How to peel back the perimenopause layer

This is a question I get pretty often and wanted to chat about it here!

On the left was June 2022 and on the right was October 2023. WOW!

I always want to start with the fact that this is what worked for me! I also want share that I felt on the higher end of stressed out on the left. It had been a trying year and my body felt it. I was also going on regular Crumble Cookie runs, not tracking macros, sporadic with lifting and not doing any specific program consistently. I did not track my steps regularly. I was in perimenopause for sure. So basically I was just kind of winging it and doing what I could with the bandwidth I had at that time.

In the Fall of 2022 both of my girls were gone out of state in college. The house was empty for the first time. Wow this was new. I had dedicated the last 20 years to raising them and they are my pride and joy. But this was a new chapter. What did I want to do?!?! I knew turning 50 in July of 2023 I wanted to feel the best I possibly could and go into this next half of my life fired up and excited for what’s to come.

I decided to lock it in and LOAD. I did my own research. What kept coming through loud and clear was: high protein, lifting heavy, no more long form high intensity cardio, lots of walking, cut the sugar, cut the alcohol. I figured out where my macros needed be, and started lifting 5-6 days a week consistently repeating the same lifts each week doing progressive overload. I cut the sugar, and started walking 8-10k steps daily. I had previously cut alcohol 5 years ago which was a complete life change. Next blog post I will write all about it!

Initially I was in a slight caloric deficit to lose the weight. This was around 300-400 below maintenance but still kept my protein intake high. I ate my target bodyweight (lbs) in protein grams daily. This kept me satiated and maintaining muscle!

It took over a month for my body to finally adjust to the protein and lifting, but once it did it became an incinerator! I will tell you taking my MAGNESIUM complex at night and GREENS in the morning helped my digestion to move along quite wonderfully! (also make sure your fiber intake is at least 25g per day!)

Once I arrived at a weight I was happy with, I started eating at maintenance and sometimes in a slight surplus to continue maintaining and building muscle. Results take time and over the past year and a half I have completely recomped my body through consistency and hard work all while going through perimenopause. YES it’s possible!

I want you to see what’s possible and that change can happen even in midlife!!

Remember to master the basics first!

  • lift heavy and consistently 4-6 days a week (MY PROGRAMS HERE!)
  • ditch the long high intense cardio
  • walk 8-10k steps daily (20-30 minutes of this total in zone 2 – the rest throughout your day)
  • 100 grams of protein daily (free macro calculator HERE) (Also I track with Macros First app)
  • drink your water (half of your body weight (lbs) in ounces daily)
  • ditch the alcohol and refined sugar (or limit!)
  • 7-8 hours of sleep every night!
  • meet with a functional med doc or menopause specialist to discuss hormones!

We got this! Love you!

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