Now that your hormones are shifting and changing, weight loss in menopause may seem a lot more challenging. But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With the right combination of hormone-friendly lifestyle changes, you will be well on your way to feeling stronger, healthier, and more confident.
These eleven daily habits are here to help get you started. In this list, you’ll find simple strategies built to assist you in balancing your hormones, boosting your metabolism, and beginning to shift your body from storing fat to releasing it.
A well-designed menopause-friendly weight loss plan ensures that every aspect of your life plays a part in supporting your hormones, not just what you eat!
11 Daily Habits for Weight Loss in Menopause
1. Balance Your Hormones on a Plant-Based Diet
A wholesome plant-based diet has certain compounds that help balance hormones and ease menopause symptoms. For example, foods like tofu, tempeh, and flaxseeds are phytoestrogen-rich, mimicking estrogen and reducing hot flashes. Fiber-rich foods are important for a healthy gut.
- Ask yourself: Do I eat enough of a variety of hormone-friendly plant foods?
- Action Step: Prioritize eating plenty of wholesome plant food that contains protein, fiber, healthy fats, and phytoestrogens. Discover how your diet can make a difference by clicking the link here.
2. Eat Meals that Balance Your Blood Sugar
Blood sugar spikes from processed food, refined carbohydrates, and added sugar (like desserts, cookies, or pastries) can encourage fat storage and trigger cravings.
- Ask yourself: Are my meals balanced and keeping me full for at least 3-4 hours?
- Action Step: Aim to build meals that include a balance of high-quality plant protein, healthy fats, and fiber. This will help ensure your blood sugar remains stable and you are full and satisfied between meals. Find all of our hormone-friendly recipes that tick all the boxes here.
3. Strength Train to Preserve Muscle
Think of strength training as the fountain of youth. Building muscle protects your metabolism from slowing down. Muscle loss due to lower estrogen is one of the primary issues that causes fat storage for women in menopause.
- Ask yourself: Am I carving out time to strength train at least twice per week?
- Action Step: Make it a goal to train (weight lifting, free weights, bands, or body weight resistance) for 20 to 30 minutes 2-3 days per week.
4. Prioritize Protein at Every Meal
Protein is important for building and maintaining muscle, especially as you age. Estrogen depletion can cause muscle loss, thereby slowing your metabolism.
- Ask yourself: Am I eating enough protein at every meal for my body weight and activity level?
- Action Step: Include at least 20-30 grams of healthy plant-based protein at every meal. This will help preserve muscle mass and accelerate your metabolism to promote fat loss. Learn more about women’s protein needs here.
5. Practice Stress Management
Another problem many women face is high cortisol due to high stress. Cortisol puts your body in a state of “fight or flight,” promoting fat storage by putting a pause on other bodily functions, slowing your metabolism, and making it more likely you’ll have cravings.
- Ask yourself: How much time do I take out for myself every day to manage stress?
- Action Step: Begin implementing practices that allow you to relax. Spend time outdoors, go for a leisurely walk, deep breathing, meditation, or yoga. Pro-tip: Exercise (strength training and cardio) is a great way to release stress.
6. Think of Sleep as a Weight Loss Tool
Sleep is essential for the recovery of muscles after strength training and for hormone balance. It also helps with stress management. Not getting adequate rest increases hunger and makes it more difficult to manage your weight.
- Ask yourself: Am I prioritizing a good bedtime ritual?
- Action Step: Set your bedtime routine to start at the same time every night (if possible). Turn off screens an hour before bed, take magnesium, drink calming tea, or try melatonin if you have trouble falling asleep.
7. Hydrate with Intention
Not only does thirst mimic hunger, but drinking plenty of fluids aids in digesting fiber-rich plant-based foods, especially as you transition to a more plant-forward lifestyle.
- Ask yourself: Do I really feel hungry, or am I actually thirsty? How much water have I had today?
- Action Step: Track your fluid intake by writing it down in a journal or tracking app. Consume more fluids by having water, herbal tea, or clear broth. Add fresh fruit to water for added flavor.
8. Be Mindful of Alcohol
Alcohol may actually worsen menopause symptoms, such as hot flashes and night sweats. This has to do with how your liver metabolizes alcohol. Empty calories and added sugar from alcoholic beverages can impact your weight loss efforts and cause mindless snacking.
- Ask yourself: How much alcohol do I really drink per week? Are there other ways I can find to relax?
- Action Step: Reduce alcohol intake a little at a time and notice how much it impacts your energy. Find alternatives to alcohol. For example, replace it with herbal teas or a delicious smoothie.
9. Notice Emotional & Habitual Eating
Being more mindful about your eating habits means noticing how you feel when you eat. Empty nest, aging parents, or career shifts can be common midlife triggers for emotional eating.
- Ask yourself: Is what I’m consuming driven by emotions, fatigue, or just habit?
- Action Step: Keeping a food journal can help you recognize when eating is driven by emotions, stress, hunger, or boredom.
10. Track Progress Beyond the Scale
Tracking your weight on the scale can be frustrating if you aren’t noticing much of a change. If you’re strength training, it can take even longer to show up as a loss since you may be retaining water or having inflammation. Remember, patience is key.
- Ask yourself: Am I noticing progress in other ways, such as less bloating or better energy?
- Action Step: Track beyond the scale by noticing how you feel and how your clothes are fitting. You can also track your body measurements. The bottom line is progress will show up with consistency, so don’t give up!
11. Honor Your Energy Needs
Your “energy needs” are the number of calories your body burns at rest. Those needs may decrease as your hormones fluctuate. This may be due to muscle loss and a slower metabolism. Strength training, fueling your body with the right foods, and managing your stress can combat these issues.
Determine your energy needs by using a calorie calculator. This number will be based on your weight, height, activity level, and age. This is meant to give you a better perspective of how to eat to maintain your current body weight. Use this information as a guide to help you figure out how many calories to add or subtract for fat loss. (Remember, if you eat too few calories, it can slow your metabolism, so aim for no more than a 500-calorie deficit.)
- Ask yourself: Are my energy needs matching the ways in which I’m fueling my body?
- Action Step: Use our Calorie Calculator to find your energy needs. Track your food for one to two weeks to see if you are on the right path. Don’t obsess over calories; simply become more aware of them. (Try the free version of the Cronometer app to track food.)
As you’re reading over this list, keep in mind that not everything has to be done at once. Small changes over time make a huge impact. Start with one thing, and work to implement another new “habit” into your routine each week.
Take your habits with you
For extra motivation and convenience, we’ve created a downloadable version of this list to have with you at all times. Keep a PDF copy of it on your phone, or print it for your refrigerator or to have at your desk. Having it in front of you makes it easier to check in with yourself and move consistently toward your goals.
Download your “daily habits” printable list here and start putting it into action today.
Ready to take the next step in your weight loss journey? Download our free hormone and weight loss guide, specifically designed for women in perimenopause and menopause. Visit the link here!
