Lose Weight in Perimenopause

Your 4-week perimenopause plan

Week 1 — protein + sleep

Hit 34g+ of protein at every meal. Bed by 10:30 pm. Don't change anything else yet. This alone shifts most women.

Week 2 — strength + alcohol

Add 2× 30-minute strength sessions (squat / hinge / push / pull / carry). Cap alcohol at 3 drinks for the week.

Week 3 — calorie window

Now hit your daily calorie target. Stop eating after 8 pm. 8,000 steps a day, broken into walks after meals.

Week 4 — measure + adjust

Measure waist and weigh in. If down — keep going. If flat — drop another 100 kcal or add a third strength session. If sleep crashed — eat more, not less.

5 mistakes that stall peri weight loss

1. 1. Eating too little. Sub-1,200 kcal raises cortisol and stalls thyroid. The deficit must be moderate.
2. 2. All cardio, no lifting. Cardio burns calories today. Muscle burns them every day forever.
3. 3. Daily wine. Even one glass crushes deep sleep and adds ~150 empty kcal — the deficit's gone.
4. 4. Skipping breakfast. Late first meal raises evening cortisol and cravings. Front-load protein.
5. 5. Hating the scale. In peri, waist circumference is more honest than weight. Track both.