Peri-menopause symptoms are our call to action, offering a chance to embrace change and live an amazing midlife and beyond. For many women, changes to physical appearance can be one of the most challenging aspects of menopause to manage. As our bodies change, we need to find a way to accept our new normal, to appreciate the body we have right now, not sometime in the future or the past.
While it might be tempting to resort to extreme measures and quick fixes, these are not sustainable and can often backfire, leading to further weight gain. The best approach is to make small, achievable changes that can be maintained even during busy or stressful times. We want good nutrition for a lifetime, not a little time.
When Your Body Changes, So Should the Narrative in Peri-Menopause
Gaining weight but haven’t changed a thing?
Experiencing weight gain during peri-menopause can be distressing, especially when diet and exercise habits remain unchanged. On average, women between the ages of 45 and 55 gain around half a kilo per year. This weight gain is largely influenced by the natural ageing process and lifestyle factors.
Hormonal changes during peri-menopause also shift body composition, leading to increased fat, decreased muscle mass, and a tendency for fat to accumulate around the abdomen rather than the hips, thighs, and bottom.
Alongside weight gain, peri-menopause can affect skin elasticity and moisture, contributing to dryness, wrinkles, and loss of firmness. Declining oestrogen levels can also lead to hair thinning and increased shedding. These appearance-related changes can heighten body dissatisfaction and awareness of ageing.
Changing body – impact on self-esteem and body image
Body image refers to our perceptions, thoughts, and feelings about our body. In Western culture, thin bodies and youthful appearance are often idealised. As we age and enter peri-menopause, these ideals can fuel body dissatisfaction and dieting behaviours.
Body acceptance is a crucial part of navigating peri-menopause. It means shifting the focus from punishing our bodies to nurturing them — choosing behaviours that support how we feel and function, rather than how we look.
Practical ways to embrace your body during peri-menopause include:
- Focus on health, not weight: prioritise nourishing food, movement, sleep and stress management over the number on the scale.
- Surround yourself with positivity: seek out people and media that promote body diversity.
- Challenge negative self-talk: replace criticism with compassion.
- Celebrate what your body can do: strength, mobility, resilience and endurance all matter.
Changing the lens on eating — nourish, don’t punish
Nourishing ourselves means listening to our bodies, tuning into hunger and fullness cues, and noticing what foods help us feel our best.
A non-diet approach to eating supports this by removing food rules and treating all foods as neutral. Rather than chasing quick results, the focus shifts to sustainable habits that support long-term health and wellbeing.
This might look like choosing fruit and vegetables because they support mood and digestion, or moving your body because it feels good — not because you’re trying to burn calories.
Applying a non-diet approach in everyday life
Accepting and responding to body cues
Reconnecting with hunger and fullness helps rebuild trust in your body. It also invites curiosity about eating for reasons other than hunger, such as stress, boredom or emotion.
- Pause before eating: ask yourself what you need right now.
- Eat mindfully: minimise distractions and create space to enjoy your food.
- Notice fullness: you don’t need to clear your plate to be satisfied.
Accepting all foods
When foods are labelled as “good” or “bad”, they often become more tempting. A neutral approach reduces guilt and supports more balanced eating.
- Avoid labelling foods.
- Give yourself permission to enjoy what you love.
- Focus on nutrients, not calorie counting.
- Allow pleasure to be part of eating.
But what if I still want to lose weight?
It’s okay to want weight loss. However, restrictive dieting and excessive exercise rarely lead to lasting results and often increase the risk of regain. A non-diet approach prioritises health-supportive behaviours first — and for many women, weight change follows naturally.
Peri-menopause offers a powerful opportunity to rewrite the narrative around food, bodies and self-care.
References
- Australasian Menopause Society (2020). Maintaining weight and health.
- Australasian Menopause Society (2020). What is menopause?
- Ogden, J. (2019). Health Psychology.
- Bezzant, N. (2023). How to accept your body just as it is.
- Willer, F. (2013). The Non-Diet Approach Guidebook.
