How to Lose Weight in Menopause Without Dieting or Overexercising

Why am I gaining weight in menopause—even though I haven’t changed a thing?

If that question has been bouncing around your head lately, you're not alone. In this episode of The Menopause Method, we're breaking down the real, research-backed reasons behind menopausal weight gain—and how your hormones, metabolism, and muscle all play a role.

Most women over 45 are still being told to “eat less and move more.” But midlife metabolism doesn’t work like it used to—and it’s not your fault.

Here’s what you’ll learn in this episode:

• Why declining estrogen leads to increased fat storage, especially in the belly
• How muscle loss during menopause slows your metabolism
• Why you're feeling hungrier or craving more (hint: it’s hormonal)
• What to do when your old weight loss routines stop working
• How to actually support your metabolism after 45—without burning out
  
  

Whether you're in perimenopause, post-menopause, or somewhere in between, this conversation will give you the clarity you’ve been craving—and practical, science-backed strategies to feel strong, steady, and supported again.

✨ Want a strength routine that works with your energy in midlife? Try Menopause Minis (10-minute workouts that get results): https://www.camoyler.com/meno-minis

🎯 Not sure why you’re struggling to exercise at all? Take the quiz to discover what’s really holding you back—and your easiest next step: https://www.camoyler.com/QUIZ

Chapters:
00:00 Biology, Not Willpower, in Midlife
05:02 Sustainable Menopause Weight Management
06:32 Empowerment Through Balanced Eating
09:54 Morning Routine for Positive Transformation

Transcript

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Calling all women 45, especially if you've asked yourself, why am I gaining weight even though nothing's changed? If that's you, this episode's for you. I've got a science backed stress free breakdown of why weight gain happens in menopause and what you can actually do to support your metabolism, get rid of that stubborn belly fat, and feel good in your body again. Hey there. I'm Cam Allen. Welcome back to the Menopause Method. This episode is for you. If you've ever looked down at your body and thought, when did this change, and why can't I fix it? That was actually me back in December of twenty four. I saw a picture around Christmas time of myself, and I said, who's that woman? Is that me? Anyway, we'll talk about that later. You might find that what you've been blaming on willpower is actually your biology, and that's the good news. I have several episodes about metabolism. They will all be linked below so you can check those out as well. But today's episode isn't about blame. It's about biology and having a strategy and, most important, compassion for your midlife body. And as you begin to understand what's really happening underneath the surface when you transition into postmenopause, you'll start to see that your body is working for you and not against you. That is what I want you to take away from today's episode. So first of all, what in the world does estrogen actually do for your weight, your metabolism, and your muscle? Because estrogen has a role in all of those things. And a person can feel more in control when they understand how changing hormones are actually impacting their daily energy and also their body composition. You look down and you're like, where'd that belly come from? So what are the roles of estrogen? Estrogen controls our metabolism. It helps our body burn energy efficiently. And without that, our metabolism naturally slows. So we're losing our estrogen, which slows our metabolism. The other thing estrogen does, it tells your body where to store fat. Estrogen in our thirties and forties gave us our curves. Right? We look different than a man. We have curves because of estrogen. When we lose our estrogen, our body begins to collect more fat in the abdomen area. That dreaded belly fat is because of the loss of estrogen in postmenopause. The other thing estrogen helps control, it suppresses your appetite and keeps your mood stable. So if you remember being in perimenopause or if you're still in perimenopause, mood swings can be all over the place. Cravings can be wild. That is because estrogen is on a roller coaster ride in perimenopause. Then once we hit postmenopause, twelve months without a period, when we lose our estrogen in postmenopause, the cravings go crazy and our mood goes crazy as well. Both of those are due to the lack of estrogen. The other thing estrogen does, it helps keep our muscle mass. So when we lose our estrogen, muscle mass also accelerates. And when we lose muscle, we're also influencing negatively our metabolism. We know that the more muscle you have, the more calories you can burn at rest. So with less estrogen in postmenopause, muscles take a big hit. So here's the thing. What if the weight gain isn't a problem? It's actually your body's signal. I find that most advice about weight gain and menopause really doesn't work. Most plans weren't made for your current hormone situation. We've been told to cut the calories and do cardio heavy routines, and they worked in the thirties, maybe even in your forties. And then you hit menopause, you try to return to those, and you find yourself on the couch. That's what happened to me. I was a couple years postmenopause, and I did my one of my favorite CrossFit workouts. My kids were in town. It was a sunny day in December. I ran. I did overhead squats. It was amazing. I felt amazing. I thought my brain and my body are cooperating. This is amazing. Wrong. I ended up couch running for, like, three days afterwards. I totally over exercised for my, hormone levels, if you will. Muscle loss and stress are often overlooked in programs. When you have less muscle, you have a slower metabolism. And when you have more stress, you have more cortisol, which means you have more belly fat. So all of these things are happening when we get to the postmenopause side. We can't ignore the lack of sleep, the extra stress, and how your nervous system perceives all that because I know this to be true. If your body doesn't feel safe, it will not let go of fat no matter how clean you eat. I need I need to let that one sink in. I'm gonna say it again. If your body doesn't feel safe, it won't let go of the fat no matter what you eat. I see it over and over the longer I coach women in menopause. I see extra body weight as a barrier, as a protection from the outside world. You might notice that once you stop fighting your body and start supporting it, everything is gonna feel less exhausting. This is where most programs stop, but understanding the why only matters if you're also given the how in a real way that fits your real life and your hormones at this stage. So how do you support your metabolism and menopause without, like, starting over? I'm a big fan of small, doable steps that you can build over time. In fact, I'd like to think of it as crowding out. So you have your current habits, the things that you're doing currently, and then I want you to slowly add something in and crowd out the less favorable habits. Building strength in small doses is my favorite thing. That's what changed for me in December. My muscle composition is up. My fat composition is down, and the scale is down, and I feel more like myself than I have in a very long time. And how did I do that? Ten minute strength workouts. Ten minutes is enough to preserve your muscle and increase your metabolic burn. In fact, the other thing that happened was I was able to be more consistent because it's really easy to say to myself, I got ten minutes. I'm worth ten minutes. And I go downstairs and I go lift some weights for ten minutes. As you start to choose strength over shrinking your body, you might find yourself more powerful, which is what I want for you, in and out of your clothes. What would it be like if your meals left you full and energized and satisfied instead of stuck in that cravings and, like, I just need something sweet after dinner? I've been there. I know about that. When you eat to support your muscles and your hormones and your energy, everything changes. When you put that protein on your plate first and you balance your meals with fruits and veggies and colorful foods and ditch those food rolls that make you crazy and drain your willpower, when you start to realize that what you're eating is actually rebuilding and supporting your body, everything changes. My favorite way to track food without tracking is called the plate method. So I want you to imagine a plate. Half of your plate is non starchy vegetables. One quarter of your plate is that protein. Whatever you do, put the protein on your plate. As a former vegetarian, I'm I'm speaking from experience here. And the other fourth is like your carby carbs, like piece of sourdough or some sweet potatoes or some rice if you like that. So one fourth protein, one fourth carbs, and a half of veggies. You'll be good to go. You start eating like that, you'll notice the difference in your energy and how your body composition changes. Give it a try and crowd out those other foods that are not supporting you. The next actionable step to change your metabolism is to move throughout the day. It's called nonexercise activity, and, again, check out those previous metabolism episodes. It makes up about 15% of your daily energy use. So that's walking, standing, light movement, you know, gardening, whatever it is, playing with your grandkids. It's not formal exercise. It's literally moving throughout the day. And if you're into tracking using an Oura Ring or Whoop or Fitbit, whatever, Apple Watch, keeping yourself accountable with the steps, that's what falls into the need. And, honestly, I find that many women in midlife think they're moving more, and they're not. Did I tell you about my Oura story? I don't have it on right now. It's charging. They changed the algorithm, how they counted steps, and typing wasn't really walking. So I'm still adjusting to the new changes, but I'm really grateful that they changed it. Because when I would go on a walk with my husband, he would have a certain amount of steps, and I would have way more steps. Why is that? It's because they changed their algorithm, and now it is more accurate than ever. So, anyway, that's the good news. I like tracking. It does not make me crazy. It does not do a mental thing. If if tracking something like that causes stress or anxiety, then don't do it because that is part of this formula as well, making sure that we're managing our stress. The other thing that's important at this stage of life is your recovery and your nervous system. I used to think that was such nonsense, but your sleep and your stress management and how your body, your nervous system is responding to stuff is a really big deal. These things directly impact your belly fat and directly impact your cravings. So I have a morning routine that includes if it's nice out sitting outside, listening to Insight Timer, doing something that starts my day on a positive step. Making time for myself in the morning is a game changer for my whole day. I start off in a calm mode. Now on days I don't do that and I start off with my to do list and I've gotta do x y z and da da da, go go go, My nervous system is on high alert all day. Have you ever noticed the difference in your own life when you start your day in a calm mode versus I gotta go go go mode? You might be surprised at how much easier everything is when your body feels safe. That includes weight loss. I want you to walk away today knowing that menopausal weight gain isn't inevitable, but the way you support your body has to change. And what if it isn't about fighting your body, but finally working with your body? If you're ready for some ten minute strength workouts, which have totally changed my body composition and my attitude towards exercising, check out the menopause minis. The link is below. And if you were just to take one small step this week, what might shift for you? If you're over on Instagram, please stop by and say hi. I love hearing from you. Be sure to come back next week for more of the Menopause Method. Thanks for being here.