What You Shouldn't Do for Fat Loss During Perimenopause (and What to Do Instead)

January 17, 2024

Perimenopause—it’s not just a prequel to menopause, it’s a whole season of change. If you’re in your 40s or 50s and wondering why your usual health and fitness routine suddenly isn’t working, you’re not alone.

In this episode of Nacho Fitness Coach, we’re diving into the real talk about perimenopause, hormones, and how your fat-loss strategies might need a major reboot. Whether you're approaching this phase or just curious about what’s ahead, we've got you covered—with facts, laughs, and yes... tacos.

What Is Perimenopause, Anyway?

Let’s get this out of the way: perimenopause is the transition period before menopause, often starting in your 40s and lasting several years. Hormones begin to fluctuate, and symptoms like hot flashes, mood swings, sleep disturbances, and weight changes can creep in.

Fun, right?

Here's Why Your Body Is Acting Differently

During this time, your hormones—especially estrogen and progesterone—are shifting. Your cortisol (aka stress hormone) might spike more easily, and your body's response to diet and exercise changes dramatically.

What worked for you in your 30s (hello, bootcamps and calorie-cutting!) might now be doing more harm than good.

The Perimenopause Fitness Trap: What Not to Do

Let’s talk about the things most of us think we should do when trying to lose fat—but that are actually hurting our progress during perimenopause:

🚫 1. Working Out Harder

More intensity doesn’t mean more results. High-intensity workouts like CrossFit or daily bootcamps can spike cortisol and add stress to an already stressed system. If you have PCOS, this especially applies to you too.

🚫 2. Eating Way Less

Cutting calories drastically can backfire. Your body sees it as a threat and may hold on to fat even more tightly—especially around your belly.

🚫 3. Ditching Carbs

Carbs aren't the enemy! Your body (and brain!) relies on them for energy. Cutting them out just adds more stress, messes with hormone balance, and tanks your mood and performance.

🍕 Pro Tip: Cutting carbs should be reserved for pizza slices—not your diet. We’re here for cutting carbs into triangles, not cutting them out. Godfather’s Pizza gets it. 👏

🚫 4. Piling on the Cardio

More cardio ≠ more fat loss. In fact, high-volume cardio adds more sympathetic stress (aka "fight or flight") and increases cortisol—leading to even more fat storage around your midsection.

So What Should You Do?

We’ll get into the detailed list in part two, but here’s a sneak peek:

✨ Prioritize stress reduction.
✨ Avoid overstimulation from diet and exercise.
✨ Focus on strength training and recovery.
✨ Give your hormones the support they need, not more chaos.

Real Talk: It's Not Just You

Most women think they need to do more to get results—more cardio, less food, more hustle. But during perimenopause, this strategy can do more harm than good. That belly fat you're frustrated with? It might be your body's way of telling you to slow down, not speed up.

Let's Normalize the Conversation

Your fitness strategy needs to change as your body changes—and that’s okay! You're not doing it wrong. You're just in a new chapter, and it's time to update the playbook.

Nacho Final Thoughts

💬 “Lift heavy. Eat tacos.”
💬 “I’m into fitness… fitness whole taco in my mouth.”
💬 “Cut carbs… into delicious pizza slices.”

Yes, we’re serious about our health, but we’re also serious about enjoying the ride. Perimenopause isn’t the end of feeling strong and confident—it’s just the beginning of doing it smarter.

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