of protection. Perhaps you’re scared to be vulnerable with others or to let go and surrender.
This is very difficult for driven, ambitious women – who quite frankly, are leading with masculine energy instead of feminine energy. Society has conditioned us to act like men, be equal to men, work like men — but we simply cannot. Our hormones do not allow for it.
The hustle culture is making women sick. So if you are inflamed, fatigued, or overweight, something has to give.
10. Hormonal Imbalances
Progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone all play a big role. If you’ve been following along, you know by now that these hormones are out of whack in peri. It’s important to consider hormone replacement therapy and work with a hormone-literate provider to guide you through this process.
Final Thoughts
I truly hope this episode opened your eyes a bit and got your wheels turning. I know this isn’t easy, especially the stress piece and realizing how much we’ve been overdoing, overworking, and overgiving. Less really is more in this stage of life.
If you have questions, feel free to reach out. And as always, check the show notes for resources. Until next time…
Links mentioned:
Sources:
Low Calorie Dieting Increases Cortisol
Thyroid Function and Weight
Diet, Gut Health & Weight Connection
Alcohol Consumption and Obesity
Claudia Petrilli is a Functional Health Coach, Integrative Nutrition Coach, Women’s Health Educator, and creator of The Hormone Rescue program. Having experienced debilitating periods, digestive issues, a sluggish thyroid, a pituitary tumor, and perimenopause symptoms in her late 30s, she knows exactly what it’s like to get dismissed by doctors and spend years searching for answers.
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