Losing weight during the menopause

Written by Claude API
40 minutes reading time
27. September 2026
Wechseljahre

You are in the middle of your life and suddenly insomnia, exhaustion, forgetfulness, increased irritability and weight problems are troubling you? Welcome to the menopause. Menopausal symptoms can be very hard to live with and very frustrating, but there is no reason to despair. Because as with so many things, the power of nutrition is great here too.

In this article we explain what the menopause actually is, how the female cycle works and how you can take on your symptoms with the right nutrition. We also show you how you can lose weight during the menopause. Let’s get started.

Losing weight during the menopause

Table of contents

    1. What is the menopause?

    During the menopause, also called the climacteric, the interplay of the hormones changes. From around the middle of the forties the body gradually reduces its production of the female sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone. The monthly bleeds become irregular and finally stop altogether. The last menstrual bleed is called the menopause. That is a little misleading, because it is not a pause but an end point. After it a woman can no longer become pregnant. The menopause can only be established in hindsight, and the rule of thumb is this: if menstrual bleeding has been absent for twelve months, the last bleed was very probably the menopause. If it occurs before the age of 40, it is described as “premature”.

    On average women have their menopause at 51; some considerably earlier, others later. In some women the menopause announces itself so gently that they do not notice it at all. Other women feel the beginning clearly.

    The most important terms around the menopause at a glance

    Menopause: The point in time of the last menstrual bleed. It can be dated in hindsight, after a year without bleeding.

    Perimenopause: The period from before the menopause until one year after it. The perimenopause usually begins one to four years before the menopause, as soon as clinical symptoms and hormonal changes appear.

    Postmenopause: It begins one year after the menopause and lasts around 10 to 17 years. After that comes the so called senium.

    Climacteric: The whole period from perimenopause to postmenopause. This term is used synonymously with the menopause.

    Climacterium praecox: The premature onset of menopausal symptoms and/or hormonal changes before the age of 40.

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    2. The female cycle

    Before we look at the menopause in more detail, we first have to clarify how the female cycle actually works.

    Not in the mood for reading? Then simply let Marina explain the female cycle to you. By the way: you will find all the videos on the menopause and much more on our Foodpunk YouTube channel.

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    First, several egg sacs, called follicles, mature in the ovary. To make the passage easier for the male sperm, the mucus in the cervix changes its consistency, and at the same time the lining of the womb is prepared for the implantation of a fertilised egg cell. It builds up so that it can receive the egg cell.

    At ovulation the most developed follicle bursts and a fertilisable egg cell is released. The egg cell then travels through the fallopian tube into the womb. The burst follicle is converted into what is known as the corpus luteum, which produces the hormone progesterone. This helps the body prepare for a possible pregnancy. If the egg cell is not fertilised and no pregnancy occurs, the corpus luteum breaks down and the lining of the womb is shed: menstrual bleeding, also called the period or menstruation, begins. After that the cycle starts again.

    5 facts about the female cycle

    1. By definition the cycle begins with the first day of menstrual bleeding and ends on the day before the next period
    2. Menstruation normally lasts more than 4 to 7 days
    3. The total cycle length varies between 25 and 31 days, on average it is 28 days
    4. During the period around 80 ml of fluid is lost, consisting of blood, secretions and remnants of the womb lining
    5. On average the last bleed takes place at the age of 51. That is the menopause.

    All of these figures are average values and deviations are not rare.

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    3. Hormones in the cycle

    Let us now take a closer look at which hormones actually control your cycle. There are 6 main players here:

    Hormonal changes during the menopause

    Perimenopause, menopause and postmenopause: these are the three main phases of the menopause. The hormones change in each phase.

    This also goes hand in hand with the falling number of egg cells. That number changes from puberty through to the menopause. When puberty begins, the ovaries start to release the two sex hormones oestrogen and progesterone and the female cycle starts.

    When we are born, our ovaries already hold a fixed number of egg cells, around 1,000,000 of them. Between birth and puberty a great many egg cells are “lost”, and by the start of puberty there are only about 500,000 egg cells left. Over the course of our lives we use up this store month by month, one piece at a time. At the start of the early menopause we still have around 50,000 egg cells, in the late menopause the number shrinks to around 10,000 egg cells, and after the last monthly bleed not a single egg cell is left. The figures do of course vary a little: some of us are born with more egg cells and others with fewer.

    With fewer and fewer egg cells, the infrastructure is no longer needed to prepare the womb lining month after month for the implantation of a fertilised egg cell. The female sex hormones decline and the bleeding finally stops.

    Wechseljahre_Eizellen

    As soon as the hormonal patterns change, the perimenopause begins. From now on the female hormones oestrogen and progesterone are no longer produced by the ovaries with the same regularity.

    Oestrogen levels in the perimenopause tend to be irregular and fluctuating. Since progesterone is the counterpart of oestrogen, oestrogen dominance can occur in this phase. The consequences of this can be irregular bleeding, tender breasts, insomnia and much more. We will present a complete list of the symptoms during the menopause later on.

    In the later perimenopause the oestrogen level falls further and symptoms of oestrogen deficiency can appear, among them loss of libido, vaginal dryness and brain fog. The levels of the hormones LH and FSH rise.

    The reason for the hormonal chaos is that ovulation happens less and less often. Because more FSH is released, less progesterone is produced, and although no egg cells should really be maturing, they are stimulated to grow. The chaos is complete.

    After the menopause the postmenopause begins, in which oestrogen and progesterone are at a lastingly low level. LH and FSH have constantly raised values. This is the body’s new normal. Hormone fluctuations now occur only mildly.

    4. Symptoms of the menopause

    Different symptoms can also occur within the different phases of the menopause.

    The first symptoms appear with the start of the perimenopause. The perimenopause can be extremely short, for example only a few months, or it can stretch over a period of several years. On average it lasts about 4 to 5 years and can be divided into early and late perimenopause. The fluctuating hormone levels bring new sensations, symptoms and changes. The experience of the perimenopause differs greatly from person to person and from culture to culture.

    Common changes and symptoms in the early perimenopause are:

    • Anxiety
    • Mood swings
    • Sleep problems
    • Weight gain
    • Heavy and painful periods
    • Tender and swelling breasts
    • Shortened cycle and bleeding between periods
    • Water retention

    Symptoms that occur in the late perimenopause are:

    • Brain fog
    • First hot flushes
    • Vaginal dryness
    • Clearly shortened cycle
    • Sleep problems
    • Night sweats
    • Frequently missed periods
    • Long lasting bleeding

    Further symptoms that can occur during this time:

    • Bladder weakness or a prolapsed bladder
    • Changes to hair and skin
    • A change in fat distribution: more body fat stored, especially on the belly
    • Muscle and joint pain
    • Problems with concentration and memory
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    Symptome_Wechseljahre

    In the postmenopause that follows, in which the oestrogen level is now permanently lowered, symptoms appear above all because of this low level. The symptoms include, among others:

    • Facial hair growth
    • Hair loss
    • Vaginal dryness
    • Joint pain

    At this point it is important to mention that the symptoms in all phases of the menopause differ from woman to woman and are perceived with differing intensity. They do not depend on the hormones alone, but also on further lifestyle factors, for example on nutrition. Do not worry, we are at your side during your menopause too.

    Besides all these hormonally driven symptoms, the permanently low oestrogen level has further consequences. Did you know that this hormone protects us from conditions such as osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart disease and various types of cancer? Strange, but true. With reduced oestrogen values the risk of exactly these conditions therefore rises, which is why a healthy way of living becomes all the more important. The lasting physical changes to watch out for also include vaginal dryness, problems with urination, which means problems with the bladder, and changes in sexual function. These include loss of desire, lack of arousal, difficulty reaching orgasm or pain during sex. In addition, many women gain weight without wanting to and find it hard to lose it. More on that later.

    5. Premature menopause

    As we already learned at the beginning, the menopause occurs on average at the age of 51. But what if it knocks at the door before the age of 40? Is that even possible? And if so, how does it come about?

    Straight away: yes, the menopause can occur before the age of 40 as well. This is the case in 0.3 to 1% of women.

    You already know that the number and the loss of egg cells is decisive for the start of the menopause. If our store of egg cells is used up early, the menopause also sets in earlier. But how exactly does that happen, and which factors can influence a premature menopause?

    There can be various reasons for an early onset of the menopause. They can be divided into five different categories:

    On top of the risks of osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease, women affected by a premature menopause also carry a heavy psychological burden, for example through the fear of ageing early or through more difficult family planning.

    6. Weight gain during the menopause

    In 90% of women between 45 and 55 the body fat percentage rises with the start of the menopause. On average women in midlife gain about 0.7 kilos a year, so 7 kg in 10 years. The main reason for this is not the hormonal change, however, but the falling basal metabolic rate. So even if you change nothing about your nutrition, you will gain weight bit by bit as your basal metabolic rate, and with it your calorie requirement, slowly falls.

    The cause of the falling basal metabolic rate is the loss of muscle. From the age of 30 we lose an average of 250 g of muscle mass a year, and from the age of 50 it is 500 g a year. Between the ages of 30 and 60, an average of 10 kg of muscle mass is lost. With normal everyday movement this muscle can burn up to 1,000 kcal a day.

    Does that now mean that we should eat less and less as we get older? Absolutely not. Instead we should make the effort to keep our muscle mass.

    You can only prevent the loss of muscle mass if you use your muscles. Simply going for a walk is not enough, the key is strength exercises. From the age of 40 in particular it is therefore important to work the muscles regularly with training. On top of that your body then releases the anti ageing hormone HGH, and your bones are better protected against osteoporosis too.

    Because movement is so important, we also offer a sports programme in our Foodpunk app, the Total Body Fitness programme, which you can do from anywhere.

    Wechseljahre_Muskeln

    Besides movement, a good protein intake is important for keeping muscle. Muscles are made of proteins and these are synthesised from our food. However, protein synthesis becomes less and less effective as we get older, which is why it becomes all the more important to watch the quantity and the quality of the proteins.

    To make that easier, here are our top 7 protein sources:

    Losing weight during the menopause

    Why you gain weight especially around the belly during the menopause

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    Why do women gain weight around the belly of all places during the menopause? To answer this question we have to talk about the hormones again. But first a few pieces of information on belly fat:

    The fat inside the abdomen is called visceral fat and it surrounds your organs. Every body needs a little visceral fat, but it can quickly become too much. Because visceral fat is the unhealthiest fat we carry around with us. Belly fat is very metabolically active and sends out many messenger substances, among them inflammatory cytokines that influence insulin secretion. As a result, tolerance for carbohydrates falls. An increased waist measurement counts as a risk factor for conditions such as coronary heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes. In women a waist measurement from 80 cm is described as an increased risk and from 88 cm as a strongly increased risk.

    The hormonal background to fat being stored mainly around the belly during the menopause is the fall in the hormone oestrogen. Oestrogen itself promotes the storage of fat on the hips and the bottom. Because of the oestrogen dominance at the start of the menopause, more fat is first stored on the hips and bottom. Later the oestrogen concentration falls, so that more fat is now stored around the belly.

    Stress, for example through lack of sleep, also promotes the storage of fat around the belly via the hormone cortisol. But belly fat itself can produce cortisol too. Through the resulting release of insulin, both food cravings and further fat storage are encouraged. Welcome to the vicious circle.

    The key to losing weight around the belly during the menopause consists of good stress management and an anti-inflammatory diet (one that contains plenty of vegetables and unsaturated fatty acids, for example). It is also an advantage to lower the carbohydrates, because tolerance for carbohydrates falls during and after the menopause. Does that sound like an impossible task? Do not worry, we support you with all your goals, during the menopause too.

    Losing belly fat during the menopause:

    1. Use box breathing to reduce stress: breathe in for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, breathe out for 5 seconds, hold your breath for 5 seconds, and start again. Do the whole thing 10 to 20 times.
    2. Eat a protein source with every single meal (yes, at breakfast too).
    3. Always fill two thirds of your plate with vegetables. A salad before a main meal counts as well. In the morning at breakfast fruit is also an option, for example berries, which score with their small amount of carbohydrates.
    4. Change your oil. Swap sunflower oil for olive oil and bring more omega-3 fatty acids into your diet

    Fewer carbohydrates: losing weight during the menopause

    So which amount of carbohydrates makes sense during the menopause?

    The answer is: that is individual, because it depends on how physically active you are. Overall, though, reducing the carbohydrates definitely makes sense. We take that into account when we put the nutrition programmes together.

    Let us first look at what happens when we eat foods rich in carbohydrates. Once the food is digested, the nutrients also have to be processed by the body somehow. The pancreas plays a special role here. Its most important function is the control of blood sugar. The sugar, or more precisely the glucose, from the carbohydrate rich food passes through the intestinal wall into the bloodstream and is normally taken up into muscles, liver and fat cells and stored there. The hormone insulin, produced by the pancreas, helps this work smoothly and so keeps the blood sugar level within the normal range. Oestrogen also supports the uptake of glucose from the blood into the cells, by influencing how sensitive the cells are to glucose. If the oestrogen level falls during the menopause, the cells can take up glucose less well and insulin also works less well. Because of the lower oestrogen level the insulin sensitivity of the cells decreases, so they become less responsive to the signals from insulin and take up less glucose. Blood sugar rises and, accordingly, so does the insulin level. If the blood sugar level is permanently raised while the cells no longer take up glucose, insulin resistance can develop. At first more insulin is produced, so that the insulin level in the blood is very high. If that is the case permanently, insulin production falls again and can even stop completely. Type 2 diabetes is thereby made more likely. If the sugar content in the blood rises too far, deposits can form in blood vessels and nerves and that can bring considerable damage with it. A high insulin level in the blood also means that more fat is laid down in fat stores and less is broken down.

    Zucker in den Wechseljahren

    Because simple, quickly available carbohydrates from sweets or white flour products in particular send the blood sugar level shooting up, you are better off doing without these products. They can also make menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes, sleep problems and food cravings worse. So go for complex carbohydrates, which raise your blood sugar and insulin levels less strongly. A good way is a moderate low-carb diet with up to 100 grams of carbohydrates a day.

    At Foodpunk we are happy to help you with the change, with more than 6,000 individual recipes. Through the right nutrition, which keeps your blood sugar level and the insulin concentration in your blood low, symptoms such as heavy bleeding and cramps can improve. Inflammation in the body is also curbed, which takes further strain off your body.

    Do not worry, it is very easy to build a tasty way of eating with fewer carbohydrates into your everyday life.

    Would you like to learn more about sugar? Then take a look at our article “Warum du ab sofort auf Zucker verzichten solltest” (why you should give up sugar right now).

    Sleep problems and weight gain

    One aspect that is often forgotten when it comes to losing weight is sleep. Women in the menopause suffer particularly often from sleep problems. And that has an influence on weight too. Because after just one night with too little sleep, the level of the hunger hormone ghrelin rises. The next day you automatically have stronger cravings for quickly available carbohydrates such as pasta, pizza and sweet things.

    With chronic lack of sleep the level of the satiety hormone leptin also falls and your hunger rises further.

    Lack of sleep is a stress factor for your body, so the stress hormone cortisol rises too, which in turn encourages food cravings.

    If you manage to adjust the dials marked “stress” and “sleep”, your feeling of hunger will settle down again.

    With these 5 tips you can improve your sleep quality and enjoy more restful nights:

    1. Go for the right nutrition: avoid heavy meals, caffeine and alcohol before going to bed and reach instead for light, sleep friendly meals from the Foodpunk app, 2 to 3 hours before bedtime.
    2. Movement for more relaxation: regular physical activity can help you fall asleep faster and sleep more deeply. Try to be active for at least 30 minutes every day, whether with a walk outdoors or a fitness class.
    3. Use daylight: natural light during the day can have a positive effect on your sleep and wake rhythm. In the evening, though, you should avoid blue light and use blue light filter glasses, for example, to reduce the effects of blue light on the sleep cycle.
    4. Create a soothing sleep environment: invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows, set the temperature to suit your comfort and make sure your bedroom is quiet and dark.
    5. Relax before going to bed: a relaxing evening routine can help prepare your body for sleep. Treat yourself to a warm shower, a good book or a session of meditation, for example.

    7. The most important nutrients during the menopause

    We have put together an overview here of the nutrients you should pay particular attention to during the menopause.

    8. Nutrition tips for the menopause

    But now we finally come to the eagerly awaited nutrition tips. Nutrition can have a big influence on menopausal symptoms. It can influence the onset as well as the symptoms and risk factors that come with the menopause.

    There are a few nutrition related factors that really can delay the onset of the menopause. Studies have shown that a high intake of green and yellow vegetables and of oily fish rich in omega-3 goes together with a later menopause. The reason for this are the antioxidants they contain, which appear to have a positive influence on the egg cell, on ovulation and on the regression of the corpus luteum and the follicles. Another study also showed that women with a higher vitamin D intake have a 17% lower risk of a premature menopause than women with a lower intake.

    When it comes to your symptoms and complaints, too, the power of nutrition is enormous. Do you suffer from strong hot flushes? Losing weight can help here, but eating more vegetables, fruit, fibre and soy can also reduce hot flushes. Another study was able to show that an intake of the omega-3 fatty acid alpha linolenic acid from flaxseed can reduce the frequency of hot flushes and also the severity of night sweats. And while we are on the subject of sleep: you can improve that with the right nutrition too. Foods rich in the amino acid glycine showed an improvement in sleep problems during the menopause in one study . These are above all protein rich foods such as meat, fish, dairy products and some vegetables. Risks that come up with the menopause can be reduced as well. Cruciferous vegetables, for example, can protect against breast cancer. These include cabbages such as cauliflower, white cabbage, savoy cabbage, broccoli and Brussels sprouts, bulbs such as kohlrabi, and also pak choi, rocket or radishes. According to one study the risk of osteoporosis can be reduced by a daily intake of 5 g of collagen peptide, by improving bone mineral density. Less bone loss was also observed with a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. Antioxidants from food can also support oestrogen metabolism.

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    Wechseljahre Ernährung: Gesunde Bowl

    In connection with the menopause you have certainly come across the term phytoestrogens before. These are plant compounds in foods that closely resemble a particular form of oestrogen, 17-β-oestradiol. Because of the similar shape, phytoestrogens can trigger the same effect as 17-β-oestradiol, only somewhat more weakly. An oestrogen deficiency can therefore be balanced out to some extent and symptoms of the deficiency can be eased. Phytoestrogens can be helpful above all with symptoms such as hot flushes, sweating, sleep problems, brain fog, forgetfulness and problems with concentration. So if you suffer from strong menopausal symptoms, it is certainly worth trying the “therapy” with phytoestrogens. Good sources are soy, flaxseed and sesame, berries, cruciferous vegetables, onions and garlic, for example.

    There are, however, also ways of eating and foods that can make menopausal symptoms worse and that you are better off avoiding. These include a diet high in fat and low in fibre, for example. You are also better off doing without high calorie and inflammatory foods. These include sugar, processed carbohydrates, alcohol and caffeine.

    The most important points at a glance

    1. Avoid foods that can throw your hormones off balance, such as sugar, alcohol or drinks containing caffeine.
    2. Go for foods that support your body, such as broccoli, nuts, salmon or avocado.
    3. Make sure you take in enough omega-3 fatty acids, which can curb inflammation and improve your mood.
    4. Try plant hormones, such as soy or red clover, which can ease your symptoms.

    The best comes last: we offer an individual nutrition programme for women in the menopause.

    We know that it is not always easy, but with the right nutrition you can ease your menopausal symptoms and feel thoroughly well again. And we are happy to support you with that.

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    This article was written by

    Claude API

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