Perimenopause Weight Gain Leaving You Feeling Frustrated?
- coachangelena
- 35 minutes ago
- 3 min read
What Is Perimenopause and How Does It Affect Weight and Muscle?
If you’re gaining weight, losing muscle, or feeling like your body suddenly stopped responding to the things that used to work, perimenopause may be the culprit.
Perimenopause is the transitional phase before menopause, often starting in your late 30s or 40s. Hormones don’t decline smoothly, they fluctuate wildly. That hormonal instability directly impacts fat storage, muscle retention, energy, sleep, and recovery.
How Perimenopause Affects Weight
Estrogen plays a role in insulin sensitivity and fat distribution. As estrogen becomes unpredictable, your body is more likely to store fat — especially around the abdomen. This isn’t a lack of discipline. It’s physiology.
Add chronic stress, poor sleep, and years of dieting, and your body becomes protective, not cooperative.
How It Affects Muscle
Muscle loss accelerates with age, especially when:
Protein intake is low
Strength training is inconsistent
Calories are too low for too long
Less muscle = lower metabolic output, which means fat loss feels harder even when you’re “doing everything right.”
What Most Women Get Wrong
Many women respond by:
Eating less
Doing more cardio
Skipping rest
This increases stress hormones and worsens fat retention.
What Actually Helps
Progressive strength training
Adequate protein and calories
Strategic recovery
A plan designed for your hormones, not against them
How I took on Perimenopause and lost 27 pounds while adding lean muscle:
It wasn't and overnight process, it took some time to get my bloodwork done to know what was going on with my hormones. I work with a company called 1st Optimal to get my bloodwork and labs done, in order to know what was going on with my body. I was gaining weight, seemingly out of nowhere, even though I was doing all the right things. My body wasn't responding and I was frustrated. After getting my labs and getting on a protocol that was right for my body, things started to change. I stopped losing hair, I was sleeping better, recovering from workouts like a champ and just starting to feel like my old self. Then in October I started incorporating some peptides, and things really started to change. I still lift 4-5x a week using progressive overload, I hit my 10k steps daily usually with a 2.5-3 mile walk, I sleep 7-8 hours at night, eat a protein forward diet and abstain from alcohol. It is an ongoing process, and there are days I still get tired or feel moody, but that just comes with the territory of being a busy mom! If you feel like you are stuck in your body, like I did at the beginning of 2025 let's talk. I am here to offer support and guidance in any way that I can. I don't want any woman to suffer or feel like they don't have any options.
👉 Ready to talk to someone who will listen and help you put together a roadmap for looking and feeling your best in your 40's and beyond? Let's chat! Schedule your free 30 minute no obligation call HERE. It's time to start feeling like the old you!
I am here for you, Coach Angelena
