“I feel like my metabolism is broken,” Liz said on our discovery call last week

”Say more,” I said

”Well, since I turned 49 last fall, it doesn’t matter what I eat or don’t eat, or how much I exercise or don’t exercise, I keep gaining weight,” she said

”I’ve tried different diets over the years. Some worked better than others, but nothing works now. The weight doesn’t budge.”

”You feel like your metabolism is broken because it seems like your body doesn’t burn calories like it used to?” I asked

Liz thought for a minute. ”Yeah. My body feels stuck.”​
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Hey Reader!

Are you feeling like Liz, too?

Weight gain during late perimenopause and early menopause is common for 85% of women.

However, the research doesn’t explain why some women gain an average of 5-10 pounds in the 5-7 years of the menopause transition, and other women gain 15+ pounds overnight; at least that’s what it feels like.

Who's to blame? Hormones, metabolism, dieting, life, or all of the above?

A handful of colleagues and I dove into the research during a recent journal club call. It’s like a book club, but with scientific papers.

Here’s the take-home message…

Eat enough. Move your body most days (consistency matters for metabolism!). Get adequate sleep most nights. Cope with stress. Stay hydrated. And your metabolism will be stable through menopause.​
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In fact, most adults have a stable metabolism until they're at least 60 years old. This review paper is a good summary of the dynamics of metabolism.

What's this look like in real life?

Keep food simple. Don’t get caught in the complicated anti-aging weeds created by social media influencers.

Remember the advice from The Bike Guy, “show up, think about it, and give a sh*t.”

If you get tripped up on the 'think about it' part, you're not alone.

You and 95% of the women I work with were told for decades to "eat this, don’t eat that. Eat at these times, but not between these times."

What happens when you’re tired of following these rules?

Or when you get overwhelmed by all the “shoulds?”

You think, "I should eat more vegetables. I should eat more protein. I shouldn’t eat processed food. I shouldn’t eat sugar. I should cook more from scratch." ​
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You've been wired to think this way.

Diet culture's entire business model is built on you not knowing how to “think about it.”

Let’s change that!

Doors open for the Gentle Nutrition Made Easy online group counseling program on June 18!

I haven't offered this program in the summer before. But enough of you have asked about it, so here we go!

Don’t miss this opportunity to apply the Gentle Nutrition 4-step framework to your everyday life.

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Hit reply with questions anytime!

See you soon, and in the meantime, have a great weekend savoring food and your body!

Amanda

PS: Does it feel like your body is stuck? Weight gain during late perimenopause and early menopause is common for 85% of women. Who's to blame? Hormones, metabolism, dieting, life, or all of the above? Here’s the take-home message based on research we have available…Eat enough. Move your body most days (consistency matters for metabolism!). Get adequate sleep most nights. Cope with stress. Stay hydrated. And your metabolism will be stable through menopause. How do you do this in real life?

Join me inside the Gentle Nutrition Made Easy online group counseling program, and I'll show you!