Weight gain is a common part of perimenopause – up to 90% of women gain some weight during this time of their lives. Many women also report that it can be more difficult to lose weight.

While hormonal changes can contribute to weight gain, there are usually other factors at play including ageing, lifestyle and genetics.

For some women, a healthy weight can be achieved through a nutritious, well-balanced diet. However, for many women, maintaining a healthy weight can be a significant challenge. There’s no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to diet and it’s essential to be mindful of other health conditions which may be impacting your body.

Ultimately you need to find the “Goldilocks Zone” for your body. This term goes back to the fairytale, Goldilocks and the three bears. When Goldilocks entered the home of the bears, she found three bowls of porridge. One was too hot, one was too cold and the other was just right. Your Goldilocks Zone is where your weight and nutrient intake are not too low or too high but just right.

A crash course in nutrition

There are six essential nutrients split into two categories:

Macronutrients
Micronutrients.

Macronutrients

There are three macronutrients in our diet:

Carbohydrates include starchy foods, sugars, and fibre. These are essential for survival and break down into glucose used for energy.
Proteins are made up of amino acids and are needed to build and repair cells.
Fats are the main source of stored energy.

Micronutrients

Micronutrients refer to vitamins and minerals that are required for a healthy functioning body.

Some of the most common micronutrients are vitamin B6, vitamin C, vitamin E, magnesium, calcium and zinc.

Water is also considered an essential nutrient as it is required in amounts that exceed the body’s ability to produce it.

Healthy Eating recommendations

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating is a guide provided by the government, representing the five food groups and their recommended portions daily. The guide is designed to help people make healthy food choices. It recommends we should consume a variety of nutritious foods each day from five food groups.

1. Grain foods (mostly carbohydrates).

2. Vegetables and legumes (mostly carbohydrates, protein with plenty of vitamins).

3. Lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds and legumes (mostly protein and minerals).

4. Milk, yoghurt, cheese and/or alternatives, mostly reduced fat (protein and fat with minerals).

5. Fruit (carbohydrates with vitamins).

It is recommended that fats should be used in small amounts, with a preference for ‘healthy fats’ such as those found in avocado, nuts, fish and olive oil.

The Australian Guide to Healthy Eating. Source: eatforhealth.gov.au

Menopause and different types of diets

#1 Everything in Moderation

Eating everything in moderation can be useful for guiding healthy eating. It is the basis for the Australian Guide to Healthy Eating but does require an understanding of food groups, portion sizes and eating habits.

While it’s considered healthy, there are other diets that can be more beneficial during the perimenopausal period by reducing acute symptoms and helping to prevent chronic disease.

#2 Mediterranean diet

A Mediterranean diet is centred around plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, low GI grains, olive oil and seeds and a moderately high fish intake. It limits the consumption of red meat, dairy and saturated fats.

This diet is heart-healthy and associated with a reduced risk of diabetes, cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases. It has been shown to improve muscle mass and bone density in postmenopausal women. [1]

#3 Fasting

There are various diets that involve periods of fasting: 5:2 Diet, 16-hour fast, 12-hour fast as well as many other variations. The idea behind fasting diets is that you eat normally for a designated period of time, followed by a period of either no food or very little food.

Benefits can include reduced risk of diabetes, lower inflammation, improved cholesterol and lower weight. [2] However, fasting does not work for everyone. It can trigger the stress response in the body, releasing excess cortisol which can be detrimental over long periods.

#4 Keto and Low Carb Diets

Low carbohydrate diets are currently the biggest fad diets. There are variations of this type of diet but they all require little to no consumption of carbohydrates.

The Keto diet is a low carbohydrate but high fat diet designed to put your body in a metabolic state called ketosis. This is where the body doesn’t have enough carbohydrates to use for energy so breaks down fats into ketones to be used by the body for energy, thus resulting in weight loss.

It has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity which can reduce and sometimes reverse type 2 diabetes. However, it may have negative side effects including poor heart health by raising bad cholesterol levels and in some the onset of ‘keto flu’ which can exacerbate perimenopausal symptoms such as fatigue, hair loss and hot flushes.

#5 Paleo and high protein diets

The paleo diet is based around minimally processed foods, sometimes referred to as ‘clean eating’. It promotes the consumption of seafood, meat, vegetables, fruit, eggs, oils and nuts. Whole grains, cereals, processed foods, sugar, dairy, alcohol and coffee are avoided.

A Paleo diet can reduce waist circumference and fat mass in postmenopausal women. Longer-term studies have been inconclusive due to poor adherence as the diet is difficult to stick to, required a lot of meal preparation and can be quite expensive.[3]

Alcohol and caffeine

Alcohol is a toxin in the body and takes priority through the digestive tract. Alcohol will also increase blood sugar levels, disrupt sleep and excessive consumption can lead to heart disease. Some studies show limiting the quantity and frequency of alcohol consumption may be beneficial during menopause.

Consuming caffeine up to six hours before a normal bedtime can affect sleep. There is also some research to suggest caffeine may increase hot flushes but nothing conclusive yet.

Back to Goldilocks…

One thing we can be sure of is that how you eat during menopause can affect your symptoms, energy and overall health.

A stressful environment within your body will be created by extremes of eating too much, or not eating enough, affecting cortisol and increasing symptoms.

Experiment to find your own Goldilocks zone, with just the right amount of diet (and exercise) to stay healthy and active.

Get our eBook: Hormones in Harmony, available from the Embody Movement online store.

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References:

Rasia Silva, Thaís & Martins, C. & Ferreira, Laís Lima & Spritzer, Poli. (2019). Mediterranean diet is associated with bone mineral density and muscle mass in postmenopausal women. Climacteric. 22. 1-7. 10.1080/13697137.2018.1529747.
Abeyasekera, Kavisha N., "Benefits of Intermittent Fasting: A Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials" (2020). Physician Assistant Studies | Student Articles. 12.
Mellberg, C., Sandberg, S., Ryberg, M. et al. Long-term effects of a Palaeolithic-type diet in obese postmenopausal women: a 2-year randomized trial. Eur J Clin Nutr 68, 350–357 (2014).

Originally published 22 December 2021, revised and updated 30 January 2024.

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Nutrition, weight gain and menopause: finding your “Goldilocks Zone”