Perimenopause: What's Actually Happening, What It Does to Your Fitness + What Will Help the Most

 

Hey hey beautiful human!

Perimenopause is one of those things every woman will experience, yet so many of us are completely unprepared for it. Maybe you are in your 30s and starting to notice that your body feels different. Maybe you are in your 40s and quietly wondering why the workouts, meals, and routines that used to work suddenly are not working the same way anymore.

And sister, this is not a discipline problem.

Perimenopause is a hormonal transition, and it can affect your muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, energy, recovery, cravings, and body composition. So in this episode of Embrace Your Real, I’m breaking down what perimenopause actually is, what is happening hormonally, why your old approach may stop working, and what will help your body the most in this season.

What’s Discussed:

  • What perimenopause actually is and why you can still be in it even if you are getting your period

  • Why perimenopause can begin earlier than many women expect and last for years

  • How estrogen and progesterone shifts can affect muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, and recovery

  • Why the same workouts and eating habits that worked in your 30s may stop giving you the same results

  • Why strength training becomes even more important for your muscle, metabolism, blood sugar, bones, and body composition

  • Why doing more cardio and eating less can backfire during perimenopause

  • How protein, carbs, and healthy fats support your body through this hormonal transition

The Movement With Julie app is there when you need a workout that is already planned for you. You’ll get new workouts every week, 30-minute and 60-minute options, and exercise swaps for limited equipment so you can stay consistent at home, at the gym, or while traveling. Head to movementwithjulie.com to get started.

And when food starts feeling all over the place, Macro Counting Made Simple will help you understand your protein, carbs, and fats so you can stop guessing.

If you want more from me, be sure to check out…

Transcript

(0:00) Hey there, beautiful human. You're listening to Embrace Your Real with me, Julie Ledbetter, (0:05) a podcast where I empower you to just be you. With each episode, I dish you a dose of real talk and (0:12) actionable advice for building your confidence, honoring your body, and unconditionally loving (0:17) your authentic self.

Stay tuned if you're ready to embrace your real. Let's get in. Let's go.

(0:30) Hello, and welcome back to another episode on the Embrace Real podcast. I'm so glad that you're here (0:35) today because we're talking about something I've actually never mentioned before, but yet it affects (0:39) every single woman, and somehow the fitness and wellness world has done a pretty terrible job of (0:43) actually preparing us for it. Whether you're in your 30s and you start to notice things feel a (0:47) little bit different, or whether you're deep in your 40s and have been quietly wondering, like, (0:51) what's happening to your body, or whether you're just in your 20s and you want to understand what's (0:56) coming up so you can get ahead of it, this episode is for you.

Today we're talking about paramenopause, (1:01) and I want to be upfront about two things. I'm not a paramenopause expert, so all of this is (1:06) from the research that we've done for this episode, and the goal is to simply just give you (1:10) awareness. If you need more information, I recommend chatting with your doctor or medical professional.

(1:16) And number two, this is not a doom and gloom episode. This is not a brace yourself conversation. (1:20) This is a real honest breakdown of what's actually happening in your body during this phase because (1:25) most women are going through it without any useful information, and that needs to change.

So today (1:29) we're going to be talking about what paramenopause actually is and when it really starts, what is (1:34) happening hormonally and how that affects your muscle, your metabolism, sleep, and mood, why the (1:39) approach that used to work stopped working, and most importantly, exactly what you can do about it. (1:45) By the time that we are done, I hope that we have a clear practical picture of how to support your (1:51) body through this phase, whether that phase is years away, happening right now, or already behind you. (1:55) We're just going to dive right into it because there's a lot of information in today's episode.

(1:59) So number one, what actually is paramenopause and when does it start? So let's be clear and clear (2:05) something up right away because this is something that a lot of women get blindsided by. Most of us (2:09) were taught that menopause is this thing that happens later, usually sometime in your 50s when (2:14) your period stops, and if we've heard about paramenopause at all, it was framed like a tiny (2:19) little speed bump right before menopause. So if you're in your late 30s or early 40s and someone (2:25) mentions paramenopause, your first thought might be, that can't be me yet, I'm still getting my (2:30) period, but here's what I wish more women understood.

Paramenopause does not mean that (2:34) your period has stopped, it's actually the hormonal transition leading up to menopause. So that means (2:40) that you can still be having regular periods or mostly regular periods and still be in paramenopause. (2:47) Menopause is actually just one specific point in time you've officially reached menopause.

(2:52) After you have gone through 12 consecutive months without a period, that's it. That's the (2:57) clinical marker and everything leading up to that point is paramenopause, and for many women that (3:03) transition is not brief. Paramenopause can last anywhere from 4 to 10 years.

It can begin earlier (3:08) than some women expect. For some, the first signs can start mid to late 30s. For others, (3:15) it's somewhere in their 40s, and this is why so many women feel confused.

They think, well, (3:19) I still have a period, so this cannot be hormonal, but during paramenopause, your hormones can start (3:25) shifting long before your period disappears. Estrogen can rise and fall unpredictably, (3:30) and progesterone oftentimes begins to decline. Ovulation can become less consistent, and because (3:35) these hormones influence so much more than just your cycle, these symptoms can show up in ways (3:40) that feel completely unrelated.

You might notice your body composition changing even though your (3:45) have not changed that much. You might feel more bloated, more tired, more anxious, more irritable, (3:50) less resilient to stress. Your sleep might feel lighter.

Your PMS might get worse. Your (3:54) periods might become heavier or shorter or longer, closer together, further apart, or just different (3:59) from what you are used to, and because no one explained this transition clearly, I think a lot (4:03) of women spend years thinking that they're doing something wrong, like they're blaming themselves. (4:08) They double down on more cardio, more restriction, more discipline, more caffeine, just pushing (4:12) through, but the truth is, their body might be entering a new hormonal phase that requires (4:17) just a different level of support.

So the difference is this. Paramenopause is the transition. (4:23) Metapause is the milestone, and postmenopause is everything after that milestone.

So paramenopause (4:29) is when your hormones are fluctuating and your body might start sending you a new signal. So (4:34) menopause is confirmed, like I said, after 12 months without a period. Postmenopause is the stage (4:39) that you are in after menopause has been reached.

I want you to really sit with that because if you (4:43) are in your 30s or 40s and your body has started feeling different in ways you just cannot explain, (4:48) this might be the context that you've been missing, like you're not imagining it, you're (4:51) not feeling, your body might just simply be changing, and once you kind of understand what's (4:56) happening, you can stop fighting against it and start supporting it in a way that actually makes (5:00) sense. So number two, what's happening hormonally and what does that do to your body? Okay, so (5:05) what is actually going on inside of your body during this phase? Let me kind of break it down (5:08) in plain language because you deserve to understand this. So there's two main hormones at (5:14) play, and those are estrogen and progesterone, right? During paramenopause, these hormones, (5:19) they do not just gradually decline, they fluctuate like wildly and unpredictably.

One month your (5:24) estrogen might be relatively high, the next month it drops significantly and then bounces right back (5:30) up again, and this is why paramenopause can feel so inconsistent and confusing. Your body is not (5:35) at a steady state, it's riding the wave that changes from month to month. So what does that (5:39) actually mean for your day-to-day life? Well, estrogen plays a role in muscle function, bone (5:44) density, mood, how effectively your body uses fuel.

When it starts dropping and fluctuating, building (5:50) and keeping muscle becomes harder, your metabolism slows down because muscle is one of the primary (5:55) drivers of metabolic rate, and because estrogen supports serotonin, aka the mood-stabilizing brain (6:02) chemical, its decline directly impacts how emotionally resilient you feel. So progesterone, (6:08) on the other hand, is your calming hormone. It supports that deep restorative sleep and helps (6:13) your nervous system manage stress.

As progesterone declines, sleep quality oftentimes takes a (6:18) significant hit. You might find yourself waking up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason, (6:22) struggling to fall back asleep, or waking up feeling exhausted even after a full night rest. (6:26) This is not random, it's a direct result of progesterone dropping.

And when sleep is disrupted, (6:33) your recovery suffers, which means your workouts feel harder, your body takes longer to bounce (6:38) back, your hunger hormones can go haywire, and your capacity to manage stress shrinks. It's really (6:43) all connected in our bodies, and this is why body composition can shift during perimetopause, (6:49) even when your food and workouts haven't changed. Like the hormonal environment that used to support (6:54) your body's response to training and nutrition has genuinely shifted, you're not imagining it.

(7:00) Number three, why does what worked at 30 stop working and why isn't it a discipline problem? (7:05) So this is the part that I really want you to take in. If you are at this stage and have been (7:09) doing the same things that you've always done, eating in the same way, working out in the same (7:13) way, but your results have stopped showing up the way that they used to, it can be incredibly easy (7:18) to turn that into a story about yourself. If you are in perimetopause and the same workouts, (7:23) the same eating habits, and the same routines are no longer giving you the same results, that does (7:27) not mean that you suddenly became lazy or undisciplined, it just means that your internal (7:32) environment has changed.

Like during perimetopause, your ovaries do not just gradually and politely (7:38) turn down estrogen and progesterone, those hormones can fluctuate drastically. Like estrogen may spike (7:44) and then drop, progesterone oftentimes starts declining earlier because ovulation becomes (7:49) less consistent. And when ovulation becomes less predictable, progesterone production becomes less (7:55) predictable as well.

And that matters because progesterone and estrogen influence so much (8:00) more than just your period. Estrogen is going to help support that insulin sensitivity, that muscle (8:05) maintenance, bone health, mood, sleep, how your body stores fat. Progesterone helps regulate your (8:11) nervous system, supports your sleep, and balances some of estrogen's effects.

So when these hormones (8:16) start shifting, your body might respond differently to the exact same habits that used to work. (8:21) And one of the biggest changes is how your body handles muscle. So as estrogen declines or (8:27) fluctuates, it can become harder to maintain and build muscle.

Muscle protein synthesis, which is (8:33) the process that your body uses to repair and build muscle tissue, becomes less efficient with age and (8:38) hormonal change. So the workout that used to help you maintain strength might not be enough anymore (8:43) and your body may now need more intentional resistance training, enough protein, and enough (8:48) overall fuel to keep your muscle. This matters because muscle is one of the most important pieces (8:53) of your metabolism.

Muscle is metabolically active tissue, meaning that it uses energy even at rest. (8:59) So when muscle decreases, your resting metabolic rate can decrease as well. And this means that (9:04) your body may burn fewer calories throughout the day, even though your habits look the same on paper.

(9:10) And this is why women can say, I'm eating the same, I'm moving the same, so why is my body (9:14) changing or not changing, depending on how you look at it. But it's because the body is receiving (9:19) those habits, not the same that they used to. Another major shift that happens with insulin (9:24) sensitivity is that during perimenopause, hormonal changes can make your body less efficient at (9:30) moving glucose from your bloodstream into your cells.

And that means that your body may have a (9:35) time using carbs for energy the way that it used to. Blood sugar swings can become more noticeable. (9:41) They can contribute to more cravings, more hunger, more energy crashes, and easier fat storage, (9:46) especially if muscle mass is also declining.

There is the midsection weight gain that so many women (9:52) feel blindsided by, right? As estrogen changes, fat storage patterns can shift as well. Instead (9:58) of storing fat around the hips, the thighs and glutes, many women start noticing more fat around (10:03) the abdomen. And this is not because they lost willpower overnight.

It's because their hormones (10:07) help influence where fat is stored. And perimenopause can change that pattern. Recovery (10:13) also changes.

So the same workout intensity that felt fine at 30 may feel harder now because your (10:18) body is dealing with more hormonal variability, oftentimes lower muscle building efficiency, (10:23) and sometimes higher stress load. So if you keep adding more and more cardio, cutting calories and (10:29) pushing harder, your body may interpret this as just more stress. And when stress stays high, it can (10:34) make it harder to recover, harder to build muscle, and harder to get that body composition changed (10:38) the way that you want.

So when what worked at 30 stops working, the answer is not automatically to (10:43) eat less and do more. That approach oftentimes backfires because it can lead to muscle loss, (10:51) lower energy availability, poor recovery, and slower metabolism over time. And if muscle already (10:57) is harder to maintain during the season, losing more of it is the last thing that we want.

The (11:02) smarter approach is to really support the physiology that you are working with now. That means (11:06) prioritizing strain training so that your body has a clear reason to hold on and build muscle. (11:11) It means eating enough protein so that your muscles have the building blocks that they need.

(11:16) It means fueling enough overall so that your body is not consistently trying to conserve energy. (11:21) And it also means that your plan might need to become more intentional than it was in your 20s (11:26) and your 30s. So no, that's not a discipline problem.

It's really a hormonal, metabolic, (11:31) and muscular shift. Your body has changed, which means your strategy might need to change as well. (11:36) And once you understand that, you can stop trying to punish your body back into an old season and (11:41) really start supporting the body that you're in now.

So number four, why does strength training (11:46) become more important, not less? So your body is going through a hormonal transition that directly (11:52) impacts your muscle, your metabolism, your bones, your blood sugar, your body composition. (11:57) So if your old routine suddenly feels like it's just not giving you the same results, (12:01) I want you to understand that there is a real physiological reason for that. (12:05) One of the biggest shifts that happens during perimetopause is the change in estrogen.

Estrogen, (12:10) again, is a lot more than just regulating your period. It plays an important role (12:14) in helping your body maintain that muscle tissue, repair after exercise, support that insulin (12:20) sensitivity, and also protects that bone density. So when estrogen starts fluctuating and eventually (12:26) declining, your body may not respond to training, food, and recovery the exact way that it used to.

(12:31) And this is why strength training becomes so important, because muscle naturally becomes (12:36) harder to maintain as we age. And hormonal changes can make that process happen faster (12:41) if we're not actively doing something to counter it. Strength training gives your body a clear (12:46) signal that says, like, we need to keep this muscle.

We need to keep it. We need to build it. (12:51) We need to make it stronger.

And that signal matters, because muscle is one of the most (12:55) important tissues in your body for long-term health and body composition. Muscle is metabolically (13:01) active, like I mentioned, which means that it requires energy to maintain. When you build and (13:06) preserve muscle, you are supporting your muscle instead of letting it gradually slow down over (13:10) time.

And muscle also changes the shape of your body. So if your goal is to feel leaner and stronger (13:16) and more defined, you need muscle. You cannot create that strong, sculpted look by eating less or trying (13:23) to shrink yourself.

You create it by building tissue that gives your body shape and strength. (13:29) And strength training also supports that blood sugar regulation, right? Your muscles are one of (13:33) the main pieces that your body stores and uses glucose. So when you strength train consistently, (13:38) you improve your muscles' ability to take up glucose from the bloodstream and use it for energy.

(13:44) And that becomes especially important during perimenopause because changes in estrogen can (13:49) make insulin sensitivity more challenging. Then there's bone density. Estrogen helps to protect (13:55) your bones, which is why bone loss can accelerate as estrogen declines.

Strength training, though, (14:01) can help counter that by placing a healthy stress on your bones. When your muscles pull against your (14:07) bones during lifting, your bone actually gets the message to keep those bones strong. And that's not (14:12) just about fitness.

That's really about protecting your future self. So when I say strength training (14:17) needs to become the foundation in perimenopause, this is what I mean. It supports your muscle, (14:22) it supports your metabolism, it supports your blood sugar, it supports your bones, (14:26) and it supports the body composition changes that so many women are working towards.

(14:30) And most importantly, it gives you a strategy that works with the body that you are in right now. (14:35) This is not the season to keep guessing or randomly doing workouts hoping that they add up. (14:40) Your body needs a consistent progressive plan.

Progressive simply just means that over time (14:46) you're giving your muscles a little bit more challenge, whether that's lifting heavier, (14:50) doing more reps, improving your form, slowing down the movement, increasing your control. (14:55) This is how your body adapts, and this is how you maintain muscle, and this is how you build (15:00) strength in a way that supports this hormonal transition instead of fighting against it. (15:04) If you've been looking for a structured workout program that takes kind of the guesswork out of (15:08) the process, this is exactly why I created my Moot with Julie Dumbo Only Workouts.

(15:13) Every workout is professionally programmed. The progression is already mapped out. You (15:16) have the ability to track your weight so that you can see what you were lifting last week (15:21) or last month so that you can really progressive overload and add that progression in there.

(15:26) You also have 30-minute or 60-minute options so that you can still show up even on the hard, (15:30) busy weeks. The link for that is in the show notes, or just go to salesale.movementwithjulie.com. (15:38) And if you're a brand new subscriber, you get 50% off your first month. (15:41) Number five, why is more cardio one of the worst things that you can do during perimenopause? (15:46) So this is one of those things that can feel completely backward at first because when (15:50) your body starts changing in perimenopause, the instinct is to just do more, right? (15:55) More workouts, more sweat, more calorie burn, more cardio.

And I understand why if your midsection (15:59) feels different, your clothes are fitting differently, the scale is creeping up, more cardio (16:03) feels like the responsible thing to do. But a lot of women in perimenopause, adding more and more (16:08) cardio can actually make the symptoms worse. And here's why.

Because during perimenopause, (16:13) your hormones are already fluctuating, like I mentioned, right? Estrogen, progesterone (16:17) are shifting. Your body can become more sensitive to that stress. And while adding cardio can (16:22) absolutely be healthy in the right amount, too much cardio can, on the other hand, become a (16:27) to your body that it has to recover from, right? And so that matters because your body does not (16:32) separate stress into little neat categories.

It does not say, oh, this stress is from work, (16:37) or this stress is from poor sleep, or this stress is from under eating, or this stress is from (16:40) intense workouts. It just receives the total load of stress. So if you're already dealing with (16:45) hormonal shifts, life, stress, energy, cravings, poor recovery, and changing body composition, (16:51) then adding more intense cardio on top of that can push your body further into a stress state.

(16:57) And when that happens, a few things can get worse. Your hunger can increase because your body is (17:01) trying to replace the energy that you burned. Your cravings can get louder because your body (17:06) wants that quick fuel.

Your workouts can start feeling more draining than energizing. (17:11) Your recovery can suffer, and you might just feel overall more inflamed, more exhausted, (17:15) more irritable, or more stuck. And here's what the most frustrating part is, is that more cardio (17:20) does not send the strongest signal to preserve that muscle.

During perimenopause, especially, (17:26) muscle becomes even more important because estrogen changes that are happening in the body (17:31) make it harder to maintain. Muscle supports your metabolism, your blood sugar, your strength, (17:35) your bone density, and body composition. So if you're doing more and more cardio while not (17:40) prioritizing strength training, protein, and recovery, you may be burning calories in the moment, (17:45) but missing the bigger signal that your body needs.

And your body does not need to be chased into (17:50) results. It needs to be supported into adaptation. Because if you keep adding cardio while also (17:56) eating less or recovering poorly and losing muscle, your metabolism can adapt downward.

And this means (18:02) that your body may start burning fewer calories throughout the day to conserve energy. So now (18:07) you're doing more work, feeling more tired, and seeing less results. And this is why more cardio (18:12) can just become that frustrating trap.

At first, it feels like control, but over time, it can actually (18:17) create more hunger, more fatigue, more cravings, more stress, poor recovery, and just a body that (18:22) feels like it's biting you. So let me be clear. Cardio is not bad.

Walking, cycling, hiking, (18:27) dancing, doing conditioning that you enjoy is great for your heart, your mood, your overall mental (18:33) health, overall health. But using cardio as your main strategy to force your body to change during (18:38) perimenopause is where a lot of women get stuck. The better question is not how much more cardio can (18:43) I do? The better question is, am I building muscle, eating enough protein, fueling my body, and (18:48) recovering well enough for my body to actually respond? Because in perimenopause, the goal is to (18:53) not burn yourself down.

The goal is to build a body that feels strong and steady and energized (18:59) and supported. And that usually starts with strength training, enough food, and smart cardio, (19:03) and also a plan that works for their hormones instead of adding more stress to an already (19:09) stressed system, if that makes sense. Number six, why do protein needs increase and what does this (19:15) do for your symptoms? So this is one of the biggest shifts I want women to understand in (19:19) perimenopause is that your protein needs do not increase because you're doing something wrong.

(19:23) They increase because your body is changing. As estrogen starts to fluctuate and eventually (19:28) decline, your body becomes less efficient at building and maintaining muscle. And one of the (19:33) best ways to think about that is that your muscles become a little less sensitive to the signal (19:38) protein gives them.

So protein provides those amino acids, which are the building blocks your body (19:43) uses to repair and build muscle tissue. When you are younger, your body may have responded more (19:48) easily to a smaller amount of protein. But as you move through perimenopause, your body oftentimes (19:54) needs a stronger, more consistent signal to do the same job.

And that means that protein becomes (19:59) even more important because if you're not eating enough protein, your body has a harder time holding (20:05) on to muscle. And when muscle starts to decline, a few things can happen that many women mistake (20:10) just for getting older. Your metabolism can feel slower because your muscle is metabolically active (20:15) tissue.

Your body composition can change because you are losing the tissue that gives your body (20:20) shape and strength. Or you might feel weaker in your workouts. You might feel less stable with (20:24) your energy.

You might notice more cravings because meals without enough protein oftentimes (20:29) do not keep you full for very long. Protein helps to support the exact things that tend to feel (20:35) harder during perimenopause. It helps to preserve and build muscle, which supports your metabolism.

(20:40) It helps to stabilize blood sugar, which can also help with energy crashes and cravings. And it can (20:46) help you feel fuller after meals, which makes nutrition feel less like a constant battle. (20:51) And it can also support recovery from workouts so you are not feeling as depleted and sore all (20:57) the time.

And because muscle plays such a big role in how your body uses glucose, eating enough (21:01) protein while strain training can also support better insulin sensitivity. So no, protein itself (21:07) is not magic. It's not going to erase every symptom overnight, but it does give your body (21:11) more of what it needs during this season when muscle metabolism, blood sugar, energy and recovery (21:16) needs are more intentional.

And this is why I do not want you trying to get through perimenopause (21:22) on tiny breakfast or random snacks and a salad with barely any protein at lunch. Your body needs (21:28) those building blocks, right? A simple place to start is making sure that every single meal has a (21:33) solid protein source. This could be eggs, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, chicken, turkey, fish, (21:38) lean beef, tofu, whatever it is, a protein powder that you actually enjoy.

Because in this stage, (21:43) protein is not just about hitting a number. It's about giving your body the raw materials that it (21:47) needs to feel strong, supported and energized. Number seven, why is cutting carbs one of the (21:53) worst things you can do for your body during perimenopause? So this is such an important one (21:57) because carbs have been demonized for so long, like you need to cut them to be healthy or disciplined.

(22:03) And that's like the discipline thing to do. But during perimenopause, cutting carbs too low can (22:07) actually make a lot of symptoms feel worse. And here's why.

Carbs are your body's preferred source (22:12) of quick energy. When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into glucose, which your brain, (22:18) your muscles and nervous system then use for fuel. So if you're strength training, if you're walking, (22:23) working, taking care of your family, managing stress, trying to function like a human being, (22:26) your body needs enough energy to do all of that.

When you cut carbs too low, you're taking away (22:32) one of your body's main fuel sources. And during a season when your hormones are already fluctuating, (22:37) that can add more stress to the system. You might notice that your workouts feel harder.

(22:41) You may feel weaker during your lifts. You may notice that you're struggling to recover. (22:45) You may feel more tired or more irritable, more foggy, more likely to crave sugar at night because (22:50) your body's just trying to get the energy that it didn't receive earlier in the day.

(22:53) Carbs also matter, though, for blood sugar stability. And a lot of women cut carbs because (22:58) they're worried about blood sugar. But the goal is to not avoid carbs completely.

The goal is to (23:02) eat the right amount of carbs paired with enough protein, fiber and healthy fats so that your body (23:06) can use them well. When carbs are too low, your body may rely more heavily on that stress hormone (23:13) to keep your blood sugar available. And that can feel like anxiety, shakiness, poor sleep, cravings (23:19) and just that wired but tired feeling.

If you are active, especially if you're strength training, (23:24) carbs become even more important. Your muscles store carbs as glycogen, which is the fuel that (23:29) your body uses during those harder workouts. And if your glycogen is constantly low, your workouts (23:35) can feel flat, your performance can drop, and it becomes harder to give your body the strength (23:39) building signal that it needs during this perimenopause.

That matters because building (23:44) and maintaining muscles is one of the biggest and best things that supports your metabolism, (23:48) body composition and insulin sensitivity in this season. So cutting carbs, yes, may feel like the (23:54) fastest path to control for many women, but it creates the opposite effect. Less energy, more (23:59) cravings, harder workouts, more stress, less recovery and a body that just feels like it's (24:03) fighting back.

Remember that carbs are not the enemy. Your body needs them, your brain needs them, (24:09) your muscles store them, your workouts depend on them, and your symptoms can feel a lot more (24:13) manageable when your meals are balanced instead of restricted. So instead of asking yourself, (24:19) how can I cut carbs? Ask yourself, okay, how can I use carbs strategically to support my energy, (24:24) strength, blood sugar and hormones? And last but not least, number eight, why does your body need (24:30) to eat fat during perimenopause? So this is another place where diet culture has done women (24:35) such a disservice because a lot of us were told that and taught that eating fat makes you gain (24:40) fat, right? But your body needs that dietary fat, especially during perimenopause.

Fat plays a major (24:46) role in hormone health because estrogen, progesterone and other steroid hormones are made (24:51) from cholesterol. That does not mean eating more fat magically fixes your hormones, but it does (24:57) mean that your body needs enough healthy fat to support normal hormone production and function. (25:02) So during this perimenopause, your hormones again are already fluctuating.

Your estrogen may rise (25:08) and fall unpredictably. Your progesterone oftentimes starts declining as ovulation (25:12) becomes less consistent. So if you are also cutting your fat too low, you may be removing (25:18) the nutrients that your body needs during a season when it's already trying to adapt.

(25:23) Fat-rich helps with fullness and blood sugar balance. When you eat meals that include protein, (25:29) fiber-rich carbs and healthy fats, digestion slows down a bit. This can make you and help you feel (25:34) more satisfied after meals.

Avoid that blood sugar roller coaster that can make cravings, (25:39) energy crashes and mood swings feel even worse. Healthy fats also are going to help you to (25:44) support brain health, which also matters because many women notice more brain fog or irritability (25:50) or just mood shifts during perimenopause. Omega-3 fats, especially from foods like salmon or sardines (25:56) or chia seeds, flax seeds, walnuts, those are all known for their role in brain and inflammatory (26:01) health.

Nutrition guidance for menopause commonly emphasizes healthy fats as a part of a balanced (26:08) diet. And then there's your heart, right? After menopause, cardiovascular risk becomes more (26:13) important to pay attention to and the types of fats that you eat matters. The goal is to not (26:17) load up on fried foods and ultra-processed fats.

The goal is to really include supportive fats like (26:23) olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, while all being mindful of the heavily processed foods (26:29) and excess saturated fat. So no, fat is not the enemy. Your body needs fat to support your (26:35) hormones, fullness, brain health, blood sugar, stability, inflammation, balance, and just overall (26:40) long-term health.

The key is eating the right kinds and the right amount for your body. And (26:45) this is why I don't want you to try to get through perimenopause on dry salads, egg whites, low-fat (26:51) everything. Your body is asking for support, not restriction.

A simple place to start is really (26:56) adding a source of healthy fats to your meals, like avocados, olive oils, eggs, nuts, seeds, (27:01) salmon, full-fat Greek yogurt, if that works for you. Because during perimenopause, eating enough (27:07) fat is not about cheating on your goals. It's really about fueling your body in a way that helps (27:12) you feel more stable, satisfied, and supported as well as strong.

So now that we've kind of (27:17) talked about the importance of protein, carbs, and fats, if you're listening to this and you're like, (27:21) okay, but I actually don't know if I'm eating enough protein, enough carbs, enough fats for (27:25) my body right now, this is exactly why I created my Macro Ketamine Simple Online Academy. Because (27:31) during perimenopause, guessing can be really frustrating. Like your body may not respond the (27:36) way that it used to.

The old eat less and move more approach may leave you feeling depleted, stuck, (27:42) confused. And when you do not understand what your body actually needs, it's easy to start just (27:47) cutting more, removing food groups, and blaming yourself that the results are just not showing up. (27:52) But macro counting gives you information.

It helps you see whether you're eating enough protein to (27:57) support your muscle, enough carbs to fuel your workouts, and enough fats to support your hormones, (28:02) fullness, and just overall health. It's going to take nutrition from feeling emotional and confusing (28:07) to feeling clear and intentional. And that matters so much during perimenopause because this is a (28:12) season where your body needs more support, not random restriction.

Inside my Macro Ketamine (28:17) Simple Online Academy, I kind of walk you through how to understand macros, how to build balanced (28:21) meals, how to fuel your body properly, how to create a nutrition approach that really does (28:26) support your strength, your metabolism, energy, and body composition goals. So if you've been (28:31) struggling to see results and you feel like you've tried everything, macro counting, I believe, can (28:36) really help you to stop guessing and really start understanding what your body needs. I will link (28:41) the Macro Ketamine Simple Online Academy in the show notes if you want to check it out.

But I want (28:45) to close this episode with something I feel really strongly about. Perimenopause has been framed for (28:50) so long as the beginning of the end, like your body is winding down. You just have to manage the (28:56) fallout.

And I want to push back on that hard. Yes, this phase comes with real changes. Yes, (29:00) your body's operating differently than it used to.

But the women I've seen navigate perimenopause (29:05) with the right approach, consistent strain training, adequate protein, smart fueling, (29:09) real recovery. Do not just maintain. Many of them feel stronger, more capable, and more connected to (29:14) their bodies than they ever have.

The difference is not in genetics. It's really the information (29:18) and the approach. Like when you stop fighting the changes and really start working with them, (29:23) when you stop cutting and doubling down on cardio and start lifting and fueling, things will shift.

(29:29) Your body is not working against you. It's just asking for something different. And when you give (29:34) it what it actually needs, it's going to respond.

You are not past your prime. You are not too far (29:39) into this to change course. This phase responds incredibly well to the right tools.

And now you (29:45) hopefully have them. All this to say the way forward is not harder. It's just smarter.

(29:50) All right, let me quickly recap because this was a really dense episode. Number one, perimenopause (29:56) is a hormonal transition that can begin as early as your mid-30s and last up to a decade. It's (30:01) not just the lead up to menopause.

Estrogen, number two, estrogen and progesterone fluctuate (30:07) and decline during this phase, affecting muscle, metabolism, sleep, mood, and recovery. Number three, (30:12) when results stop showing up the way that they used to, that is a hormonal shift, (30:17) not a discipline problem. The approach needs to change, not your work ethic.

Number four, (30:22) strength training becomes more important during perimenopause, not less. It's going to protect (30:27) your muscles, support your metabolism, and improve your bone density. Number five, protein needs (30:32) increase during this phase.

Consistent fueling with adequate protein directly supports that muscle (30:38) retention, blood sugar stability, and mood. Number six, cutting carbs aggressively and doing more (30:44) cardio accelerates muscle loss and increases cortisol, which is going to make your symptoms (30:49) worse. And number seven, eating fat is your friend.

Please, please, please do not skip it. (30:54) If today gave you some real clarity, I think you'll also love episode 617, the three phases (30:59) of training and how to cycle through them. I believe that it connects really well to what (31:03) we talked about today around hormones and how your body responds to training, the training (31:08) load differently, depending on what's going on internally.

I will go ahead and link that in (31:12) the show notes below. And if you found this episode helpful, I would just encourage you (31:16) to share it with someone. Maybe they've quietly been experiencing some, this, and they're just (31:21) like feeling lost or overwhelmed.

I believe so many women are living this without a framework, (31:26) and hopefully this is the exact conversation that we can have to start to change that. (31:31) But that is all that I have for today's episode. I love you so dang much.

I mean it, (31:34) and I'll talk to you in the next one. All right, sister, that's all I got for you today, (31:45) but I have two things that I need you to do. First thing, if you are not already following (31:50) me on the gram, be sure to do so.

Julie A. Ledbetter, yes, it's with an A in the middle, (31:55) for that daily post-workout real talk, healthy tips and tricks, and honest accountability to (32:00) keep your mind and heart in check. The second thing, be sure to subscribe to Apple Podcasts (32:05) to never miss an episode. Thank you so much for joining me.

It means the absolute world, (32:12) and I'm going to leave you with one last thought. The most beautiful women that I have met in my (32:16) life are the ones who are completely confident and secure in being authentically themselves. (32:23) Remember that beauty goes so much deeper than the surface, so go out there and embrace your real, (32:28) because you're worth it.

 
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